Why go
The Dordogne is the France of calendars: golden stone villages, castles on cliff tops, a slow green river and markets piled with walnuts and duck. It is also the world capital of prehistory. The Vézère valley alone holds 147 prehistoric sites and 25 decorated caves on UNESCO's list, and you can still walk into a few caves where people painted bison and mammoths more than 15,000 years ago.
The French still call the area Périgord, after the old province, and you will see the name everywhere. This page covers the Dordogne (24), the Lot (46) and Lot-et-Garonne (47), so it also takes in Rocamadour, the Lot valley around Cahors and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, and the bastide towns and prune orchards of Lot-et-Garonne.
It is a rural region, so it rewards a slower trip. Pick one or two bases, rent a car, and plan one big sight in the morning and a village, a swim or a long lunch in the afternoon.
The painted caves
The caves are the reason many people come, and they are the part of the trip you must book. Original caves limit daily visitors to protect the paintings, and summer slots go weeks ahead.
Lascaux IV
Four teenagers found Lascaux in September 1940. The original cave closed to the public in 1963 because visitors' breath was damaging it, and it remains closed. Lascaux IV, the International Centre for Cave Art, opened in December 2016 about a quarter mile from the original. It is a full-scale replica of the whole cave, with a guided tour followed by galleries of interactive exhibits. It is a replica, and it is still deeply moving. Guided tours run in the morning and afternoon, with self-guided audioguide visits at lunchtime. Book a timed slot on lascaux.fr, especially for English-language tours in summer, and check the site for this season's prices and combined tickets with the Parc du Thot.
Font-de-Gaume
The last cave in France with original polychrome paintings that the public can still enter. You see real bison, horses and mammoths painted in red and black about 17,000 years ago, a few feet from your face. Time inside is limited to 30 minutes for conservation, groups are small and daily numbers are tightly capped, so tickets are scarce. Closed Saturdays. See the booking steps below.
Rouffignac
The "cave of a hundred mammoths". An electric train carries you deep into the hill past original engravings and black drawings, including more than 150 mammoths. It is privately run and open from spring to autumn. The cave now sells tickets online and recommends reserving, especially in July and August; check the official site for this season's dates and hours.
Musée national de Préhistoire
France's national prehistory museum, built into the cliff above the village of Les Eyzies. It holds the original tools, carvings and burials found in the valley, and is the best place to understand what you see in the caves. Open year-round, with a weekly closing day outside summer; check the museum's site.
Pech Merle
An original painted cave in the Lot valley, near Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, famous for its spotted horses and negative hand stencils. Visitor numbers are limited and reservations are required, so book online. The cave is open from spring until early November (the 2026 season ends November 1), and the small Musée Amédée Lemozi in Cabrerets is free all year.
Other Vézère sites
La Roque Saint-Christophe is a cliff face of rock shelters lived in from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The Abri Pataud shows an excavated shelter, and the Combarelles cave, run with Font-de-Gaume, has fine engravings for tiny groups.
How to get Font-de-Gaume tickets
- Font-de-Gaume and Combarelles are national monuments run by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Visits are guided and must be booked online in advance through the official site, sites-les-eyzies.fr. Do not count on buying a ticket at the door.
- Book as soon as your dates are firm. Each cave costs €13 (about $15). A combined ticket with the National Museum of Prehistory costs €19.50 to €21.50 (about $22–24) depending on the date and is valid for 15 days.
- Under-18s enter free, and so do the first Sundays of the month from November to March. Children must be at least 7.
- Avoid Saturdays, when Font-de-Gaume is closed, along with January 1, May 1 and December 25. From mid-September to mid-May the reception closes from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
- Arrive 15 minutes before your slot for the ticket check. Latecomers lose their place.
- If everything is sold out, check again in the days before your visit for cancellations. Combarelles, with its fine engravings, is a superb alternative on the same ticketing system.
- The caves can close at short notice for conservation, so keep a backup plan. Photography is not allowed in any original cave.
Insider tip
See Lascaux IV and the Prehistory Museum first, then an original cave. The replica's guides explain how the paintings were made, so you know exactly what to look for when you are standing in front of the real thing with a flashlight and a 45-minute slot.
The Dordogne valley: castles and villages
The prettiest stretch of the river runs about 15 miles (25 km) between Carsac and Beynac, south of Sarlat. Five of the region's top sights sit within a few miles of each other, which makes this the best place to base yourself.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
A small medieval and Renaissance town of honey stone that looks much as it did 400 years ago. The big market fills the streets all day Saturday, with a smaller food market on Wednesday morning. A covered market in the former Sainte-Marie church runs most mornings, and its glass elevator inside the bell tower gives a rooftop view. In summer, come early or in the evening, because midday crowds are heavy.
