A walking holiday in the Dordogne Valley

It is very good to be able to visit Rocamadour (whatever you think of it) so easily. The flexibility of activity and in length of walk was useful, especially as it was hot: the grottes at Lacave and the pools at each hotel were very welcome. The landscape was beautiful throughout.

We managed to be hiking during the extreme heat wave in late June 2019.  We adjusted hiking plans to accommodate the heat.  Your notes and maps were detailed enough for us to review options and make adjustments before starting our hikes.  We loved this vacation (even with the heat).  We felt well taken care of every step of the way and loved the independence of deciding how to spend each day.  Thank you for making our adventure so accessible!

This was our second hike with Inntravel. We were delighted with our first trip in 2017, but this one exceeded it. Perhaps it was the location of the Dordogne Valley, but we enjoyed every moment. The accommodations were charming, the food exquisite. Already looking forward to our next adventure!

Paths to Rocamadour offers really lovely varied scenery and exemplary food. We figured we walked a total of 60+ miles in a week. The trails were lovely, maintained, with a combination of little hamlets, beautiful gardens (late May was Rose and Poppy in-full-bloom season) woodlands, fields (we saw sheep, cows, and pigs with piglets) with overlooks offering stunning views. The dinners, (& the wine!) each night were first rate. If you want a relaxing week with lovely French food every evening, this is the walk for you!

This was a lovely gentle walk through woodlands and along rivers.  It took a couple of days for the scenery to become more varied.  Honestly I think the choice of country inns with included meals were more of a highlight.  We were early in the season, and often we felt we were given preferential treatment as there were few visitors.  Walking across the field to the Pont de L'Ouysse, seeing the beautiful setting of the hotel we were to stay in was a real highlight.  Set by the river, with kingfishers flying up and down, and the Michelin kitchen was superb with wine to match.  A couple of the hoteliers mentioned how much they enjoyed doing business with Inntravel.

On the final day we timed our walk to arrive in Rocamadour for lunch.  Down into a gorge this was one of our favourite walks.

The evening meals were outstanding and the accommodation was reasonable to fine. The walks were pleasant with the last day the best of all. Give the caves on day 1 a miss!!! (Unless you are really into caves or have never been!) nearly 2 hours of French guided walking tour (the train is just a short ride to get in).  Going at the end of May or June would add another dimension as all hotels had lovely pools ... all too freezing in early May even though weather lovely.  This was an R and R trip after a busy period at work and it was a perfect way to unwind, exercise and eat some really wonderful food. Each hotel had something to offer - we loved the design and location of the Pont de L’Ouysse. The walks were pleasant but not outstanding except for the final day along the gorge and up to the Moulin - a beautiful way to end the holiday!  As usual the service provided by Inntravel was impeccable.

Our stay in the gorgeous Pont De l’Ouysse hotel was a particular delight.  Additionally we will never forget the picnic on the bank of the Dordogne during the circular walk from Cales - the weather in late October was stunning with unbroken sunshine, blue skies and autumnal trees beautifully mirrored in the river. Overall a really well designed holiday with a great balance of nature and luxury.

'Paths to Rocamadour' is an excellent walk in very attractive countryside!  All of the hotels are of a good standard and the food is very tasty and plentiful!  Rocamadour provides a fitting climax to the walk in both an historical and spiritual context.  The hilly walks provide good exercise without being over strenuous but are all easily extendable with the excellent maps provided.  The first hotel at Meyronne, La Terrasse, is a fifteenth century chateau overlooking the Dordogne River and merits staying two or three nights for its location, food and excellent circular walking possibilities which the proprietor will be pleased to indicate on the maps provided. We will do this walk again! 

It was very hot by mid afternoon and we were ready for a cool beer by the end of our walks. We were glad of the extra water we carried as there were no shops or cafes along the routes. One day we were accompanied by a charming little dog all the way from Lacave to Calès. The owners of Le Petit Relais recognised him and kindly took him home. It wasn’t the first time he has chummed up with Inntravel clients en route!

Paths to Rocamadour was a fantastic overall experience. The walks, hotels, wine and food were excellent and lived up to all our expectations. The area is renowned for its food and wine and these did not disappoint. Walking in the valleys along the Dordogne, Alzou and Ouysse rivers included enough shaded areas to protect us from the sun and at the same time we were provided with wonderful vistas while walking at the top of the cliffs looking down to the rivers. The added bonus of coming across numerous old mills along the rivers was an additional delight.

This highly anticipated holiday did not disappoint. 

Paths to Rocamadour was a fantastic experience.  Very peaceful - we hardly encountered anybody else until the day walking from Cales to Rocamadour.  Gorgeous scenery, loved the villages, churches and mills. The hotels were excellent and the meals superb.  The walking notes supplied by Inntravel were great, good background information on the area, very detailed and easy to follow. We seldom had to refer to the map.  The circuit of the Alzou valley on the last day in Rocamadour is a must do - varied terrain and scenery, finishing at Rocamadour.  Order a picnic from the hotel unless you want to have a late lunch at Rocamadour.

A trail of Three Cities with Ronda - a total contrast from the peace and quiet of our walking week, but another fabulous experience.  We loved the hotels, all very boutique with plenty of charm and character. We added another day in Seville and were pleased that we did as there is so much to see.  If you want to visit the Cathedral and Alcazar, best to book beforehand online to avoid the queues.  The Mezquita in Cordoba is an absolute must see.  We booked a guided tour of the Alhambra in Granada (not through Inntravel) and felt a little rushed in some parts and too much time in other areas. We felt afterwards that it would have been better to go on our own with an audio guide.  We enjoyed the train travel, they were clean and comfortable and always on time.  It would have been nice not to have the bus trips to and from Granada but that certainly didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed two Inntravel itineraries; our Paths to Rocamadour walking holiday followed by our Trail of Three Cities with Ronda SlowMotion journey by rail.

Highlights for us were the food and setting of the Hotel Pont de l'Ouysse, the dramatic limestone scenery and seeing four cave divers emerge from the depths where the River Ouysse comes above ground! 

The quality of the food, and the setting, of Hotel Pont de l'Ouysse were outstanding, even by the standards of this excellent holiday. At Le Troubadour we had a storm that knocked out the hotel's electric supply, and we were impressed by the grace and good humour with which the staff handled quite a difficult situation, supplying lamps and torches, managing to provide breakfast in semi-darkness, and arranging for us to have dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Apart from the awful room at Cales, we had a great time.

The first night at the Hotel La Terrasse was lovely - a very romantic location.   The food throughout was first class and for those travelling and staying 2 nights at most hotels, 1 bottle of wine can be purchased and they keep the remainder for the following evening. 

The travel package arrived in plenty of time due to your company paying the higher postage rate and was received by me within 5-7 days of it being posted.   It was extremely well organized and included all my other arrangements for my trip. It was very professional.

Absolutely fabulous holiday. Probably the best holiday we've ever had. The area is so peaceful - it was like a walking meditation. Incredibly spiritual experience. We seemed to have the whole area to ourselves which was amazing considering we walked about 95 kilometres. The scenery had to be experienced to be believed. The food was out of this world, even the picnics were outstanding and we always managed to find a nice bench or wall by a church on which to enjoy them. Rocamadour was stunning especially at the end of such a blissful week when we were particularly open to the beauty of the place. We can't praise the holiday highly enough and would love to go straight back.

A very good holiday, of all the Inntravel walking holidays we have done it was probably one of the best. Walks were all easy to follow and held interest and views along the way. Do not miss out the final circuit of the Alzou valley at Rocamadour as this is one of the best! Accommodation and meals were excellent. Picnics from Petit Relais and Pont de l'Ouysse were excellent in quantity and quality (if you are minded to order extras for days without then one between two would suffice!). At the Petit Relais we were offered use of a very pleasant lounge for tea when we returned from an extremely wet walk!

