Cycling holiday in the Vézère and Dordogne valleys

You arrive in Bergerac, a city of Art and History where the shadow of Cyrano, the famous hero of Edmond de Rostand's play, hangs in the air. Take time to stroll in the heart of the Renaissance city with its charming alleys and half-timbered houses. Don't miss a stop at the covered market of the city to taste some delicious local products: foie gras, ceps, walnuts, duck confit, truffles... Welcome to the Périgord!

Start your bike tour with a gentle first step. You take a beautiful greenway along the Dordogne river to leave Bergerac. The peaceful shores of the river are only disturbed by the majestic gabarres (traditional boats) sailing there. Cycle through the charming town of Lalinde, the first English bastide in the Périgord, before reaching your hotel for your evening stopover.

You cycle on small winding roads to the top of the cingles de Limeuil et Trémolat from which you can admire the meanders of the Dordogne river. Then, cycle to the medieval village of Limeuil, listed among the most beautiful villages of France and located at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Vézère rivers.

You are now following the Vézère valley, known as the "Vallée de l’Homme" (Man’s Valley) with its fifteen prehistoric sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Cycle through the charming town of Le Bugue before ending your day in Les Eyzies, a troglodyte village considered as "the world capital of prehistory", it was here that the Cro-Magnon Man was discovered.

Enjoy a break day in Les Eyzies for a hike or a canoe ride on the Vézère river.

A nice 12km hike will take you to the Gorge d’Enfer valley. From Les Eyzies, you walk along the Vezère river to the magnificent Grotte du Grand Roc, a natural masterpiece that offers crystallizations renowned for their diversity (listed by UNESCO). You continue your walk through the undergrowth and the old kaolin quarries, then you reach the charming hamlet of Le Peuch with its cave houses. Finally, you walk back to Les Eyzies across the agricultural plain. You will enjoy a magnificent view of the cliffs and the ancient troglodyte castle, it now houses the National Museum of Prehistory which we highly recommend visiting.

You can also exchange your bike for a canoe to discover the very beautiful Vézère valley. You leave your bike in Les Eyzies and we drive you to La Roque Saint-Christophe or Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère (your choice) to start your canoe ride. The Vézère is much more natural than the Dordogne and offers a magnificent setting for canoeing in the middle of the caves and golden cliffs. You pass in front of amazing places such as the Maison Forte de Reignac or the troglodyte village of la Madeleine. A very nice excursion to discover the hidden treasures of the Vézère. 

You leave Les Eyzies and cycle along the Vézère river where you will come across many architectural treasures: the Maison Forte de Reignac, the last intact example of a cliff-castle in France, la Roque Saint-Christophe, the largest troglodyte site in Europe, the Château de Losse, a medieval fortress built sheer... Then, you cross the medieval village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, very typical village of the Black Périgord. You finally arrive in Montignac, a charming medieval town where you can visit one of the most precious gems of prehistory: the Lascaux Cave.

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.