Self-Launched Bordeaux & Dordogne: Cradle of Prehistory
8 days · Southwest France (Bordeaux, Dordogne & Toulouse)
G Adventures charges £6,100
No-markup version: ~£1,230 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day version of G Adventures' National Geographic Signature trip through Southwest France, following the same route — Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, the Dordogne's prehistoric caves around Les Eyzies and Sarlat-la-Canéda, Rocamadour and Pech Merle, then Toulouse — using trains and buses instead of a private vehicle, guesthouses and budget hotels instead of luxury stays, and self-booked cave tickets, vineyard tastings and market lunches instead of an expedition leader. The original sells at roughly USD $7,799 per person (about £6,100+), largely because of Signature-grade hotels, expert guides and included transfers; doing it independently on the same dates should land around £1,100-1,400. Key practical note: Font de Gaume and Pech Merle release limited timed tickets (book Font de Gaume online the moment your date opens, roughly 2-3 months ahead, and call Pech Merle for English-language slots); Lascaux IV and Rouffignac book easily online in advance. All figures are approximate per-person GBP estimates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bordeaux — riverside evening
Bordeaux
Fly or take the Eurostar/TGV into Bordeaux (direct TGV from Paris Montparnasse ~2h10, from ~£30-60 if booked early). Check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Chartrons or Saint-Pierre quarter. Spend the late afternoon walking the UNESCO-listed waterfront and the Miroir d'Eau, then browse the Saint-Pierre market streets. Instead of the tour's welcome dinner, book a small-group or self-guided wine bar tasting in the Chartrons — wine bars like those around Rue Notre-Dame pour a Bordeaux glass for €5-7. Cheap airport transfer by Ligne 1 bus (~€2) rather than a private car.
🚌TGV from Paris or budget flight to Bordeaux; Line 1 bus from airport to centre ~€2
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Bordeaux Chartrons/Saint-Pierre (~£45-65/night)
- →Waterfront and Miroir d'Eau walk
- →Saint-Pierre old town wander
- →Evening wine bar tasting in Chartrons (~£15-20)
Bordeaux markets, community café and a Médoc wine tasting
Bordeaux
Do the tour's Bordeaux day independently: start at Marché des Capucins for coffee and oysters, and visit Café Joyeux (the same social-enterprise coffee shop the tour highlights, employing people with disabilities) for a coffee. Take a self-guided walk through Saint-Michel and the Grosse Cloche. In the afternoon, ride tram C or the TER train to a Médoc or Saint-Émilion winery for a cellar tour and tasting — bookable directly with the château or via GetYourGuide for £25-40, including transport by tram/train (Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion ~35 min, ~€8 each way). Dinner at a neighbourhood bistro rather than the included group dinner.
🚌Tram/bus around Bordeaux (~€5 day pass); TER train to Saint-Émilion or Médoc ~€8 each way
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Bordeaux (~£45-65/night)
- →Marché des Capucins market breakfast
- →Café Joyeux coffee
- →Château cellar tour and wine tasting (~£30)
Saint-Émilion monolith and on to the Dordogne
Saint-Émilion → Les Eyzies / Sarlat-la-Canéda
Train to Saint-Émilion in the morning and join the timed tour of the monolithic church and catacombs (€13-15, book at the tourist office or online). Grab a picnic lunch of local cheese and cannelés, then take the TER train back to Bordeaux and continue to the Dordogne — Bordeaux to Libourne/Sarlat connections vary, but the practical route is Bordeaux-Libourne or Bordeaux-Périgueux TER then a regional bus/train to Sarlat or Les Eyzies (total ~4-5 hours, ~£25-35). Alternatively hire a car in Bordeaux for days 3-6 (from ~£25-35/day) which makes the cave villages far easier. Settle into a guesthouse in Sarlat's old town and walk the golden stone lanes at dusk.
🚌TER Bordeaux–Saint-Émilion ~€8; TER/bus Bordeaux to Sarlat or Les Eyzies ~£25-35; optional car hire from ~£30/day
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Sarlat-la-Canéda old town (~£55-75/night)
- →Monolithic church and catacombs tour, Saint-Émilion (~£13)
- →Picnic lunch in the vines
- →Evening walk in Sarlat old town
Rouffignac electric train and the restricted Font de Gaume
Les Eyzies & Rouffignac
This is the prehistory highlight day. Drive or take a taxi/shuttle to Rouffignac Cave (about 30 min from Les Eyzies) for the little electric train ride through galleries of mammoth engravings — tickets ~€9-10, book online in advance. Then head to Font de Gaume in Les Eyzies, one of the last caves with original polychrome paintings and strictly limited to ~75 visitors/day: buy tickets on the official site the moment they release (usually a few months ahead) — around €13-15, and expect a 1-hour timed English visit. In between, visit the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies (~€6-8). Afternoon back in Sarlat for free time and dinner at a local bistro. If you miss Font de Gaume tickets, Combarelles or Cap Blanc are good backups.
