Overview
When you cycle from Agen to Cahors, you go back in time following a historic route through the Lot Valley in southern France, where hilltop villages have thrived since medieval times and agriculture too. Consequently, as you cycle to idyllic ancient towns like Villeneuve-sur-Lot or Puy Lévêque, you can reap the benefits of a tradition of fine local produce, including truffles, lamb, melon and an array of fruits, including grapes of course. A cycling holiday in the Lot Valley is never going to be short of fine wines, especially in Cahors, where you can raise a glass to its famous Malbec. Stay in a mix of three and four star hotels, with luggage transfers, you can rent a traditional or e-bike on this tour.
- Canal de Garonne Greenway
- Luzech
- Pujols
- Château de Bonaguil
- Puy-L’Évêque
- Cahors
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Agen
Arrive in Agen, with over 2,000 years of history and a vibrant city centre. Spend some time wandering around the farmers’ market, which showcase local produce or visit the 12th-century Cathédrale Saint-Caprais.
- Accommodation: Cit’Hotel Stim’otel or similar in Agen
Day 2: Agen – Le Temple-sur-Lot | 60km
Cycle across the famous Agen Aqueduct before continuing along a greenway on the banks of Canal de Garonne. From here, the routes heads through Buzet-sur-Baïse towards Aiguillon before following the Lot River to reach Le Temple-sur-Lot.
- Cycling for the day: 60km, 6h, ↑88m, ↓103m
- Accommodation: Hôtel les Rives du Plantié or similar in Le Temple-sur-Lot
- Meals: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Le Temple-sur-Lot – Villeneuve-sur-Lot | 30km
Leaving Le Temple-sur-Lot behind, cycle along quiet roads through Casseneuil, Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot and Pujols. The route then heads through orchards growing Prune d’Ente, which, once dried, produces the famous Agen prunes, before entering Villeneuve-sur-Lot through its old gateways, which once made up part of a fortified wall with six towers and eight gates.
- Cycling for the day: 30km, 3h, ↑43m, ↓30m
- Accommodation: Hôtel Mercure Villeneuve-sur-Lot – Le Moulin de Madame or similar in Villeneuve-sur-Lot
- Meals: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Villeneuve-sur-Lot – Puy Lévêque | 57km
Begin the morning cycling along quiet roads lined with orchards and plum trees through Montsempron-Libos and Fumel before taking a break to visit Château de Bonaguil, a medieval castle perched on the edge of a rocky spur. From here, the route continues towards the medieval town of Puy-Lévêque, on the border of Quercy and Périgord. Spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around its ancient, atmospheric streets, visiting sights such as the Church of Saint-Sauveur with its rib-vaulted Gothic nave.
- Cycling for the day: 57km, 5h, ↑198m, ↓131m
- Accommodation: Hotel la Truffière or similar in Puy Lévêque
- Meals: breakfast
Day 5: Puy Lévêque – Cahors | 57km
Today’s route weaves through vineyards and orchards, passing through Bélaye and Luzech before continuing towards your final stop of the tour in Cahors. Built into a meander of the Lot River, Cahors has been awarded the Ville d’Art et d’Histoire label and has an impressive history, with sights including Valentré Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cathédrale Saint-Etienne de Cahors.
- Cycling for the day: 57km, 5h, ↑335m, ↓331m
- Accommodation: Best Western Plus Hôtel Divona Cahors or similar in Cahors
- Meals: breakfast
Optional extra day: Circular route to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie | 60km
Set off on a circular route to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, a medieval village perched on a cliff overlooking the Lot River, boasting 13 historical monuments. Travel back in time as you wander through its narrow streets past Renaissance houses, medieval stalls and alleys lined with hollyhocks.
- Cycling for the day: 60km, ↑496m, ↓527m
- Accommodation: Best Western Plus Hôtel Divona Cahors or similar in Cahors
- Meals: breakfast
Day 6: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
- Meals: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is in mostly 3/4-star hotels. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Cit’Hotel Stim’otel (Agen)
- Hôtel les Rives du Plantié (Le Temple-sur-Lot)
- Hôtel Mercure Villeneuve-sur-Lot – Le Moulin de Madame (Villeneuve-sur-Lot)
- Hotel la Truffière (Puy Lévêque)
- Best Western Plus Hôtel Divona Cahors (Cahors)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days, alongside dinners on days two and three. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, restaurants are available in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is graded easy-moderate with daily cycling distances of 30-60km. The routes are mostly flat with occasional ascents and descents and mainly follow cycle paths and quiet country roads (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of April until the end of October. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season.
The weather in this area is varied. You can generally expect a mild to warm climate and pleasant temperatures for cycling. Summer temperatures range from 14-28C, with July and August being the hottest months. Late spring and early autumn are less hot, with temperatures ranging from 10-19C.
For more information, please see our blog on the Best time to go to France.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airports for this tour are Toulouse (TLS) or Bordeaux (BOD).
By train or bus
If you are able to travel to France without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Agen and Cahors. For more details, see the national rail operator SNCF-Connect.
Arrival in Agen: There are direct train services to Agen from both Toulouse (1h) and Bordeaux (1h 30mins). For more information, visit SNCF-Connect or use the Omio planner above.
Departure from Cahors: There are direct train services from Cahors to Toulouse (1h 15mins). You can also take a train from Cahors to Bordeaux, changing in Montauban (2h 15mins). For timetables and further information, visit SNCF-Connect or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 5 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 5 breakfasts
- 2 dinners on days two and three
- Travel package including route description, maps and navigation app
- Luggage transfers (one piece per person maximum 20kg)
- Phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners (except on days two and three), drinks and snacks
- Additional luggage
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Entry fees (payable locally)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights
- Tour extension
- Bike rental
- Bike insurance
Bike rental
Both hybrid and e-bikes are available to rent on this tour. All bikes are equipped with a lock, repair kit, rear bag and handlebar bag. Helmets are available on request. Sample pictures attached below, note that the exact models may differ depending on the availability, but the standard will be the same.
Arcade Escape
Arcade Brooklyn