We found that visiting the Grottes at Lacave before walking on to Calès worked well on what was otherwise a short walk day. We also had time to stop at Moulin de Cougnaguet which was fascinating but visits were only in French!

At Rocamadour where we had an extra night we found a short 8km walk from the local Tourist Office titled "Pierre et l'eau" which was scenic and well-marked which is worth considering if you have time.

Really good trip. Walking notes were excellent and easy to follow. The hotels were generally really good. Food spectacular at 3 of them !! 

The countryside was fantastic and walks had variety of river, gorge, woodland and farmland.

This was a fabulous holiday. The walking was just lovely. The wild flowers were gorgeous everywhere. All the hotels were different and of a high standard. Taking the bags up the stone staircase at La Terrasse was a challenge but Madame did help. Seven three or four course meals in a row challenged us in a different way. We wanted to try everything and the food was all delicious. We especially enjoyed the meals at Le Petit Relais. Le Pont de l'Ouysse was a gastronomic experience but we probably enjoyed the other less formal meals better. By the time we did our add-on at Sarlat we were more than happy for just one course!

We went by Eurostar, breaking our journey with a couple of nights in Paris on the way out. We'd done this before and it works well. The return journey to the north of England all in one day was very long and tiring. Having left our hotel in Sarlat at 09:30, five trains and three taxis later we eventually arrived home just after midnight. Happily everything was on time and it all went to plan!

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk Paths to Rocamadour with our Sarlat City add on

We first used Inntravel last year on two different walks - one in Spain and one in Portugal.  So this year we chose through Inntravel a trip to Dordogne.  It met all of our expectations and exceeded them.  The walks were very doable, varied and provided us with spectacular views and scenery.  The inns for this walk were outstanding - in small hamlets you would normally drive by and not get to experience as we did.  As advertised, the food on this trip was definitely gourmet - from one inn restaurant having a Michelin star restaurant to several inns that had owner/chefs who were creative and knew how to incorporate the local ingredients.  We appreciate all of the planning by Inntravel.  Highligts were the walks, the food and the inns - a very special trip. 

Another wonderful holiday with you! First class in every respect, especially the choice of routes and the clarity of the route notes. Comfortable hotels with excellent food and wine, the highlight being the "chocolate sphere" dessert at the Pont de L'Ouysse!

We opted out of the circular walk when at Le Petit Relais and instead took a taxi (arranged by our kind hosts) to Sarlat for the day. A beautiful town and well worth the visit. When walking to Rocamadour, the small diversion to the sinkhole is well worthwhile. We had our picnic lunch there and it was beautiful and peaceful.

The last day is a must. It is the best of the area all in one walk. Beautiful hidden paths, rugged slopes to a riverside walk full of surprises. Despite being in the valley of a deep gorge it doesn’t feel too overpowering because of the overhanging vegetation. Walking by running water is always special. Even when you divert from the river you are taken into open lush grassland, although still on a very easy to follow footpath. All this leads then into what must be one of the most magical cliff hanging wonders of our world. A fest of history and religion mixed with modern amenities such as cafes and shops. Don’t cheat and take the cable car, you miss too much. Wonderful, narrow cobbled and winding streets and of course steps take you through the heart of this wonderland. On the day we were there a wedding was taking place in the grand church, which added to the colour of the pretty courtyard. You can then finish it off by walking up past the stations of the cross reflecting on the last few days and the journey of life as it is to continue.

Passing through the gate at the top you are brought back into the modern world but only gently. Walking on to the little hilltop town where you will find a very helpful Tourist Information. Then on to your accommodation. A most satisfying end to a peaceful few days walking.

It was only a week, but it felt like four weeks. Time seemed to slow down.

