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Arrival, first leg
The first driving day is deliberately kept short, so you can still enjoy Beaune in the evening.
Your journey starts here. You set off in the morning to cover the first leg at a relaxed pace.
The heart of Burgundian winemaking, with the colourful roof of the Hôtel-Dieu. The compact old town invites a first evening stroll and a glass of wine before you continue the next day.
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A charming house with a courtyard in a historic building right in the old town. Ideal for going out for dinner on foot on your first evening.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Arrival, second leg
The longest driving leg of the trip, but you'll stay in one place for several nights afterwards.
The golden-hued old town of Sarlat is considered one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in France. You'll settle in here for several nights and explore the winding lanes and squares in the evening.
A restored 17th-century country house above Sarlat, surrounded by a garden with views over the hills. A good base for the coming days of relaxation, yet only a few minutes from the old town.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Old Town & Markets
Saturday is market day: park outside the old town at one of the car parks and walk in.
The afternoon is free for a relaxed lunch with your market finds.
The big Saturday market fills the whole old town with stalls: truffles, foie gras, walnuts, cheese and Cabécou. A feast for the senses and the best place to sample and buy regional specialities.
The cathedral and the surrounding noble townhouses show off Sarlat's Renaissance heritage. Right next to it stands the curious Lanterne des Morts, a medieval tower for the dead.
A grand townhouse where you can trace how the Périgord nobility lived over the centuries. A lovely glimpse into period furniture, rooms and the striking tower.
Castles above the river
Short drives, plenty of time to take in the views.
One of the most beautiful villages in France, nestled against a cliff above the Dordogne. The honey-coloured stone houses and the subtropical garden make it unique; a trip on the traditional gabarre boats is well worth it.
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You glide along the Dordogne on a flat wooden boat, seeing the castles and cliffside villages from the water. A relaxing hour with commentary on the river's history.
The formidable knight's castle towers above the confluence of the Dordogne and the Céou and houses a museum of medieval warfare. Catapults, siege engines and the view across to Beynac bring the visit to life.
Castles & Gardens
Marqueyssac is especially rewarding in the afternoon light; in summer, there's candlelit evening opening on Tuesdays.
One of the most striking fortresses in the Dordogne, high on a rocky spur above the river. From the battlements you have sweeping views over the valley; the medieval halls feel almost unchanged.
A playful landscape garden with over 150,000 hand-clipped box trees on a rocky plateau. The panoramic terrace offers perhaps the finest view over the whole Dordogne valley, taking in Beynac, Castelnaud and La Roque-Gageac.
At the foot of the castle, the village drops steeply down to the river. A good spot for a late lunch overlooking the Dordogne.
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Bastide & Views
A quiet day with short distances, a nice balance to the longer excursions ahead.
A medieval bastide town on a cliff with spectacular views over the Dordogne's loop. Besides the lanes and town gates, the Belvédère de la Barre and the show cave beneath the market square are well worth visiting.
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Right beneath the town centre lies an impressive show cave with stalactites and stalagmites. The exit leads to a glass lift with a panoramic view over the valley.
At the foot of Domme, a good spot for a quiet meal away from the crowds. Regional cuisine featuring duck and walnuts in their many forms.
Change of base & Prehistory
A short move today; the afternoon is free for settling in and visiting the museum.
The town is considered the world capital of prehistory, tucked beneath overhanging limestone cliffs along the Vézère. This is your base for the cave excursions over the coming days.
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A comprehensive museum on the history of humankind in the Périgord, with tools, skeletons and art spanning tens of thousands of years. A great introduction ahead of the cave visits to follow.
A house steeped in tradition, with garden and terrace on the Vézère, welcoming travellers since the 19th century. A pleasant base with good food for your cave-visiting days.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Cave art
Font-de-Gaume by reservation only; if you can't get a ticket, the nearby Grotte des Combarelles or the replica at Lascaux IV are good alternatives.
One of the last caves with original polychrome paintings still open to visitors. Bison and mammoths rendered in fine detail, shown only to small groups; a special and limited experience.
A massive rock face with a terraced settlement inhabited for millennia, high above the Vézère. Reconstructions show how people lived and worked here in the Middle Ages.
A peaceful, very pretty village on a river bend with a Romanesque church. A good spot for a break by the water.
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Prehistoric art
A relaxed day with one main destination; the afternoon is free to linger in Montignac.
A faithful reproduction of the world-famous Lascaux cave, with its monumental animal paintings. Modern interpretation brings Stone Age art vividly to life, without putting strain on the fragile original cave.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
A pretty market town on the Vézère with old half-timbered houses. A pleasant spot for lunch by the river after visiting the caves.
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Pilgrimage site & chasm
You move your base to Rocamadour for one night, to experience the town without the day-trip crowds.
For the Cité, it's best to use the car park at the upper edge of town or down in the valley with the lift.
A vast shaft leads deep into the earth to an underground river, which you travel along by boat. The huge chambers and rock formations rank among the most impressive cave experiences in France.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
The famous pilgrimage site clings spectacularly to a sheer cliff face above the Alzou gorge. The sanctuaries with the Black Madonna, the Grand Staircase and the view from above make for an unforgettable visit.
A hotel right in the medieval town, partly housed in a historic 15th-century building. You'll experience Rocamadour in the evening and morning almost to yourselves, once the day visitors have gone.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Change of base & indulgence
You return to Sarlat for two nights, to enjoy the region without further packing and unpacking.
Early in the morning, the Sanctuaire still lies in shadow and the lanes are quiet. Make the most of the calm for one last stroll and the view down into the valley from the Château.
A village built entirely of red sandstone, which gave its name to the association of the most beautiful villages in France. Little towers, manor houses and blooming lanes invite a leisurely wander with a break along the way.
A well-kept address within walking distance of Sarlat's old town, with a peaceful garden. A pleasant base for your last days in the Périgord Noir.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Food & Markets
A deliberately indulgent day to round off the Dordogne, before the journey home begins.
The Wednesday market also offers the full range of Périgord cuisine: truffle products, duck and goose specialities, goat's cheese and walnuts. Ideal for picking up gifts and stocking up for a picnic.
At one of the farms or a traditional walnut mill, you'll discover how foie gras, walnut oil or cheese are made. Tasting included, for an authentic insight into the region's culinary tradition.
A manor house with elaborately clipped gardens, considered among the finest ornamental gardens in the Périgord. A peaceful, well-tended setting for a relaxed afternoon.
Journey home, first leg
The journey home is split into two legs, so you're not driving the whole way in one day.
The town was once the centre of the most powerful abbey of the Middle Ages. The surviving remains of the abbey church and the Romanesque old town make a worthy stop on the way home.
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Once the largest church in Christendom; its immense scale is still evident today in the monastery tower and the remains of the complex. A good contrast to the castles and caves of the trip.
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A quiet guesthouse in Mâcon on the Saône, a handy stopover before the final leg of the journey. In the evening, a stroll along the riverbank with a glass of Mâconnais wine is well worth it.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Journey home, final leg
A short final leg with a stopover, so you arrive home relaxed.
A long leg — plan for breaks.
A final stop in Alsace, with picturesque half-timbered houses and canals in La Petite Venise. A good spot for lunch before heading back over the Rhine towards home.
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You arrive back at your starting point. The round trip through the Dordogne ends here.
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