Name: 7 Day Self-Guided Bike Tour in the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne, from Agen to Sarlat in France
Brand: Evazio
Price: 985 EUR
Availability: InStock

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

17:00

Check-out Time:

10:00

You will be welcome every night in 3 or 4-star hotels (1 night in a 2-star hotel) in a double or twin room.

Program

The Dordogne, also known by its old name “Périgord,” is one of the most renowned areas in France. It is bordered by the Lot to the east and the vineyards of the Gironde with Saint-Emilion and Bergerac wines chateaux to the west and the Massif Central in the north. The Dordogne is known worldwide for its prehistory and gastronomy and also for its wine chateau. It is the only French department also strongly marked by a rich prehistoric past and many proofs dating back to the Middle Ages.

These two areas reflect all the values that create the region's atmosphere offering its visitors a mosaic of preserved landscapes with an amazing diversity.

Take your bike and start the Dordogne bike tour in Agen, a friendly and lively town renowned for its canal bridge, the second longest in France, and its famous prunes. The landscape of this rural department is strongly influenced by agricultural activity. You're immediately struck by the variety of landscapes created by the mosaic of crops: arable farming, market gardening, orchards, vineyards and meadows all combine to create remarkable, highly diversified landscaped. Your first few days on the bike will take you over gentle hills and fertile valleys, visiting medieval “bastide” towns and fortified castles like in the Hundred years war, pretty villages such as Monpazier, la Roque Gageac, and Sarlat, classified “the most beautiful villages of France.”

End your cycling tour in Sarlat-la-Canéda, a jewel of medieval art, known for having the highest density of listed historic monuments! Take time to stroll through its narrow streets and discover its markets. On the final night for a final cycling loop, aim for Les Eyzies on the banks of the Vézère, the capital of prehistory. The place is, after all, linked to the discovery of Cro Magnon!

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Agen

Arrive at your three-star hotel in Agen where you will find the road book and bikes waiting for you.

Bed and breakfast in a 3-star hotel with breakfast

Day 2: Around the Lot Valley

Your cycling tour in South West France will take you from Agen, a pretty city of the prune, to the medieval bastide of Villeneuve-sur-Lot through beautiful countryside roads. Take the time to visit the Foie Gras museum and discover all the secrets of its fabrication! Many farms have opened their doors in the area. Then the itinerary takes you to Penne-d’Agenais, one of the most beautiful villages of France.

Half-board accommodation at 4-star hotel
Distance: 45 kilometers / 28 miles
Elevation: 475 meters / 1,558 feet
Terrain: Countryside roads

Day 3: Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne

This cycling day pursues its itinerary towards Monflanquin, classified as the most beautiful bastide village of France. Cycle through woods and forest and reach the fortress of Gavaudun, the border between the Périgord and Agenais. Take the time to visit it then head towards Biron where a fortified castle awaits you. Enjoy a pleasant end of the itinerary in a Périgord landscape including a forest of chestnut, oak, and stone walls with earth tones, and discover the remarkable medieval bastide of Monpazier, another village classified as the most beautiful village in France.

Half-board accommodation in a 3-star hotel
Distance: 50 kilometers/ 31 miles
Elevation: 550 meters / 1,804 feet
Terrain: Woods and forest

Day 4: Bastides towns of Périgord

Your cycling holiday will take you this time on the Route des Bastides. From Monpazier, discover the thirteenth-century English bastides and remarkable religious monuments. Take the time to admire the cloister of Cadouin, a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will end your cycling day in the Black Périgord, the most famous tourist area of the Dordogne.

Overnight half-board in a 3-star hotel or charming bed and breakfast
Distance: 45 kilometers / 28 miles
Elevation: 350 meters / 1,148 feet

Day 5: Châteaux and the most beautiful villages of France

Immerse yourself in the heart of the Black Périgord and discover the most beautiful castles of the valley. Château des Milandes, Castelnaud and Beynac open their doors to you! Cycle alongside the Dordogne and enjoy the beautiful medieval villages of France. Located at the foot of a cliff, La Roque-Gageac will amaze you with its picturesque character. Then you will cycle in the direction of the gastronomic capital of the Black Périgord where you can enjoy regional cuisine, foie gras, truffles, and duck.

Bed and breakfast in a charming 2-star or 3-star hotel with breakfast
Distance: 42 kilometers / 26 miles
Elevation: 350 meters / 1,148 feet

Day 6: Prehistory tour or canoeing

Today, take the opportunity to cycle in the heart of the Vézère Valley, the capital of prehistory, in the direction of Les Eyzies. Depending on what you fancy, discover numerous treasures through caves, deposits, or rock shelters. After this short escape cycling through lush green countryside, enjoy the last night in the well-preserved medieval village of Sarlat.

You can opt for a canoe trip down the Dordogne with transfer to and from your hotel.

Bed and breakfast in a charming 2-star or 3-star hotel with breakfast
Distance: 45 kilometers / 28 miles
Elevation: 700 meters / 2,297 feet
Terrain: Green countryside

Day 7: Departure

Depart after breakfast.

Bikes

For this holiday, you can bring your own bike or rent one from Evazio. Please let them know your choice upon reservation:

A hybrid bike suitable for the tour and the route (men's, women's and unisex) - 155 EUR
An electric bike adapted to the route - 270 EUR

With its equipment:

1 rear bag
1 handlebar bag
1 repair kit
1 helmet (on request)
1 anti-theft device
1 charger (for the electric bike)

For younger children, depending on age and size, Evazio can offer:

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follow-up bike

The bike is delivered to the first accommodation and is adjusted to your size. At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. Evazio will take care of their recovery.

