Dordogne & Vezere - 6 Night - Relaxed

The stunning Dordogne region is a well-kept secret among the French.  Wonderful cycling roads, beautiful countryside and 40,000 years of history to explore make it the perfect arena for an unforgettable cycling vacation.

Our Dordogne trips explore two river valleys—the Vezere, with numerous prehistoric sites, and the Dordogne, with amazing old dwellings hanging from the cliffs.  In between satisfying rides and optional excursions, you will rest in small, family hotels that serve delicious breakfasts, which, in addition to three gourmet dinners, are included in the price. See full itinerary below. To learn more about our Dordogne bike tours CLICK HERE.

Dates: Your pick! We offer tours in the Dordogne as early as March and as late as October and into November.
Length: 7 days, 6 nights
Service: Supported, Private, “Self Guided” tour. For more about how our Self Guided tours work CLICK HERE.
Type of riding: Rolling to flat terrain with some short climbs.
Bikes suggested: Road bikes, e-bikes, or hybrids
Average daily riding: 30km
Start city: Les Eyzies
Finish city: Les Eyzies
Suggested transport: Train from anywhere.

We work with only local guides, cooperating with those that have a love for cycling, and a desire to show guests the beauty of the land they call home. On our self guided tours we do not bring in guides from other destination to work with you. Having the local perspective only enhances your experience, providing insider knowledge and opportunities that only a local resident can offer.

 

From greeting guests when they arrive, to personally handling luggage transfers, to curating excursions, to problem-solving (e.g., flat tires and other unforeseen issues) our concierges assist guests daily. They also set you up on your rental bikes, and can help with routing and simple questions. Need help finding a good lunch spot? Is it raining too hard or you’re too tired to continue? The concierge is a phone call away and are there to help you! Each tour group works with a single, dedicated concierge who can be called upon for in-person assistance at any time.

We generally target 3 and 4-star hotels, which we hand select to maximize comfort while minimizing cost. The star rating is using a French rating system, which has proven to be the standard around the world. Therefore we use the same standards in France and beyond.

 

Over the years we have developed relationships with many amazing 3 and 4-star properties that distinguish themselves as providing much more than their rating suggests. We have loved getting to know these hotels and sharing them with our guests. For tour groups wishing to upgrade their accommodations, we can provide custom pricing for four and five-star hotels, pending availability. Below are an example of some of our favorite hotels in the region that we target using on our tours, pending availability.

Location Hotel Photo
Les Eyzies Hotel Cro Magnon  
Montignac Hotel La Roseraie  
Sarlat Hotel Restaurant La Couleuvrine
La Roque Gageac Hotel Belle Etoile  

All bikes come with helmet, repair kit, pump (or CO2 cartridges), lock, and water bottles. During the registration process, you will be asked for sizing specifics to ensure we have the correct sized bike waiting for you. We can supply a number of styles of pedals – please ask if you don’t see the pedal type you’re looking for on the registration form.

Road Bikes: Our rental road bikes are a racing style with drop handlebars.

  • Type – Road
  • Sizes – 47cm, 50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm, 62cm
  • Components – Aluminum frame with midrange of Shimano components. Triple or compact chainrings.

Dordogne Road bike

 

 

 

 

 

Hybrid Bikes: Our rental hybrid bikes are a relaxed style with flat handlebars.

Dordogne Hybrid Bicycle

 

 

 

  • Type – Hybrid
  • Sizes – 46, 50, 54 with sizing for all sizes.
  • Components – Mixture of Shimano road and mountain components with either triple cranksets.

 

eBikes: These semi-powered bikes allow for non-riders to share the experience with their friends and family who are stronger cyclists.

Dordogne eBike

 

 

 

 

  • Type – eBike
  • Sizes – S, M, L
  • Components – Mixture of Shimano Acera and Deore.

 

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

 

  • All hotel accommodations – mostly 3 and 4 star but ask for custom accommodation requests.
  • An OBT cycling jersey!
  • Detailed route notes, maps, and tourist information. This includes standard cue sheet, and GPS courses to upload to your own GPS device.
  • Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel.
  • Meals as explained in the tour itinerary pages. Usually this means all breakfasts, no lunches, and some dinners.
  • Access to your personal guide/concierge (See Guides/Concierge tab).

