Peleolithic art of the Dordogne Full day tour

A Full Day Exploring the Fascinating History of the Cave Paintings of the Dordogne

Some 15,000 years B.C. unknown artists created breathtaking cave paintings of which the most extraordinary examples are found in the Dordogne area. During this day tour you will be introduced to this fascinating art and to the people who made it.

Begin the day in Les Eyzies de Tayac for a guided visit of the National Prehistory Museum. Opened in 2004, this national museum possesses the largest collection of prehistoric artifacts in the world.

Continue to Montignac where you will visit Lascaux IV cave, a perfect reproduction of the original cave. Opened in 2016, Lascaux IV is a triumph of technology. Unlike any other cave visits, Lascaux IV employs different set designs, displays, state-of-the-art interactive workshops and immersive technology to bring it to life. In fact, the atmosphere inside the replica cave is just like that of a real cave: dark, damp and muffled.

Finally, end the tour with the visit of Rouffignac Cave that possesses original and authentic etchings and drawings. The Rouffignac cave was already mentioned in 1575 by François de Belleforest. In his Cosmographie universelle he cites “paintings and animal traces”. In the 19th century the cave was known as a tourist attraction. Famous archaeologists like Henry Breuil, André Glory and Martel had visited the cave in the early 20th century, but it was only in 1956 when Louis-René Nougier and Romain Robert, two prehistorians from the Pyrenees, rediscovered and confirmed the cave art. After the visit, return to Sarlat.