Heart of the Dordogne By Bicycle

Overview

The Dordogne River valley in Western France is one of the country's longest and most scenic. For 500 km, the Dordogne cuts through layers of limestone plateau and meanders from the woody hills of the Massif Central through the heartland of prehistoric human settlements in Europe. Our bike tour of the Dordogne takes you on some of the nicest cycling routes in Europe, with breathtaking views of medieval castles topping the hills at every bend in the river. This is one of our favorite bicycle tours! Day 1 Arrive in Tremolat. Highlights: Charming hotel, Orientation and bike fitting. Arrive in Bergerac, we'll transfer you to the beginning of the tour. Settle in your charming hotel. You can either relax by the pool or walk around the park before your orientation. Our local guide will meet you at your hotel in the evening of your arrival day for briefing & bike fitting. Enjoy dinner at your hotel (included). Accomodation : Hotel la Metairie or similar. Day 2 Bicycle to Les Eyzies. Highlights: Proumeyssac Cave, Les Eyzies. Your ride today will take you to Les Eyzies, capital of prehistory, where Cro Magnon was discovered. Starting out easy you come to Audrix a small village by small roads, then down to Le Bugue. Continue on to Gouffre de Proumeyssac, also known as the "Cathedral of Crystal", currently the largest developed cave in the Perigord. Arrive to Les Eyzies and take time to visit this town and its sites and museums. Daily distance : 51 Km (31 miles) Elevation gain : + 570 m (1870 ft) Terrain type: hilly terrain. Accomodation : Hostellerie du Passeur or similar. Day 3 Loop ride into the Vezère Valley. Highlights: Prehistoric cave paintings Font de Gaume, Lascaux II. Les Eyzies is surrounded by pre-historic caves, paintings and other remnants from this fascinating era. Here is an opportunity to visit either the famous Caves of Font de Gaume or Lascaux II. To get a good visit in, in both cases you should depart early. Pass through St Leon sur Vezere, guarded by its two chateaux and La Roque St Christophe, a majestic refuge made up of approximately 100 shelters. Short option: Daily distance : 24 km (15 miles) - Elevation gain: + 400 m (1312 ft) - Terrain type : rolling hills. Long option: Daily distance : 31 km (19 miles) - Elevation gain: + 637 m (2090 ft) - Terrain type : rolling hills. Accomodation : Hostellerie du Passeur or similar. Day 4 Bicycle to Sarlat. Highlights: Sarlat, Chateau of Commarque. Since it's a short ride today, you'll have a second chance to visit Font de Gaume or get early to your destination Sarlat. This town with its cobbled streets, old roofs, and warm stone walls give an exceptional heritage. Sarlat is a medieval town that developed around a large Benedictine abbey of Carolingian origin. The medieval Sarlat Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Sacerdos. Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat has remained preserved and one of the towns most representative of 14th century France. A bustling market in Sarlat takes place on Saturday and Wednesday. You can decide to ride a longer distance (with more elevation) with a longer option that goes by the Chateau of Commarque. Daily distance : 40 km (25 miles) Elevation gain: + 287 m (942 ft) Terrain type : mostly flat. Accomodation : Hotel la Couleuvrine or similar. Day 5 Bycicle to Rocamadour. Highlights: Lacave, The medieval village of Rocamadour. You'll ride today by the Dordogne river to reach Souillac, a nice village for a lunch break. Then continue your ride, passing by Lacave and then reach the breathtaking village of Rocamadour, which clings to a cliff face overlooking the Ouysse valley. This important pilgrimage site laid dormant until the preserved remains of St. Amadour were discovered in the village chapel. Now it has become an emblem of the Dordogne region as people enjoy its rich architecture and medieval atmosphere. Daily distance : 51 km (32 miles) Elevation gain : + 747 (2450 ft) Terrain type: very hilly. Accomodation : Hotel les Esclargies or similar. Day 6 Bicycle to Carsac Aillac. Highlights: Chateau de Montfort, Carsac Aillac. Take your time today to ride along the Dordogne River for a quiet countryside ride. Your destination is Vitrac or Carsac, small villages in the Black Perigord. Vitrac is known for its Chateau and water sports. In Carsac you can visit "Les Jardins d'Eau" a 2ha garden dedicated to exotic plants, especially waterlilies and lotus. Daily distance : 47 km (29 miles) Elevation gain : + 522 (1712 ft) Terrain type: rolling hills. Accomodation : Hotel la Villa Romaine or similar. Day 7 Ride to Belves. Highlights: La Roque Gageac, Belves. You will ride through some very scenic villages such as la Roque Gageac and Castelnaud la Chapelle. La Roque Gageac has the title of being 'one of the most beautiful villages of France'! Built at the foot of a cliff, right along the river, do not miss its Exotic gardens and the troglodyte fort. The cliff dwellings that tower above the houses served as protection during the Wars of Religion. Several famous castles are on your itinerary as well, such as the Chateau des Milandes, former home of Josephine Baker, and the Chateau de Castelnaud la Chapelle, an impressive fortified castle overlooking the Dordogne valley. Reach Belves, your last destination. This medieval town boasts seven belltowers. Daily distance: 37 km (23 miles) Elevation gain: +462 (1515 ft) Terrain type: hilly. Accomodation : Hotel Boudoir or similar. Day 8 Your bicycle tour ends in Belves. Highlights: Belves. Today is departure day, take some time getting started in the morning, have breakfast and depart at your leisure from Belves. Difficulty description: Roads follow the winding gorges carved by rivers, up and down the rocky plateau. Stages average around 42 km (26 miles) per day and 490 meters (1600 feet) of climbing on asphalt. Country roads are often quiet and with light vehicle traffic, perfectly manageable by riders with some bike experience. If you enjoy challenges, take advantage of the longer option we offer on day three, or stick to the program for a more relaxed day. What's included: 7 nights accommodation, 7 breakfasts, 1 dinner (drinks not included), Use of a quality hybrid bicycle (other options available for an additional fee), Detailed route descriptions with cultural information, Access to app for navigation (to be downloaded and used on your own smartphone), Luggage transfers, Transfer at the beginning of tour. Dates and availability: This tour is available between April 11 and October 17. Tour departs every day. Partner Tours Collective: Since we cannot directly operate self-guided tours everywhere, we use our vast network in the continent to curate and offer tours operated by select local partners that we know and trust. These tours are similar in quality to those we operate directly – for example, they usually begin with an in-person briefing and bike fitting (with English-speaking local staff); bicycles are provided in optimal condition; the roadbook and navigation instructions, as well as lodging are of similar quality, as well as the routes and inclusions. Bike rental: Our bikes are maintained and delivered in optimal working condition. The prices below are per bike for the duration of the tour, including delivery to starting point in Tremolat and collection from ending point in Belves. Trip planning: Starting point: We recommend flying into Paris: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or Orly Airport (ORY) / Bordeaux-Méringnac Airport (BOD). Trip planning: Ending point: We recommend flying out of Paris: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or Orly Airport (ORY) / Bordeaux-Méringnac Airport (BOD).

Daily Ride Schedule

Accommodation & Services

Accommodation

Hotel

What's Included