The Dordogne is often called the most beautiful river in France. Our tour to this land of the castles of Richard the Lionheart features the most famous and spectacular section of the river, studded with castles and cave art. The pedaling is perfect, and a plenitude of sights and attractions rounds out your vacation. This tour in the southwest serves as a delightful introduction to France, but also suits experienced adventurers.
Location
Gourdon
Gourdon, France
Day 1+6+7
La Roque-Gageac
La Roque-Gageac, France
Day 2+3
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, France
Day 4+5
Whatâs Included in the Cost of Your Trip?
INCLUDED INÂ REGULAR TRIP
6 nights hotels
All breakfasts and 1 dinner
Luggage transfers
Comprehensive Tour Details with detailed pre-trip information
Detailed route instructions and maps
Personal meet & greet with our local Area Manager
Area manager available on call throughout the tour
Access to Loyalty Program and other exclusive benefits
Specifics
TRIP DATES
Custom trips also available and can start any day. Call or email for details.
TOTAL DAYS
ARRIVE / DEPART
ACTIVITY LEVEL
TERRAIN
COST
Casual/B&B Accommodation: US$1850
Single Supplement: US$470
Classic Accommodation: US$2250
Single Supplement: US$570
Luxe Accommodation: US$2750
Single Supplement: US$690
Bike Rentals
Hybrid or Racing Bikes: US$280
E-Bikes: US$480
E-bikes are generally available but are on an âon request basis â and will be confirmed on receipt of your booking registration. E-bikes provided are the best rentals available in the region. Our regular fleet of hybrid and race bikes are fun to ride and light and fast, but if having an e-bike will make your trip, weâll do our best to provide. E-bike rentals are non-refundable. Â
Day 1
Gourdon
Arrival in Gourdon. Our Area Manager will give you the bikes and a briefing for the tour.
Ride Distance: 12 km, elevation gain 170 m.*
Day 2
La Roque-Gageac
Leave Gourdon to pedal to the Dordogne Valley. Pedal past romantic castles and villages of golden limestone, set amongst walnut groves. Watch for the dovecotes that are so characteristic of the area. Follow the its curves to the cliffside villages of La Roque-Gageac and Vitrac and settle in for two nights. Or, if you prefer, continue to the beautiful medieval town of Sarlat for two nights.
Ride Distance: 47 km, elevation gain 245 m.*
Day 3
Sarlat
Enjoy a full day to explore the region. Wander through Sarlat, with its charming winding streets and magnificent buildings. Visit Beynac, then Castelnaud castle with its medieval warfare museum. Feast your eyes on the unforgettable view from the golden hilltop village of Domme.
Ride Distance: 60 km, elevation gain 440 m.*
Day 4
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
Enjoy spectacular views of the Dordogne valley as you follow winding roads through the forests and villages of the PĂ©rigord Noir. Pause at St-Cyprien, dominated by its massive Romanesque church, then head to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, sometimes referred to as âThe World Capital of Prehistoryâ.
Ride Distance: 33 km, elevation gain 355 m.*
Day 5
Lascaux
On a day ride from Les Eyzies youâll explore the VĂ©zĂšre River valley. This is the land of the most famous prehistoric sites, including caves and troglodyte dwellings. Visit Font de Gaume, Abri du Cap Blanc, and the lovely village of St-LĂ©on. Go as far as Lascaux.
Ride Distance: 42 km, elevation gain 816 m or 67 km, gain 535 m.*
Day 6
Gourdon
Follow gentle river valleys through the green hills of the Bouriane to return to Gourdon. Savour the beauty and tranquility of this charming landscape.
Ride Distance: 67 km, elevation gain 450 m or 90 km, gain 685 m.*
Day 7
Take a final stroll through Gourdonâs medieval streets before heading off on your next adventure.
*Distance and elevation gains may vary depending on hotels chosen for specific departure.
Casual/B&B

This charming bed & breakfast is located 1.8 km outside of Gourdon in a Quercy style stone building. The rooms are comfortable and the proprietor is friendly. Swimming pool.

This is a working farm in a lovely building, located 5 km from la Roque-Gageac close to Vitrac. The dining room features superb cuisine from the local area.

