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From Bordeaux to Cahors by bike. Garonne and Lot valleys

Price per person

From 990€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Bordeaux, Cahors - France

Duration

7 to 8 days

Difficulty

Departures

Daily from April to October

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 08

Your stay

The Lot Valley by bike: cycling from Bordeaux to Cahors

The Canal de Garonne and the Lot Valley by bike: A tour of the South West of France ideal for lovers of nature, gastronomy, wine and culture.

The route begins on the famous Canal des 2 Mers cycle path, partly on the old railroad line running through the Entre-deux-Mers region, then along the Canal de Garonne on the old towpath. It continues along the delightful Lot Valley to link two wine capitals, Bordeaux and Cahors.

You’ll start your cycling trip along the quays of Bordeaux, a World Heritage site. Then it’s on to a route lined with bastides and medieval villages surrounded by vineyards and orchards, or overlooking the river. Sauveterre, Clairac, Villeneuve sur Lot, Penne d’Agenais or Puy L’Evêque. So many places that invite you to set foot on land, for their heritage, their cuisine and their gentle way of life.

The meandering Lot, at the gateway to the Quercy region, will finally lead you to Cahors, a mysterious and bewitching medieval city, where the red of the brick combines with the grey of the limestone and the ochre of the sandstone. You’ll enter via the famous Pont Valentré, also known as the “Devil’s Bridge” and a World Heritage site. You’ve come full circle!

Optional but highly recommended stopover: Saint-Cirq Lapopie, a village straight out of the Middle Ages, perched above the River Lot and clinging spectacularly to the cliff. A must! A walking tour followed by a gourmet lunch is a must. P.S.: This final stage along the Lot valley can be completed by electric bike.

Every evening, you’ll be welcomed in charming*** hotels or bed & breakfasts.

You'll enjoy :

The rolling countryside of the Entre-Deux-Mers region, with its pretty bastides (fortified towns)
The greenway along the Garonne canal dotted with locks
The gentle Lot valley lined with orchards, vineyards (Cahors) and picturesque villages
The medieval towns of Puy l’Evêque and St-Cirq Lapopie overlooking the Lot river
The famous Pont Valentré, gateway to Cahors

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Accommodation in 3 or 4* hotels in the heart of Bordeaux. Handover of your bike, documentation on the region and route booklet indicating your tour.

Bordeaux, the ancient Roman “Burdigala”, indissociable from its vineyards…shines brightly in its stone finery to dispense with artifice. The Garonne River, the heart of the city, welcomes walkers on its banks or for boat trips. Everyone can make the quays their own, in the hope of witnessing the stopover of a cruise liner, the “astonishing spectacle” of a giant of the seas in the heart of the city.

Day 2 - From Bordeaux to Entre-Deux-Mers

This itinerary allows you to discover the Entre-Deux-Mers region on 55 km of trails, greenways and small roads… A real treat!

You’ll leave Bordeaux on the track that runs alongside the Garonne and its marvellous quays, then follow the greenway that winds through the Entre-Deux-Mers hills, passing through Créon and Sauveterre de Guyenne, both magnificent fortified bastides. Finally, weaving our way through the vineyards, we drive to our accommodation.

Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast in a charming B&B.

Day 3 - The start of the Canal de Garonne

The greenway here is royal: it alternates between vineyards and small forests, and crosses several railway stations that have been converted into residential homes. Despite a few false flats, the trail is easy and offers a breath of fresh air.

On this slightly shorter stage, you can take advantage of the many stops along the way. At the end of the afternoon, you’ll be welcomed in a charming B&B or hotel*** in Marmande or 10 km before.

Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast in a 3* hotel or charming B&B

Day 4 - From near Marmande to Villeneuve sur Lot

Leaving Marmande, land of tomatoes and strawberries, you’ll follow the Garonne Canal under the shade of plane trees to Tonneins, where you’ll branch off to Clairac and its Benedictine abbey. You’ll then follow the Lot canal for a bucolic stroll through fruit-growing villages to Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a charming bastide town in the Lot-et-Garonne region, founded on both banks of the Lot between 1251 and 1264, under a deed of parage between Alphonse de Poitiers, representative of the King of France, and the powerful Benedictine abbey of Eysses. One of the largest and most powerful bastides in the South-West, Villeneuve-sur-Lot boasts a rich heritage to discover: Place Lafayette and its covered market, the Pujols and Paris towers, 17th and 18th century half-timbered houses, the Cieutat Bridge… Overnight accommodation in a 4* bed and breakfast hotel.

Day 5 - Villeneuve sur Lot - Puy Lévêque

Departing from Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the route takes you along back roads through plum orchards in the wide bed of the Lot. You’ll pass through the magnificent medieval village of Pujols. Other noteworthy hilltop villages are Monsempron-Libos and Fumel. A few kilometers from Fumel, you can make a detour to visit one of France’s most beautiful fortified castles, Château de Bonaguil. From the top of its rocky spur, it has dominated the valley and medieval village for 8 centuries. The castle is unique in Europe for its gigantic proportions and remarkable state of preservation.

You’ll then reach Puy-Lévêque, built on a rocky promontory on the borders of Quercy and Périgord, the medieval town is considered one of the pearls of the Lot Valley and vineyards.

Bed and Breakfast in a 2* hotel

Day 6 - Puy Lévêque to Cahors

The cycle route winds its way through vineyards and orchards, giving you the benefit of green, unspoilt landscapes. You’ll pass through small villages such as Belaye, a medieval village with a breathtaking view over the valley, or Luzech at the heart of a meander forming a peninsula, one of the most spectacular sites in the Lot valley, with breathtaking scenery. You’ll then reach Cahors, “Ville d’art et d’histoire”.

Bed and Breakfast in a 4* hotel

Day 7 - Saint-Cirq-Lapopie loop

Loop tour to the jewel of the valley: Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, one of France’s most beautiful villages. The medieval village, with no fewer than 13 historic monuments, perched on a cliff overlooking the Lot valley, offers breathtaking views. Take a trip back in time as you visit the charming village and its remarkable heritage: narrow streets, fortified gates, 13th-century keep and old houses with stone and timber-framed facades.

Bed and Breakfast in a 4* hotel

Day 8 - Departure

Departure after breakfast.

rates

Price per person

7 days – 6 nights: €990
8 days – 7 nights: €1,100

Price includes

6 or 7 nights in 3 and/or 4-star hotels (1 night in 2*) and bed & breakfasts (in double/twin rooms)
2 dinners
Road book (with map and directions)
1 GPS smartphone application
Luggage transfer at each stage
24/7 telephone assistance

Supplement

	7 days – 6 nights	8 days – 7 nights
Touring bike (VTC)	155 €	170 €
Electric bike (VAE)	290 €	320 €
Gravel bike	280 €	310 €

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (maximum 23 kg) + 1 carry-on.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (generally one month before) and/or on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:

Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information

Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information

Any necessary vouchers to be given to the service provider(s)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance. The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

On this tour, we can provide you with a choice of the following, upon reservation:

A VTC bike adapted to the ride and the route

An electric bike adapted to the route

A gravel bike adapted to the course

With equipment :

Bag 1

Handlebar bag

Repair kit

Anti-theft device

Headset

1 rear bag
1 handlebar bag
1 repair kit
1 helmet (on request)
1 anti-theft device
1 charger (for electric bike)

For younger children, depending on age and size, we can offer

Children's bikes

Bicycle follower

Trailer

Second trailer

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follower bike

The bike is adjusted to your size and delivered to the first accommodation.

At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We’ll take care of collecting them.

This tour is offered in the “superior” category

Hotel categories :

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent comfort level) and bed & breakfasts.
Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort) and charming bed & breakfasts.
Luxury: The tour features mainly 4- and 5-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort).

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available: