Lascaux II replica caves - some of the most famous prehistoric art in the world
Font-de-Gaume, one of the finest Palaeolithic sanctuaries in the world
Grotte de Rouffignac, over 8km long, home to over 250 images
Two talks from expert, Dr David Saunders
This tour really emphasises the history in our “Art & History Abroad” programme as we head back some 10-25,000 years to our ancient ancestors and the amazing rock art heritage in South West France. Rock art specialist Dr David Saunders will highlight this fascinating and sometimes moving journey back in time, that shows how little the human race has changed in essence over millennia. One of the key sites on this tour are the extraordinary replica Lascaux caves, the originals of which were found in 1940 when teenager Marcel Rividat’s dog fell in a hole. The replicas are now housed in a state of the art museum and are one of the most important windows on the lives of our distant ancestors.
Available Departures |
From |
|
| 09 - May - 2024 | Limited Availability | Travel Info Please Call |
|
Provisional Timings St Pancras Departing: 09th May 2024 at 08:01 Returning: 14th May 2024 at 15:12 |
Day 1: Travel by Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris and onwards to Brive. On arrival, transfer by coach (approx. one hour) to Les Eyzies and Hotel des Roches.
Day 2: Abri Cap Blanc and Font-de-Gaume.
Morning visit to Abri Cap Blanc, a prehistoric rock shelter with a large frieze. Afternoon visit to Font-de-Gaume, one of the finest Palaeolithic sanctuaries in the world with more than 200 engraved or painted representations, including the famous kissing reindeer. Lecture at hotel, ‘The landscape of the prehistoric cave artists’ and dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 3: Grotte de Cougnac and Pech Merle Cave.
First to the Grotte de Cougnac, two caves with spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations in one and spectacular pre-historic cave paintings in the other. Afternoon to the Pech Merle Cave, which runs for about two kilometres, including 300 metres of galleries and pre-historic footprints of children. This evening we will have a dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 4: Free day in Les Eyzies.
Today you will have free time to enjoy the village of Les Eyzies. In 1868 several skeletons of Cro-Magnons (the first early modern humans) were unearthed in Les Eyzies. The town is located at the centre of a whole series of archaeological sites which we visit on the tour allowing it to earn the name of the 'capital of Prehistory'. The National Museum of Prehistory is an interesting visit. This evening enjoy a lecture at the hotel ‘A century of trying to understand prehistoric cave artists’.
Day 5: Grotte de Rouffignac and Lascaux II.
We start the day with a visit to the Grotte de Rouffignac, over eight kilometres long, it is the home to over 250 images in total, including the “Great Ceiling” which is decorated with 65 animal figures including mammoths, horses, bison, ibex and even a rhinoceros, dating back some 15,000 years. Next to the most famous cave of all, the replica caves at Lascaux II presenting the Hall of the Bulls and the Axial Diverticulum. The oringal cave shut its doors to visitors in 1963 and the huge project to reconstruct an identical version was started and opened in 1983. Lascaux II is located only a few hundred yards from the original cave and showcases replica drawings on the cave walls which Marcel Ravidat first discovered in 1940. This evening we will have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 6: Transfer back to Brive station to catch the return TGV to Paris and onwards by Eurostar to St Pancras.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 23 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Hotel des Roches, Les Eyzies
Comfortable and quiet three-star hotel located in the heart of the small, peaceful town of Les Eyzies, ideally situated for the famous sites of the region. Hotel facilities include a bar, breakfast room and outdoor swimming pool surrounded by gardens. Rooms all have private bathroom facilities with bath/shower, TV, telephone, safe, hairdryer and free wi-fi.
Hotel des Roches Website
Your Lecturer - Dr David Saunders
David has an interest in all areas prehistoric. He undertakes archaeological excavations at Stonehenge and Marden Henge and has lectured throughout the UK. He has just published a book on animal movement across the Stonehenge landscape, “The Cursus Enigma.” He has led several tours for Travel Editions in recent years which have been extremely well received.
Karen and David were both outstanding. We thought Lascaux IV was an unecessary circus. Better Lascaux II? The description of the tour as 'difficult' and requirement for ankle boots both unnecessary - trainers moire than adequate. The experience of seeing wall art in the caves was overwhelming. Gret tour!
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-May-2023
A really interesting trip which was relaxed because the manager and lecturer managed everything so well. My only comment was that the restaurant did not provide any vegetables with the meal - although what was offered was very good.
Review by Hoadley who travelled 04-May-2023
I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of travelling with your company. Karen was a great leader, who ensured that we were all able to enjoy our travels safely and easily. She also made sure that we were all aware of options etc during free times. Her ability to speak French was a tremendous advantage. David, our expert, was excellent. His enthusiasm shone out. His lectures were great and he was always willing to answer questions, discuss views etc with patience and deep knowledge (even if that was to know what we don’t know!). I would happily book a holiday with either of them again. Thank you.
