Private tours of the Dordogne valley from Sarlat
The guided hour inside
The Château de Beynac is normally walked alone, with commentary downloaded to your own phone at the entrance; that is what the castle’s own ticket buys, and it works. The private tour is the one listing on this site that puts a person beside you in the rooms instead — through the hall of the guards, the Salle des États du Périgord where the four barons of Périgord met, the oratory with its 15th-century frescoes, the 17th-century apartments, and out onto the spur terrace where Marqueyssac, Fayrac, Lacoste and Castelnaud are all in view at once. The admission itself is settled at the castle on the day, at the castle’s own rates, which are printed on the tickets page.
The route, stop by stop
Pickup first, in Sarlat, Les Eyzies or Saint-Cyprien, in an air-conditioned vehicle with water on board. Then a viewpoint stop over the valley and a traditional village, half an hour at Domme on its clifftop and half an hour walking La Roque-Gageac under its overhang, ten minutes at Beynac-et-Cazenac for the view up at the walls from the riverside, and the guided visit to finish. Commentary is live, in English and French. The listing puts the whole thing at three and a half to four hours, which is a morning or an afternoon rather than a day.
Included, per the listing
- Pickup in Sarlat, Les Eyzies or Saint-Cyprien
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- All fees and taxes
Not included, per the listing
- Large luggage
- Food and drink
January to mid-February, at Castelnaud
For that window the guided castle visit moves across the river to Castelnaud, which is a different proposition rather than a lesser one: a restored fortress holding the Musée de la guerre au Moyen Âge, with full-scale trebuchets and mangonels in the courtyard and a son-et-lumière model of the 1442 siege. Beynac itself stays open every day of the year, so the castle is still there to walk on your own with a ticket that covers the hour. How the two castles differ.
Who a private vehicle actually helps
Three groups, mostly. Anyone without a car, because every lot in the commune of Beynac-et-Cazenac is paid every day of the year and outside July and August no scheduled bus stops in the village. Anyone who would rather not do the climb from the riverside lots, which is ten to fifteen minutes up through the village, since the vehicle handles the approach. And anyone travelling with people who want to ask questions as they go, in English or in French, rather than listen to a recording. The castle’s interior is still a fortress: many steps, uneven floors and a spiral stair, and the castle states it is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility. What the approach and the interior ask of you.
A private vehicle is priced per person on the listing and the group is yours alone, so the arithmetic changes with the number of you. Check the live figure for your party size in the widget above before comparing it with the shared half-day tour.
Against the other listings
The shared half-day tour from Sarlat covers similar ground in four hours and adds an hour on a gabarre at La Roque-Gageac, but its Beynac stop is a 45-minute walk through the village rather than a visit inside; the two are compared here. The castle’s own entry ticket, around seventeen euros, is the listing whose price includes admission, walked at your own pace. It is rated 5.0 from 33 ratings, a small base by the people who have taken it, the highest of the five. The listing read in full, with the reviews.
Private guideSarlat: Private Tour to the Dordogne Valley
Half dayFrom Sarlat: Beynac & Domme Tour & Dordogne Boat Ride
Castle entryCastle entry includedChâteau de Beynac: Entry Ticket to the Castle
Still working out the shape of the day? All five listings, compared.
Frequently asked questions
Does the private tour go inside the Château de Beynac?
Yes. It is the only listing on this site with a guided hour inside the castle, with the admission paid at the castle on the day at its own rates. From January to mid-February the guided visit is at Castelnaud instead. The castle’s own entry ticket is the listing whose price includes admission. The tariff and what the ticket covers.
Where does the private tour pick up?
In Sarlat, Les Eyzies or Saint-Cyprien, in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water included. The route then takes in a viewpoint, a traditional village, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, the view up at Beynac from the riverside and the guided castle visit, in three and a half to four hours.
Is a private tour better than the half-day tour from Sarlat?
They answer different questions. The half-day tour is shared, four hours, and adds an hour on a gabarre, with a village walk at Beynac. The private tour is your vehicle alone, similar ground, and includes a guided hour inside the castle. Both, side by side.
Is the tour suitable with limited mobility?
The vehicle removes the approach, which is the steepest part of a Beynac day, and the riverside car parks are otherwise a ten to fifteen minute climb through the village. The castle itself states it is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility: many steps, uneven floors and a spiral stair. What that means in practice.