
Holiday Highlights
- Starting and ending the trip in Souillac, with its stunning 12th century Benedictine monastery
- Cycling to the beautiful Gardens of Eyrignac
- Riding to the Valley of the Vézère River and seeing its remarkable prehistoric sites
- Wonderful views of La Roque St. Christophe
- Cycling through the chateaux village of Beynac
- Visiting various grottos of Cougnac, Montignac and Les Eyzies
The explanation for the self-guided tour was excellent, the route was well explained and all days were great. A really well balanced route! The local representatives were great.
Itinerary
After making your way to your first night’s hotel, you will be provided with your bikes (should you be hiring), as well as route notes and maps for your trip. You will be welcomed by a local representative who will brief you on the week to come. This gives you the opportunity to ask any last minute questions. Depending on flight times, you may have time to explore Souillac, and visit its stunning 12th century Benedictine monastery. This remarkable monastery is really impressive with its fine carvings including a statue of the prophet Isaiah, a masterpiece of Romanesque art.

- Meals: Breakfast
Today, you will cycle through the authentic Perigord, away from the crowds and tourists. This is a gentle start that allows plenty of time to visit the Gardens of the Manor of Eyrignac and their superb landscapes. The gardens are some of the most beautiful in France because they were designed in a specific style and now they are the last remaining in the country. You’ll then continue your ride through Salignac, a typical village of Perigord with a stunning, medieval castle, on towards your home for the evening, Tamniès.
- Meals: Breakfast
Today is a leisurely ride which will allows you to discover the quaint village of Saint Geniès, the Valley of the Vézère River and its remarkable prehistoric sites. On the way, you will have wonderful views of La Roque St. Christophe – make sure your camera is ready! Then you head off to Les Eyzies which is the world capital of Prehistoric times and no visit would be complete without discovering the magnificent paintings which adorn the walls of the grottos and caves.

- Meals: Breakfast
If you fancy a longer ride today, we have lots of options available. Amongst the highlights today is the chateau-village of Beynac; the area of Beynac and its castle is one of the finest in France. The village has been built above the water’s edge, at the foot of a 150 metre cliff and it is topped by an impressive fort. With the changing colours of the sky and the water, Beynac is a paradise for painters and photographers in all seasons. In the middle Ages, the castle was so powerful and its barons so cruel that local vassals and small farmers nicknamed it as “Satan’s Ark“.
- Meals: Breakfast
Leaving the valley of the River Beune, you will cycle through beautiful scenery via Montignac and its famous grottos to Sarlat, the capital of Perigord Noir. Here is a nice place to take a break and take a stroll through its medieval centre, considered one of Europe’s biggest. You’ll continue riding towards to Vitrac (just a few miles from Sarlat) and where you’ll spend the night.
- Meals: Breakfast
Vitrac is the perfect location as a base for a loop ride – the surrounding area is beautiful. First, you will ride to the grottos of Cougnac then continue onto the River Dordogne Valley, where you can explore many of the area’s castles. You will also have time to visit the fortified village of Domme, which overlooks the river. The village of La Roque-Gageac, an old river harbour located at the foot of a cliff, is worth a visit too.

- Meals: Breakfast
Today, you’ll make your way back to where your trip began in Souillac. You will follow the Dordogne River and along the way pass the castles of Veyrignac and Fenelon. It’s a really stunning end to a beautiful journey, in one of the most spectacular areas of France.
- Meals: Breakfast
C’est la vie!! – Your cycling tour in Dordogne is finished and after breakfast, it’s time to say au revoir to this charming region of France.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
You’ll spend 50% of your time riding on mixed use cycle paths and cycle lanes, and the other half of the week on small, quiet roads (shared with vehicle traffic). There will be some busier sections as you make your way to and from your accommodation. The route can be quite hilly in some sections, however, the majority of the route is relatively easy going. If your legs need a rest however, there is the option of shortening the distances on day 4 and 6. The route is suitable for both hybrid and road bikes.

