Foodie tour of the Lot and Dordogne

This is a cycling holiday with a difference - where you get to discover and experience the fantastic gastronomy of the Quercy Perigord region of south-west France.
It's cycling for foodies at is best: you get to explore this beautiful and unspoilt area of France and at the same time discover the wealth of wonderful food and wine that this region has to offer. The tour combines routes from both our 'Lot Valley and Vistas' and our 'Dordogne History and Mystery' tours so you get to experience the best of both worlds in an escape to peaceful surroundings and quiet, virtually traffic-free roads that are a pleasure to cycle.

On this cycling holiday you stay with us for the whole week, so you can relax, unpack and unwind from the moment you arrive. Then, each day from the comfort of 'home', you can explore a fresh part of the widely varying terrain of this stunning region and many new gastronomic tastes along the way.

As you cycle the stunning routes you'll visit local artisans who will happily demonstrate their particular skills to show you how their product contributes towards the magnificent gastronomic reputation of the region.
AOC Racamadour cheese; le Croustilot - the speciality Lotoise crusty bread; duck in all its guises including foie gras; truffles, walnuts and wild mushrooms, and, of course, the famous 'black wine' produced from the original Malbec grape of AOC Cahors.
All are signature products of the regional gastronomy and all will be discovered, experienced and enjoyed on this fabulous cycling tour for foodies!
All your meals are included on this tour and you'll enjoy lunches either at great local bistros and auberges or as gourmet picnics, freshly procured from nearby weekly markets.
Dinners are mostly 4-course gourmet affairs with wine taken at Mas de flory or, on two occasions, at excellent nearby restaurants.

The cycling is fairly gentle with plenty of long, quiet stretches along valley roads. There are a few hillier sections which are well worth the effort for the amazing panoramic views across the landscape from the top.
Anyone with a reasonable level of fitness should be able to complete the routes comfortably (although we can't guarantee that the end of the week won't feel a little more strenuous after all that great food and wine!).

The following itinerary provides an outline of what to expect.

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Your first day on the bike and we give you a nice gentle introduction to your french cycling holiday.
After breakfast we'll fit you with your bike for the week and ensure you feel comfortable and confident before you set off.
You'll cycle along quiet, leafy backroads, following a mostly flat route towards the small town of Catus. En route you will stop at a goose farm.
You'll be able to see the production of other goose and duck products and sample the fantastic end results in a gourmet meal at the end of the day.
In the afternoon you'll continue southwards and make your way towards the Lot River valley and the pretty town of Luzech. You'll get there via the amazing views from the Col de Crayssac and the spectacular downhill, switchback sweep of the route de Cevenne - a thrilling ride!
You can then meander through the AOC Cahors vineyards (along the Cahors Wine Trail and Lot Valley Cycle Route) past Chateaux of Caix, Parnac, and Caillac, where we'll take you to a wine tasting at one of our favourite chateaux, before returning to Mas de Flory at the end of the afternoon.

Today we'll follow a mostly flat route along the river valley into the Dordogne dept. and visit a honey producer in the very pretty village of Daglan.
After lunch in a pretty bistro overlooking the river, you'll then follow the River Dordogne to view magnificent chateaux built during the hundred years war in the 11th and 12th centuries, an ancient riverside settlement carved into the overhanging cliffs and a perfectly preserved 12th century bastide town towering high above the river with spectacular far-reaching vews.
You'll cycle along the route de noix and visit a mill where the walnuts are pressed for their wonderful pungent, golden oil.
Later we'll return to Daglan (by minibus rather than bicycle!) and experience a great meal at a Michelin starred restaurant.

This morning begins with a visit to a nearby traditional wood-fired bakery to watch the Croustillot (ancient Lotoise bread) being made.
We'll take the freshly baked loaves to enjoy for lunch as a bread and cheese picnic - washed down with some gutsy Cahors wine.
After lunch you'll cycle through the dappled green shade of the wooded backroads of the Bouriane, exploring tiny and pretty hamlets, such as Rampoux, Thedirac and Gindou and then ride into quaint Les Arques where a visit to the museum of Zadkine with its remarkable sculptures, is a must.
Les Arques is also home to the wonderful La Recreation restaurant, whose story is charmingly told in the book 'From Here You Can't See Paris' by Michael Sanders. Visit the publisher site and to where we'll return on Friday evening for a true gourmet extraveganza!
As a finale to the afternoon you'll continue on to the pretty village of Lherm and a visit to a beautiful lavender farm to see the pressing and distillation of the oil and enjoy a fabulous lavender cream tea!

In exploring these lovely country villages you'll get to experience the real rural France, often having remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

Today you'll cycle across the stunning regional park of Le Causse du Quercy, along quiet valley roads with spectacular views on the way to amazing Rocamadour.
Carved dramatically into the limestone cliffs, this ancient village clings precariously to the hillside, presenting a visually magical site. It has been a destination for religious pilgrims for the last thousand years and is now the site for a monastery as well as a point on the pilgrimage to St Jaques de Compostella in northern Spain.
We'll leave you free to explore this spectacular ancient monument and to take lunch at your choice of bistro / restaurant from the many that line the quaint mediaevil streets.
Rocamadour is also famed for its AOC Rocamadour cheese - a creamy fresh goats cheese that is traditionally and deliciously served with a trickle of honey and a few fresh walnut kernels. We'll visit a farm where you can watch this cheese being made.

On your last cycling day youll explore the lovely winding River Lot and finish the day with wine-tasting at beautiful Chateau Chambert!

This tour follows part of the Cahors AOC wine route - voted best wine route by The FrenchPaper, June 2009.

Youll meander along the river and among the vineyards, passing through tiny villages and hamlets, all of which have bars where you can stop for a coffee or a cool beer and watch the river flow.
Cycle into pretty Prayssac and spend some time browsing its fabulous weekly market with its amazing array of colurful, fresh produce.
We'll then enjoy a gourmet picnic at a beautiful spot high above the Lot river valley and its vineyards below.
After lunch you can take the rest of the afternoon to cycle amongst the AOC Cahors vineyards and make the moderate climb to Floressas, where youll find Chateau Chambert sitting majestically above the vines.
Here you can join a tour of the grounds and then taste their wonderful selection of Cahors wines, produced from biodynamically cultivated Malbec grapes.

You don't need to worry about cycling afterwards as well meet you with the minibus and drive you back home to Mas de Flory.

Cycling holidays start on a Sunday and finish the following Saturday and include all of the following:

• Accommodation as stated in ' Mas de flory'
• All meals, except Rocamadour lunch, - to gourmet standard
• All costs related to food and wine visits on itinerary (except restaurant drinks)
• Bike hire, routes and maps and full cycling support as stated in 'Cycling Holidays'
• Transfers to and from Gourdon rail station or Bergerac airport, as required