The Dordogne and Lot valleys

5 days · ~9 h 35 driving ·Rivers, Castles, Food

Castles and cliff villages along two rivers of south-west France. The trip starts where the Vézère meets the Dordogne at Limeuil, then follows the river past Beynac, Castelnaud, La Roque-Gageac and Domme. A detour north reaches the red sandstone of Collonges-la-Rouge and the castle hill of Turenne, and the last days run through the Quercy to Rocamadour and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, high above the Lot.

Day by day

Driving times are approximate, from OpenStreetMap roads without traffic; long legs are rougher estimates. The Google Maps links give up-to-date times.

Day 1
~2 h 35 driving · 2 h visiting
1. Bordeaux AirportLeaving from
2. ~2 h 35 driving · 194 km
  LimeuilNouvelle-Aquitaine
3. Overnight in Limeuil
Day 2
~55 min driving · 8 h visiting
1. ~35 min driving · 30 km
  Beynac-et-CazenacNouvelle-Aquitaine
2. ~5 min driving · 4 km
  Castelnaud-la-ChapelleNouvelle-Aquitaine
3. ~5 min driving · 4 km
  La Roque-GageacNouvelle-Aquitaine
4. ~10 min driving · 9 km
  DommeNouvelle-Aquitaine
5. Overnight in Domme
Day 3
~1 h 55 driving · 6 h visiting
1. ~1 h 15 driving · 70 km
  Collonges-la-RougeNouvelle-Aquitaine
2. ~10 min driving · 10 km
  TurenneNouvelle-Aquitaine
3. ~30 min driving · 24 km
  CarennacOccitania
4. Overnight in Carennac
Day 4
~1 h 20 driving · 6 h visiting
1. ~35 min driving · 27 km
  LoubressacOccitania
2. ~10 min driving · 5 km
  AutoireOccitania
3. ~35 min driving · 30 km
  RocamadourOccitania
4. Overnight in Rocamadour
Day 5
~2 h 50 driving · 2 h visiting
1. ~1 h driving · 56 km
  Saint-Cirq-LapopieOccitania
2. ~1 h 50 driving · 129 km
  Toulouse AirportReturning to

Day by day

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5