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Dordogne Caves & Bastides: Périgueux Loop: 7-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive
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The 7-day version for June: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight. Prefer more or fewer days? 6-day plan · 7-day plan · best time to go.
💡 Good to know for this plan
- The full heritage loop is supported in these months, but timed Lascaux IV admission, dated museum and castle access, summer heat, roads and parking still need confirmation.
- Light days: day 1, day 4 have one stop and time left over. Local tours and day trips are the way to fill them — each day links to what is bookable in its own town.
Before you go · check live details
This is a planning draft. Check these changing details for your dates before booking or travelling.
Some route advice is currently available in English.
- The original cave, canoeing and a market visit are not baseline promises
Lascaux IV is a facsimile and interpretation centre; the original cave is closed. Font-de-Gaume requires scarce exact tickets, has an age floor and physical restrictions, and is not scheduled by default. Canoeing requires a chosen operator, current water level, weather, navigation rules, ability, equipment and capacity. Sarlat market appears only when the dated itinerary matches an operating market day.
Check source ↗ - Confirm the loop car, all stays and current road conditions
Confirm one insured car for the complete Périgueux loop, every overnight, current Bison Futé and local road or flood notices, and practical parking. Allow extra time on narrow unfamiliar roads and avoid preventable night driving.
Check source ↗ - Book the Lascaux IV visit time you want
Lascaux IV tickets are valid for a specific date and time. The draft’s visit time is not a reservation: book an available slot and adjust the day if necessary. Arrive 20 minutes before the booked visit. Lascaux IV is a replica and interpretation centre, not entry to the original cave.
Check source ↗ - Check the other heritage visits for your dates
Check current calendars, last admission and accessibility for the National Museum of Prehistory, Beynac, Castelnaud and Marqueyssac. Allow for parking and the walking approach. This draft does not reserve admission or guarantee that a venue will be open on your date.
Check source ↗
Day 1 Périgueux
- Transit
- none
- Finish
- ~12:30
- Temperature
- 13.6°C–25.6°C
- Rainy days
- ~9
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Time to spare on this day
One stop and a free afternoon. We don't book activities, but these partners do.
Day 2 Montignac
- Transit
- 1h17
- Finish
- ~13:50
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Day 3 Around Montignac
- Transit
- 1h10
- Finish
- ~13:40
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Day 4 Sarlat-la-Canéda
- Transit
- 0h49
- Finish
- ~13:20
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Time to spare on this day
One stop and a free afternoon. We don't book activities, but these partners do.
Day 5 Around Sarlat-la-Canéda
- Transit
- 1h05
- Finish
- ~14:40
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Day 6 Beynac-et-Cazenac
- Transit
- 1h02
- Finish
- ~13:35
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
Day 7 Beynac-et-Cazenac → Périgueux
- Transit
- 2h20
- Finish
- ~14:50
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–24.7°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.4h
🔍 Check before you book
Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.
Sources (7)
- Périgueux Roman and medieval heritage circuit — perigueux-vesunna.frOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Lascaux IV timed prehistory visit — lascaux.frOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Les Eyzies National Museum of Prehistory circuit — musee-prehistoire-eyzies.frOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Sarlat historic-centre circuit — en.sarlat-tourisme.comOfficial-tourism facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Domme and La Roque-Gageac river-village circuit — domme.frOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Beynac and Castelnaud castle-landscape circuit — chateau-beynac.comOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance
- Marqueyssac garden and belvedere circuit — marqueyssac.comOfficial-site facts and original paraphrase; Wikivoyage used for discovery and geographic provenance