Name: France Off the Beaten Path
Brand: France Off the Beaten Path
Rating: 4.9 (565 reviews)

Dordogne Tour Itinerary

Dordogne Summary • Dordogne Includes • Dordogne Hotel

RATED EXCELLENT WITH 500+ REVIEWS

2019 WINNER!! 3RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR!

RECOMMENDED BY FROMMER’S FRANCE!

Tour day 1: Tour Begins: Group Meets, Hotel Check-in, Leisure Time, Gourmet Welcome Dinner Together – D

Arrival in Brive-la-Gaillarde. Meet and greet by your tour guide at the scheduled group pick-up time at 2:00 PM at the Brive-la-Gaillarde Rail Station from where you will transfer to your historical hotel as a group. Check-in at the hotel. Settle into your room and prepare for our first evening together.

Dinner: Gourmet Welcome Dinner Together.

Tour day 2: Pre-Historic Cave Tour at Font Gaume, Lunch in Les Eyzies, Afternoon: “The Gorge d’Enfer Walk”, Dinner Together – B, L, D

Breakfast.

Font Gaume Morning Tour. Font de Gaume is special because the animals are carved, then painted inside the carving. If the paint fades, most of the carving can still be seen. Recently, the ground of the cave was renovated for tourists. Prior to beginning the renovation, the walls were again studied to ensure no paintings had been overlooked.

About 180 new ‘things’ were discovered, from animals to simple signs. Most of them are behind a layer of calcite, and can be seen only with a UV or IR light. It was also at this time that a carving of a wolf was discovered. Only the carved part of that wolf survived. Everything from Mammoths to bisons dating from the Ice Age can be seen.

Lunch: Together in Les Eyzies. “The Gorge d’Enfer Walk” in the Afternoon: The first of our two guided walks: through the countryside Between Les Eyzies and Sarlat. Late afternoon: Leisure time to relax before dinner.

Dinner: Gourmet Bistro Dinner Together.

Tour day 3: Morning: Cooking Class, Cooking Class Lunch Together, Afternoon: At leisure to Explore Historic Sarlat Village, Evening: Dinner Together – B, L, D

Breakfast.

Cooking Class morning…Participate in a fun, hands-on cooking class with our local Master Chef. Prepare a traditional Perigordine three course meal. Noon: aperitif and a gourmet lunch of the recipes prepared together in class.

Afternoon: Leisure Time to explore historic Sarlat village in the afternoon. It seems that time has forgotten about this beautiful hidden village. The cobblestone walking streets and golden stone buildings bear little witness to change. Shop at the local specialty boutiques, enjoy local music or a street side cafe to people watch.

Dinner: Souillac Bistro style dinner of traditional cuisine.

Tour day 4: Morning: Pre-Historic Cave Tour at Peche Merle, Lunch Together, Afternoon: “The Chateaux (Castles) Walk”, Farewell Dinner – B, L, D

Breakfast.

Peche Merle Pre-historic cave tour. The prehistoric galleries, in the lower network, were discovered in 1922 by Andre David and Henri Dutertre, when they were 16 and 15 years old respectively. The examination of the paintings and engravings was immediately begun by the priests of Cabrerets. Peche Merle is considered “An art gallery in a palace of nature” and is the most famous pre-historic cave in the world. The cave’s location is however a well kept secret. We will only have access to view about one third of the galleries due to on-going preservation efforts by archeologists.

Lunch: Independently in La Roque-Gageac.

Afternoon: “The Chateaux Walk” along the Dordogne River and through the most beautiful villages sprinkled along its’ river banks. This spectacular walk features no less than 4 castles within view all along the trail. Enjoy pauses for photo opportunities and simply just to be amazed at the beauty of the surroundings.

Dinner: Farewell Dinner: Gourmet farewell dinner together this evening in Sarlat.

Tour day 5: Tour Conclusion, Group Drop-off at Brive-la-Gaillarde Rail Station – B

Breakfast.

Breakfast. Trip concludes today with 11:00 AM arrival to the Brive-la-Gaillarde Rail Station.