Review by Crossman who travelled 04-May-2023
both tour manager and expert were ecellent. I did however think that the evening meals, while well cooked were somewhat too nouvelle cuisine - only niggle of whole trip
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-May-2023
Visiting the caves was truly wonderful. However, by the end of the second day of caves I felt overwhelmed by seeing so much art in such a short space of time. Four caves in two caves was rather too much. Having said that, I appreciate that geography has to be considered and it may not be possible to plan the visits in any other way. David and Karen were both brilliant!
Review by Robertson who travelled 04-May-2023
Last October, I took my first solo trip to visit the caves in Northern Spain. I was so impressed that I booked the equivalent in France as soon as I returned. Knowing that David Saunders, the expert on Prehistory, would also be lecturing, made my decision easy. I would not only see the rock stars of caves but also learn a lot too. Together with Karen, they made a great team and really looked after us. If anyone is unsure about going solo, there were 5 couples and 8 singles and we all got on together and hopefully will meet again on other trips. My overall impression was excellent. Great hotel and the village is beautiful with lots of choices of affordable places to eat. There are caves within walking distance ( I did one on our day off) plus really good museums just a few minutes walk from hotel. If you fancy a day away from Prehistory, there are plenty of walks to do in the countryside. The only disappointment which a few of us felt, was that the replica Lascaux IV was a very different experience from all the 'real' caves. It was the one place I wanted to get out of quickly. Too many visitors and very touristy though the shop was good. I have been told that Lascaux II, also a replica, is a better option. However despite this I would highly recommend this tour if you are interested in cave art and the evolution of humans in one of the most beautiful regions of France. Thank you David and Karen for making this holiday special and enriching my life.
Review by Cooper who travelled 04-May-2023
The dinners provided where excellent and innovative. The lectures given by the historian were informative and the tour of the cave art was awe inspiring.
Review by Woodleigh who travelled 28-April-2022
Review by Anonymous who travelled 28-April-2022
Review by Anonymous who travelled 28-April-2022
This was my second T E trip and lived up to the success of the first (In the footsteps of the masters).
Review by Anonymous who travelled 28-April-2022
This was a very enjoyable tour, seeing wonderful Palaeolithic cave art in the lovely Dordogne countryside. Our tour manager, Karen, had everything sorted all the way and our very knowledgeable guide, David, put the art in its historical context with the latest interpretations and his own understanding. Our various cave guides were enthusiastic, especially Paschal at Font du Gaume. We had a very pleasant free day around Les Eyzies, the Cro Magnm Museum was fun and the National Prehistoric Museum was very good. Finally, it was very relaxing to sit by the stream at our hotel, Les Roches, listening to the water and the birds and I would recommend the Vin du Noix - walnut wine.
Review by Chapman who travelled 28-April-2022
Excellent staff, both the tour manager and the archaeologist. Beautiful hotel in delightful scenery. Comfortable coach travel both at the destination and across Paris.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 28-April-2022
Very well organised, and excellent expert involvement - the right degree of information for all levels of knowledge and interest. A really great experience.
Review by Poland who travelled 28-April-2022
The position of the hotel was good. A minor point, we got the impression that PIP was rather more important than it was, the Musee National de la Prehistoire is really excellent and it, and the terrace above it, need to be emphasised as the essential museumto visit.
Review by Corin who travelled 03-October-2019
An excellent trip - we loved it. David Saunders was a very knowledgeable and sociable guide - he added a great deal to our understanding of the art and the era. We would highly recommend him, as without him we would certainly not have learned as much as we did. Karen Blackwell worked very hard to make sure the travel arrangements went smoothly and her knowledge of the Dordogne area added to our enjoyment of the trip overall.
Review by Koval who travelled 03-October-2019
A very nice restaurant for the three dinners.
Review by Brunton who travelled 03-October-2019
Review by anonymous who travelled 03-October-2019
The tour was interesting and I felt that Karen and David had good knowledge of the area. Also, they were organized and things went smoothly. It’s very helpful that they had been there before and could recommend restaurants, etc. The hotel was satisfactory. What I noticed the most was that each time we entered and sometimes near reception I could smell cigarettes. Maybe someone who works there smokes, I’m not sure, but it’s not a pleasant, welcoming smell.
Review by anonymous who travelled 03-October-2019
The order of the cave painting excursions was well thought out. The expert guide was excellent and his two lectures were very interesting and well presented. It was a good idea for three of the five evening meals to be prearranged in a local restaurant, as this promoted tour participant cohesion.