Beynac
A 12th-century fortress on a cliff 500 feet (150 m) above the river, with a steep village path climbing to it. The castle is partly furnished and privately owned, with an admission fee. Park by the river and walk up.
Castelnaud
Beynac's old rival across the river, now home to a museum of medieval warfare with full-size working trebuchets and catapult demonstrations in summer. The best castle for kids.
La Roque-Gageac
A row of houses squeezed between the river and an overhanging cliff, one of France's officially listed "most beautiful villages". Take a traditional flat-bottomed gabare boat ride from the quay, or simply have lunch facing the water.
Domme
A fortified 13th-century town on a cliff with one of the widest views of the valley. A cave under the market hall is open for guided visits, and a little tourist train runs up from the parking lots in summer.
Gardens of Marqueyssac
Hanging gardens on a rocky spur, with tens of thousands of hand-clipped boxwoods rolling like green waves and a belvedere high above the river. Open every day of the year; under-10s enter free and ages 10–17 pay €6.50. A combined ticket with Castelnaud costs €24.50. On Thursday evenings in July and August, the gardens are lit by candles until midnight (€24, booked online only). Bring good shoes for the cliff paths.
Château des Milandes
The Renaissance château that American-born Josephine Baker bought in 1947 and filled with the twelve children she adopted from around the world. The rooms tell her story as entertainer, Resistance agent and civil rights activist. She entered the Panthéon in Paris in 2021, the first Black woman to receive that honor.
Canoeing the Dordogne
Paddling under the castles is the classic Dordogne afternoon, and you do not need experience. The river between Carsac and Beynac is gentle, with no real rapids in summer. Rental outfitters line the banks at Vitrac, Cénac, La Roque-Gageac and Carsac.
- How it works. You park at the outfitter's base, get driven upstream with a canoe or kayak, life jackets and a waterproof barrel, then paddle back at your own pace. Descents run from about 6 to 15 miles (10–24 km), taking 2 to 5 hours with stops.
- Best route. Cénac or Vitrac to Beynac passes La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud and Beynac, the most dramatic sequence on the river.
- Season. Most outfitters open from April to September. In July and August the river is busy, and in early spring the water can be high and cold.
- Cost. Expect roughly the price of a nice lunch per person for a half-day descent, with lower rates for children. Compare outfitters on the Sarlat tourist office site.
Watch out
The sun on the water is fierce in summer and there is little shade. Bring hats, sunscreen and plenty of water, and keep phones and car keys in the sealed barrel. Children must be able to swim and wear life jackets.
The Lot: Rocamadour, Padirac and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Rocamadour
A medieval pilgrimage town stacked up a cliff face in three tiers: a single village street at the bottom, a cluster of chapels around the Black Madonna in the middle, and a château on top. The 216-step Grand Escalier links them; pilgrims once climbed it on their knees. Pay-per-ride elevators save your legs. Walking around the village and the sanctuary is free. For the postcard view, stop at L'Hospitalet on the plateau above at dusk.
Gouffre de Padirac
A huge sinkhole you descend by stairs and elevators to an underground river, then cross by boat to galleries of giant formations. It stays about 55°F (13°C) inside all year, so bring a sweater. Open from spring to autumn, typically 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last entry around 4:15 p.m., and closed in winter. Timed tickets sell out in summer, so book on gouffre-de-padirac.com.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
A village of steep lanes and craft workshops perched 330 feet (100 m) above the Lot river. The surrealist André Breton summered here. Walk the towpath carved into the cliff from Bouziès, or arrive early to beat the tour buses. Pech Merle cave is 15 minutes away.
Cahors
A small city in a loop of the Lot, best known for the Pont Valentré, a 14th-century fortified bridge with three towers and a legend about the devil. Cahors is also the home of Malbec, which made its name here as the "black wine" long before Argentina. Walk the old town, then visit a wine estate in the valley.
Figeac and the Célé valley
Figeac is a handsome market town and birthplace of Champollion, who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs; a museum honors him. The quiet Célé valley between Figeac and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is lovely for driving and cycling.
Bergerac, Périgueux and the bastides
- Bergerac. A riverside wine town with a pretty old quarter, a wine house in a former cloister, and a statue of Cyrano (the real one never lived here). Monbazillac, sweet golden wine, comes from the château on the hill across the river, which is open to visitors.
- Périgueux. The departmental capital, with the white-domed Saint-Front cathedral on the pilgrimage route to Santiago, Wednesday and Saturday markets, and the Vesunna Gallo-Roman museum.
