A beautiful Dordogne road trip itinerary

Last updated on April 16, 2026

The Dordogne is France at its storybook best – a land of medieval villages, turreted castles, golden-stone towns, and a river that winds through it all. It’s one of those places that feels almost too perfect, like stepping into a fairy tale. Add canoe rides, lively markets, and countryside brimming with sunflowers, and you have the makings of a dream French road trip.

We spent a week in the Dordogne with our two kids (aged 5 and 7), splitting our time between a treehouse in the west, riverside adventures in the east, and a base near Sarlat for exploring the region’s most famous villages.

This Dordogne itinerary brings all those experiences together into a suggested 7-day Dordogne road trip, easily adapted to a shorter or longer stay.

Dordogne road trip map

How to use this Dordogne road trip itinerary

We’ve set out this road trip as a week-long journey with three main bases: Monpazier and the bastide towns (Perigord Pourpre), Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, and Sarlat-la-Canéda. It works well as a loop if you’re arriving by car from elsewhere in France, or you could fly/train into Brive, Bergerac, Bordeaux or Toulouse and hire a car from there.

It’s a flexible itinerary: you could easily extend it to 10 days by slowing down in each spot, or trim it to 5 days if you’re short on time. Another option is to pick just one or two bases and do day trips – Sarlat in particular makes a great hub for exploring the Dordogne Valley.

We travelled as a family, but this itinerary works just as well for couples, groups of friends, or even a solo trip.

Dordogne road trip highlights

• Staying in a luxury treehouse at Châteaux Dans Les Arbres
• Staying on the river at Huttopia Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
• Canoeing the Dordogne River past castles and villages near La Roque Gageac
• Exploring the cliffside village of Rocamadour – and seeing the monkeys at the Monkey Forest
• Visiting the famous Marqueyssac Gardens
• Discovering storybook villages like Monpazier, La Roque-Gageac and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
• Farm-to-table dining and natural wine at Ferme L’Apogee

Dordogne road trip itinerary at a glance

• Days 1–2: Périgord Pourpre
• Days 3–5: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
• Days 5–7: Sarlat-la-Canéda

Our detailed Dordogne road trip itinerary

Périgord Pourpre

(Days 1–3)

Start your road trip in Périgord Pourpre, the south-western corner of the Dordogne, named after the purple of its vineyards. This area is scattered with medieval bastide towns – fortified villages built in the 13th and 14th centuries with a distinctive grid layout and arcaded central squares. Plus, there are plenty of farms and vineyards, many offering tours or meals, so you can get a taste of rural life.

Things to do in Périgord Pourpre

Visit the Bastide towns

The bastide towns are lovely to explore, and Monpazier is the jewel in the crown, often called the most perfect bastide in France. Visit Monpazier on market day to see the square come alive with stalls piled high with local produce and crafts. Nearby, you can also explore Beaumont-du-Périgord, Eymet, Villefranche-du-Périgord and Molières, each with its own charm.

Château de Biron

Just a short drive from Monpazier, the Château de Biron rises dramatically on a hilltop, its turrets and towers visible for miles across the countryside. The château has been rebuilt and added to over centuries, from medieval fortifications to Renaissance grandeur. In summer, the castle comes alive with a programme of workshops and events for children, from creative crafts to costumed activities that bring the medieval past to life.

Cadouin Cloisters

Tucked away in the village of Cadouin, the Cloister of the Abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the region’s loveliest hidden gems. Dating back to the 12th century, the cloister was rebuilt in the flamboyant Gothic style in the 15th century, and its intricate stone carvings are works of art in themselves. It’s a wonderfully peaceful place to wander, with arches framing views of the gardens.

Château de Tiregand

If you’re visiting in summer, don’t miss the garden party evenings at Château de Tiregand – live music, food and wine in a gorgeous estate setting.

Dine at La Table de l’Apogée

We had one of the best evenings of our trip at La Table de l’Apogée, a seasonal pop-up restaurant run by an Australian-French couple on their permaculture farm. It’s a gorgeous setting with delicious food, fresh from the farm and local producers. They also produce and serve wonderful natural wine.

