Six nights self-drive, three in Bordeaux and three in Sarlat: a gourmet walk in Chartrons, e-bike and balloon in Saint-Émilion, oysters at Arcachon, Rocamadour, Padirac and Lascaux IV. Boutique 4-star hotels; for keen eaters.
Route6 nights · 2 stops · 4 day trips
Day 1
Pick up rental car and drive from the airport to your accommodation in Bordeaux.
Private gourmet walking tour.
Discover Bordeaux's gastronomy as you walk around through the lovely Chartrons wine district.
Night in Bordeaux.
Day 2
Bike tour, wine tasting and hot-air balloon flight.
You will start this wonderful day with a guided electric bike tour through the vineyards of Saint-Emilion (with lunch). Then you will discover two châteaux: a family-run château and a grand reserve château. In the early evening, you will have the chance to fly over the Saint-Emilion vineyards in a hot-air balloon. It's from above that you can best appreciate the extraordinary landscapes of the Gironde.
Night in Bordeaux.
Day 3
Arcachon gastronomy and Dune du Pyla.
The day begins with an oyster harvest on the Bay of Arcachon with a local producer. During this sensory exploration of the oyster beds, you'll learn about cultivation methods and enjoy a tasting of natural oysters. An unforgettable paragliding flight over the Dune du Pyla then awaits you. During this flight, you'll have the opportunity to take control of the paraglider and even feel the effect of your instructor's movements.
Night in Bordeaux.
Day 4
Sarlat-la-Canéda Markets and Marqueyssac's gardens.
If you're a food lover, you'll love the markets in Sarlat-la-Canéda. Let yourself be tempted by the local specialities and seasonal produce: foie gras, mushrooms, confits and magrets, not forgetting truffles, walnuts, honey and wine... Then visit the unique and romantic gardens of Marqueyssac.
Night in Sarlat-la-Canéda.
Day 5
The Padirac Chasm and Rocamadour Sanctuary.
We begin with a guided tour of Rocamadour. According to tradition, it owes its origins to Saint Amadour (or Amateur), who chose the site as his hermitage. It became a place of pilgrimage in the early Middle Ages. In the afternoon, you'll visit the Gouffre de Padirac. The chasm is a vertiginous vertical doorway that invites you to pass from the outside world to the underground world in just a few minutes.
Night in Sarlat-la-Canéda.
Day 6
Prehistoric caves of Lascaux and canoeing.
Enjoy a visit of the Lascaux IV caves. This magnificent centre covers 8,000 m2 of the most recent replica of the Lascaux cave. Finish the day with a canoe trip to enjoy the nature and castles of the Périgord.
Night in Sarlat-la-Canéda.
Day 7
Return to Bordeaux Airport and drop off your rental car before your flight.
Our pickCrowds
May, June and September: warm enough for the balloon and paragliding, and the Sarlat Saturday market is at its best. Harvest in Saint-Émilion runs late September into October, a lively time to visit châteaux. Lascaux IV and Padirac are open most of the year; July and August are hot and busy in the Dordogne.
Reviews from travelers who booked with us, in France.
Lucas and his team were amazing
Lucas Gephardt and his staff at Mobee International in Lyon, France, customized a fantastic 15-day vacation for my wife and me. We had a wonderful trip from Paris to Dijon, Beaune, Lyon, Avignon, and finally, Nice. They were very personable and attentive throughout the entire brainstorming and planning process, which helped us develop a truly customized trip specific to us. More importantly, they were available every…
Lucas Gephardt and his staff at Mobee International in Lyon, France, customized a fantastic 15-day vacation for my wife and me. We had a wonderful trip from Paris to Dijon, Beaune, Lyon, Avignon, and finally, Nice. They were very personable and attentive throughout the entire brainstorming and planning process, which helped us develop a truly customized trip specific to us. More importantly, they were available every step of the way during our trip! Lucas would call our driver from the airport to make sure we were picked up and comfortable. He would call the hotels before our arrival to ensure rooms were ready for early check-in. We could text him during our trip and tell him how our trip was going. He even would call my cell phone periodically to check in on us. We never had that experience with any other travel agency! Lucas and his team made us feel very comfortable with no worries. Everything was coordinated perfectly (car service, tours, trains, and our hotels). Everything came together exactly as discussed and documented in their extensive travel book provided for us (with phone numbers, addresses, times, summaries, etc…). Our trip included many moving parts, tours, and 5 different cities. All of them were good, some better than others. Only one tour, the Latin Quarter Gourmet Food Tour was our least favorite (too much walking and looking and not enough eating), however, all the other tours and guides were very good. We traveled by high-speed train from Paris to Dijon to Lyon to Avignon to Nice (I would not do it any other way … but next time will bring much less luggage). Our tours included: - Versailles (we arranged this ourselves at the last minute) - Loire Valley and several Chateaus (with wine tasting) - 2-hour private tour of the Louvre (our guide was brilliant and excellent) - Latin Quarter Gourmet Food Tour (too much walking and not enough eating) - Paris River Dinner Cruise (amazing….1st class all the