Winter
Dec → Feb9 to 13°
nights 2 to 4°
- 12 rainy days · 86 mm
- 5.3 h of sun
When is the best time to visit Dordogne and the Périgord?
- Jan9°not recommended
- Feb13°not recommended
- Mar15°not recommended
- Apr18°fair
- May21°recommended
- Jun25°recommended
- Jul27°recommended
- Aug28°recommended
- Sep24°recommended
- Oct20°recommended
- Nov14°fair
- Dec10°not recommended
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
The weather in Dordogne and the Périgord, month by month
The table of records, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Sunshine | Rainfall | Rainy days | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9° | 2° | 4.6 h | 73 mm | 12 d | |
| February | 13° | 4° | 6.4 h | 67 mm | 10 d | |
| March | 15° | 6° | 8 h | 88 mm | 13 d | |
| April | 18° | 8° | 9.4 h | 73 mm | 11 d | |
| May | 21° | 11° | 10.5 h | 85 mm | 13 d | ✓ |
| June | 25° | 15° | 11.4 h | 125 mm | 15 d | ✓ |
| July | 27° | 16° | 12.2 h | 41 mm | 7 d | ✓ |
| August | 28° | 17° | 11.5 h | 49 mm | 7 d | ✓ |
| September | 24° | 14° | 9.6 h | 96 mm | 12 d | ✓ |
| October | 20° | 11° | 7.3 h | 115 mm | 12 d | ✓ |
| November | 14° | 7° | 5.9 h | 96 mm | 11 d | |
| December | 10° | 4° | 4.9 h | 117 mm | 15 d |
The four seasons in Dordogne and the Périgord, in figures
What the 2015-2024 records (Sarlat-la-Canéda) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
Spring
Mar → May15 to 21°
nights 6 to 11°
- 12 rainy days · 82 mm
- 9.3 h of sun
Summer
Jun → Aug25 to 28°
nights 15 to 17°
- 10 rainy days · 72 mm
- 11.7 h of sun
Autumn
Sep → Nov14 to 24°
nights 7 to 14°
- 12 rainy days · 102 mm
- 7.6 h of sun
Book early for May to October
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
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Daylight in Dordogne and the Périgord, month by month
The time between sunrise and sunset, from shortest to longest. Not to be confused with the sunshine hours in the table above, which count clear skies. In June there are 15h35 of daylight, in December 8h48, a difference of 6h47.
9h08Jan
10h21Feb
11h47Mar
13h26Apr
14h49May
15h35Jun
15h16Jul
14h03Aug
12h27Sep
10h52Oct
9h29Nov
8h48Dec
Calculated for the latitude of the reference point "Sarlat-la-Canéda" (44.89°). Values on the 15th of each month, local solar time.
What to do in Dordogne and the Périgord, month by month
What to see and do
EventsSarlat Truffle FestivalJanuaryFélibréeJulySarlat Film FestivalNovemberMarchés au gras (foie gras markets)November to FebruaryDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
- Hiking: July, August
- Towns & culture: January, February, April, July, August, September, October, November
- Long days: May, June, July, August
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall), not from an opinion.
What's on in Dordogne and the Périgord, month by month?
What comes back every year, and when. Exact dates change from year to year, so check them before you book.
- JanuarySarlat Truffle Festival
Sarlat devotes a weekend in January to the black truffle: a market in the covered hall, truffle-hunting demonstrations and live cooking.
- JulyFélibrée
A different Périgord village decks itself in paper flowers and brings out Occitan costumes on the first Sunday of July.
- NovemberSarlat Film Festival
The old town welcomes secondary school students and film crews for a week of previews and workshops in November.
- November to FebruaryMarchés au gras (foie gras markets)
From autumn to the end of winter, Sarlat, Thiviers and Périgueux hold their marchés au gras, with foie gras and confits laid out on the tables.