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:

  • Transportation to start location and from finish location.
  • Bikes, but we have rental bikes available.
  • Travel and Health Insurance.
  • Admission to sightseeing venues, unless explicitly mentioned as included.
Available to rent for $150 per unit per tour. These easy to use GPS units provide an excellent worry-free routing method that you can depend on throughout your tour. If you choose to rent we will have the until ready for use with the routes pre-loaded onto the unit. All you have to do is start the daily route at the beginning of your riding day, and follow the highlighted line! We will also provide instructions that you can reference when needed. As a backup and supplement to the GPS, we will also provide a local map as well as routing instructions.garmin edge touring screens

Tour Cost Per Person:

 

  • Double Occupancy: US$1,945
  • Single Occupancy: US$2,345 (for single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
  • Solo Tour: Please contact us

Bike Rental Per Person:

  • Road Bike: US$430
  • eBike: US$430
  • Hybrid: US$280
What’s Next? Registering for your tour!

 

Questions: First, please feel free to ask us any questions about the tour. We are happy to help clarify any details.

Registration: Once you are ready to register please go to https://outfittertours.com/registration/ and complete the registration form. EACH tour participant will need to complete the form. At the end of the registration for you will be asked for a US$800 deposit. You can pay the deposit by bank check, wire, or credit card. Once we have all registrations we will secure all of the details of your tour – hotels, bikes, etc.

Final Payment: 60 days prior to your tour we will invoice you for the balance of the tour.

Tour Packet Delivery: Once the balance is paid and approximately 30 days before your tour we will send you a complete tour packet containing all details of your tour – accommodation information, detailed routing, a suggested packing list, maps, tourist guide, and much much more!

For more information on our Terms & Conditions please CLICK HERE.

Daily Itinerary:

Day 1:  Les Eyzies Arrival
Welcome to the pre-history capital of France, Les Eyzies! We will meet you at the train station and, depending on the time of your arrival, assemble your bicycle or take you to be fitted for your rental.  Hear a short orientation and take an afternoon warm-up loop if you are eager to be in the saddle, or visit historical sites by foot if you want to stretch your legs.  When you are ready, we will take you to your spectacular historic hotel—one built into the side of the cliffs next to where the Cro-Magnon man remains were discovered.  Settle in for one night.

Day 2:  Les Eyzies to Montignac – 25km
Today you follow the Vezere northeast to Montignac with several great pre-history sites along the way: Site Madeleine, Le Roque St. Christophe, and also the lovely Chateau de Losse.  The day’s 25km ride is modest in distance but rich in things to see, with several short climbs.  We recommend the town of St. Leon for a picnic or cafe lunch before continuing to Montignac, a small town at the base of Lascaux.  Your hotel is in the heart of town.

Day 3:  Montignac to Sarlat – 40km
Get ready for a full day—40km of rolling countryside and several climbs—with an option of spending the morning touring the prehistoric caverns of Lascaux II.  This replica of the original cave is beautifully executed and well worth the uphill ride.  After lunch, make several stops en route to Sarlat: the villages of St. Amand de Coly and St. Genie, and Moulin de la Tour, a walnut mill which should not be missed.  Once you reach Sarlat, settle in for a two-night stay and keep your eyes open for the perfect restaurant—dinner is on your own both nights.

Day 4:  Sarlat Market & Exploration
You will wake to the sounds of people milling about in the old town street market below.  After breakfast, explore this magnificent market on your own!  Local food, fabrics, clothing and art will be on display.  With nowhere specific to be all day, shop for as long as you like before exploring some more.  After lunch, historical attractions await!

Day 5:  Sarlat to La Roque Gageac – 25km
It’s an easy ride to La Roque Gageac, but we will have lots for you to see and visit along the way as you enter the Dordogne River Valley.  Chateau Montfort, Domme, and Chateau Beynac are along the route.   Your hotel is on the river and is known for its excellent cuisine. Dinner is included tonight.

Day 6:  La Roque Gageac to Les Eyzies – 31km
In the morning you head back down the Dordogne, by Castelnaud and then on to Chateau Les Milandes, the former home of American singer Josephine Baker; it is also the area portrayed in Michael Crichton’s book “Time Line”, a must read before your visit.  Head down the river and then up to the charming village of Meyrals for lunch or riverbank picnic.  After lunch, you will have time to visit three local artists’ studios.  It is then downhill to Les Eyzies and the lovely hotel where you started our journey. You are on your own for dinner.  Though the whole day’s ride is only 31km, there is plenty to see.

Day 7:  Les Eyzies departure
Sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast and enjoy your final morning in Les Eyzies.  We will collect your bike if you rented one, and help transfer your luggage to the depot, before bidding you farewell!

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