way) - Wine Tour in the Burgundy (Beaune) … fantastic wine…found several new favorites - Beaujolais Wine Tour from Lyon (gorgeous countryside…lovely wine) - Chateauneuf du Pape wine region tour (my new favorite wine…amazing) - All of Provence in One Day (8+ hours of touring Provence was wonderful..great guide) - Half-day tour of Cannes, Antibes & Saint-Paul de Vence (very enjoyable wonderful scenery) - Half-day tour of Monaco, Monte-Carlo, Eze, La Turbie (Tour was very good, but we did not like the guide…we experienced long periods of silence from him…strange guide…however the scenery was lovely and we enjoyed walking around the stops) Our Hotels were all 5 stars (except for one, which was 4 stars). We enjoyed every hotel. Every hotel took a special interest in our names, schedules, and comfort.,..it was nice to be pleasantly welcomed every day by all the staff at all the hotels. I will think twice about staying at an American chain in the future. Breakfast was included at every hotel, and they did not disappoint. It was worth every penny. A few times, we could not make it to breakfast because we had to leave early for a tour or a train, but something to think about in the future. We did enjoy the deluxe American-style buffet breakfast most mornings which allowed us to skip lunch some days. Oh, did I mention that we were in France and do not speak a word of French? Lucas and his team ensured all our guides, driver, and tours were in English! Okay, I feel like I have rambled on. I hope this gives you a sense that we had a lot going on for the 15 days of vacation, and Lucas and his team at Mobee Int’l made everything happen and coordinated everything, and kept checking on us during our trip. The whole trip was flawless. One word of advice to everyone - Pack half of the stuff you think you need and make sure you have time to sit at a cafe every day and have a drink or a coffee and watch life. We did, and it made a world of difference.
A circuit experience at Paul Ricard
Incorporated motorsports interest that I had with a rental car experience + a circuit experience at Paul Ricard. All places that were mentioned of interest were incorporated into the trip plan.
Barcelona to Nice along the Mediterranean
We had a wonderful time making the journey along the Mediterranean coast. Starting in Barcelona we were able to visit the newly opened Sagrada de Familia with a wonderful guide - one of the highlights our trip. We had an early entry so the crowds were easily managed and we were able to enjoy both inside and out. The next day we had another great guide who showed us the Jewish history and historical presence in Barcel…
We had a wonderful time making the journey along the Mediterranean coast. Starting in Barcelona we were able to visit the newly opened Sagrada de Familia with a wonderful guide - one of the highlights our trip. We had an early entry so the crowds were easily managed and we were able to enjoy both inside and out. The next day we had another great guide who showed us the Jewish history and historical presence in Barcelona. After Barcelona, we went to Girona, which was a wonderful surprise. We stayed at a lovely hotel in the old town that was a converted palace. Our tour here of the old town focusing on Jewish history was incredible. The next day we had an all day small group tour of Dali's house and museum - both well worth the travel including the incredible views along the Costa Brava. Travelling by car along the southern coast of France was relatively easily finding great things to see - Pone du Gard, Baux de Provence town and castle, St. Paul de Vence and finally Nice. An electric bike ride in Nice was also wonderful.
Two minutes, three steps. Free and without obligation.
It is a self-drive trip with only two bases, so the main transfer is the move from Bordeaux to Sarlat-la-Canéda on day 4. From Bordeaux you reach Saint-Émilion and the Bay of Arcachon as day trips, and from Sarlat you visit Rocamadour, the Padirac chasm and Lascaux IV. The rental car is included from Bordeaux airport; fuel and tolls are at your expense.
Breakfast every day, the gourmet walking tour of Bordeaux's Chartrons district, lunch on the Saint-Émilion e-bike day with tastings at two châteaux, and the oyster tasting with a producer on the Bay of Arcachon. Other lunches and dinners are free, which leaves room for the Sarlat market and Périgord specialties such as foie gras, walnuts and truffles.
No. The hot-air balloon over the Saint-Émilion vineyards at dusk and the paragliding flight over the Dune du Pilat are both done with professionals, and on the paraglider your instructor flies with you. Both depend on the weather on the day, and May, June and September give the best conditions. If either does not appeal, tell us when you book and we plan another activity.
Three nights in a 4* boutique hotel near the Chartrons quays in Bordeaux, then three nights in Sarlat-la-Canéda in a converted stone house or a small 4* hotel in the medieval center. Breakfast is included. For a slower pace, we can add a night at a vineyard château in Saint-Émilion.
May, June and September: warm enough for the balloon and paragliding, and the Sarlat Saturday market is at its best. The Saint-Émilion harvest runs from late September into October, a lively time at the châteaux. Lascaux IV and Padirac are open most of the year, while July and August are hot and busy in the Dordogne.
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