Travelling off-peak
Month by month, in detail
January
Not recommended9°2° at night
- 73 mm · 12 d
- 4.6 h
Low season, lower prices
February
Not recommended13°4° at night
- 67 mm · 10 d
- 6.4 h
Low season, lower prices
March
Not recommended15°6° at night
- 88 mm · 13 d
- 8 h
Low season, lower prices
April
Fair18°8° at night
- 73 mm · 11 d
- 9.4 h
Low season, lower prices
May
Recommended21°11° at night
- 85 mm · 13 d
- 10.5 h
Busy, without the crush
June
Recommended25°15° at night
- 125 mm · 15 d
- 11.4 h
Busy, without the crush
July
Recommended27°16° at night
- 41 mm · 7 d
- 12.2 h
High season, book early
August
Recommended28°17° at night
- 49 mm · 7 d
- 11.5 h
High season, book early
September
Recommended24°14° at night
- 96 mm · 12 d
- 9.6 h
Busy, without the crush
October
Recommended20°11° at night
- 115 mm · 12 d
- 7.3 h
Busy, without the crush
November
Fair14°7° at night
- 96 mm · 11 d
- 5.9 h
Low season, lower prices
December
Not recommended10°4° at night
- 117 mm · 15 d
- 4.9 h
Quiet, then the holidays
Read the twelve months in detail
January. Cool: 9 °C at best, 2 °C at night. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (73 mm). Sunshine gets scarcer (4.6 h a day). Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
February. Cool: 13 °C at best, 4 °C at night. Expect 10 days of rain in the month (67 mm). Expect 6.4 h of sunshine a day. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
March. Cool: 15 °C at best, 6 °C at night. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (88 mm). Expect 8 h of sunshine a day. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
April. Mild, 18 °C in the afternoon and 8 °C early in the morning. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (73 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 9.4 h a day on average. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
May. Mild, 21 °C in the afternoon and 11 °C early in the morning. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (85 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.5 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
June. 25 °C in the afternoon and 15 °C at night. Frequent rain: 125 mm over 15 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.4 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
July. 27 °C in the afternoon and 16 °C at night. Rain stays light: 41 mm over 7 days. Plenty of sunshine: 12.2 h a day on average. High season: book early.
August. 28 °C in the afternoon and 17 °C at night. Rain stays light: 49 mm over 7 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.5 h a day on average. High season: book early.
September. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 14 °C early in the morning. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (96 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 9.6 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
October. Mild, 20 °C in the afternoon and 11 °C early in the morning. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (115 mm). Expect 7.3 h of sunshine a day. Busy season, without the crush.
November. Cool: 14 °C at best, 7 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (96 mm). Sunshine gets scarcer (5.9 h a day). Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
December. Cool: 10 °C at best, 4 °C at night. A very wet month, 117 mm of rain over 15 days. Sunshine gets scarcer (4.9 h a day). Quiet at the start of the month, then busier as the holidays approach.
Same season, other ideas
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Dordogne and the Périgord?
May to October: over these months, recorded highs range from 20 to 28 °C, with 11 days of rain a month on average (2015-2024 records, Sarlat-la-Canéda).
Which month should you avoid in Dordogne and the Périgord?
December: it is the wettest of the months to avoid, with 117 mm over 15 days of rain on average, according to 2015-2024 records at the reference point (Sarlat-la-Canéda).
What is the hottest month in Dordogne and the Périgord?
August, with 28 °C on average in the afternoon and 17 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Sarlat-la-Canéda).
What is the coldest month in Dordogne and the Périgord?
January, with 9 °C at best during the day and 2 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Sarlat-la-Canéda).
What is the driest month in Dordogne and the Périgord?
July: 41 mm over 7 days of rain, against 125 mm in June, the wettest month.
Which month has the most sunshine in Dordogne and the Périgord?
July, with 12.2 h of sunshine a day on average. Note that this counts clear skies, not the length of the day.
When is the best time to hike in Dordogne and the Périgord?
July, August: highs between 12 and 29 °C and no more than 9 days of rain a month according to 2015-2024 records (Sarlat-la-Canéda), the safest windows for walking.
Plan this trip
📒 The free printable Dordogne and the Périgord guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→
🧭 When to visit France: the country overview→
🗓️ Best time to visit: all our destinations→
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Photos: Renhour48 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Tahir Xəlfəquliyev / Pexels · Jibi44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · FrDr / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Benjamin Smith / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · SlimMars 13 / Pexels