🚌Local taxi, bike hire or self-drive between Les Eyzies, Rouffignac and Sarlat (~£15-30)
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Sarlat-la-Canéda (~£55-75/night)
- →Rouffignac Cave electric train tour (~£9)
- →Font de Gaume painted cave (advance booking, ~£13)
- →National Museum of Prehistory, Les Eyzies (~£7)
Sarlat market, Lascaux IV and a Castel-Merle prehistoric day
Sarlat-la-Canéda & Montignac
Start at Sarlat's famous Wednesday or Saturday market — the same truffle-and-cheese scents the tour describes — for breakfast and picnic supplies. Book the timed entry or guided tour at Lascaux IV in Montignac online (£20-25, English tours sell out, book weeks ahead). In the afternoon, visit Castel-Merle at Sergeac, the site the original tour enters privately with its owner: standard entry with self-guided shelter walk is around €10-12, and the site runs occasional fire-lighting demonstrations and prehistoric-style meals that you can request directly (email ahead — a fire demo or prehistoric lunch is usually €15-25 on top). Evening free in Sarlat.
🚌Self-drive or local bus/taxi Sarlat–Montignac (~20 min) and on to Sergeac
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Sarlat-la-Canéda (~£55-75/night)
- →Sarlat market morning
- →Lascaux IV guided tour (~£22, book online)
- →Castel-Merle rock shelters entry (~£10) plus optional fire-making demo
Rocamadour, Pech Merle and into Toulouse
Rocamadour & Pech Merle → Toulouse
Leave the Dordogne heading south. Stop first at Rocamadour — climb or take the lifts up to the sanctuary village clinging to the cliff (village free, lift ~€4). Press on to Pech Merle at Cabrerets for its painted mammoths and spotted horses: entry ~€14-16, timed tickets released online about 3 months ahead and phone reservations work well for English slots. If driving, this is a beautiful back-road run; by public transport, use the Sarlat–Souillac–Rocamadour regional buses and a TER train from Souillac or Brive to Toulouse (~2h, ~£20-30). Arrive in Toulouse — 'La Ville Rose' — for a late dinner on Place Saint-Georges.
🚌Regional bus/taxi Rocamadour–Cabrerets; TER Souillac/Brive to Toulouse ~£20-30 (or self-drive ~3h)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Toulouse city centre (~£50-70/night)
- →Rocamadour sanctuary and cliffside village
- →Pech Merle painted cave (~£15)
- →Evening in Toulouse old town
Toulouse walking day and Victor Hugo market lunch
Toulouse
Spend the day on foot in Toulouse: the Capitole, the Jacobins church with its palm-tree vault, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, and the Garonne quays. Do the tour's Victor Hugo Market highlight independently — arrive around midday, buy a plate from the market's upstairs food hall (a 'menu du jour' with a glass of Fronton wine is €15-20) or join a small-group market-and-food walking tour via GetYourGuide (£30-45). Optional afternoon: the Airbus/Aeroscopia aerospace museum (bus from the centre, ~£12) or a stroll along the Canal du Midi. Farewell dinner in a local cassoulet bistro rather than the included group dinner.
🚌Toulouse metro/tram day pass ~€7; local buses
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Toulouse (~£50-70/night)
- →Self-guided Toulouse architecture walk
- →Victor Hugo market lunch (~£18)
- →Optional food walking tour (~£35) or Aeroscopia (~£12)
Depart Toulouse
Toulouse
Final breakfast, then take the airport shuttle or tram/bus to Blagnac airport (€2-8) rather than the included private transfer. If your flight is later, do a last morning coffee in Place du Capitole or visit the Augustins museum. Trains onward to Paris (~4h15 by TGV, from ~£35) or overnight options back toward the UK are also straightforward from Toulouse Matabiau.
🚌Toulouse tram/bus or shuttle to Blagnac airport €2-8; onward TGV from ~£35
🛏—
- →Morning coffee at Place du Capitole
- →Optional Musée des Augustins (~£5)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,230 | £6,100 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £4,870 per person (80%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,230
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Bordeaux & Dordogne: Cradle of Prehistory cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,230 per person for 8 days in Southwest France (Bordeaux, Dordogne & Toulouse). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £6,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,230 — a saving of roughly £4,870 (80%) per person.
How long is the Southwest France (Bordeaux, Dordogne & Toulouse) trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Southwest France (Bordeaux, Dordogne & Toulouse).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, slow-travel trip through Southwest France (Bordeaux, Dordogne & Toulouse), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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