Where to stay near Montpazier

Châteaux Dans Les Arbres

Staying at Chateaux dans les Arbres was a highlight of our whole trip. The beautifully designed treehouses feel like a fairytale, each with a jacuzzi and terrace. Despite the romantic setting, it’s brilliantly family-friendly – our kids adored the novelty of being in a treehouse and pulleying up their breakfast basket each morning. There’s also a stylish pool, walking trails, and even the option to rent a classic car for vintage road-tripping in the Dordogne – we’d have loved to drive round in an old 2CV! See our reel about Chateaux dans les Arbres.

Other places to stay near Montpazier

• La Maison Bleue – A charming B&B in Montpazier’s historic centre with cosy rooms and a warm, family-run atmosphere.
• Le Prince Noir – Boutique hotel inside a converted priory, mixing medieval architecture with modern comforts.
• Domaine de la Rhonie – A countryside farmhouse hotel near Siorac with a pool, farm animals, and sweeping valley views.

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

(Days 3–5)

Next, head east to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, a riverside town often nicknamed the “Riviera of the Dordogne” thanks to its sunny climate and beautiful setting. Technically, Beaulieu is in Corrèze rather than Dordogne, but it’s very much part of the Dordogne Valley experience.

Things to do in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

Hang out at the river or take a boat ride

We loved simply hanging out by the river at our campsite, splashing around in the shallow waters, and tubing downstream. There are even manmade channels for kids to tube down safely. You can also take a ride on a gabarre boat, the traditional flat-bottomed vessels once used for transporting goods along the river. And there are places to hire kayaks or paddleboards too.

Terra Aventura geocaching

A fun way to explore is with the Terra Aventura app, a geocaching treasure hunt that takes you around town in a kid-friendly way.

Take a day trip to the red-stone villages

This area is great for day trips: the red-stone village of Collonges-la-Rouge and the charming Curemonte are both close by.

Rocamadour and Gouffre de Padirac cave

Don’t miss a day trip to Rocamadour and the incredible Gouffre de Padirac cave. Rocamadour is a dramatic cliffside village built into a sheer gorge, famous as a medieval pilgrimage site and still astonishing to see today.

Just outside the village, we loved the Forêt des Singes (Monkey Forest), where over 150 Barbary macaques roam freely in a large woodland reserve. Visitors can walk among, making it a gentle and educational wildlife experience that kids adore. Much better than the monkeys in Ubud!

Pair a trip to Rocamadour with a visit to the Gouffre de Padirac, a vast underground chasm where you descend into a cavern and take a boat ride along a subterranean river. Tickets sell out fast in high season, so book well in advance.

We went to Rocamadour en route to Sarlat, but you could also stop en route from the Monpazier area, or simply do it as a day trip from Beaulieu.

Where to stay in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

Huttopia Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

I’m a big fan of the Huttopia brand and the one in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is a lovely one. It’s a great location, right on the river and beside the town. You’re surrounded by water and greenery, but still just a short stroll into the heart of Beaulieu.

As with all Huttopia sites, it has a calm, nature-forward vibe, plus a swimming pool and playground for kids.

Accommodation ranges from simple camping pitches to wooden cabins and safari-style tents. There’s also a central area with a café-restaurant serving pizzas and local snacks, plus organised activities in summer. It feels like the right balance of comfort and simplicity, keeping you close to nature but without giving up too many creature comforts.

Other places to stay in Beaulieu

• Le Relais de Vellinus – Central hotel with simple, comfortable rooms, a terrace restaurant, and easy access to the river.
• Auberge de Cartassac – Rustic inn in a nearby village with traditional Dordogne cooking and a family-friendly pool.
• Les Voyageurs – A relaxed hotel in Beaulieu with spacious rooms and a good-value restaurant, handy for exploring the town on foot.

