Hidden Treasures of the Dordogne

Overview

The Dordogne comes close to offering everything that travellers head to France for, including beautiful châteaux, traditional French gastronomy and landscapes of vineyards, forests and rivers. Picturesque, fortified villages, such as Beynac-et-Cazenac and La Roque-Gageac, and charming towns, such as Sarlat-la-Canéda, our base for this tour, have long been popular with British travellers.

Mark says…
We’ve had some excellent feedback from operators in this hotel over the last year and this combined with its superb location and charm, makes it an excellent base for this tour.

Itinerary

PACKAGED ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrival
We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner.

Day 2 Sarlat-la-Canéda
We spend today at leisure in the charming medieval town of Sarlat-la-Canéda. One of the most alluring and attractive towns in south-western France, Sarlat-la-Canéda has developed around the large Benedictine Abbey since the 14th century. Today (Saturday) is market day, so we can browse the stalls at our leisure and wander through the small winding streets of this largely car-free town centre. There will also be some leisure time at our hotel today.

Day 3 Beynac-et-Cazenac, Dordogne River Cruise & Steam Train Ride
After a leisurely breakfast, we drive the short distance to Beynac-et-Cazenac for a 1 hour circular cruise on the Dordogne River on a ‘gabarre’, an authentic reproduction of an 18th century boat. We then have some free time to explore Beynac-et-Cazenac. In the afternoon our coach drives us along the banks of the Dordogne River towards Souillac and on to Martel, the starting point of our steam train ride with the Tourist Railway of Haut-Quercy, departing at 14:30 hrs. We enjoy a 1 hour (8 mile) round-trip that ascends more than 80 metres and provides wonderful panoramic views of the Dordogne Valley below.

Day 4 Lascaux IV Caves & Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac
This morning we head to the Lascaux IV Caves for a self-guided tour. Hidden for more than 17,000 years, the caves were discovered in 1940 and house some of the most complete examples of prehistoric cave paintings in the world. The original caves were closed in 1963 to ensure that they remained preserved for the future. However, an exhibition centre (Lascaux IV) was subsequently created where visitors can learn about these fascinating cave paintings. A lunch stop can either be made in the nearby village of Montignac or in Sarlat-la-Canéda, before we continue our journey to the Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac for a 1-hour guided tour. The gardens offer an amazing feast for the senses, with something to delight everyone, and we have plenty of time after our tour to wander at leisure. The seven gardens include the beautiful White Garden, formal topiary sculptures and a wildflower meadow.

Day 5 Departure
After breakfast, we begin our journey home.

Map

Hotel

Hôtel La Hoirie

Sarlat-la-Caneda, Dordogne

This 3 star hotel is located within its own grounds, just outside the centre of Sarlat-la-Canéda. The hotel consists of 2 buildings. The main building is an authentic
13th century farming lodge, which houses the rustic-chic bar and restaurant, complete with a light and airy conservatory where breakfast and dinner are taken. The second building, which opened in 2018, is built in traditional stone with 26 state of the art bedrooms and the main hotel reception. There is a charming central courtyard – a
lovely area in which to relax – leading to an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by lawns and shady trees – the perfect place to relax with a drink.

BarLeisure FacilitiesLiftParking On Site & Free of ChargeRestaurant

Pricing

Hôtel La Hoirie

Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne

4 Nights Half Board

Inclusions
• Return short sea crossing
• 1-hour Dordogne River cruise
• 1-hour steam train ride
• Entrance to Lascaux IV Caves
• Guided tour of Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac

Please refer to your quote for hotel inclusions.