We will have 5 full days to explore the Dordogne staying in Sarlat arriving on a Saturday. So far we have a half day cooking class planned for Thursday at Le Chevrefeuille in Saint-Cyprien and Font de Gaume tickets for Monday am. Some of the things we'd like to see and do would be Lascaux IV, though I haven't purchased tickets as yet; also the Jardins Marqueyssac; take a Babarres cruise; visit a goose farm to see feeding. I know there are numerous other places we'd like to see such as Beynac, Rocamadour etc. Any ideas on how to make the best use of our time? Your ideas and thoughts would be much appreciated.

topping.

Should tickets for Lascaux IV be prebooked in advance or could we wait until the day we decide to go? Is there a danger that tickets would be sold out?

You don’t mention when you’ll be in Sarlat, but IMO it would be better to prebook tickets for Lascaux IV. StCirq, a Fodorite who lives in the region hasn’t posted in a long time, but am sure some others will chime in with suggestions.

Following as I’m hoping to go next May/June or definitely in 2024.

Thanks very much Geetika. We'll be in Sarlat in the latter half of June. I could prebook the tickets, but sometimes I think it's nice not having things too planned.

I tried booking Lascaux IV tickets online both while in the US and France but couldn’t getting the booking completed. I experienced issues with their website. I ended up driving out there from Sarlat to buy tickets for the following day but when I got there they said they had availability on the next tour which was in about 45 minutes so I took that instead.

That's good to know joannyc. I'll keep that in mind.

Of all our France adventures The Dordogne will reman my favorite. Font de Gaume and Marquessac Gardens both were stand out experience. It was a few years ago, but here is my trip report. Staying in Sarlat was convenient to so many sites. Oh, another favorite just came to mind, Josephine Bakers house Chez Milandes.

Toulouse, The Dordogne(based in Sarlat) and Paris

There are so many Fodorites that will help you with this as they did with us

BTW, I went to Lascaux probably during the first 3 weeks of October, so June will be busier! This was in 2019 so maybe their website works now.

Lots of great information in your trip report tpayt, Thanks so much.

It's years since we went to the Dordogne, [so long ago it was still Lascaux II] but one of the best things we did was a visit to the Gouffre de Padirac which is about an hour's drive to the east from Sarlat. Really fabulous but not if you suffer from claustrophobia. Mind you that applies to many of the cave sites. We also enjoyed the Gardens at Eyrignac, not least because as we were going round the guide was pointing out how it was a "sensible french garden" as opposed to the english style, which by implication was decidedly "not sensible". Well over 20 years later and our kids still laugh about our silly english gardens.

Goose breeding, feeding, eating, etc.:
https://www.lagarriguehaute.fr/

We stayed there 2 nights, ate there 1 night. Greatly enjoyed the tour.
Plus it's near other enjoyable towns.
Maybe 20 minutes from Sarlat?

Plus, they sell goose products onsite. We didn't care to buy any then, but in retrospect...............should have.

Between Sarlat and Montignac (Lascaux) you might want to visit Saint Geniès and Saint Amand de Coly:

https://flic.kr/p/7yxyhD https://flic.kr/p/8vqWhJ https://flic.kr/p/cMMHx3

See attached itinerary.

Stu Dudley

Thank you Annhig, Tomboy, Michael and Stu!

Thanks. If you visit the goose farm, please post your experience here...so we can enjoy your visit vicariously.

And oh how I dream of the tartiflette at Chez Gaulois in Sarlat.
Yes, it’s supposedly “peasant food” but after many different places, this was the best.

Chez Milandes is worth a visit. The house and Josephine Baker's story are interesting, but for me, the show stopper was the birds of prey show that they had on site. We did this back in 2011 so I don't recall what the timing was, but I highly recommend that. We stayed in a house next to the chateau at Beynac. Great views from the chateau there.

I second the Gouffre de Padirac! One of our favorite places in the Dordogne. Gigantic stalactites and stalagmites with an underground boat ride.
Beynac Castle, one of the highlights of our trip. It's a medieval fortress with very few furnishings; felt primitive and mysterious to us.
Peche Merle with original drawings and paintings, handprints and footprint of an adolescent boy.
La Rogue-St. Christophe, a sinuously curving cliff face 80 meters high. A city during the Middle Ages.
Cruise on a river barge on the Dordogne River.
Grotte de Rouffignac. Take a train ride through the cave. Original cave drawings and hundreds of bear nests.