Saturday: Pickup at Brive Rail Station mid afternoon and transfer to first hotel at Les Eyzies. Les Eyzies is surrounded by limestone cliffs and what puts it on the map are its famous prehistoric caves. The first example of homo sapiens (thinking man) was discovered just outside town in a village called Cro Magnon. There are cave paintings and the French National Museum of Prehistory.

Sunday: We follow the Vezere to its meeting with the Dordogne River at Limeuil, a beautiful Bastide town. There is a chance to visit the Gouffre de Proumeyssac for those who choose to bike uphill and in the afternoon we cycle along the Dordogne as it passes under the castles of Beynac and Castelnau with its medieval warfare museum. We finish at Beynac, a picturesque village beside the Dordogne dominated by its castle. The castle, once the seat of Richard the Lionheart, can be reached by a steep footpath or you may prefer admiring it from below as while sipping a glass of wine before dinner. 35 miles

Monday: Today we pass La Rocque Gageac, an amazing town built into the side of a cliff beside the river. Next we reach Domme (450 feet above the Dordogne River) with panoramic views. Known as the "Acropolis of the Perigord", Domme was a key battleground in the Hundred Years War. Used to imprison the Knights Templar in the 14th century, it is still surrounded by medieval walls and is one of the best preserved Bastide towns. From Domme we continue to Payrac, a glorious cross-country stretch where we hardly see another person. It is a short but hard day and the pool at Payrac is welcome. 25 miles

Tuesday: The road to Rocamadour is a tough climb. This town was developed around the site of a  13th century hermitage and is perched on the side of a cliff 1500 feet above the river. The rest of the day is easier, but no less spectacular and takes in the Gouffre de Padrica. From here it is six miles to the hotel at Loubressac. 28 miles

Wednesday: Downhill into the small town of St Cere and its lovely food market where we stock up for a picnic. We pass the castle at Castlenau and arrive back at the river. Staying alongside the Dordogne we go through Carennac, regarded by some as the most beautiful town the the Dordogne Valley. The road twists past several minor chateaux before arriving at Meyronnes. The hotel today is a Chateau in Meyronne where we can enjoy the pool. 30 miles of gentle cycling.

Thursday: This stretch of the river cuts through limestone of the Gramat Causses, which makes for large cliffs and hills. By crossing the river frequently we can miss most of these as we make our way to Souillac. From Souillac we follow the river on tiny back roads to Sarlat-le-Caneda, a market town and the hotel is in the centre of "Vieux Sarlat". 26 miles

Friday: The last day of cycling - we leave Sarlat and follow country lanes to the hill-top village of Marquay with its beautiful views over the Vezere and Beune Valleys. We are in the centre of pre-history here and cycle to an amazing troglodyte fort at La Rocque St Cristophe. This village was carved out of overhanging galleries in a 900-metre long limestone cliff over a period of 50,000 years. Les Eyzies is another 5 miles and there is a chance to visit the famous cave paintings at Font de Gaume.   25 miles

Saturday:  Transfer to Rail Station.