FRANCE A LA CARTE ESCORTED TOURS

Our tours are based on 4 to 6 people travelling in a comfortable minivan with an experienced, english-speaking driver/guide. Accommodation is carefully selected bijou hotels, exceptional guesthouses and chateaux.

The itineraries are planned to let you discover a hidden France which only natives can know. The advantage of such small groups is that the tour can be adapted according to the participants wishes.

BOOKING ENQUIRIES

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Cave Paintings in France

Cave paintings dating back over 14,000 years can still be seen in France ... but for a limited time only. More and more of the sites are suffering from over-exposure to humans and the paintings are deteriorating (humidity, CO², light) leading probably to the closure of many of the most famous caves in the near future. Our escorted tour is entirely devoted to the exploration and understanding of these rupestrian wonders. Based in Sarlat (of course) we'll be looking at Lascaux, Font de Gaume, Pech Merle and many more.

Day 1 : Toulouse

Arrive in Toulouse.
In the afternoon 2 hours walking tour “Discovering Toulouse”: this tour offers a comprehensive overview of the main sites and monuments. During the tour, you will be able to admire the Capitole city hall and the Saint-Sernin basilica, as well as many churches and private mansions, and appreciate wonderful views along the Garonne River.
Dinner and night in hotel 3*
(Guests arriving too late can take this tour on day 7)

Day 2 : TOULOUSE / Cahors (112 km )

Departure for Cahors.
Arrive at the Hotel Terminus*** in Cahors and check in.
City sightseeing: the old town, product of wealth created by the Lombard merchants of the XIIIth century, the Cathedral, a good example of the southern Gothic style, le pont Valentré classified as a UNESCO heritage site and symbol of the town of Cahors it is one of the best-preserved examples of miltary architecture of the Middle Ages.
Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 3 : Cahors St Cirq Lapopie and the Caves of Pech Merle

A delightful drive up the Lot valley (30 km) to St Cirq Lapopie, classified as one of 'most beautiful villages of France' clings on to the cliff face overhanging the Lot River. The narrow cobbled streets are lined with very beautiful half-timbered stone and wood houses dating from the XIIIth to XVI centuries.
Stroll around the village and have lunch in one of the many small restaurants. In the afternoon plunge below ground at Pech Merle in the commune of Cabrerets – a series of underground caves known to man for over 25,000 years. People from the Gravettien culture began decorating the caves and paintings continued to be added up until Magdalenian times (16,000 BP),

Dinner & overnight in Cahors

Day 4: Cahors / Les Eyzies / Sarlat (95 km)

En route to Les Eyzies, world capital of prehistory listed among the 400 sites of the World Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO.

Le Musée national d’Archéologie des Eyzies, houses the most important paleolithic collection in France
The Prehistoric Shelters: Laugerie Basse, Laugerie Haute, Fish shelter, Cap Blanc. The Cave of the Grand Roc: Embedded in a magnificent cliff overlooking the Vézère Valley, the Grand Roc is an exceptional jewel. This natural masterpiece is made up of natural crystals famous for their variety, their unusual shapes and varied forms.
Dinner & overnight at 3* hotel (Sarlat).

Day 5 : Sarlat / Les Eyzies / Sarlat

Caves on the menu today:
Rouffignac, immense cavern comprising 8 kms of galleries Occupied by bears for a long time and one can still see traces of their presence. Paintings of wooly mammoths and other animals.
Font de Gaume, holds over 200 polychrome paintings and is considered the best example of polychrome painting other than Lascaux which is now closed to the public. The paintings in Font de Gaume include depictions of more than 80 bison approximately 40 horse depictions, and more than 20 mammoth depictions.
Bara Bahau, the 'Bear Cave', one of the most ancient cave painting sites in the world and now an historic monument.
Les Combarelles – strange collection of paintings and drawings, almost on top of each other: more than 800 forms mostly depicting the horse.
Dinner & overnight at Sarlat

Day 6: Sarlat and the Lascaux caves / Sarlat (55 km)

After breakfast and some time spent walking through Sarlat, capital of Black Périgord, exceptionally well-preserved city. More than 1.000 years of architecture live in its lanes, roof-tiles and stone walls. Sarlat became a city in the 8th century. On the border during the Hundred Year War between the Kings of France and England, it became English in 1360 before being released ten years later by Du Guesclin. The cathedral of Saint-Sacerdos was built under Henri IV.
The exceptional number of buildings registered or classified as historical monuments makes Sarlat one of the most important European cities in terms of cultural heritage.

Afternoon visit to Lascaux II where the cream of Europe’s cave paintings is displayed. Incredibly realistic, this facsimile of the original cave, opened in 1983, reproduces 90% of the paintings found in Lascaux. Everything is there: the ambience, the paintings which appear to spring off the cave wall, the ceremonial sanctity of the place ... everything is done to make you believe you are in the real cave.
Lascaux is near the village of Montignac, north of Sarlat.
Dinner & overnight at the hotel, Sarlat.

Day 7: Sarlat / Toulouse
Transfer to Toulouse.

End of our services.