Walking in the Dordogne

Each day explore these delightful and typically French landscapes on foot, stopping for picnic lunches and a spot of sightseeing en route. In the evenings relish this region’s distinctive gastronomy and the terrific local wine. Overnight in hand-picked hotels and B&B’s that offer a warm welcome and are very well-located.

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This tour is graded moderate. The trails are a combination of dirt trails, gravel tracks and tarmac country roads. The walking routes are a mix of surfaces, but please note that there will be tarmac walking at times as it is unavoidable. This tour is suitable for walkers with good physical fitness. There are rolling hills in this area and it will also be necessary to walk up some short but steep stretches.

The accommodation provided on this tour is a mix of well-located 2* and 3* hotels, plus B&B’s. We have a few different hotel and B&B options in each place, however, on occasion, we may need to book elsewhere due to availability. These alternate hotels or B&B’s will be of a similar or better quality than those listed.

Please note that as there is only one hotel in Domme and the alternate accommodation is in Vitrac (10 minutes away). Should the accommodation in Domme be full, we will arrange a transfer to Vitrac, at a time that will give you the chance to explore the town first.

Hotel and room upgrades are available. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for further details.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms, we will be happy to book these for you, although a single room supplement is payable. We also welcome solo walkers on this tour, again a supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning.

Lunch is not included. On some of the walking days it will be essential to take a packed lunch as there are no cafes or restaurants en route (your route notes will give you these details). However, it will be very easy to buy a baguette, fruit, drinks, etc from a local bakery, sandwich shop or the local market (depending on the day of the week) before you depart.

Two dinners are included, in Domme and La Roque-Gageac. For all the other dinners you can also eat at your accommodation if it is possible or enjoy one of the many great local restaurants.

The route is generally way marked (when on a GR trail) with red and white GR signs or wooden posts with yellow or green markers. Some sections in the woods can be a little trickier to navigate. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

• IGN 2036 ET Sarlat-Souillac
• IGN 2037 OT La Roque-Gageac Domme-Gourdon
• IGN 1936 ET Les Eyzies 

The best times to travel in the region are spring, early summer, and later in the year in autumn when the temperatures are pleasant for walking.

The summer months of July and August can be very hot, please bear this in mind when booking. The area is also occasionally prone to thunderstorms. Always check the weather the day before; you can ask your accommodation to check for you. 

The weekly town markets are listed below so that if there is one you don't want to miss you can time your trip right. 

• Beynac: Monday
• Carsac: Sunday (Not always weekly so best to check with your local tourist office just to be sure.)
• Domme: Thursday
• La Roque Gageac: Friday (Not always weekly so best to check with your local tourist office just to be sure.)
• Les Eyzies: Monday (and Friday evening)
• Sarlat: Wednesday and Saturday mornings for the traditional market, from mid-April to October the indoor market is held daily from 8am to 1pm (full days on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from mid-July to the end of August)
• St Cyprien: Sunday

In Summer, some villages also have night-time markets with local products, crafts, and souvenirs. These often have a great atmosphere, with live music and food and drinks to sample.

There are several different options available when getting to and from Sarlat. You can fly into and out of Brive, Toulouse, Limoges, Bergerac, Bordeaux, or even Paris! Sarlat is close to Souillac, which is on a main train line.

From Brive (approx. 30 mins), Toulouse (approx. 2hrs), Limoges (approx. 1.5hrs), or Paris (approx. 4.5hrs) you can take trains to Souillac. From here you can either take a bus or a taxi (approx €40) to or from Sarlat. Please find information about the bus schedules here.

If you are flying into or out of Bordeaux or Bergerac, you can take trains directly into and out of Sarlat itself as it does have a small train station. To and from Bordeaux the journey takes approx. 3-4hrs, depending on if it is direct and to and from Bergerac the journey takes approx. 1.5hrs. Please check the SNCF website for more details on schedules and prices.

Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac is also on a train line. It is therefore possible to fly from Limoges or Bergerac (via Le Buisson) as they are both accessible from Les Eyzies. Bordeaux is also accessible via Bergerac or Perigueux. Paris is accessible via Limoges.

If you wish to return to Sarlat, the best way to get there is by taxi.

If you wish to drive it’s best to park your car in Les Eyzies as there is free parking in the town centre and then you can retrieve your car easily at the end. Macs Adventure can provide private transfers to and from all the train stations and airports. We can also provide taxi transfers from Souillac to Sarlat and Les Eyzies to Sarlat/Souillac and Les Eyzies to Le Buisson. Please ask your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.