- Brantôme. A riverside abbey town in the green north of the département, nicknamed the "Venice of Périgord".
- Bastides. Monpazier (Dordogne) and Monflanquin (Lot-et-Garonne) are 13th-century planned towns built around arcaded squares. Issigeac holds a busy Sunday morning market.
- Lot-et-Garonne. Orchard country around Agen, the prune capital of France, with the wine villages of Duras and Buzet. It is quieter and cheaper than the Dordogne.
Suggested itineraries
Five days: the Dordogne valley and the caves
- Day 1
Arrive in Sarlat
Train to Brive or Bordeaux and pick up a rental car. Settle in, then walk Sarlat's old town in the evening light.
- Day 2
Lascaux and the Vézère
Morning tour at Lascaux IV in Montignac, lunch along the river, then La Roque Saint-Christophe and Les Eyzies' Prehistory Museum in the afternoon.
- Day 3
Font-de-Gaume and Rouffignac
Your booked Font-de-Gaume slot first thing, then the drive to Rouffignac for the mammoth train. Dinner in Les Eyzies.
- Day 4
Castles and the river
Marqueyssac at opening, a canoe descent from Cénac to Beynac at midday, and Castelnaud or Les Milandes in the late afternoon.
- Day 5
Market and Domme
If it is Saturday or Wednesday, Sarlat's market in the morning. Then Domme for the view and La Roque-Gageac for a late lunch.
Eight days: add the Lot
- Days 1–5
Dordogne valley
As above, based in or near Sarlat.
- Day 6
Rocamadour and Padirac
Padirac at your booked morning slot, lunch in Rocamadour, the sanctuary in the afternoon, and the view from L'Hospitalet at dusk. Move to a base in the Lot valley.
- Day 7
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and Pech Merle
Pech Merle in the morning, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie for lunch, and the towpath walk from Bouziès.
- Day 8
Cahors
Pont Valentré and the old town, a Malbec tasting in the valley, then a train north from Cahors or a drive to Toulouse airport (about 1.5 hours).
Getting there and around
From Paris
- Intercités from Paris-Austerlitz on the Paris–Toulouse line reaches Brive in about 4 hours, Souillac in about 4.5 and Cahors in about 5. Brive has the most rental car agencies and is about an hour from Sarlat.
- TGV to Bordeaux, then a regional train. The Bordeaux–Sarlat TER line runs through Libourne and Bergerac, taking around 2.5 to 3 hours from Bordeaux. Total time from Paris is about 5 hours.
- Driving from Paris to Sarlat takes about 5.5 to 6 hours, mostly on the A20 motorway through Limoges, which is toll-free for much of its length.
Book on SNCF Connect. The Paris–Toulouse line has frequent weekend engineering works, so check your date carefully. See Trains.
Flying in
There are no flights from the US. Bergerac and Brive airports mainly serve the UK and a few French and European cities. From the US, it is usually easiest to fly to Paris and take the train, or fly into Bordeaux or Toulouse on a connection and rent a car there. See Flights.
Why you need a car
Buses between villages are rare and often timed for school runs, and the caves, castles and gardens are scattered along back roads. Without a car you can reach Sarlat, Les Eyzies (by train), Bergerac and Cahors, and little else. A car turns this from a frustrating trip into an easy one.
Different from home
Country roads here are narrow, often with stone walls and no shoulder, and village centers can be tight for an American-sized SUV. Rent the smallest car that fits your luggage, and request an automatic well ahead, since manual is still the default. Many villages charge for parking in summer. See Driving in France.
| Drive | Time |
|---|---|
| Sarlat → Montignac (Lascaux IV) | About 30 min |
| Sarlat → Les Eyzies | About 30 min |
| Sarlat → Beynac | About 20 min |
| Sarlat → Rocamadour | About 1 hr |
| Rocamadour → Saint-Cirq-Lapopie | About 1 hr 15 min |
| Sarlat → Bergerac | About 1 hr 15 min |
| Cahors → Toulouse airport | About 1 hr 30 min |
| Sarlat → Bordeaux | About 2 hr 30 min |
Where to base yourself
For one base, choose Sarlat or a village within 15 minutes of it: everything in the valley and the Vézère caves is within half an hour. Les Eyzies suits cave-focused trips. For the Lot, base in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie or a village along the Lot or Célé valleys, or in Cahors for restaurants and a train station. Self-catering stone houses, called gîtes, are the local specialty and often have pools; they usually rent by the week from Saturday to Saturday in summer. See Where to stay.
Gîte with a pool
The classic family choice. Book through Gîtes de France or rental platforms, ideally in winter for July and August.
