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Travel guide
Dordogne and the Périgord
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to October
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Welcome
Dordogne and the Périgord, in a few days
Ochre cliffs above a slow river, and more heritage per mile than almost anywhere in France: the medieval lanes of Sarlat, the prehistoric art of Lascaux, the cliff villages of La Roque-Gageac and Beynac. You paddle down the Dordogne past its castles, go 103 metres underground at Padirac, and finish with ceps and foie gras at dinner.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Sarlat-la-Canéda free · about 2 hThe capital of the Périgord Noir, a maze of medieval lanes and golden-stone Renaissance mansions, taken over by a food market every Saturday.
- Afternoon · Canoeing on the Dordogne · half a dayPaddle past the castles of Castelnaud and Beynac and under La Roque-Gageac, with the current doing most of the work and pebble beaches for picnics.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel La Couleuvrine€110 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · La Roque-Gageac free · about 1 hGolden houses stacked between cliff and river below a fort cut into the rock, with palms and banana plants thriving in its sheltered microclimate.
- Afternoon · Marqueyssac Gardens · about 1 h 30Some 150,000 hand-clipped box shrubs on a rocky spur, with paths leading to a viewpoint 130 metres above the Dordogne.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Le Renoir€130 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Château de Beynac · about 1 h 30One of the best-preserved fortresses in the Périgord, 150 metres above the river, once held by Richard the Lionheart.
- Afternoon · Lascaux IV · about 1 h 30A near-complete replica of the Lascaux cave, reproducing its roughly 20,000-year-old bulls and horses in the half-light, detail for detail.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Mercure Périgueux Centre€120 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Rocamadour free · about 2 hA pilgrimage town clinging to a 150-metre cliff above the Alzou canyon; the Grand Staircase climbs to seven sanctuaries and a medieval Black Madonna.
- Afternoon · Gouffre de Padirac · about 1 h 30Descend a vast shaft to 103 metres below ground, then glide by boat along a clear underground river to its giant stalactite.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Meysset€115 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €105 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to October
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/dordogne
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.