Activity Information: This tour involves a considerable amount of walking and is designated as a walking tour. This tour also requires travelers be able to stand for extended periods of times during the pre-historic cave tours, as seating is not available in the caves.

2023/2024 Tour Price — $4,198 per person double/twin occupancy, single supplement $980.

Only available to Book on Private Basis for groups of 10 or more persons.

Click the following link to download the detailed DORDOGNE TOUR BROCHURE (Adobe pdf).

EMAIL US at christy@traveloffthebeatenpath.com or CALL or message us at 1-717-683-2827 with inquiries.
(B) = Breakfast Included, (L) = Lunch Included, (D) = Dinner Included

Provence

Loire Valley

Bordeaux

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RATED 5 STARS BY HUNDREDS OF HAPPY TOUR GUESTS

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A WORD FROM Our Guests:

Exceeded Our Expectations!

“This trip to the Loire Valley exceeded our expectations! Christy planned unique and interesting excursions and activities that highlighted the beauty of the area and provided in-depth background knowledge about the various chateaux we visited. The cooking classes with renowned chefs, held in their restaurants and homes, were never-to-be forgotten experiences, and the visit to the winery was a highlight. The hotel was delightful and charming, and staying in one location for the entire time was a treat. Every meal or cocktail hour was planned to highlight the delicious specialties of the region. Christy is extremely knowledgeable about the various places we visited and imparted that knowledge in an interesting and entertaining manner. She and Remi took great care to ensure that we were always comfortable and well-looked after. We could not have asked for a better trip!” — Ron Rose & Sharon Matsumoto (Have done Provence tour and Loire Valley tour)

This was my third trip in the same number of years

“This was my third trip in the same number of years with Christy and Off the Beaten Path. While on her trips you can tell how much effort there is on the off season to make every single week perfect. From the pick up at the train station to the teary goodbye at the airport, everything is perfectly planned and executed. The hotel in St. Remy is magical, and the tour guides Philippe and David are exceptional. If you are considering a trip with OTBP, go for it and come home with new friends, a love of Provence and a longing to return as soon as you can!” — Beth Bower (Has done Provence tour twice and Loire Valley tour)

The Best Tour Company!

“I have done two tours – Provence and Loire Valley – and I am already looking forward to booking another. The tours are all perfectly curated and Christy is a wealth of knowledge. She is so kind and takes all of your needs and wants into consideration. I cannot recommend Off the Beaten Path enough!” — Madison Carl (Has done Provence and Loire Valley tours)

“We did the Provence tour. 8/2019. I had taken the tour 2017 & this time my husband came with me. It was just as fabulous this time as it was in 2017. Restaurants, picnic, sights, wine, all of it just delightful, but the frosting on the cake is a the knowledge, insight, humor, & attention to detail from David & Philippe. To us, they make a great trip soooo much fun. (also, 3 of our neighbors joined us this tour). Don’t hesitate, take this tour & enjoy!!!!!” — Jim & Carol Dean (Carol has done Provence tour twice)

Returning to Provence with France Off the Beaten Path

“I wanted to return to Provence as soon as it was open. I had toured with Christy in Loire Valley in 2019 and knew I wanted to travel with her again. For the second time, everything was well organized, personal and definitely off the beaten path. Christy and Phillippe have a wealth of knowledge and are eager to share. The hotel was perfectly located in St Remy, the tours to the lavender and sunflower fields are my favorite memory. The lunches and dinners were like visiting friends. The boat tour in Cassis was another highlight. Even though I had visited Provence, this trip with France Off the Beaten Path brought a new appreciation for the area.” — Susan Gage (Has done Loire Valley tour, Provence tour, Champagne tour)

“We had an excellent tour with Christie and her crew in the Loire valley. We did things that only a true insider would have access to-dinner at a Michelin chefs house, helping/learning to cook at a highly rated restaurant in their kitchen. This was in addition to seeing the sights and touring the castles. A truly unique experience that is off the beaten path. We will use her again when going back to France.” — Karen Berner (Has done Loire Valley tour)