Dordogne canoeing holiday in France

A beautiful way to see the Dordogne, canoeing from one hotel to the next, all self-guided. One of the best family holidays we have ever had.
Self guided canoeing on the Dordogne river Martel Carennac Meyronne Souillac Dordogne chateaux Souillac Sarlat
Price
£2199To£2309 return by train
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Duration
9 Days
Type
Tailor made
Reviews
More info
Excellent for families, easy for beginners.
This holiday is suitable for children from age 8 (over 12 for kayaks) and is based on a minimum of 2 adults.
Contact us for child prices. For people wanting to have bikes available for all 'rest days' these can be pre-booked for you (£120 per adult and £80 per child per week) and will be waiting at each hotel for you.
Make enquiry

Description of Dordogne canoeing holiday in France

This Dordogne canoeing holiday in France is nine days of exploring the stunning river valley in the most peaceful way possible. After a lesson in river safety and handling your canoes, you set off on a leisurely paddle that takes you past some of the region’s most glorious natural heritage, such as the rose limestone river cliffs or ancient woodland and walnut groves. Chateaux appear as if by magic and one of your hotels is even in an 11th century castle, just one of several stunning family friendly hotels that you will stay in, all with their own swimming pools.

This is a journey that is not only great fun, but also one that takes you through a delightful mix of medieval villages and towns along the river, as well giving you a chance to sample plenty of Dordogne cuisine which is second to none. Such villages include Carennac, where ancient cottages and 16th century ‘grandes maisons’ are like a film set, with Souillac and Sarlat the most stunning towns to visit and stay at en route too. It is all paddling perfection really.

Although this is safe and easy canoeing, the minimum age is eight years old, and everyone should be able to swim at least 50m fully clothed. 2/3 person canoes are provided although single person kayaks are also available for over 12 year olds, unless they are experienced kayakers. If the river is considered too high at any point for safe canoeing, bikes will be provided for the days affected by this, although this is unusual.

Price information

£2199To£2309 return by train
Convert currency:
Excellent for families, easy for beginners.
This holiday is suitable for children from age 8 (over 12 for kayaks) and is based on a minimum of 2 adults.
Contact us for child prices. For people wanting to have bikes available for all 'rest days' these can be pre-booked for you (£120 per adult and £80 per child per week) and will be waiting at each hotel for you.
Make enquiry

Departure information

Departs most days between 1st June to 30th September

Travel guides

France family
Open your mind to a world of possibilities as you gently unwind and rewild in the Alpine meadows and along the riverbanks of southern France. Our fami...
Dordogne
The Dordogne is bucolic France at its finest. A varied region known historically by the French as the Périgord, or specifically the Périgord...

Holiday information

Travelling by train:
We offer the possibility of travelling by train to and from the UK for this trip and can book this for you if required. Please enquire for further details.

Reviews

4 Reviews of Dordogne canoeing holiday in France

5 out of 5 stars
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Reviewed on 29 Sep 2019 by

5***** Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Sep 2019 by

Loved every moment, I would highly recommend it. Read full review

Reviewed on 31 Jul 2019 by

Absolutely fantastic holiday in the Dordogne! Gorgeous scenery and wonderful hotels and dining!! Canoeing on the tranquil river, swimming in the refreshing water, and seeing countless Kingfishers! Read full review

Reviewed on 18 Aug 2018 by

Reps Rachel and Nick were brilliant, friendly and informative. The staff great on phone and email. A great family holiday. Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.

Planet and people

UK Office

We are well aware of the impact tourism has at home and abroad, and we make every effort to balance the environmental impact of travelling with the immense benefits sustainable tourism can bring to destinations and the people who live there.

So we start in the office: we turn off all electrical equipment every night; we use energy-efficient bulbs; we measure print and paper consumption, and re-cycle wherever possible; we print our brochures on paper from sustainable sources, and send them out in bio-degradable packaging.

Leaders & local suppliers

The quintessentially French Hotel Grangier – run by the affable M Destannes and his family – is set in the heart of the Perigourdine countryside, in the tiny riverside village of St Sozy, and has been key to our canoeing holiday for over 20 years. It has only 12 rooms, but also boasts a lovely pool and gardens. Aside from being the only place to stay and eat in the village, it also houses the village tabac making it the true hub of village life!

Group size

All our canoeing holidays are independent, or self-guided. This means that no minimum numbers are required to ensure that a trip operates. Trips depart every two days throughout the season, meaning customers are not restricted to busy weekend travel or costly high season dates. It also allows us to offer total flexibility over travel options and holiday durations.

Activity

Canoeing has minimal impact on the environment as you provide most of the energy yourself and, when you’re pedalling from one hotel to the next, you really feel as though you have the countryside to yourselves. It’s relaxing, fun and easy to get the hang of. You don’t need any previous experience, just the ability to swim 50m fully clothed, and the flow of the water does much of the work for you!

You’ll canoe every other day, and have the option of hiring a bike for all “rest” days. This allows you the flexibility to explore your surrounds at leisure, without the restrictions of buses, trains or expensive taxis.

We proactively encourages canoeists to think about travelling responsibly too: packing light, saving water, buying locally and re-cycling all maps and route notes at the end of their trip. If you opt to hire a bike for your “rest” days, you may be interested to know that we even re-cycle our old bikes! As part of our on-going maintenance, we often need to replace cycle parts which, although still serviceable, don’t meet our standards for reliability and comfort. So we donate these parts to Colchester-based charity, Re-cycle, who go on to send them to parts of Africa where locals are taught how to ride and look after a bike. This service has proven invaluable over the years for doctors, midwives, etc who sometimes need to quickly get to remote villages.


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