This top ranked B&B is situated overlooking the beautiful memorial square. Chris & Amanda, the British proprietors, will welcome you with hospitality to their luxurious chambres dâhotes.

A former mill, this quaint hotel has one of the top restaurants in Les Eyzies. Propiertors Annick & Georges Soulie provide a warm welcome.
Classic

This is a 3-star hotel with spacious rooms, harmoniously decorated and well equipped with modern comforts. There is a delightful restaurant in the hotel.

Situated in one of the most beautiful villages in France, all rooms at this hotel enjoy views over the river. The restaurant is renowned and opens onto a vine-shaded terrace with a fabulous view.

This hotel, formerly a member of Relais & Chateaux, has undergone a recent renovation and new management. With 20 bedrooms and a large heated pool and beautiful grounds, this hotel is a traveler favourite.
Luxe

This is a 3-star hotel with spacious rooms, harmoniously decorated and well equipped with modern comforts. There is a delightful restaurant in the hotel.

This luxurious hotel combines authenticity, modernity, comfort and a rich history (and a great restaurant). Built on an old Gallo-Roman site the hotel offers a great panorama on a preserved nature. Recommended by Guides de Charme; ChĂąteaux & HĂŽtels Collection; Sawdayâs.

Located in the town centre, this charming 19th century mansion and 5-star hotel, offers a stylish décor where antique family furniture combine with rich colourful fabrics. It also boasts an indoor pool, sauna and fitness room. Walking distance to many restaurants. Member of Chateaux & Hotels Collection

