Beynac and Domme day trip from Sarlat?

Beynac and Domme are both fascinating.

If Beynac Castle is included, yes, it is a good use of your free day. The town of Beynac is nice, but small. Domme is nice also and has a lovely view of the valley and river. Also there are the old fortress and fortifications.. It also has a large cave to explore. If the castle at Beynac is included, I can see a full day, but fit in time for a nice lunch. A day trip from Sarlat is very doable.

Just to clarify, are you thinking of going to Sarlat after your Loire Valley tour? It is a four hour drive to Sarlat from the Loire Valley. And Sarlat has lots to do and see. There IS much there. Could you be confusing Sarlat with another city or town in the Loire? Or is your RS tour more than just the Loire Valley? I get the impression you are thinking Sarlat is a day trip from the Loire. Maybe I am reading your post wrong.

We spent a week in Beynac as our home base last Fall and loved it. It's a beautiful town and the castle is spectacular. Aside from the castle there is probably more to wander and see in Sarlat. Domme is also pretty, we spent an hour there enjoying the view and then moved on.

Like Judy, I'm also very skeptical that you'd go to Sarlat after/from the RS Loire Valley tour. Even more skeptical that a tour service would offer a day trip to Sarlat from the Loire Valley.

These are not the same regions at all, and the Dordogne cannot be visited in a single day. Especially without a car.

Sarlat is nothing more than a town that serves primarily as a kind of visitor center, while what makes the Dordogne Valley interesting is everywhere except in the towns.

Sorry I wasn't clear. This is the RS tour we're taking. It starts in Chartres and travels thru Loire and Dordogne to Nice.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/france/south-france-2025
There is a Get Your Guide trip to Beynac and Domme from Sarlat. I'll have to check that it includes the castle.
We will not have our own transportation so I'm not sure what else could be reached by public transport.

There is a rental car place in Sarlat where you could rent a car just for your free day. It probably won't cost as much as the tour, and then you have the freedom to see whatever you want. Driving in that area is very easy and fun.

Just adding my two cents, that Beynac Castle is beautiful and we enjoyed our visit there immensely. And the views of the surrounding countryside from the castle are stunning.

I love the idea of renting a car for the day. I just checked and sadly there is nothing available. I waited too long. Any chance our Rick Steves tour guide can arrange something for us?