Review by anonymous who travelled 03-October-2019
Every aspect of the tour was a success. I would definitely like to book another Travel Editions tour for next year. My one comment would be that it would have been great to have a "study pack", i.e. no need for a glossy booklet with colour photographs, but a couple of paragraphs on each cave we visited, providing the approximate dates and some background info such as dates each cave was discovered, estimated age of rock art (it fluctuates from 12,000 to 40,000 years in the 6 caves we visited) plus some other interesting highlights. Other than Lascaux, the cave shops do not sell any literature on their content and we were standing around mostly in the dark, so unable to make notes. It would have been great to come home with some notes to keep each experience in the forefront of my mind.
Review by Lodge who travelled 03-October-2019
Highly enjoyable and stimulating. Apart from the art (!), Lea Eyzies in the springtime was a joy. Apart from the water issue, our French hosts were welcoming and efficient...as were both Karen and David.
Review by Harcourt who travelled 25-April-2019
My participation in the Rock Art tour had an inauspicious start. After visiting the Abri Cap Blanc on the first day we climbed up the path to the Font de Gaume cave situated near the top of a hill. Feeling in need of a short rest I turned to sit down near the local guides hut, stumbled and fell, hitting my head on the ground. The site guide phoned for help and about twenty minutes later three young pompier[fireman] paramedics arrived carrying rucksacks filled with medical kit. After checking that I had not broken anything, my blood pressure and pulse were measured and found normal. My forehead was swabbed and bandaged and I was escorted back down the hill to a waiting ambulance which took us to a doctors surgery in Les Eyzies , conveniently located near our hotel. Docteur Nguyen Huu Chieu Roger's English was on a par with my schoolboy French but our knowledgeable Tour Manager Karen Blackwell made short work of translating the medical questions. After a thorough examination Dr. Roger decided that all I needed was a stitch or two which he promptly made. Finally, he filled in a form for me to claim back his fee of 52 euros when I got back home. I cannot speak too highly of the medical help provided by the three paramedics and their speedy arrival. Dr. Roger's attention and treatment was equally fast and effective. Later that day I was able to attend the first of the excellent lectures delivered by David Saunders before enjoying dinner at the restaurant near the hotel. The food and wines were delicious and the presentation of each course can only be described as works of art. There were no after effects of my accident and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the tour. The cave art at Pech Merle displaying mammoths and dappled horses was particularly memorable and the replica paintings and engravings of horses, bison, stags, etc. at the Lascaux International Centre came up to expectations. The Hotel Des Roches at Les Eyzies and the coach that took us from site to site were both very comfortable and helped to make the Rock Art Tour a memorable experience. Regards, David F. Davidson.
Review by Davidson who travelled 25-April-2019
Review by Anonymous who travelled 25-April-2019
There were long delays on trains on both outward and homeward journeys - but I fully accept this is something beyond your control. Otherwise, the trip was great.
Review by Phillips who travelled 25-April-2019
It was a shame that the original travel times had to be altered. It meant very late arrival at the hotel. The trip across Paris on the outward journey meant there was no time to buy lunch. However, all in all, it was highly enjoyable. Karen is beyond praise as tour manager. David Saunders also excellent.
Review by Griffiths who travelled 25-April-2019
Review by Anonymous who travelled 25-April-2019
This was a very interesting and informative holiday in a beautiful part of France. I enjoyed the train journeys, which included a bus transfer across Paris on the outward journey. The coach travel from Angouleme to the hotel was too long at the end of a long day. The hotel was comfortable, and the breakfast sufficient. It would have been good if some evening meals were available in the hotel, as to go out each evening was sometimes tiring after a long day. I found the evening meals a bit too rich for my taste, but it was a good opportunity for the group to eat together and get to know each other. One meal was very late in the evening, with an early start the next day. David, the archaeologist, was friendly, approachable and very willing to share information with us. His lectures were well illustrated and just the right length. He joined us for meals and on the tours so we were able to ask questions at all times. Our tour manager was friendly, organised and well informed about the subject and the area. She welcomed feedback and provided us with enough information to enable the group to function well and to understand what was required of us. She was asked to consider re-scheduling some of the timetable for future holidays and she was open to our suggestions.
Review by Boddy who travelled 04-October-2018
A really fascinating and enjoyable tour. Both tour manager and expert speaker/guide were excellent. Very nice hotel conveniently situated. Included meals very good. The journey was rather long - it was the extra nearly 3 hours by coach that really made it tiring. Why not just fly to Bergerac (or offer that as an alternative option)? The visits were great because we saw a variety of types of cave and cave art. I would definitely be interested in a tour to the Spanish equivalents. Overall a fantastic trip.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
An informative, interesting and engaging tour which we enjoyed very much. Our only thought was that the journey involving 2 trains and a lengthy coach ride was tiring and took up a whole day at each end of the tour, though it's hard to see how it could be shortened. Our Tour Manager and Lecturer were patient and efficient.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
Excellent tour. Would definitely go on anything similar again in future. Any chance of Cave Art in Spain?
