Camping in Dordogne

Why we love holidays in Dordogne

Effortlessly beautiful, and alive with family holiday possibilities, Dordogne is an outdoor-lover's paradise. Rushing rivers, enigmatic cave systems, pretty-as-a-picture villages and tranquil countryside combine to create quite the backdrop. Add thrilling waterparks and state-of-the-art visitor attractions and a historic holiday awaits.

A spellbinding region that has captivated visitors for just the odd 40,000 years, Dordogne showcases the very best of rural France. From ancient cave art to magnificent châteaux perched dramatically on limestone cliffs, this timeless landscape invites a deeper exploration.

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The essence of Dordogne

Dramatic countryside

Gorges honeycombed with caves (some turned into houses), rushing rivers and wide, sparkling lakes make up the patchwork of Dordogne's countryside. It's as tranquil and timeless as it comes - all too easy to fall in love with.

Prehistoric magic

Some of the best, and most historically important, cave systems can be found burrowing deep down into the limestone bedrock of the region. There are plenty of showcaves to visit, replete with excellent interpretive centres.

Charming villages

From the handsome village of Limeuil to the incredibly photogenic streets of Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne is Instagram-pretty wherever you turn. And even if you don’t do social media, it’s gorgeous!

Our favourite things to do in Dordogne

Fun days out

Dordogne is made for happy family adventures. Lascaux Caves offer a dizzying tour back through 17,000 years of human creativity, housed in a state-of-the-art visitor centre where replicas of the original cave art protect the pigment from the ancient originals breaking down due to our hot breath! PrehistoParc in Tursac is a fun adventure park tracing the evolution of humans over 40,000 years, featuring animated models of prehistoric tribes and workshops.

For water enthusiasts, Quercyland in Souillac features six pools and a selection of waterslides, alongside go-karts and bikes. The Aquarium du Périgord Noir, Europe's largest private freshwater aquarium, showcases exotic fish from around the world with touch tanks, diving exhibitions, and even an alligator enclosure – plus bars, cafés and playgrounds.

Getting active

If your camping holiday in the Dordogne is to really be complete, you have to try canoeing or kayaking along the beautiful Dordogne River. For our money it offers one of the most memorable ways to experience the region's stunning landscapes. The Vézère Valley provides fantastic hiking opportunities with numerous GR (Grande Randonnée) routes; try the countryside around pretty Rouffignac Saint Cernin de Reilhac for particularly scenic rambles.

Mountain biking and road cycling enthusiasts can enjoy quiet routes through picturesque countryside. For a truly spectacular perspective, Montgolfière châteaux offers hot-air balloon rides over the castles and rivers of the Dordogne. Adventure seekers can test their nerve at La Forêt des Ecureuils, a tree-top assault course east of Sarlat.

Cultural hotspots

Young Indiana Jones-wannabes in your family? The Musée National de Préhistoire in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil is the place to go. It houses the most important collection of Paleolithic artefacts in France, tracing human evolution over 400 millennia with engaging animations. Château de Castelnaud in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle brings historic France to life with its Museum of Medieval Warfare.

Château de Milandes features fascinating falconry displays, while Château de Hautefort impresses as one of the grandest and largest châteaux in the region, with period features, fine furniture, and geometric flower gardens best explored on guided tours. The Festival de Montignac celebrates art, dance, and music each July, showcasing performances from the area and around the world.

Our favourite things to see in Dordogne

Historic sites

We love the medieval village of Beynac-et-Cazenac. It’s officially one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, and you’ll soon see why. It’s perched dramatically on rocks overlooking river valleys, offering stunning vistas. Château Castelnaud, the most popular château in southern France, sits high on a 13th-century hill and has changed hands many times throughout its turbulent history; it now houses the Museum of Medieval Warfare.

La Roque-Gageac, described as stepping into a picture book, features a beautiful 'troglodyte' stone fort 40m above the town, with golden-yellow buildings lining the cliff-face along the river, including the Renaissance Manoir de Tarde. The medieval walled village of Domme preserves its 13th Century ramparts and is famous for its prehistoric grottoes with illuminated galleries lined with stalactites.

Cities and towns worth seeing

Family days out don’t come much better than a trip to Sarlat-la-Canéda, with its incredibly photogenic streets, offering the widest selection of cafés, brasseries and bars in the region, particularly in the centre of the old town. Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, officially one of the prettiest villages in France (there’s a lot of these in the Dordogne!), features a cluster of typical Perigord-stone cottages and a lovely river beach.

Limeuil's narrow streets wind their way to the confluence of the Vézère and Dordogne rivers, offering choice locations for dining and refreshments. Montignac, particularly Place Carnot, showcases some of the area's loveliest buildings and cobbled lanes, with markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and numerous historic buildings dating from the 14th-18th centuries.

View of the Dordogne River from Limeuil Castle gardens

Natural wonders

The Causses du Quercy, a great limestone plateau between the Massif Central and the Pyrénées, has been shaped by the Dordogne and Vézère rivers for thousands of years, creating stunning subterranean caverns that many towns and villages proudly showcase. Le Gouffre de Proumeyssac in Audrix offers one of the best cave systems in the Dordogne, a wondrous collection of caverns and formations accessible by gondolier or descent in a basket (booking ahead is essential).

The Dordogne Valley, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, presents breathtaking rivers, waterfalls, viewpoints, and countryside. The Gardens of Limeuil, officially the 'Panoramic Jardin Musée de Limeuil,' represent a world-class botanical garden displaying plants that trace the history of botany throughout the ages, creating a riot of colour and fragrance throughout summer.