Chambres d'hôtes
Bed and breakfasts in farmhouses and manors, often with a shared dinner (table d'hôtes) cooked by the owners. Great value, and many are run by English-speaking hosts.
Hotels in Sarlat
Small hotels in and around the old town let you walk to dinner. Check parking arrangements, since the center is pedestrian.
Château and manor hotels
Several castles and manors along the river and in the Lot are now hotels with restaurants, such as the Château de la Treyne near Souillac. Ideal for a honeymoon or a splurge night.
Food, markets and wine
Périgord cooking is built on duck and goose, walnuts, mushrooms and potatoes fried in duck fat. Expect generous, rich food, often served as a fixed menu of three or four courses.
- Duck. Confit de canard, magret (breast), gésiers (gizzard) salad, and pommes sarladaises, potatoes sautéed in duck fat with garlic and parsley.
- Foie gras. Served as a terrine or seared. Winter "marchés au gras" in Sarlat, Périgueux and other towns sell whole livers and duck carcasses.
- Black truffles. The Périgord truffle is harvested from December to February. Truffle markets run in winter in Sarlat and Sainte-Alvère in the Dordogne, and at Lalbenque in the Lot, where the Tuesday afternoon market is the most famous in France. Prices are set by the day's supply and are quoted per kilo.
- Walnuts and cheese. Walnuts are protected by an AOP, and appear in cakes, oil and liqueur. Rocamadour is a small, creamy goat cheese with its own AOP.
- Strawberries and prunes. Périgord strawberries in spring, and Agen prunes from Lot-et-Garonne, often soaked in Armagnac.
- Wine. Cahors Malbec, the reds of Bergerac and Pécharmant, and sweet Monbazillac, a cheaper cousin of Sauternes and the classic partner for foie gras.
Different from home
Foie gras is made by force-feeding ducks, which is why California bans its sale. In France it is a protected part of the national food heritage, and you will find it on almost every menu. If it is not for you, the region's duck confit, walnut dishes and cheeses are just as traditional. Before packing any duck, pork or truffle products to take home, read Bringing things home, since US rules on poultry and meat change with disease outbreaks.
Save money
Look for fermes-auberges, working farms that serve set menus of their own produce, and village restaurants offering a weekday lunch menu. You can eat four courses for the price of a single main course in Paris.
Seasons and events 2026–2027
- Spring (April–June). The best time: green, mild and uncrowded, with caves and castles open, strawberries in the markets and the river warming up by June.
- Summer (July–August). Hot, often 85–95°F (29–35°C), and very busy, with French, Dutch and British families everywhere. Book caves, canoes and restaurants ahead. Evening village markets (marchés nocturnes) with communal tables are a summer highlight.
- Fall (September–October). Warm days, fewer people, mushroom season and the walnut harvest. Many sights cut hours after early November.
- Winter (November–March). Quiet, damp and cold, with many hotels and restaurants closed and some caves shut. It is truffle and foie gras season, though, and Sarlat holds a truffle festival in January.
Event dates for 2027 had not all been published at the time of writing; check the Sarlat and Lot tourist offices before planning around them. See When to go and Festivals & sports.
Why so many English speakers live here
The Dordogne has one of the largest British communities in France, built up since the 1970s, and the region is popular with Americans buying second homes and retiring. People come for affordable stone farmhouses, a mild climate, excellent food and an unhurried pace. Villages like Eymet have English-speaking cricket clubs and shops stocking British groceries.
For a visitor, this means English is more widely spoken here than in most of rural France, and many gîtes and B&Bs are run by English speakers. If you are thinking about a longer stay, see Long stays.
Tips for Americans
- Book Lascaux IV, Pech Merle, Padirac and any Font-de-Gaume slot before you book flights for a summer trip.
- Bring a fleece or sweater for every cave: they stay around 55°F (13°C) year-round.
- Restaurants in villages serve lunch from about noon to 2 p.m. and dinner from 7:30 p.m.; many close one or two days a week and much of the winter. Reserve in summer.
- Carry some cash for markets, farm shops and small parking machines.
- Gas stations in villages may be unstaffed with card machines that reject some US cards. Fill up at supermarkets during opening hours. See Money.
- Sunday is market day in some towns and closing day for most shops in others; plan picnic shopping on Saturday.
Related pages
- Driving in France and Trains.
- Food and Wine.
- The outdoors for canoeing, hiking and cycling.
- Travel by interest for families and honeymoons.
- Nearby regions: Bordeaux & the Atlantic Coast (2.5 hours west), Toulouse & Occitanie (south of Cahors), Lyon & Auvergne (east).
Add it to a route in the trip builder, or ask us to plan the hotels, trains and guides for you.