The short version
- Take the train to Brive, direct from Paris Austerlitz in about 4 and a half hours, or to Périgueux, 3 and a half hours at the fastest, with a change. Rent a car there.
- Plan on a car. The villages, castles and caves are spread along two valleys, and Sarlat has only three trains a day from Paris, all with changes.
- Lascaux IV, the full-size copy of the Lascaux cave, is €23. Tickets are for a set time, so book ahead and arrive 20 minutes early.
- Base yourself in Sarlat for the restaurants and the market on Wednesday morning and Saturday.
- La Roque-Gageac and Beynac sit on the river a short drive from Sarlat. The château at Beynac is open every day of the year.
- Rent a canoe on the Dordogne. Children from 5 can go if they can swim, and life jackets are required.
What to see
Start in Sarlat. The old town has 66 listed monuments, from the cathedral to the Renaissance house of La Boétie. Take the glass lift in the old Sainte-Marie church, designed by Jean Nouvel, for the view over the stone roofs.
Drive 10 kilometers south to La Roque-Gageac, a row of houses squeezed between the river and a cliff. Climb the 140 steps to the fort cut into the rock, then take a gabare, a copy of the old river barges, for a one-hour loop on the water.
Beynac’s castle sits on the cliff a few minutes west along the river and is open every day. Between the two villages, the gardens of Marqueyssac have 150,000 clipped boxwoods on a ridge above the valley.
Spend a day in the Vézère valley. Lascaux IV in Montignac reproduces the painted cave at full size; the original, 500 meters away, has been closed since 1963. In Les Eyzies, the national prehistory museum is €10 and closed on Tuesday outside July and August.
Rocamadour, east of Sarlat in the Lot, is a pilgrimage village built up a cliff face, with the Black Virgin chapel in the sanctuary halfway up.
Getting there and around
Brive has direct Intercités trains from Paris Austerlitz, about 13 trips a day with the connections. Périgueux is faster at its best, 3 hours 27 minutes, but always needs a change. Souillac also has direct trains from Austerlitz, about 5 hours.
Brive’s airport has flights from Paris Orly. By road, Périgueux is about 500 kilometers from Paris.
Once you are here, you drive. Sarlat has close to 3,500 parking spaces around the old town, some free and some paid, and the center is all on foot.
When to go
May, June and September are the best months, with fewer people on the roads and in the villages than in July and August.
In high summer, book Lascaux IV and the gabares ahead.
Winter is truffle season. Sarlat holds truffle markets from December to March and a truffle festival on January 16 and 17, 2027. The Christmas market runs December 2 to 31, 2026.
Lascaux IV lists no opening hours from early January to early February, so check before a winter trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a car in the Dordogne?
Yes. The trains reach Brive, Périgueux, Souillac and Sarlat, but the villages, castles and caves are spread out, and Sarlat’s tourist office calls the car the best way to get there. Rent a car at your arrival town.
How do I get from Paris to the Dordogne?
Take the train to Brive, direct from Paris Austerlitz in about 4 and a half hours, or to Périgueux, 3 and a half hours at the fastest with a change, and rent a car. Brive also has flights from Paris Orly.
Is Lascaux IV the real cave?
No. Lascaux IV is a full-size copy of the cave and its paintings, opened in 2016. The original cave, 500 meters away on the same hill, has been closed to the public since 1963 to protect it. Book a timed ticket; adults are €23.
Where should I stay in the Dordogne?
Sarlat, if you want restaurants and the markets. A river village like La Roque-Gageac or Beynac, if you want quiet evenings and the canoes on the doorstep. Montignac or Les Eyzies, if the caves are the reason you came.
Is there a tour I can add?
Yes, on the way back. Saint-Émilion sits above the Dordogne river, downstream near Bordeaux. Our Bordeaux wine tour meets in the center of Bordeaux and takes you there for three classified-growth châteaux and a picnic lunch, eight guests at most, daily except Monday from April to October.
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