Vineyards and castles : 10-day bike tour from Bordeaux to Sarlat

Arrival time is free during the reception hours of your accommodation.

The old city center of Bordeaux is forbidden to cars and ideal for a walking tour. Discover the quays of the Garonne, the medieval streets and the magnificent white stone buildings.

Take some time to stroll through the streets, admire the Quinconces and Comédie squares, climb the Pey Berland tower or visit the Aquitaine museum.

You leave Bordeaux along the Garonne River on a very beautiful bicycle path. Little by little, nature is gaining ground on the city. From Latresne, you leave the river to ride on an old railway track. The old converted train stations are scattered along the route and invite you to stop. Don't miss to make some detours, in particular to see the bastide of Créon or the old abbey of La Sauve.

You will then cross the Dordogne river to reach the famous vineyards of Saint-Emilion. You finally arrive at the medieval village, reach the Tour du Roy and the bell tower of the monolithic church and enjoy an exceptional view on the vineyards and the Dordogne valley. Taste some great wines to end this first day of cycling.

You leave Saint-Emilion through its vineyards and pass in front of some great chateaux: Château Trottevieille, Château Laroque, Château de Ferrand... You then find the banks of the Dordogne at Castillon-la-Bataille where the famous battle took place that put an end to the Hundred Years War between France and England. Ride along the banks of the river for a while before moving away to Montcarret and its Gallo-Roman villa.

You pedal on small country roads and cross the Dordogne at Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, a charming bastide that opens the doors to the Périgord. Gradually the vineyards appear and you arrive in Bergerac, city of Art and History where the shadow of Cyrano, the famous hero of Edmond de Rostand's play, hangs in the air. Take the time to stroll in the heart of the Renaissance city with its charming alleys and half-timbered houses.

Today discover the Monbazillac vineyards with a nice loop tour! You cycle to the beautiful château de Monbazillac that you can visit. Continue on small country roads in the middle of vineyards and cycle by the château de Bridoir in Ribagnac, nicknamed the "100 games castle". Your path will cross many wine estates where you will have the opportunity to stop for a wine tasting. Finally, you cycle back to Bergerac to spend another evening in the beautiful city.

You take a beautiful greenway along the Dordogne to leave Bergerac. From the charming town of Lalinde, small winding roads lead you to the top of the cingles of Limeuil and Tremolat from where you can admire the meandering river.

Then, your route continues to the medieval city of Limeuil, classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France and located at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Vézère. You now follow the Vézère valley, known as the "valley of Man" with its fifteen or so prehistoric sites. Your day ends in Le Bugue, a charming little town built like an amphitheater on the side of a hill.

You will reach Les Eyzies, a troglodytic village considered as "the world capital of prehistory", it is here that Cro-Magnon Man was discovered. You can take a short break to visit the beautiful National Museum of Prehistory housed in the old castle of Les Eyzies. You then continue your way along the Vézère river where you will cross many architectural treasures: the Maison Forte of Reignac, the Roque Saint-Christophe or the Château de Losse.

Then, you will cross the medieval village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère very typical of the Périgord Noir. You will finally arrive in Montignac, a charming medieval town which contains one of the most precious jewels of prehistory: the Lascaux cave.

You enjoy a break day in Montignac to visit Lascaux IV and its International Center for Cave Art, this is the last reproduction of the cave opened in 2016. The cave is reproduced in its entirety thanks to advanced 3D technology (3km round trip).

You can also complete your day with a nice cycling loop tour through the medieval villages of the Vézère valley. The route takes you through Condat-sur-Vézère, an ancient Templar village, Terrasson-Lavilledieu and its sumptuous Imaginary Gardens and finally Saint-Amand-de-Coly and its majestic 12th century abbey. You cycle on small country roads with very beautiful views over the valley (36km)

From Montignac you cycle on small country roads to the village of Saint-Genies, one of the most beautiful villages of the Périgord Noir, then continue your way to Salignac and its castle. A few kilometers further on, you will pass by the Gardens of Eyrignac, a masterpiece of vegetation registered as a Historic Monument, where we recommend you stop for a visit.

You end your day with a beautiful descent to Sarlat, capital of the Périgord Noir. Labelled as a Town of Art and History, the medieval city holds a large number of classified historical monuments, a real open-air museum! Finally, don't miss the traditional market of Sarlat, one of the most famous in the region!

Today, discover the most prestigious castles of the Périgord by bike or by canoe!

A beautiful loop by bike leads you to the foot of the most beautiful castles of the region: the castle of Monfort perched on its rocky spur, the castle of Castelnaud and its museum of warfare in the Middle Ages and the fortified castle of Beynac, one of the best preserved in the Perigord. You will also cross the villages of Domme and La Roque-Gageac classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. On your way you will also have the possibility to visit the majestic Gardens of Marqueyssac overlooking the Dordogne valley.

For those who wish to admire the castles from a different angle, you can exchange your bike for a canoe! You pedal to Vitrac (12km) where you leave your bike and get into a canoe. You ride down the Dordogne river admiring its castles until Beynac where you leave the canoe (16km-3h). You will then be driven back to Vitrac in a mini-van where you will get your bike back to Sarlat (12km).

After breakfast, enjoy a final stroll through the streets of Sarlat before heading home.