7-day Lot & Dordogne Valleys Cycling Holiday
Self-guided Monpazier and Belvès Bike Tour
- Discover the exceptional landscapes of the Lot and Dordogne valleys by bike
- Cycle through the hills, bastides, charming villages and vineyards on quiet cycle paths
- Explore hidden heritage treasures: castles, caves, troglodyte villages and many other surprises
- Taste the culinary delights of the region such as Cabécou du Périgord, Cèpes, Chestnuts, Foie Gras, Magret de canard, Truffles...
You will start your cycling trip in the magnificent bastide town of Monpazier, built on the orders of King Edward 1st in 1284 and today recognised as one of the "Most beautiful villages in France". Enjoy a pleasant 3-course dinner in the hotel's restaurant.
Your first day's cycling takes you to the impressive 13th century Château de Biron. After a visit, you continue along a gently winding valley road until you reach the village and fortress of Gavaudun, built in the 11th century. This fortress is perched on a rock above the village and played an important role in the Hundred Years War. You will then cycle along a quiet country road to the river Lot. You will then follow the river until you reach your accommodation in the village of Puy L'Eveque. The “Bishops Hill”, once occupied by the English during the reign of King Henry IV, the marks of his cannonballs are still visible on the walls of the church of Saint-Sauveur.
Challenge: 61.2 km / 38 mi, 806 m ascent, 884 m descent.
You will start your day by cycling along the Lot river. You will leave the valley, then follow a difficult but short climb to reach the village of Les Arques. We recommend a visit to the museum dedicated to the artist Zadkine. You will continue through peaceful countryside, on quiet cycle routes, and through chestnut forests. Your route ends in the famous bastide town of Villefranche-Du Périgord where you can visit the chestnut museum.
Challenge: 49.2 km / 30,5 mi, 793 m ascent, 686 m descent.
Today you will cycle through the countryside, passing through small hamlets and authentic villages. At the end of your itinerary, you will have an uphill climb when you reach your destination: one of the "most beautiful villages in France": Belvès, where you can enjoy spectacular views over the valley. Take a stroll through the town and visit the remains of the medieval houses under the main square.
Challenge: 45.7 / 28,5 mi km, 688 m ascent, 740 m descent.
Today you do not have to cycle, but if you do choose to get back in the saddle, a picturesque tour awaits you. You will visit some of the most important sites in the Dordogne region, cycling along the Dordogne valley towards the Château de Milandes, once the home of the artist Josephine Baker. There is an exhibition on the life of the artist in the castle. You can also add an additional 11.5km / 7.1mile loop to the Château de Castelnaud, the best reknown and most visited castle in the Dordogne region.
Challenge: 41.7 km / 26 mi, 659/659 m ascent/descent. If you make an additional loop through the castle of Castelnaud: additional 11.4 km / 7 mi and additional 242 m.
Today you will be cycling through the forests and the beautiful countryside of the South West. You can take a break in the village of Cadouin, as those on the road to Santiago de Compostela once did. Take the opportunity to visit the 12th century Abbey of Cadouin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today is a short trip, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the pool at your hotel in Monpazier. Enjoy your last dinner in the hotel restaurant and sample some local specialities.
Challenge: 34.7 km / 21,5 mi, 572 m ascent, 549 m descent.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will return home.
All accommodations are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. We choose comfortable 2*/3* hotels or B&Bs where all rooms have private en-suite bathroom and every morning breakfast are included.
For this roundtrip, you will also stay in a 4* hotel without any supplement.
This 4-star Hôtel Edward 1er is located in the medieval village of Monpazier. This hôtel offers rooms overlooking the hills of the Périgord and Monpazier. Rooms have a private bathroom and satellite TV, free Wi-Fi is available. A full breakfast can be served in your room, in the restaurant, in the garden or by the pool.The Éléonore restaurant offers authentic and direct cuisine.
This 17th century chartreuse, situated opposite the medieval village, offers a breathtaking view of the river Lot and welcomes visitors for a tasting and a walk around the estate or a stay of several days out of time. Its 19 hectares of vineyards face south, and the great diversity of the soils give a unique personality to the wines of Château Gautoul. Since 1999, Château Gautoul has been committed to the Cahors Wine Charter.
La Petite Auberge offers accommodation in our recently and tastefully renovated guest rooms. Our accommodation consists of two rooms overlooking the swimming pool with a private terrace and one double and one twin room in the main building, on the ground floor, where you will also find two additional rooms on the first floor.
The Boudoir Hôtel*** is nestled in a pretty building right in the centre of the medieval town of Belvès, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, between the valleys of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers.
You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability, from April 1st to October 31st.
For time tables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio. We strongly advise you to download the sncf mobile app prior to departure. If you want to travel by train with your bike, you will find more information via this link.
From Paris to Monpazier (approx. 6h15 - 590 km/366 mi). Acces to driving routes see the website ViaMichelin.
BICYCLE RENTAL
If you don’t bring your own bike, you can rent one from us. Our touring bikes are at least 21-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.
Your rental bike will be delivered at your first hotel. The hotel reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes come with helmets, locks, panniers and repairkits. For some tours, it is possible to rent a GPS device, more details on request. Water bottles are not included.
Hybrid bike
Our hybrid bikes have 21-gears with hand brakes. We will assign the bikes according to gender, as we have both men- and women style bikes.
Child bike
For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes. The child bikes come with at least 7-gears and hand brakes. The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm.
Child trailer
For smaller children, you might opt for the child trailer or the tag-along bike!
Tandem
Tandem bikes are suitable for two adults only. The tandem bikes have a frame size of 48 cm. We mostly use the Victoria Spezial 8.7. This tandem bike comes with 24-derailleur gears or nuvinci gears. The height of the handle bars on a tandem bike cannot be adjusted.
Experience the many benefits of an electric bike on your cycling holiday. An e-bike gives you a gentle boost up hills. An e-bike makes a bike trip more achievable and more comfortable. The e-bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine and battery.
The E-bikes are of good quality. Depending on the trip, a different model will apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...
We will supply the directions of this trip with a personalized code which gives you access to our travel App.
Included
- 6 nights' accommodation with breakfast
- 2 gourmet dinners (day 1 and 6)
- Digital detailed route notes and maps in English
- Access to the trip in GUIBO, the digital guidebook and navigation App
- 24-hour telephone assistance
- Tourist taxes
Not Included
- Lunchs
- Additional dinners
- Personal expenses such as drinks, phone calls, additional transfers, etc.
Extras
- Single Room Supplement(s)
- Extra nights at any of the standard accommodations along the route
- Shipment of printed documents to the first accommodation
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7-day Lot & Dordogne Valleys Cycling Holiday
Contact
-
Edificio Sovega bajo, Crta General s/n
33554 Arenas de Cabrales
Asturias , Spaininfo@s-capetravel.eu
+34 (0) 985 846 455
UK call free 0800 707 44 35 -
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)