Everything really well organised in detail. Walking was always pleasant, the more strenuous being later in the week up and down the gorges!  As the route was through very quiet villages we were glad we had booked the add-on in Sarlat - a lovely old city - to make a contrast. If you go to Sarlat, Tourist Information has a leaflet with a town trail which is very good.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Sarlat City add-on with the walking holiday Paths to Rocamadour

We took this holiday mid to end of September so the summer crowds were not out so it was very quiet during our walks and the hotels were pretty quiet with not as many people.  But, we could do that - not everyone with children have that luxury.  The weather was still very nice for our walks, a couple of days even got to 26 celsius (80 fahrenheit).  We just enjoyed every single aspect of this holiday from the perfect scheduling of transportation to the wonderful hotels and their locations to the detailed walks.  We could eat and enjoy because we'd be walking it off the next day! It made it so satisfying and we slept great after getting that daily activity in.  We will be using InnTravel again, we were so happy with everything.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: Mr Kawecki added a stay in Sarlat to our Paths to Rocamadour holiday.

This walk was a lovely experience that my wife and I will long remember. The accommodations were comfortable and the hotel staff friendly and attentive. Of the three Inntravel walks that we've taken this one most strongly accents the food which was particularly wonderful, especially at Hôtel Le Pont de l’Ouysse. 

The Dordogne valley is very beautiful and the climax at Rocamador was quite moving. The Hôtel Le Troubadour had lovely grounds and a pool that we took full advantage of after our daily hikes.

Inntravel made arrangements for add-ons to Bordeaux and Paris with its usual attention to quality and comfort. This really is a very fine company with which to work. 

This was a wonderful holiday with moderate length walks through lovely countryside. Highly recommended. The quality of the food at each of the hotels was outstanding. I think we returned home weighing more than when we left. Just one tip. From leaving the first hotel until finally arriving at Rocamadour the route passes no shops. Ensure that you have with you all essential items in advance and remember to order a picnic at the hotels when they are not automatically supplied.

Overall we thought that this was a fantastic holiday (despite the weather we experienced) and one of the best Inntravel walking holidays we've taken.

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. The accommodation and walks all excellent - despite quite a lot of rain.

The 12th century church at Meyraguet was beautiful. We encountered some local men who were eager to show us the old bakery. A lady appeared so we asked about l'église and she found the old man who had the key and then took us to the church. We also enjoyed the field of pink squealing piglets outside Calés. The Merveilles caves at l'Hospitalet have rock drawings which we found moving.

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. It was good for the soul, legs and lungs but not necessarily for the waistline. We were surprised at the the number of flowers in bloom and saw large numbers of different butterflies during the walk to Rocamadour and on the circular walk through the gorge the following day. Everything went as smooth as clockwork and we will definitely recommend and use Inntravel again.

This is a wonderful holiday. There are very interesting sights to be seen on each day: the 'magic forest' near Meyronne, the caves at La Cave, the river walk between Pont de l'Ouysse and Cales, the gorge walks around Rocamadour and of course the highlight is the walk into Rocamadour which pilgrims have done for centuries. The hotels are all excellent, all have swimming pools and the food is wonderful.

Paths to Rocamadour is a beautiful trip and very enjoyable.  The detailed walking directions are 95% accurate, but be prepared to get lost and find your way the other 5%.

We have just completed three separate walking and cycling holidays in France and Spain with InnTravel which we so enjoyed.  They were the perfect blend of activity and sloth in areas of great historical and cultural interest.  Being of mature age, we found the concept of staying two nights in one place a great one, allowing us independence and flexibility as to how to spend the second day. Also we very much appreciated the way the holiday details were put together and presented.  Our satisfaction with our chosen tours is a result of InnTravel's knowledge and experience of what makes a great holiday. Thoroughly recommend their services and will be booking with them again, when we are next in the northern hemisphere.    

[INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers followed a stay in Paris with our Paths to Rocamadour walking holiday, then did our Canal du Midi cycle and finally our Collioure to Cadaqués walk.]