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
Excellent tour, each site was different and we saw some amazing prehistoric art over 3 days
Review by Anonymous who travelled 04-October-2018
Vey interesting and enjoyable tour. The tour manager and lecturer were excellent and the caves we visited spectacular. The hotel was fine and the nearby restaurant gave us some good meals.
Review by Hardy who travelled 30-August-2018
I agree with all the comments made so far by other travellers on this departure. Karen is a very friendly, approachable tour leader who added lots of info about the region in general. The caves were really fabulous and each quite different. The hotel was very comfortable with good communal space for the group to get together, and in a great location. There are things to do in the village on the free Sunday. I particularly enjoyed the visit to Abri Pataud, and others in the group walked to caves at Les Combarelles. I really enjoyed the holiday.
Review by Roper who travelled 30-August-2018
I cannot praise this tour enough. Karen was friendly, efficient and knowledgble about the district in general. She put the area into its present day context. David gave an excellent overview of current thinking on the pre-historic era which put all our cave art visits in perspective. The tour was well planned by both our leaders who compememted each other. It was if they had already foreseen any hitches. I could do the tour all over again.
Review by Davies who travelled 30-August-2018
I was very apprehensive about the amount and type of walking which would be necessary and found that all the trips were well within my capabilities, I would have welcomed a more specific itinerary outlining when buses would be used etc. I thought the hotel was charming and the local village an ideal place to stay with plenty of good restaurants and the excellent museum. I was glad to have a free day in the village to enjoy them. I also thought the itinerary was one of the most well balanced I had ever encountered, A very good variety of sites (loved them all) and not too much in one day, plenty of good information but no danger of overload. I cannot praise David and Karen enough for the care and attention to detail with which they planned and organised this trip. One last thing, thank you for the very well balanced meals in the local restaurant, something which I have come to expect from Travel Editions Tours.
Review by who travelled 30-August-2018
Tour manager and expert lecturer were excellent. Hotel and location were very pleasant. Some of the bus travel was a bit lengthy, but necessary to see the cave art. Overall an interesting and worthwhile trip. Glad we made it. Will book with Travel Editions again.
Review by Unwin who travelled 30-August-2018
Tour manager was very good at organising the journey in difficult conditions. Lectures were well prepared, and food and wine of a good standard.. The coach driver was careful and efficient. We would recommend this tour to anyone interested in cave art.
Review by Lowe who travelled 19-April-2018
Excellent trip, full of interest. Although affected by the SNCF strike, the alternative time-tabling worked adequately although the scramble through Gare du Nord on the return leg was stressful. Our very experienced tour leader managed brilliantly. The variety of rock art sites visited was very well chosen. Our hotel, Des Roches, was a wonderful base - a friendly, very well cared for, homely hotel serving great breakfasts and with a comfortable bar. The restaurant where we had the included dinners was terrific. All-in-all, a great success.
Review by Grant who travelled 19-April-2018
Karen was a delightful leader - always cheerful and helpful and calm when dealing with the train strike.The hotel was lovely - the only reason we did not rate it as excellent was the lack of kettle, etc in room. Strike made travel difficult.
Review by Parlett who travelled 19-April-2018
Review by who travelled 19-April-2018
Betty Denman and I already filled out your questionnaire and gave it to Karen. We were both extremely happy with the whole trip and all aspects of it. Full of appreciation that you managed to let the trip run so smoothly despite the rail strikes. Thanks for a brilliant new and unusual tour!
Review by Eaton who travelled 19-April-2018
A brilliant trip with an outstanding tour leader. There were problems with the French rail strike but these were overcome by you with little inconvenience to us. The hotel was charming but the plumbing was extremely noisy,if anyone flushed their loo it sounded as if a lorry was going through my room! The meals provided in a local restaurant were delicious. The cave art was spectacular and very varied. The balance between the different caves was good and I felt we saw the right amount for those of us who are not cave art specialists! Beautiful countryside too. David our lecturer was very approachable and explained things well. I have been on quite a few Travel Edition tours but this has to be one of the best.
Review by who travelled 19-April-2018
-min.-1.jpg&w=0&h=0)
-min.-1.jpg&w=0&h=0)
-min.-1.jpg&w=0&h=0)
-min.-1.jpg&w=0&h=0)
