Walking in the Dordogne Short Break

On this short break tour experience the highlights of this idyllic region over five days, with its amazing hilltop towns, peaceful riverside paths and incredible local gastronomy and wine. Spend each night in special hotels and B&B’s that offer a very warm welcome amazing locales.

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.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This tour is rated as easy to moderate, making it ideal for walkers with a reasonable level of physical fitness.

The routes include a mix of dirt trails, gravel paths, and tarmac country roads, which are typical for the Dordogne region. While some tarmac sections are unavoidable (particularly on your first day when hiking into Sarlat), they are a standard feature of official walking routes in this area. Drivers here are accustomed to sharing the roads with walkers, and the routes are well-signposted to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

The landscape is characterized by rolling hills, and you’ll encounter a few short but fairly steep climbs along the way. Overall, this tour offers a pleasant balance of accessible terrain and manageable challenges, perfect for those looking to explore the beauty of Dordogne on foot.

The accommodations provided on this tour are 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, so the accommodations listed in the itinerary are just examples. However if we place you elsewhere, 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 (which is of a high standard) and the alternate accommodation is in Vitrac. However we will provide a transfer from Domme (10 mins) at the end of your walk (and after time to sightsee here). Hotel and room upgrades are available. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement 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. One dinners is included in Domme. All other dinners are not included and there are plenty of local restaurants to choose from.

The route is mostly marked with easy-to-spot red and white GR signs or wooden posts with yellow or green markers, especially when you're on the GR trail. Some sections through the woods might feel trickier to navigate, but don’t worry, you’ve got this! The Macs Adventure Smartphone App has your back. Packed with detailed maps, GPS tracks, and daily route info, it’s like having a personal guide in your pocket, making sure you stay on track and stress-free. Adventure made simple.

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.