What can you do whilst camping in the Dordogne with children? Our ideas for family activities

If you’re looking for a holiday destination where children never get bored, we can tell you straight away: the Dordogne ticks all the boxes. The Périgord is a bit like a huge open-air playground, with a river to splash about in and castles where you can pretend to be a knight. And that’s not even mentioning the caves. In such a beautiful natural setting, it’s hard to go wrong. As the region’s campsites are used to welcoming families, all you’ll need to do is unpack your bags. Here are our favourite activities to keep young and old entertained during a camping holiday in the Dordogne with children.

Choosing the right campsite for a family holiday

Before we talk about activities, a word on choosing a campsite, because that’s where it all starts. The Dordogne has dozens of family-friendly campsites, ranging from small, natural sites on a farm to large estates with water parks. For your first camping holiday with children, we recommend looking out for three things: the swimming pool (a paddling pool for the little ones makes all the difference), the kids’ club and the campsite’s location. A pitch in the Périgord Noir, around Sarlat or in the Dordogne valley puts you less than half an hour away from most of the places worth visiting. When it comes to accommodation, a mobile home offers peace of mind for parents camping for the first time, but a tent remains a real adventure for young children, who’ll love living in the great outdoors. Also remember to compare prices depending on the season: if your children aren’t yet at school, in June or September, deals are more affordable and the campsites are quieter.

Make the most of the campsite’s games and entertainment

We sometimes forget it, but a good family campsite in the Périgord is enough to fill entire days of your holiday. The swimming pool – sometimes complete with slides – keeps the children occupied for hours on end, and some larger sites even feature a proper water park. Between the play areas, table tennis tournaments, evening entertainment during the high season and the kids’ club for children aged 4 or 5 and over, and so on, the hardest part will be convincing your little campers to leave the campsite. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy a relaxing time by the pools, and nobody’s complaining. Our tip: set aside one or two ‘free’ days. Children make friends on site, and these are often the days they remember most.

A canoe trip down the Dordogne

This is THE ultimate family outing in the Périgord, whether it’s the Black, White, Green or Purple Périgord. Setting off from Vitrac, Brantôme or La Roque-Gageac, you drift down the river with castles such as Beynac and Castelnaud towering above you. The landscapes of the Dordogne valley unfold before your eyes as you paddle along: here, all you need to do is go with the flow. Canoe hire companies provide life jackets suitable for all ages, generally from 5 years old, and offer routes of varying lengths. With young children, an 8- or 9-kilometre route can be completed at a leisurely pace in half a day, including stops for a swim. It’s an experience the children will still be talking about at Christmas. Pack a picnic: the beaches by the water’s edge are perfect for it.

Swimming and water games: the summer essentials

Let’s be honest, when you’re travelling with children, holidays revolve largely around water. As well as the campsite’s swimming pool, the Dordogne, Dronne and Vézère rivers offer lovely river beaches ideal for swimming, such as at Limeuil, where the Dordogne and Vézère meet. The Périgord Vert certainly lives up to its name with its developed lakes, such as the large pond at Saint-Estèphe, which, set in lush green surroundings, are perfect for a relaxing family day out combining swimming, pedalos and beach games. The water here is often warmer than in the rivers, which is a big plus for children who feel the cold easily. And on hot days, a water fight at the campsite is always a sure-fire hit, under the feigned disapproval of the parents.

Castles steeped in history

It’s hard to miss the castles when you’re camping in the Dordogne. Our family’s favourite is Castelnaud: the castle houses a museum of medieval warfare, featuring armour, swords and life-size war machines. In summer, the trebuchet demonstrations are a huge hit with children and parents alike. The visit quickly turns into a living history lesson, without anyone yawning. Opposite, Beynac Castle is also well worth a visit, if only for the view over the valley. It’s best to go up there in the morning, before the heat and the crowds set in.

Caves and prehistoric sites

The Dordogne is also the land of the Cro-Magnons, and children love it. In Montignac, Lascaux IV recreates the famous cave down to the smallest detail, with a visitor route designed with families in mind. A few kilometres away, the Parc du Thot offers the chance to see the animals painted on the walls of Lascaux in real life, or their modern-day cousins: aurochs, Przewalski’s horses and wolves. And if your little adventurers are looking for a thrill, the Rouffignac cave can be explored by electric train, by lamplight, right up to the mammoth drawings. These sites are very popular in summer: book your visits in advance, and take a light jumper, as it’s 13 degrees underground. A cool retreat, even in the middle of a heatwave.

Parks, treetop adventure courses and nature outings

The region is brimming with possible outings – it’s impossible to list them all – so here are a few sure-fire options for a family holiday. In Le Bugue, the Parc du Bournat recreates a Périgord village from 1900, complete with traditional trades and vintage fairground rides that appeal to all ages. Right next door, the Périgord Noir Aquarium – the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe – is a big hit with the little ones, particularly during the fish-feeding sessions. Animal lovers will want to head to the Calviac Wildlife Reserve, near Sarlat, whilst the more adventurous will find several tree-top adventure courses in the Vézère Valley, near Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère for example. As for the Marqueyssac Gardens, their shaded paths and treehouses are perfect for a family stroll in the heart of nature, with a superb panoramic view of the valley’s landscapes as a reward.

Markets and villages: an outing in their own right

Let’s be honest: in the Dordogne, the food is excellent, and children are certainly not the last to enjoy it. The market in Sarlat, held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, transforms the town into a festive celebration, whilst night markets spring up in the village squares during the summer. The concept behind the gourmet markets is simple: everyone puts together their own plate from the producers’ stalls at reasonable prices, then everyone sits down to eat at long tables in a village-festival atmosphere. The little ones can run between the stalls whilst you finish your Sarladaise potatoes. During your stay, make the most of the opportunity to wander through the region’s villages built of pale stone: La Roque-Gageac, Domme and Belvès are well worth a look, even with children who might be dragging their feet at first.

Your questions about camping holidays in the Dordogne with children

When is the best time to go? July and August are when the campsites’ entertainment and the atmosphere of the night markets are at their peak, but June and September offer lower prices, fewer people on the sites and stunning natural surroundings. With children not yet at school, we’d definitely recommend these off-peak periods.

Do you need to book activities in advance? For Lascaux and the caves, yes, definitely, especially in summer. For canoeing, booking the day before is usually enough, except in the middle of August.

What if it rains? Don’t panic: between the caves (where the weather makes no difference), the aquarium, a castle to visit or an afternoon in Sarlat, the Périgord offers plenty to do even in the rain. And an afternoon of board games in the mobile home has never spoiled a family holiday.

Our tips for a successful holiday

As you’ll have realised, between the games and activities at the campsite, canoeing, castles and caves, a week’s holiday probably won’t be enough to see all that the Périgord has to offer. So book early, especially in high season, mix action-packed days with relaxing moments by the pool, and leave room for the unexpected. That’s actually the real risk of a camping holiday in the Dordogne with children: after an experience like this, the whole family will want to come back next year. We’ve already booked ours.