Leisure Cycling Grade
Aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays
Suitable for those looking for some cycle friendly routes
Features some modest climbs
Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc).
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Holidays that are graded as a 2-3, will have aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays. These tours are still suitable for those perhaps who have recently got into cycling, and offer an array of accessible, cycle friendly routes, cycle paths and quiet roads, however there will be some days / sections where you may have to tackle some ups and downs, the occasional steeper climb and perhaps some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc). Suitable for those with a decent level of physical fitness, looking for some leisurely rides with occasional (achievable!) challenges along the way.
Fabulous countryside, flowers, weather and peace! Hardly any traffic on the roads!
Dates & Prices
2021 Daily departures available between 01 Apr and 31 Oct.
Season 1 For trips starting between (and inclusive of) the 01 Apr and 30 Apr or the 01 Oct and 31 Oct: £855 per person.
Season 2 For trips starting between (and inclusive of) the 01 May and 30 Sep: £960 per person.
Whats Included 
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms) in 3* and 4* hotels and chambres d‘hôtes
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B-Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Local representative (with welcome meeting)
D) Detailed route notes and maps
E) Luggage transfers
What's not Included 
A) Bike rental (available if required)
B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike
C) Travel to first hotel on arrival day
D) Travel from final hotel on departure day
E) Single room (available if required)
F) Travel insurance
G) Meals not stated in the itinerary
H) Personal clothing and equipment
I) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
J) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route
K) City tax (payable locally) – between €0.80 and €1.50 per adult per day (where applicable)
The Essentials
News, Reviews & Stories
9 things about cycling in France...
Not only is it home to world-class cuisine and some of the most beautiful landscapes, it’s also the spiritual home of cycling...
Reviews
Sylvie, CanadaA really well balanced route...The explanation for the self-guided tour was excellent, the route was well explained and all days were great. A really well balanced route! The representatives Christine and Sebastian were great. The hotels were just the best with great service – a pure joy!
Tim, SwanseaExcellent...The days were a good combination of cycling, being a tourist and eating and drinking well! Combining the cycling with local visits was good and the day we travelled out of Vitrac and visited a castle and Domme was a good challenge for cycling as well as providing some great views.
Trevor, South AustraliaExcellent...This was a great way to see the Dordogne valley. There is more to see than you can possibly do in one day. The local food and wine was simply exceptional. The Skeddadle rep and ground staff were all very good. And the cycling scenery was stunning.
Steve, LancashireGreat experience...Kay was extremely friendly, really helpful and gave very clear explanation on the week ahead of us. She made us feel very comfortable. A great experience, and a great holiday. Booked twice with you now. Once in Scotland Lochs and Glenn’s and once in Dordogne, France.
Julie, HampshireCouldn't find any fault...The planning and execution of the holiday was faultless. Many thanks!
Roger & Lucy, KentWonderful Holiday...We thought we would let you know that we had a wonderful holiday in the Dordogne last week. We were particularly pleased with the local rep. All the hotels were good [Just as well we had been cycling all day as the food was excellent, one didn’t feel too guilty] and the hills bearable!! We shall do something similar again with you next year.
Maurice, BristolExcellent holiday...A very good service and an excellent holiday.
Nikki, LondonWonderful!We enjoyed grade 2 as it suited our fitness levels – any higher level we would have to train specifically at cycling. Our favourite day was when we cycled through Vitrac as we stopped at a wonderful castle full of Medieval warfare and information. We extended our stay by one night in the hotel and cycled that morning followed by a wonderful 18Km canoe trip.
Lee & Rachel, CambridgeWell balanced trip!Nice balance between cycling and exploring the sights. It helped a huge amount to be met at the train station and the representative was very careful in going through the route with us and checking we were happy. The pre-departure information provided a good representation of what to expect.
Kate, OxfordshireFabulous!Fabulous countryside, flowers, weather, peace! Hardly any traffic on the roads!