Villages & Caves of the Dordogne Valley

It was a lovely time of year to travel - very few other tourists around & quiet villages. The weather was great for walking, so long as you were prepared for the odd shower. Top tip - bring an umbrella. So much easier than donning full waterproofs for short showers.

Overall, we were hugely impressed with the level of detail, organisation & planning. The current trend is to try to book all the individual elements of a holiday online, using TripAdvisor, Air BnB etc - however we believe that Inntravel curated a holiday far superior to anything we could have cobbled together. 

A lovely holiday, well off the beaten track and making use of delightful accomodation and restaurants.  The options to tailor your walking to the weather and your energy with choices of walks of different lengths was very helpful.

Excellent walking, beautiful scenery, and the swimming pool at Loubressac.  The food was excellent throughout.

A lovely introduction to the Dordogne.  We had always wanted to have a holiday which visited the smaller out-of-the-way places rather than just those on rail routes, and this fitted the bill. We plan to be back for more Inntravel holidays in the coming years.

We had been recommended Inntravel walks by friends who have done a few and we really loved this walk. The scenery, countryside and villages were just fabulous. Everything just went like clockwork. The description of the routes were accurate and the walking notes extensive (didn't stop us getting lost once but our mistake entirely!) The food on this trip was really good. We will be booking another walk in the near future. 

A one-off walking tour in the beautiful Dordogne. Stunning medieval hamlets, villages and chateaux.  Excellent choice of hotels serving local produce. Walking routes provided.

Another superb holiday with Inntravel.  The walking notes were excellent, everything went smoothly, the transfers were reliable and the hotels were clean and exactly as described.  We fell in love with the Dordogne, the food was wonderful, the people are friendly and welcoming and the countryside and villages are absolutely beautiful. The Caves at Gouffre de Padirac where well worth a visit.

This is a wonderful way to visit and enjoy some of the beautiful villages in this part of France. The walks are well selected and offer balanced choices. The hotels, whilst relatively simple, were excellent with mostly really excellent cuisine. A thoroughly enjoyable holiday.

The walks did include steep inclines and descents.  Walking poles were especially useful.

This was our 5th walking holiday with Inntravel and was very enjoyable. We found it a very quiet and beautiful area with lots of shady woodland, wild flowers and butterflies (especially on the walk to the Gouffre de Padirac). All the hotels were comfortable and well located. The pool at the Relais de Castelnau was very welcome after a hot, relatively challenging walk. La Devinie in Martel was outstanding with wonderful hospitality from Sylvie.The included dinners were very good and I managed to get by as a pescatarian in this very meaty part of France. We enjoyed the local vin de noix. The steep path down to Gluges on the final walk was too steep for us but the alternative path was very pleasant. We added an extra leisurely day in Martel which is a lovely old town where we enjoyed the market and the steam train. As another reviewer suggested, a clear plastic wallet would help keep the walking notes from getting soggy when it rains.

A great trip, met some lovely people, ate great food and would highly recommend this walk. Useful item would be a clear plastic wallet for the days notes to keep them dry and clean. 

An excellent way to enjoy stunning scenery in this quiet and peaceful area of France. Hotels were varied, but standards of all were very good. Highlight for us was the quality of the food, every meal was a real delight!

It was brilliant!  Exactly what it said on the box. Inntravel certainly know how to look after their customers!

We liked Caranac and would have stayed longer there if we had realised there was quite a bit of time to kill in Martell.

Quiet, remote routes with plenty to see and wildlife keeping us company along the way, particularly the large selection of butterflies. Dramatic scenery and great views. Food at Auberge du Vieux Ports was exceptional and Gouffre de Padirac was well worth the visit.

This is a brilliant idea. The Inns were top quality and the walks great. Although we walked independently we had very clear instructions to follow so no risk of getting lost and lots advice and lots interesting background about the route. 

We had a wonderful time on this walking tour with just the right amount of daily mileage. The supporting route notes with few exceptions were spot on. We were fortunate to meet a few other walkers doing the same tour so was fun to share the experience, both during the day walking and at dinner at night. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Hotels were small and intimate and very comfortable. The Martel farmers' market was a highlight. Our transportation (taxis, trains) came off on time with no hitches. Next time we would get the GPS route maps as on two occasions the GPS (from a fellow English couple) allowed us to backtrack and stay on course. We learned that a walking tour "slows down" your vacation and makes it seem longer. Overall we had a wonderful experience and will likely use Inntravel again.