Luggage

Evazio will take care of transporting your luggage at each change of accommodation so that you travel light and take full advantage of your daily hike. You leave your luggage at the reception of your accommodation before your departure. At the end of the afternoon, you will find them at the reception of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (23 kg maximum) and 1 piece of carry-on

Evazio reminds you that rental bicycles are equipped with saddlebags to be used to transport the things you deem useful for the day.

Documents

Your travel record corresponds to the documents or files you receive before your trip (usually a month before) and upon arrival at the first accommodation.

It includes a welcome letter with the main practical information:

The time slot for baggage transport
Details of the delivery and collection of rental bikes if necessary
Your local contact and telephone number(s) in case of emergency
Any additional information
Travel logbook including map with the route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information
Any necessary voucher(s) to be given to the service provider(s) (only if necessary!)

On request and depending on the circuits:

The “Evazio” application to download from smartphone for “GPS” navigation with visual guidance (reading of the track on your smartphone) and / or oral
The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no internet connection is necessary.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

Support

For the duration of your stay, the telephone assistance service is available:

7 days a week
from 07:30 to 20:30

Location

This tour in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, South West France, will take you to Agen, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Penne-d’Agenais, Monflanquin, Gavaudun, Biron, Monpazier, Black Périgord, Vézère, Sarlat-la-Canéda, and Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil.

Agen

This beautiful city, the capital of the prune, is halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse and offers a few interesting locations. Agen is a rich city with 2,000 years of history, which reveals its heritage through medieval streets and elegant boulevards from the 19th century. Musée des Beaux-arts d'Agen (Museum of Fine Arts) shows five Goya paintings (including the self-portrait), among other Spanish works of the 18th and 19th centuries. Its vibrant city center offers shops and services. Farmers' markets are a showcase of local products: foie gras, fruit and vegetables, and of course, prunes!

Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a charming bastide in Lot-et-Garonne which was built on the two banks of the river Lot between 1251 and 1264, by a feudal treaty between Alphonse de Poitiers, representing the king of France and the powerful Benedictine Abbey of Eysses. Listed among the largest and powerful bastides of the southwest, Villeneuve-sur-Lot has a rich heritage to be discovered: the main square and its couverts, the towers of Pujols and Paris, half-timbered houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the Cieutat bridge.

Monpazier

The bastide of Monpazier is the best-preserved bastide of the Périgord with its 32 classified monuments. It is considered the most beautiful and the bastide model among the 300 bastides of the southwest. It was built in 1284, under the reign of King Edward I of England. It is an authentic jewel of medieval architecture classified as a Grand National site since 1991.

Black Périgord

The name Périgord Noir refers to the high density of green oaks whose foliage is dense, dark, and persistent. It is the oldest appellation. With the Périgord green, white, and purple, it is one of the four entities of this tourist area. It is known for its castles, prehistoric sites, medieval villages, and landscapes.

Sarlat

Sarlat-la-Canéda is one of the jewels of the Black Périgord which preserved the footprints of its history. Classified city of art and history, it was built during the ninth century around a large Benedictine abbey. The riches of its architectural heritage make its excellent reputation. Its narrow streets, its vaulted passage, its cathedral, and its mansions of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries will surprise you. The medieval city is also renowned for its largest number of classified and listed historical monuments in the world.

Les Eyzies

The prehistory was born here, in Les Eyzies as a science whose name Peyrony, Lartet, Capitan, des abbés Breuil et Glory illustrated it. Here the Cro-Magnon man was discovered. Here you can discover the marvels of prehistoric cave art. You can also discover numerous prehistoric sites, most of them on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Meet the Homo sapiens, remains of its habitat, common activities, and its art.

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Food

The package includes daily breakfast and 3 dinners (drinks not included).

With the Agen-Sarlat bike tour, gastronomy and local food are part of their identity. Don’t miss a taste of the typical dishes of the region (black truffles, mushrooms, foie gras, duck confit…) renowned worldwide. Gastronomy has never needed publicity to become famous!

The following meals are included:

Breakfast

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Vegetarian
Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

Things to do (optional)

You can include an activity of canoeing down the Dordogne River (three-to-four-hour canoeing) for 30 EUR per person with an included transfer from and to the hotel in Sarlat-la-Canéda.

What's included

6 nights accommodation with breakfast in 3-4-star hotels (1 night in 2-star hotel) (in double / twin room)
3 dinners (drinks not included)
Route notes and maps, regional information
GPS app for your smartphone with vocal guiding as well
Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
Emergency phone call support 7/7
Touring bike rental (if specified as included in package)

What's not included

Airfare
Transfer from the airport and / or the train station to Agen
Transfer from Agen or Sarlat to the airport and / or the train station
Drinks and personal purchases
The entrance fees for visits
The assistance repatriation
The cancellation insurance
Other meals
E-bike rental
Additional activities

How to get there

Recommended Airports

AGF

Agen La Garenne Airport

3 km

Transfer not provided

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Agen La Garenne Airport (AGF). Transfers from and to this airport are not included in the price.

Arrival by train

You can arrive at the train station of Agen.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 21 days before arrival.

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