Set apart from the tourist bustle of Les Eyzies, the 4-star Les Glycines Hotel & Spa offers luxury, charm and a warm welcome. It dates from 1862 when it was a "relais de poste". In addition to its interior charm, the hotel offers a tranquil setting with a fine restaurant, swimming pool and lovely gardens.
Trip Reviews
“Extremely well organized. Enjoyed our group, the route, the food, the wine, the weather etc. etc. Difficult to pinpoint what I liked the most. It was all good. Have to say too that the roads were excellent. You chose great routes. Almost too much to see along the route but the suggestions were excellent. The hybrid bikes worked very well. Our Area Manager was very helpful. Actually the accommodations exceeded our expectations. The food in the hotels, although pricey, was fabulous. Had very little interaction with the Travel Advisor as the trip was so well organized. My husband switched to an ebike and that was handled fine. We actually found the maps and hard copy directions better than the GPS. We did not consider other companies as all our considerations were met with RandonnĂ©e.”
“It was a great trip! The itinerary, hotel choices, route information including what to see on the way and little histories of the sites were excellent. Our local contacts were very helpful, answering phone calls ahead of time and meeting us as expected at the Gourdon hotel to set up the bikes etc. The bikes on the whole worked very well. In the end, we used the printed route maps more often than the digital. Just seemed easier to use. And the panier set up one the front of the bike with the plastic protector made it very easy to follow the routes that way. Apart from an extremely wet day, the first day of our trip, our weather was wonderful for cycling; a little cold to start in the morning, but the days warmed up quickly. The food, of course, was wonderful, in particular the dinners at La Belle Etoile hotel in La Roque Gageac and La Cntenaire hotel in Les Eyzies de Tayac were exceptional.”
“The trip was very well planned. The accommodations were excellent. The bikes exceeded expectations. The Dordogne Valley is a beautiful area with lots of history. The routes chosen had lots of variety and the add-on routes were very helpful for those who wished to have additional riding. The routes were such that all levels of cyclists would enjoy them. The main activity other than cycling was eating fine food and drinking excellent wines. That is one of the reasons we chose France! The dinner at Hotel de Centenaire was fabulous. I chose the pork which was the best I have ever had! We also chose a wine from a vineyard owned by the family of our server. It was also amazing! Our Area Manager was very helpful when needed. She also assured one of our group that she could arrange for pick up in the van en route if he was unable to complete the ride for the day. I can’t really say there is anything that could have been better on the trip.”
“Wow. The tour of a lifetime. Memories to treasure forever. The beauty is unparalleled. The accommodation was WOW â all clean and very nice. The food at each hotel was exceptional and reasonable. We greatly enjoyed all the destinations. Wish we would have had more time. It wasnât overall a leisurely tour â it was moderate to difficult because of the length and grade of the hills. However I would not recommend changing a thing â itâs the nature of this beautiful region. We are not cyclists, but we are in decent shape. The pre-tour information was excellent.”
âAll 3 locations were beautiful and the hotels were lovely. The people at all the locations were very gracious and helpful. The manager at the Hotel Bouriane was particularly nice. He arranged to have breakfast for us before the regular serving time because we had an early train. I very much appreciate your Travel Advisor’s assistance in recommending all three hotels. We will tell our friends about RandonnĂ©e and the wonderful accommodations that you found for us. I found your Travel Advisor to be very helpful in planning. We thought the Dordogne was the perfect place for a bike tour. The beauty of the area and history were outstanding. It far surpassed our expectations.â
âThe accommodations were the best! Nicest people and places in the world. Our favorite is Les Vielles Tours, the hotel operator is one of the nicest people I have ever met. The Area Manager is a great guy. He even found a copy of the new Harry Potter book on the release date for our daughter and delivered it to us. He is fantastic.â
âThe food at all places was fabulous and I felt very good value. I found the whole area fascinating. I would recommend Madeline north of les Eyzies. I thought it was just about perfect. I was just tired at night but never exhausted. I thought that the drivers were respectful of cyclists. The Area Manager was very helpful. He met us on the first evening and gave us a briefing as well as setting up the bikes. We loved the Hostellerie de la Bouriane in Gourdon. Mr Duchamps (the owner) was a lovely man and very helpful. He made us feel at home.â
“I just wanted to thank you for a fabulous trip! The entire sĂ©jour was magnificent! I am stunned at how gorgeous the region is and of course the regional cuisine definitely added to the experience.”
“We had a 5 day Provence trip 5 years ago with RandonnĂ©e and thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Friends were so impressed with what we had encountered; they wanted to take another bike trip with us.
The hotel in Gourdon was beyond our expectations, as was the host. We havenât stopped gushing about the location, hotel and our host there. As our second time using RandonnĂ©e, we found our overall experience great. The Area Manager was helpful and replaced a bike for one of our travelling companions without hesitation. The office staff in Canada are great and very helpful when I called with some questions. We have already recommended your company to others and wonât hesitate to do so in the future.”
“I never ever thought Iâd go on this type of trip, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. As a normally non-athletic person, I tell people that the bicycling part was the best part of the trip! The Dordogne Valley is magnificent, and I donât think we could have experienced it fully if we had been in a car or a bus! The sight, the smells, the medieval atmosphere⊠I could have stopped every 2 minutes to take a picture! Overall, the best vacation ever!”
âAbsolutely loved the bikes! Fantastic experience. Definitely a great way to explore a region. Area Manager did a great job meeting us, setting us up with the bikes and transporting our luggage to each place of accommodation.â
“I liked all the information about the areas and sights to see in each location. I have to single out the Hostellerie de la Bouriane as an exceptional place and the hospitality of the owner and staff was fantastic. The rooms we had there were very large and I found the entire establishment to be extremely clean and tidy. The breakfasts that were served as part of the package were also very generous. Overall, we felt very welcome and pampered there, and witnessed the level of work and dedication the family has in running the place. The Hotel La Belle Etoile was also very nice and the staff were extremely helpful and kind. The area manager was very helpful to get us started and give us any tips or advice. And the accommodations were very nice.â
âThe accommodation was wonderful in each location. Very friendly hosts, beautiful buildings, very nice rooms and lots of character. Caves, museums, castles, gardens, cafes and beautiful scenery was more than enough to keep us happy. This was the most deluxe trip I’ve been on and it was very nice overall. The area was amazing, we loved going by all the small villages, farms and forests. The bikes were fine- it was great to have the spare inner tubes and repair kit.â
âGood written details, maps were very good, and commentaries on places to see were helpful to help make decisions. Mme Jardin’s hotel was as lovely. Breakfasts were fantastic. We also loved Gourdon. The Ferme des Fleuris was also excellent. Dinner was great.â
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