Cro Magnon Tour Overview
Our Cro Magnon tour takes us on a journey into the prehistory as we join the dots between the cave art of Cro Magnon across Southern France. Cro-Magnon refers to the population of early Homo sapiens dating from the Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 40,000 to c. 10,000 years ago) in Europe and provides the primary focus for this tour. We start at the Chauvet cave in the Ardeche region whose painting has been carbon-dated to 32,000 years ago. From here we head south along the Rhone River and through Provence and the Languedoc as we head to the ‘capital’ of prehistory – Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in the Dordogne. It was here that Édouard Lartet discovered the five archaeological layers in a shallow cave that demonstrated the evolutionary path of mankind. Rouffignac with it’s mammoth, Font de Gaume and Cap Blanc are just three of the amazing cave sites that we’ll visit here.
We then head westwards to perhaps the best-known cave site at Lascaux (images from which are shown below). Discovered by four teenagers in 1940 this site is considered by many to be the most impressive example of pre-historic cave art. The original cave is now closed to the public due to the damaging impact of carbon dioxide in human breathe but the replica that is situated on the same site is a wonderful representation in its own right.
Further highlights of the tour include a meeting with Monsieur Begouen who owns the Grotte des 3 Frères and a visit to the Gargas cave that is otherwise known as the ‘Hands Cave’. Our trip specialist – Vincent Reboul – has spent years planning this tour and has a network of contacts at all of these cave sites that adds an extra immersive dimension to the tour experience. The tour concludes on the Spanish border at Tautavel where we visit the Aragon Cave where the remains of the 450,000 year old ‘Homme de Tautavel’ have been found. Our Cro Magnon tour provides a wonderful chance to delve into the fascinating subject of human evolution whilst offering a wonderful sensory bike ride across Southern France.

Cro Magnon Highlights
STAGE 1 – Chauvet to Sarlat
> Cycle down the majestic Gorges d’Ardeche
> View the amazing figurative images of the Chauvet cave
> Cross the wild and enchanting Cevennes region
> Discover the gigantic spotted horses of the Pech Merle cave
> Delight the gastronomy and medieval history of Sarlat
> Visit the extraordinary replica of the Lascaux cave
STAGE 2 – Sarlat to Perpignan
> Visit the enchanting town of Bergerac
> Sample the delights of the wonderful Monbazillac wine
> Discover the gruesome history of the Cathars and their fortresses
> View the remarkable Gargas cave which is known as the ‘hands cave’
> Cycle the road less travelled through the Languedoc region
> Meet ‘Tautavel man’ in the shadow of the Pyrenees
Cro Magnon Bike Tour Dates 2021
Stage | Start Date | End Date | Days | Distance | Cost (Euros) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1: Chauvet to Sarlat | 20th April | 26th April | 7 Days / 6 Nights | 478km / 297 miles | €2860 |
Stage 2: Sarlat to Perpignan | 26th April | 6th May | 11 Days / 10 Nights | 766km / 476 miles | €4520 |
The Epic: Chauvet to Perpignan | 20th April | 6th May | 17 Days / 16 Nights | 1,244km / 772 miles | €6780 |
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Overview
The Trip
This tour takes you on a journey into the prehistory joining the dots between the cave art of Cro-Magnon across Southern France.
Email me the Tour Overview Book Now Schedule a CallTour at a Glance
Cro Magnon – Chauvet to Perpignan
Length: 17 days I 16 nights
Distance: 1244km I 722 miles
Elevation: 10,359m I 33,986 ft
Dates: April 20 - May 6 2021aa
Price: €6780
Grading:
Stage 1 – Chauvet to Sarlat
Distance: 478km / 297 miles
Elevation: 4,532m I 14,868 ft
Dates: April 20 - 26 2021aa
Price: €2860
Grading:
Stage 2 – Sarlat to Perpignan
Distance: 544km I 338 miles
Elevation: 5,827m I 19,117 ft
Dates: April 26 - May 6 2021aa
Price: €4520
Grading:
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