Sarlat-la-Canéda

(Days 5–7)

Finish your road trip in Sarlat-la-Canéda. Its medieval centre is one of the best preserved in France, with honey-coloured stone buildings and a lively, albeit very busy, market. It’s an ideal place to base yourself for exploring the Dordogne, and if you only choose one destination for this road trip, Sarlat should be it.

Things to do in and around Sarlat

Explore Sarlat town

Visit the Covered Market, the Truffle Museum, and Gisson Manor to get a sense of the town’s history. Market days (Saturday and Wednesday) are wildly popular and best avoided in high season if you don’t like crowds.

Canoe the Dordogne

One of the best ways to experience the region is by canoe. We hired a four-person kayak from Canoë Vacances in La Roque-Gageac and paddled to Milandes, passing castles and medieval villages en route. The two-hour trip was perfect with kids – mostly calm, shallow water, gentle rapids, and lots of beaches to stop at. Children aged 5+ who can swim are usually accepted. It was one of the absolute highlights of our trip.

Visit gorgeous gardens

The Marqueyssac Gardens, famous for their sculpted box hedges and sweeping valley views. On Monday evenings, the Eyrignac Gardens host a magical white picnic night where everyone dresses in white and picnics among the flowerbeds (book in advance).

And it’s also worth seeing the tropical garden at La Roque-Gageac, which has its own microclimate, complete with banana trees!

Explore beautiful villages and castles

La Roque-Gageac and Beynac are both officially among France’s most beautiful villages. You can visit Beynac Castle, and Château des Milandes is just a little further along the river. It was once home to dancer Josephine Baker.

Explore the Vézère Valley and its caves

For a deeper dive, head west into the Vézère Valley, home to the famous Lascaux caves, Roque Saint-Christophe, and the Gouffre de Proumeyssac.

Cycle the greenway

Another family-friendly adventure is cycling the Voie Verte greenway from Sarlat. We rented bikes from Liberty Cycle, conveniently located at the start of the path, and cycled to the Carsac-Aillac Water Gardens – a safe and beautiful route.

Where to stay in Sarlat

We did a Home Exchange in Sarlat, but I did a lot of research and visited a few places, so here are a few I recommend.

Camping Mathevies

If we hadn’t done a Home Exchange, I would have loved to stay at Mathevies. This charming, family-run campsite is just 15 minutes north of Sarlat and has a friendly, family vibe. There are pitches as well as mobile homes, and the views over the valley are gorgeous. They have a rotating menu of food trucks each night.

Huttopia Sarlat

Huttopia Sarlat is set on a wooded hillside with cabins, safari tents, and camping pitches. It’s a 15-minute walk to the old town. The main outdoor pool is a little quirky – shaped like a giant bowl with steeply sloping sides that get deep very quickly (up to 3m in the middle). It wasn’t ideal with young kids, but there’s also an indoor pool that’s much shallower and suitable for little ones. This isn’t Huttopia’s most picturesque site, but it’s still a solid base and ideal for exploring Sarlat.

Other places to stay in Sarlat

• La Villa Romaine – Stylish boutique hotel set in a former Roman villa near Carsac, with elegant interiors and a riverside setting.
• Plaza Madeleine Hotel & Spa – Classic option right in Sarlat’s centre, with a small spa and pool – ideal if you want to be in the heart of the action.

Dordogne road trip FAQs

When to go to the Dordogne

The Dordogne is best from May to September when villages are buzzing, markets are in full swing, and the rivers are warm enough for swimming and canoeing. July and August are peak season (and can be very hot – it hit 40°C when we were there), so book early and be prepared for crowds in the most famous villages. June and September are quieter and still lovely and warm.

How to get around the Dordogne

You’ll need a car to explore properly – public transport is very limited. Driving is easy, and roads are well-maintained, though some village streets are very narrow. Parking is often on the edge of towns with short walks into the centres.

How many days do you need for a Dordogne road trip?

One week gives you a good balance of exploring and relaxing. You could happily spend two weeks if you want to dive deeper into the Vézère Valley’s prehistoric sites or linger longer in the villages. If you only have a few days, base yourself in Sarlat and do day trips.

Found this useful? Share it on Pinterest!