France / South-West & Occitanie / Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne)

Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne)

Golden-Stone Town, Cliff Castles and Prehistoric Cave Art

3 daysIdeal stay₹8,520From / night₹2,770Food / day₹2,450Entry

A golden-stone medieval town in the Périgord Noir and the base for the Dordogne valley: a car-free old centre of 14th-17th-century mansions with a big Saturday market, and within 30-40 minutes the cliff villages and castles of La Roque-Gageac, Beynac and Castelnaud, the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac, canoe trips under the cliffs, and the prehistoric art of the Vézère valley: Lascaux IV, the full-size replica of the Lascaux paintings at Montignac, and Font-de-Gaume at Les Eyzies, one of the few caves with original painted bison still open to small, booked groups. Rocamadour's cliff sanctuary is about an hour away. TER trains from Bordeaux take about 2 h 20-2 h 40; a car is close to essential for the valley. Foie gras, duck, walnuts and truffles; vegetarians do best at the markets.

Highlights

Saturday market in the old town
Lascaux IV cave-art replica
Font-de-Gaume's original painted cave
Canoeing under the cliffs of La Roque-Gageac
Château de Beynac and Castelnaud
Hanging gardens of Marqueyssac
Rocamadour on its cliff
Duck, walnuts and black truffles

Things to do

Sarlat old town and its marketMorning · 2h 30m
Lascaux IV: the full-size replica of the cave paintingsMorning · 2h 30m
Font-de-Gaume painted cave (booked ahead) and the Les Eyzies prehistory museumAfternoon · 3h
Canoe down the Dordogne past La Roque-Gageac and BeynacApr–OctMorning · 3h
Hanging gardens of MarqueyssacAfternoon · 2h
Château de Beynac and the Castelnaud castle museumAfternoon · 3h
Gabarre river boat at La Roque-GageacApr–OctAfternoon · 1h
Rocamadour, the cliff sanctuaryMorning · 5h
Périgord dinner: duck, walnuts and trufflesEvening · 2h
Sarlat's lamplit lanes after darkEvening · 1h

Tours & tickets

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When to go

Best time: April – June, September – October

Heads up

Dordogne in Winter: Canoes and Some Sights Closed

Canoe hire on the Dordogne runs from about April to October, and some castles, caves and restaurants shorten their hours or close for the winter; Lascaux IV shuts for a few weeks in January. Sarlat and its Saturday market carry on all year. Check opening days before planning a valley day.

Heads up

Summer Holidays in the Dordogne

July and August are French school holidays: the valley roads, canoe bases and castle car parks fill by late morning, and Lascaux IV and Font-de-Gaume sell out days ahead. Book the caves online, start early, and book rooms well ahead.

Getting there

Fly into Paris (CDG), 450 km away

Then: Train · 5h 18m (TGV Paris–Bordeaux + TER Bordeaux–Sarlat)

Search flights to CDG from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhifrom ₹34,000
From Mumbaifrom ₹36,000
From Chennai (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹32,000
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹32,000

Fly into Nice (NCE), 499 km away

Then: Flight · 7h 30m (Flight Nice–Bordeaux + TER Bordeaux–Sarlat)

Search flights to NCE from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹36,000
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹37,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹40,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹9,590

Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa on france-visas.gouv.fr, up to six months and at least 15 days before you fly; 4-8 weeks ahead is safest in summer and December.
Book an appointment at a VFS Global France centre in India and go in person to give fingerprints and a photo (not needed again for 59 months). Pay the €90 visa fee (€45 for children aged 6-11, free under 6) plus VFS's service charge.
Allow about 15 days for a decision, up to 45 in peak season. Track it online; VFS returns the passport.
If you have used two Schengen visas lawfully in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's cascade for Indian nationals you can get two years, then five.
Did you study in France for at least a semester, with a master's degree or higher? Ask for France's five-year alumni short-stay visa.
At the first Schengen border, register your fingerprints and photo in the Entry/Exit System (EES). Stay no more than 90 days in any 180 across all Schengen countries.

Carry: Passport valid at least three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; France-Visas application form (printed) and two recent passport photos; Return flight booking and hotel bookings (or an invitation) for the whole stay; Travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen countries; Bank statements for the last three to six months, and recent income-tax returns; Employer's leave letter or proof of business; for students, a letter from the school; A short covering letter with your day-by-day itinerary; For children: birth certificate and both parents' consent if not travelling with both.

One Schengen visa covers France and 28 other countries, but a multi-country trip should apply through the country where you spend the most nights. Book the VFS appointment early: slots for June-August and December go weeks ahead. The ETIAS travel authorisation does not apply to visa holders.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in South-West & Occitanie

🍷 Bordeaux · Wine Capital on the Garonne
🏄 Biarritz · Surf Town of the French Basque Coast
🏰 Carcassonne · A Walled Medieval City of 52 Towers
🕯️ Lourdes · The Grotto, the Torchlight Procession and the High Pyrenees

Plan a trip to Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne)

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Paris (CDG)