We enjoyed the pleasures of another Inntravel self guided walking experience. On previous walks with Inntravel in Switzerland, the Black Forest (German) & Provence (France) we were fortunate to have minimal rain but this time it rained most days so our wet weather gear was essential. Apart from the rain, the springtime offered an abundance of wildflowers & bird songs including cuckoos. We sighted several deer along the route also. Supportive walking boots are a "must" for this walk along predominantly ancient cobbled paths with some steep inclines & declines. I benefited from using walking sticks especially in view of the slippery well trodden rocks underfoot.

The walnut groves, fields and rivers by which we walked were delightful and often had spectacular views. The forests were enchanting. While we realized we were not far from civilization most of the time, the views, the experience of nature, the fresh air and even the towns and villages were all enough to make us feel far away from our usual world. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Gouffre de Padirac experience.

Beautiful and varied walking through the heart of the French countryside. Excellent food and drink. Inntravel's usual high quality information and support.

An excellent holiday with a good variety of hotels and a choice of itineraries. This region of the upper Dordogne valley is very well chosen for a week's walking. All the hotels are in special places and there are many more along the way. Autoire and Carennac are so beautiful, a step back in time to churches a thousand years old and medieval houses still well used today. The walking notes were very clear. Even in late September it was extremely hot walking but a pleasure to eat outside in the evening as darkness fell. There was a great deal of duck and foie gras on the menus and the markets but somehow, in the whole week, we never saw one living duck!

Both the Villages of the Dordogne and the Castles, Vines and Forests of Alsace walks exceeded our expectations, in every respect. While some aspects of both walks were somewhat challenging (eg climbing and descending steep hills on gravelly paths), this was offset, almost completely, by being 'in the moment' in the beauty of the forests - and, in Alsace especially, the grand majesty of the views ....

Best meals of any Inntravel trip we've taken, and beautiful towns and villages along the way.

the village of Loubressac and the hotel were delightful and the walk into Autoire a real pleasure.

We were glad that we wore hiking boots as some of the paths were very uneven.

This is the walnut capital of France so take the opportunity to buy the delicious walnut oil and if you can find it chestnut oil.

We decided to book this holiday in February following another Inntravel holiday the Hidden Gems of the Canaries which was in La Gomera. The La Gomera holiday walking was quite challenging and we felt that we would like an easier walking holiday in France particularly as in July the temperature was likely to be much higher. We really liked this holiday as the walking is largely on agricultural tracks, the Dordogne is heavily wooded so gave much needed shade during the day. The Dordogne region struck us as being very similar to walking in the Derbyshire White Peak area mixed with the Cotswolds. The guide notes supplied by Inntravel also recommended detours to see local items of interest. On Day 4 for example, we visited the fabulous Gouffre de Padirac cave system and on the walk back we also went to the Angora goat farm. We flew into Brive airport so the transfer times to the hotels were very short. This airport itself is very small and quite charming.

This was a fantastic walk. The walks were well planned and the accommodation excellent. The included evening meals exceeded our expectations. The Dordogne is a beautiful area with classical villages and stunning landscapes. Walking in July was very warm and some of the ascents are quite challenging, especially the apothecary's Chemin Botanique near Martel. Take plenty of water.

Overall, a typically enjoyable Inntravel holiday but with one or two hotel weaknesses which need to be addressed

There were so many highlights. We couldn't get in to Martel for Sat and Sunday night at the end of our trip because of a wedding /christening /event of some sort so we spent a third night in Loubressac at Relais de Castelnau which we loved, especially the pool after a day walking. Reading the reviews for Martel we were a bit disappointed at only having one night and Monday being their day closing but we decided to treat ourselves to a taxi to Martel on Sat to see the market and take the day off from walking, what a special day it was! The taxi driver (Ambulance Christophe) was great and gave us a bit of a tour around some of the smaller villages on the way at no extra cost 60 euros each way but well worth it. Martel was a totally different town by the time we had walked there on Sunday 5pm and everything was closed by Monday . 

The Villages of Dordogne was a delightful walking adventure. We went the first week of June and we were pleased with the weather (high 70s and no rain till evenings) and fewer people in the villages. Each day was a new experience with interesting things to see along the way. Walking through rolling hills, down country lanes or 2 tracks, with beautiful wild flowers and gardens in the villages. The detailed instructions are so much fun to follow. We suggest light weight long pants or convertible pants because there are many sections that are overgrown with high grass with some thorny plants. All the accommodations are full of character, many dated from the 15th century. The dinners are 3 course and consistently fabulous! Be prepared to practice your French or bring Google Translate because hardly anyone spoke English and the menus are all in French. We loved the extra challenge of communicating. We highly recommend this adventure and would love to do it again.

Beautiful part of France. Some interesting and varied walks in the region and some nice food. We timed our trip so that we were in the village of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne for the second Sunday in May for their annual strawberry festival - thoroughly recommended.

