Walking in the Dordogne 

Why choose our tours of Dordogne, France

As with all of our tours, we have created our walking tours of the Dordogne, France. Our track finders have been out on the trails, hiking Dordogne and hand picking the hotels and guest houses. We take into consideration every factor: distance from the hotel to the town/village centre, budget, comfort, friendliness of the owners and sometimes even quirkiness of the accommodations!

We have partnered up with local taxi companies to ensure that your transfers go smoothly. We transfer you to the start of the walks and your bags are safely delivered to your next accommodation and will be waiting for you when you arrive on foot later in the day.

We handle all the booking process for you. You will enjoy a self-guided walking in the Dordogne trip with all the assistance required to make it as easy as possible: detailed written route notes with estimate walking times, points of interest and tips and recommendations as well as the GPX files for all the walks. You download the files onto an app before you leave and then you can follow the GPX route as you walk, no wifi connection required!

Our expertise does not stop there. We can also offer other activities such as canoeing, high ropes course, a boat cruise and biking for a multiactivity Dordogne walking tour!

Difficulty level

We list our walking in the Dordogne trips as easy. You walk between 2h to 4h on even and maintained paths and the waymarkings are good. We are pleased to be able to offer a short and long option on most of the walks. If you are happy to take your time, linger over a long lunch, enjoy a local market, or to simply relax by the river and enjoy the view, then the shorter option is the way to go.  On the other hand, if you prefer to make a full day of it, opt for the longer hikes, adding a good couple of hours walking time to your day and a few more miles under your belt. And there is no need to make the decision regarding the walking options at the time of booking, you can decide on the day. Just inform your taxi driver in the morning where you would like to be dropped off for the start of the walk.

How best to plan your walking in the Dordogne trip

When to go?

Our tours of the Dordogne, France are available from March through to November. The Dordogne gets quite a bit of rain in the winter, so early and late season could be a little wet but with mild temperatures. Summer tends to be hot, but thunderstorms help cool the temperature a little. September and October are very pleasant months. Mainly warm and dry during the day and stunning autumn colours everywhere!

What to pack

There are some essential items to include in your suitcase for your Dordogne walking tour. We recommend good quality walking boots with good ankle support. It is also worth investing in some decent socks! Hiking poles are not compulsory but if you are not used to walking long distances over many days, then they may come in handy. With regards to clothing, layers are the way to go! The temperature can change throughout the day, and the more you walk, the warmer you will be. Take off the layers as you go, folding them into your backpack. Sunglasses and sunscreen (even in March and October/November) are a definite must. We also recommend bringing a small first aid kit. The hiking trails, whilst well signposted, can be off the beaten track and far from amenities. Band aids, disinfectant and paracetamol could prove very useful. 

How to get there

The Périgord Noir is a rural part of France with very few main cities and large towns. Our walking in the Dordogne trips have been well thought out with regards to access. The main towns with train stations are Sarlat-la-Canéda, Les Eyzies and Montignac with connecting trains from either Brive la Gaillarde or Périgueux to the rest of France. The closest airports are Bergerac and Bordeaux. Despite our best efforts, does take a good part of a day to reach your destination in the Dordogne, but once you arrive, you will find it hard to leave.