It was a wonderful tour — I was able to visit beautiful villages, and the guide has excellent skill of English. Picturesque scenery is everywhere in this area, but few public transportation is available. So, a small group tour like this is very helpful. And thank you again Ms. Florence, I was very lucky because I had such a friendly guide like you!
Villages of the Dordogne
A Wonderful Afternoon Exploring Highlights of the Marvellous Dordogne
Explore Domme, officially rated as one of the most beautiful villages of France
Enjoy a boat ride down the spectacular Dordogne River
English-speaking, hand-picked, local expert guides
Click the Tabs for More Information
Trip Details
Price:
€55 per person
When:
2:00PM to 6:00PM, daily
April 1st to October 31st 2019
Note: This tour is not available in August.
Duration:
4 hours
Trip style:
Shared sightseeing tour
Minimum 2 people, maximum 8
Meeting point:
In Sarlat la Caneda: Pick up Place Pasteur Bus stop.
Hotel pickup not available
Tour returns at departure point
Inclusions:
- Guided walking tour of the villages
- 1-hour boat ride on the Dordogne River
- English-speaking driver guide
- Travel in recent, comfortable & fully equipped minivan
- Bottled water in the minivan
- Free WiFi access on board
Exclusions:
- Personal insurance & expenses
- Meals & drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments or attractions unless mentioned in the program
- Gratuities for the driver/guide
The Highlights of the Dordogne in One Short Tour
Drive to the beautiful village of Domme. With its trapezoid city plan, Domme is a bastide, or a fortified medieval town, adapted to the surrounding terrain, and thus falling short of the rectangular city plan characteristic to bastides. The village is classified as one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France” (“The Most Beautiful Villages of France”). In 1307, Knight Templars were imprisoned in Domme while during the Hundred Years’ War, the bastide was coveted by the English who first took the town in 1347 and repeatedly changed rulers throughout the war until 1437 when it finally fell under French rule again. Then drive to La Roque Gageac and enjoy a peaceful cruise on the the Dordogne River on board an authentic Gabarre to admire mighty castles that line the river.
Finally, reach Beynac to admire the village and the Castle. This Middle Ages construction, with its austere appearance, is perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne River. The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Périgord) to close the valley. The sheer cliff face being sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, the defences were built up on the plateau: double crenelated walls, double moats, one of which was a deepened natural ravine, double barbican. See architectural phenomenon, aided by nature, and discover more about the history of this unusual city on this half-day tour!
Good to Know
- Maximum 8 persons per tour
- Tour requires minimum 2 passengers (adults) to operate
- In case of high water or fog, the boat ride will be replaced by the visit of a Castle
- Good walking shoes recommended, cobblestone streets
- Tour is operated in English
- This tour is not wheelchair accessible
- Children aged 4-12 years: half price
- Children under 4 years old are not allowed on the tour
- Prices are per person
- Currency is in Euro
- Our standard cancellation policy applies to this tour
Memorable Day – We had an awesome day with Marion, our guide. She was so incredibly knowledgeable and was a joy to spend the day with. It was like taking a prehistoric history class with a professor that students work their schedule around just to be in her class. We hung on her every word. A bonus was that she took us to a tiny village for lunch and we bought some food to eat at a picnic table along the Dodorgne River on a perfect “bluebird day”.
Fantastic tour company – We signed up for 2 tours. We went to see the Lascaux Caves and our guide was very knowledgable we liked the tour so much we decided to sign up for another tour. They do small tours in a van. We can’t recommend this tour company enough. If you are in Sarlat make sure to do a tour with them. Our guide also recommended restaurants and other interesting places to visit.
A great moment! – It was just a-ma-zing. A great moment with our very clever guide who learned us a lot of things. Thank you! Sarlat is a beautiful city and the castles are very interesting. We hope to come back very quickly because all the excursions seems to be amazing! I’m very lucky to chose this excursion and I say thank you to Ophorus!
Guide was great, best way to see the sights in this beautiful area. – We had no car while staying in Sarlat, but even if we had, it would be unlikely we would have seen all the sights our guide Marion drove us to in one day. The distances we covered were long, sometimes windy & very rural, so really needed to know the best route to squeeze in all the highlights. We would recommend considering the day tours Ophorus offers.
Perfect in every way! – Ophorus staff were helpful from the planning stage to the execution of our tours. We had a wonderful Guide (Florence). Her knowledge of history, local agriculture, politics, local issues and art was amazing. This area of France is so beautiful and a post card at every turn but coupled with an Ophorus tour it’s a wonderful experience. Thanks again Florence and Ophorus!
The Ophorus Difference
Contagious Enthusiasm – ‘We had the most terrific guide! Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic’ – Virginia B. (Delaware, US)
Flexibility – ‘The guides really took an interest in what WE wanted to do’ Paul C. (UK)
Area Locals – ‘He was so much more than a driver. He really added local color and local flavor.’ Daniel W. (Georgia, US)
Read more about the Ophorus experience.
