Caves · Dordogne
1 La Grotte du Grand Roc
Set into a magnificent cliff overlooking the Vézère, the Grand Roc cave is an exceptional jewel.
View full page →What to see in the Dordogne (Périgord) in 3 days
The Dordogne is a concentration of heritage: castles perched above the river, bastides, golden-stone villages and caves that are among the most famous in prehistory. The Périgord Noir, around Sarlat and the Vézère valley, is at the heart of this wealth.
This itinerary groups the best-rated sites in the catalogue into three days. For decorated caves, advance booking is often recommended: check the visiting conditions before you go.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — La Grotte du Grand Roc to Grotte de Tourtoirac
This day brings together 3 sites close to each other: caves. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Caves · Dordogne
2 Grotte de Lascaux
Located in the Dordogne near the village of Montignac-sur-Vézère, in the heart of the Périgord Noir, the Lascaux cave is the masterpiece of prehistoric art.
View full page →
Caves · Dordogne
3 Grotte de Tourtoirac
Today, developed for everyone, the Grotte de Tourtoirac will let you discover the fabulous diversity of concretions that nature has shaped over time.
View full page →Day 2 — Limeuil to Musée National de Préhistoire
This day brings together 5 sites close to each other: villages, aquariums and caves. It passes through Les Eyzies. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Villages · Dordogne
4 Limeuil
Formerly, the village occupied a strategic site on the border between English-held Guyenne and the kingdom of France.
View full page →
Aquariums · Dordogne
5 Univerland Le Bugue (ex-Parc Aquarium du Périgord Noir)
The largest private aquarium in Europe at Le Bugue-sur-Vézère. With more than 3 million litres of water and more than 600 fish, the Périgord Noir Aquarium is without doubt the largest private open-air freshwater aquarium.
View full page →
Caves · Dordogne
6 Gouffre de Proumeyssac
Already famous in the eighteenth century for its terrifying legends, the Proumeyssac chasm was only explored in 1907.
View full page →
Villages · Les Eyzies
7 Les Eyzies
A village nestled at the foot of high troglodyte limestone cliffs, nicknamed the "world capital of prehistory" for the exceptional density of its Palaeolithic deposits.
View full page →
Museums · Dordogne
8 Musée National de Préhistoire
The Musée national at Les Eyzies is at the centre of the greatest concentration in the world of sites occupied and decorated by man.
View full page →Day 3 — Beynac-et-Cazenac to Domme
This day brings together 4 sites close to each other: villages and castles. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Villages · Dordogne
9 Beynac-et-Cazenac
Seat in the Middle Ages of one of the four baronies of the Périgord, the castle withstood every assault and was taken only by Richard the Lionheart and Simon de Montfort.
View full page →
Castles · Dordogne
10 Château de Beynac
It is probably from the course of the Dordogne that the fortress looks most impressive.
View full page →
Castles · Dordogne
11 Château de Castelnaud
Facing the Château de Beynac, whose implacable rival it was in the endless conflicts that punctuate the history of the Middle Ages.
View full page →
Villages · Dordogne
12 Domme
Ringed by ramparts, the thirteenth-century bastide tells a tumultuous past illustrated by its fortified gates and towers that served as prisons.
View full page →When to go
Spring and autumn are ideal: the light is beautiful, nature is colourful and the sites are less crowded. In summer, castles and caves welcome many visitors, and the valley is noticeably hot. Winter is quiet, but some sites are closed or open only a few days a week.
Getting around
A car is the simplest way to link the sites: they are scattered across the Dordogne and Vézère valleys. Roads are narrow near the hilltop villages. The river can also be paddled by canoe, a pleasant way to see the castles from the water.
Our tips
- Book decorated caves in advance: access is often limited to protect the artworks.
- Start early to visit the best-known villages before the crowds.
- Alternate cultural visits with relaxing time by the water.
- Taste local produce at the markets: walnuts, foie gras, strawberries and truffles depending on the season.
If you have more time
Villages · Dordogne
La Roque-Gageac
In the Middle Ages, La Roque-Gageac had 1,500 souls. At that time, the Dordogne supported the fishermen and gabariers of the port.
Caves · Dordogne
Grotte de Bara-Bahau
Overlooking the Vézère valley, in the village of Le Bugue, you will discover the surprising Bara-Bahau cave, whose dialect name comes from the expression "and badaboom!!!" The cavity is just behind the reception and its unusual entrance will not fail to astonish you.
Villages · Dordogne
Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
Inhabited since the dawn of time, the caves and caverns formed perfect natural shelters for our ancestors, the Cro-Magnon people.
Villages · Dordogne
Monpazier
This thirteenth-century fortified town founded by Edward I of England has seen some thirty of its buildings listed as historic monuments.
Villages · Dordogne
Sarlat-la-Canéda
The town of Sarlat is a medieval town that reached its peak in the thirteenth century. The Carolingian abbey of Sarlat is the only one spared by the Vikings because it lay away from the Dordogne and its tributaries.
Villages · Dordogne
Saint-Amand-de-Coly
About twenty kilometres from Sarlat and a few steps from Lascaux, Saint-Amand-de-Coly has comfortably settled between two wooded valleys.
More itineraries
What to see in the Ardèche in 3 daysWhat to see in Corsica in 5 daysWhat to see in Alsace in 3 daysWhat to see in Finistère in 3 daysWhat to see in Vaucluse and the Luberon in 3 daysWhat to see in the Hautes-Pyrénées in 3 daysWhat to see in the Lot in 3 daysWhat to see in Haute-Savoie in 3 daysWhat to see in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in 3 daysWhat to see in the Puy-de-Dôme in 3 daysAll itineraries →