Sarlat and the Dordogne itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Sarlat and the Dordogne, day by day: Sarlat's golden-stone old town with its market and cathedral, the Lascaux IV cave replica and the cliff village of La Roque-Gageac, then, as you add a day, the bastide of Domme, La Roque-Gageac, the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac and the castles of Castelnaud and Beynac along the river. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Sarlat and the Dordogne in 1 day
Day 1
Sarlat old town and the Sainte-Marie church market
Medieval and Renaissance town of golden stone, its lanes and squares filled by the market; the old Sainte-Marie church is now the covered market.
Sarlat Cathedral
Former cathedral of Saint-Sacerdos in the old town, with a Romanesque bell tower and the Lanterne des Morts in the garden behind.
Lascaux IV (International Centre for Cave Art)
Full-size replica of the Lascaux cave and its Ice Age paintings of bulls, horses and deer, near Montignac; the original cave is closed.
La Roque-Gageac
Village of golden houses squeezed between a cliff and the Dordogne, where gabare boats and canoes set off on the river.
Sarlat and the Dordogne in 2 days
Day 1
Sarlat old town and the Sainte-Marie church market
Medieval and Renaissance town of golden stone, its lanes and squares filled by the market; the old Sainte-Marie church is now the covered market.
Sarlat Cathedral
Former cathedral of Saint-Sacerdos in the old town, with a Romanesque bell tower and the Lanterne des Morts in the garden behind.
Lascaux IV (International Centre for Cave Art)
Full-size replica of the Lascaux cave and its Ice Age paintings of bulls, horses and deer, near Montignac; the original cave is closed.
Day 2
Domme
Thirteenth-century fortified bastide on a cliff top, with its old gates and a terrace looking down over the Dordogne valley.
La Roque-Gageac
Village of golden houses squeezed between a cliff and the Dordogne, where gabare boats and canoes set off on the river.
Gardens of Marqueyssac
Hanging gardens of hand-clipped box trees along a ridge above the river, ending at a belvedere over La Roque-Gageac.
Château de Castelnaud (Museum of Medieval Warfare)
Castle facing Beynac across the valley, now a museum of medieval warfare with armour and full-size siege engines on its ramparts.
Château de Beynac
Medieval fortress on a cliff above the Dordogne and the village of Beynac, a French stronghold in the Hundred Years' War.
When to go to Sarlat and the Dordogne
May, June and September are the best months, warm and calmer. July and August are hot and crowded, with traffic on the valley roads and full car parks in the villages. Many sights have shorter hours in winter, when the truffle markets begin.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Sarlat and the Dordogne on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Sarlat and the Dordogne on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Sarlat and the Dordogne on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Sarlat and the Dordogne
- Book Lascaux IV online ahead: visits are timed guided groups, and summer slots sell out.
- A car is needed: the villages, castles and caves are spread along the valley, 10-30 minutes apart by road.
- Come to Sarlat on a Saturday morning for the big market, or on Wednesday morning for the smaller one.
- Canoes and traditional gabare boats on the Dordogne run mainly from spring to early autumn, from La Roque-Gageac and nearby villages.
- Try the Périgord's own food: duck, foie gras, walnuts and, in winter, black truffles.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Château de Beynac: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Château de Castelnaud (Museum of Medieval Warfare): Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Domme: Ghezoart, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gardens of Marqueyssac: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Roque-Gageac: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lascaux IV (International Centre for Cave Art): EU, Public domain
- Sarlat Cathedral: Jebulon, CC0
- Sarlat old town and the Sainte-Marie church market: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