Excellent holiday particularly because of the wild flowers in the meadows at this time of year. Characterful hotels, very good food, and good walking.

Unmissable Gouffres de Padirac - an especially good choice for a wet day. Favourite day was the walk to Loubressac.

Despite all the problems highlighted above, we did enjoy the holiday overall!

This was our first Inntravel holiday since before Covid, and a part of France we knew nothing about. Having travelled most years with Inntravel since 2000, again they did not disappoint, with excellent places to stay and eat and providing us with great insight into the history and attractions of the area. The locals were excellent, as an example whilst sitting in the square in Floirac eating lunch, a lady came up to us having picked some grapes, and gave us some, chatted (in French!) and wished us well. That was typical of the region. We also met some other Inntravel clients, and it was excellent to share stories in order to have ideas of future trips. Once again Inntravel, thanks again

I would thorughly recommend InnTravel - they are professional, the hotels are fantastic, the information is comprehensive, the customer service is exceptional. 

I was very pleased that I was able to do this trip alone - but I probably spent too much time on route checking than on admiring the countryside. I have been to this region a number of times.

Our personal highlights were Loubressac and the view from the Hotel Relais De Castelnau. The pool and terrace were lovely areas to relax. The service at this hotel was excellent.

Another great Inntravel  holiday, well organised with friendly efficient transfers and hotels that provide a great meal after a day’s walk. Although our weather in May was exceptionally hot the walks were mostly shaded and through wonderful wildflower meadows with the scent of camomile and the uplifting sound of the cuckoo. The caves at Padirac are well worth a visit and quite incredible in their formation, plus nice and cool on a very hot day. On the second 18k walk we decided it was too hot for such a distance (34 degrees) so we asked the taxi driver to drop us at Gluges rather than Carennac for a shorter walk and longer picnic break, this worked well. We enjoyed all of the hotels and the food and service  was consistently good. The gazpacho soup and macaron dessert at le Castalnau were fantastic and we enjoyed the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at La Vaysse where we had really interesting and entertaining discussions with other visitors over dinner at the communal table. INNTRAVEL NOTE: Check in at the Domaine de la Vaysse is strictly after 1600, so customers, if shortening their walk from Loubressac should please always plan to arrive after this time.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and it was just delightful. The organisation prior to leaving was excellent with a real personal touch as we negotiated around our self-organised first night in Paris, the Brive/Souillac train services, and an extra night at the end. All accommodation was fabulous, in lovely settings, and the walking notes were great. We used these throughout rather than the maps. Little touches like the clear font (really helped when reading in 30 degrees and bright sunlight) and paper that didn't crease easily in sweaty hands were very much appreciated. One or two instructions weren't totally clear, such as when leaving the Gouffre de Padirac, but we found the right paths in the end. (We thoroughly enjoyed that visit to the caves by the way and were glad it was offered as an option within the walk.) The walking overall was a delight and we had the paths and tracks to ourselves. The major factor was the heat - temperatures that week were around 10 degrees hotter than normal for May and we were walking in 28-32 degrees each day. We adapted by choosing the shorter options when offered, but the really tough one was Day 3, 18k from the Vieux Port in Gagnac to Loubressac. The notes were quite right that it's strenuous but rewarding and the views were stunning. We really felt it by the end, though, and the final ascent to Loubressac through the forest was slow. Our reward was G&Ts on the wonderful terrace at the Relais de Castelnau, looking out towards the Chateau de Castelnau in the distance and the walk just done. As someone else said in a review, we too spent more time in Carennac on Day 5, which was over 30 degrees, and got a taxi to Gluges to pick up the walk to Martel and the Domaine from there. It worked really well as an adaptation to conditions. We loved the Chemin Botanique from Gluges on the final day. The amazing weather has given a very dreamlike feel to the holiday in hindsight. Food was fabulous throughout, particularly for me. The Relais was a highlight. Slightly more hit and miss for my vegetarian husband but we appreciated all efforts to accommodate this. We highly recomend Les Voyageurs brasserie restaurant near the Flots Bleus in beautiful Beaulieu on the first evening - unlike the rather upmarket-looking places mentioned in the notes, this was very reasonable with delicious pizzas and salads in the lively market square and very friendly staff. The Domaine de la Vaysse was a real treat with the delightfully welcoming Pascale and Thierry and we all enjoyed the 7pm aperitifs and relaxed communal meals with fractured French and English as appropriate! I was grateful for a comment in an earlier review which mentioned too much salami in the picnics - I hate any salami so asked for veggie picnics along with my husband. This worked really well and we had some tasty cheese with baguettes, particularly from the Flots Bleus. 

Wonderful holiday which we highly recommend. Thank you.