Dordogne Itenerary

Before any suggestions, how do you plan to get to Sarlat? Do you plan to rent a car? If so, where will you be picking it up?

In case you hadn't considered this keep in mind that most of the caves, châteaux, and villages are not served by public transport. Consequently, visiting the Dordogne is best done by car, public transport options are virtually non-existent and taxis are scarce,mostly used by locals for medical appointments. There are practically no Uber drivers operating in these rural areas, it isn't a profitable job given the low number of customers.

Yes, will have a car

While waiting for suggestions from recent visitors, you can check out this map. I've included all the caves in the region on it, whether they have prehistoric paintings or not. There is a brief description and a website link for each cave.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing

Regarding the caves, in quite a few cases the scheduled tour times and potential English-language tours won't be available until at least April for a visit in June.

Note that while Sarlat can be convenient for being inside a tourist "bubble," be sure to check parking options because it gets very crowded with tourists. There are thousands of other options that let you be well-located while avoiding the chaos of Sarlat.

pa12sms,
By three days I assume you mean 4 nights (3 full days, not partial ones). Briefly, and arrange how you wish, you could include, with 2 things per day: one of the great castles (Beynac or Castelnaud la Chapelle); 2 caves (Lascaux IV for great reproduction and presentations of info) and another cave of your choice; a market (doesn't have to be the big one in Sarlat); a kayak trip (a good 4 hours, IMO, so a half-day). Also there are: Chateau Des Milandes; Marqueyssac Gardens; many of"Les plus beaux villages de France"; a visit to a vineyard or farm or orchard. Take your pick, but a prehistoric cave visit is the one thing to not miss!

In 2023, our then 9 and 12 y/o grandkids especially loved both Lascaux IV and Font de Gaume caves. Next was kayaking on the Dordogne River, third was a tie between Beynac Castle and Castelnaud la Chapelle. And always, they loved the food! Hubby and I were the two elderly ones along (79 and 80 at the time, with 3 artificial knees between us and one ready for a change-out). Three GenXers as well. Aside from us oldies getting out of the kayaks in a particularly awkward way, we all managed quite well.
Enjoy!

Excellent advice above. We especially enjoyed Les Combarelles and Font du Gaume. The guides were excellent and the small group goes into the actual site. You must book these in advance. We also went to Lascaux IV and were very impressed by the re-creation. Sarlat is very beautiful and Domme is also lovely for a few hours.

I concur about Chateau Des Milandes is soooooo worth the visit. Really liked old town Sarlat and they have a cute farmer's market. We visited Font-de-Gaume cave because we were there in february a couple of years ago. Lascaux was closed. This cave only takes about 20 people a day. A fit senior will likely be able to do the tour. I also recommend the museum in nearby Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (cute little town). Looking for the name I found some things we missed. Driving times are very slow in the Dordogne, and I would be happy to visit again.

We enjoyed Font de Gaume as well as Roque Saint Christophe. Beynac was our favorite castle in 15 countries. I have seen several recommendations to stay in Beynac instead of Sarlat. I wouldn't stay in Sarlat again.

We stayed in a number of towns in the area, including Sarlat, as we did a self-guided walking tour and they had us moving around quite a bit. Sarlat was nice, but definitely the most mobbed with tourists. We really liked staying in Montignac. We went to Lascaux IV, and while interesting enough, for some reason it wasn't a highlight for me. We liked Chateau des Milandes and Roque St. Christophe. There are some great walks to be done in the area and beautiful towns. We didn't kayak on the river, but would have liked to. It's a nice area to just soak up and enjoy, and not overschedule yourselves.

Hello. Rent a kayak in Beynac and take a three-hour trip upstream—a route of about 12 km. It is very easy, and the river views are more spectacular from a kayak than from a car, especially when passing La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud, and Beynac. It is more convenient to leave your car at the finish point, as you won't have to stick to a strict schedule for the shuttle.

We visited in March. Lovely weather, fun region. I enjoy the full duck experience, and you get that in this area.

If you feel up to it, a duck farm is an interesting experience. Sometimes this includes the process called "gavage". Some do not find this interesting. We did.

We also visited the Troglodyte fortress at La Roque Saint-Christophe. Very interesting and teens would find the primitive machines quite fascinating.

For the many enthusiasts of Périgord foie gras, and thus future visitors, here are the top 2 winners from the 2026 competition for the best foie gras products, organized by Périgord specialists, connoisseurs, and producers:

Maison Lembert (located in Beynac-et-Cazenac)

https://www.lembertfoiesgras.com/

Gold Medal: Whole duck foie gras

Silver Medal: Whole duck foie gras with Monbazillac wine

Silver Medal: Whole goose foie gras

Silver Medal: Whole goose foie gras with Monbazillac wine

Maison Godard (farm located in Gourdon, in the Lot department, a shop in Sarlat-la-Canéda)

https://www.foie-gras-godard.fr/

Gold Medal: Whole Périgord goose foie gras with truffle

Silver Medal: Whole Southwest duck foie gras with two peppers

Silver Medal: Whole Périgord duck foie gras

Silver Medal: Whole Southwest duck foie gras lobe (semi-cooked/mi-cuit)

Bronze Medal: Whole Périgord duck foie gras with truffle

Note that Maison Lembert does not raise ducks or geese, instead they processes products sourced primarily from the Laleu farm in Valojoulx, which also sells its products directly.
https://www.canard-laleu.fr/

We stayed in Beynac for four or five nights, with a car, and liked the area a lot. (Our hotel seems to be out of business now.) We spent part of a day in Sarlat. It was busy and crowded, with traffic, but probably would have been fine as a base. We visited the castles at Beynac and Castelnaud, and the caves at Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume. Also the prehistory museum at Les Eyzies. And some drives to places like Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Rocamadour, and Cahors. We didn't do a boat ride but it would be a good idea if available.

If I were returning, I'd try to see the cave at Peche-Merle, and the one where you ride a little tram in and out (Rouffingnac?). Looking at those old paintings and imagining the people who did them is a stunning experience. The Lascaux reproduction is very well done, I wouldn't skip it just because it's not original. You learn a lot on the tour, with good lighting and footing.

Highly recommend a stay at Domme's Hotel L'Esplanade. The owner, Madame Sophie, took very good care of our group of eight -- four couples staying for 3 nights in the Dordogne. She speaks English well and kindly helped us in all our requests for advice and service. Dinner at the hotel was a true French dining experience--very good. Our rooms all had superb views from the edge of clifftop Domme over the Dordogne Valley. The terrace had expansive views, and though it was too cold to dine out there in late October, we enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the enclosed patio.

The rooms are being modernized, but still comfortable, with modern bathrooms. Room rates reasonable. Parking was free along the street adjoining the hotel. Domme itself is small but friendly, with several cafes, bars, and coffee shops--plus stores featuring Dordogne products all within an easy walk. If you visit Hotel L'Esplanade, you won't be disappointed. It's a good base for exploring the cave country of the Dordogne...about 35 minutes from Les Eyzies.