Secure your spot on the trip and book now by paying your deposit of USD 1500$/person. Contact us if you wish to be added on the waiting list instead.
France’s countryside might be the most beautiful in the world. Come explore it with World Vegan Travel and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau on a 9-day adventure from Paris to Bordeaux and through a land dotted with rivers, rolling hills, quaint villages and châteaux. It’s the stuff of dreams!
We will begin in Paris with an “welcome-to-France” evening to remember, before heading to the Loire Valley. We’ll sail the famed river, visit a magical château, tour Leonardo Da Vinci’s final resting place, sample local wine and stay in a castle for 2 nights!
Next up is the extremely beautiful Dordogne valley in southern France. Often overlooked by many visitors, this gem of a region might very well be France’s best! Imagine gorgeous rock-sculpted medieval villages, turreted châteaux everywhere, scenic river valleys, emerald-green fields, cliff-side dwellings, fortified towns, and a history that is more than 20,000 years in the making. You’ll see prehistoric cave art, old pilgrimage centers, countryside French-living at its finest, all in an area filled with pristine natural beauty and these historic sites.
Here we’ll be taking over a 4-star villa, complete with outdoor terraces and an inviting pool, which will be our home-base as we go about exploring this incredible region of France.
Oh, and back to the elephants! In France!? Yes, indeed! We will enjoy a private visit to an elephant sanctuary founded by two former zookeepers, whose intention it is to provide a permanent sanctuary for elephants who have been rescued from European circuses and zoos.
Throughout the trip, you can expect to enjoy 100% plant-based meals with a focus on regional cuisine: delicious cheeses, faux gras, cassoulet, and other quintessential French dishes — all fabulously made without animal products, complemented by local Loire & Périgord wines, and capped off with legendary French pâtisseries!
So lace up those walking shoes, charge those camera batteries, practice some basic French, and join us on a 100% vegan adventure through the romantic French countryside!
USD 6595$/person
USD 750$/person
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau meet your host!
15-26 travelers
Paris, France
Bordeaux, France
Trip confirmed!
To ensure that this trip is as vegan as can be, we’re taking over an entire Dordogne villa, La Villa Romaine, and making it vegan-central for our 5-night stay there.
Situated near the Dordogne river, La Villa Romaine is well situated for our daily excursions out to explore this beautiful part of France. The restored stone buildings have simple but well-appointed rooms, and flank a charming courtyard where we’ll enjoy al-fresco meals. There’s also an elegant pool should you want to laze around for the afternoon, with a book and wine glass in hand!
We’ve worked very hard with the chef to create an amazing menu comprising of veganized local dishes and specialties, as well as popular offerings from the rest of France. Come hungry!
Below is an itinerary showing the broad strokes of the trip. More details will follow in the upcoming weeks and months, so do check back!
Please note that the itinerary is subject to change as we continue to work to make this the best trip possible. Rest assured that if we need to change anything, it will be only for the betterment of the trip!
We will be meeting at our Paris hotel in the early afternoon for a quick trip briefing and all-around introductions of your fellow travelers.
After a trip briefing, introductions and a toast to our upcoming adventures, we head to our welcome dinner… but not entirely directly. Expect a surprise activity that you won’t forget!
Accommodation:
Maison Mere (4-star)
Included:
welcome meeting & drinks
dinner
non-premium drinks during dinner
all transportation once the trip begins
Excluded:
breakfast & lunch
transportation to our meeting place in Paris
premium drinks
After breakfast, we’ll drive ~3 hours to our first stop, the Loire River. We will board our traditional sailing barges and float down the river while enjoying a local wine tasting!
After lunch we’ll drive 1 hour to our home for the next 2 nights: Château D’Artigny.
You’ll have some time to freshen up before our castle pre-dinner drinks and sumptuous dinner.
Accommodation:
Château D’Artigny (5-star)
Included:
boat ride & wine tasting on the Loire river
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
After breakfast we’ll head to the gorgeous Château Chenonceau for a guided visit. This is definitely one of France’s most beautiful Château, so make sure your camera has plenty of storage.
Lunch will be in a nearby restaurant, before heading to the town of Amboise. Leonardo Da Vinci spent his final years here and after a guided walking tour of the town you’ll have the chance to visit the museum or wander around the quaint laneways of the old town.
Dinner will be back at our Château!
Accommodation:
Château D’Artigny (5-star)
Included:
breakfast, lunch & dinner
entrance fee and guide of Château Chenonceau
guided walking tour of Amboise
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
If you can still eat after yesterday, then we’ll have our lovely breakfast waiting for you 😉
Afterwards we’re off for the 2-hrs drive to a place you wouldn’t expect to find in France: an elephant sanctuary!
ELEPHANT HAVEN is a wonderful grass-root nonprofit project, founded by an amazing Dutch couple, with the aim of providing some of Europe’s circus and zoo elephants with a retirement home, as well as educating people about these majestic animals. This is a wonderful project completely worthy of a visit, if only to learn more about what some of the world’s unsung heroes are doing to help out the animals!
After our visit and lunch at the sanctuary, we’re back on the coach for our 2-hour drive to our Dordogne home. You can choose to spend the afternoon at our hotel (by the pool!) or we will also have a vehicle at the ready for you to explore a nearby village, if you choose.
Dinner will be at around 7:30pm.
Accommodation:
La Villa Romaine (4 stars)
Included:
visit and donation at Elephant Haven
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
After breakfast, we’ll get into our coach and travel 45 minutes — and 17,000 years back in time — for our visit to the Lascaux Cave.
Discovered in 1940 by a dog (and his human companion), the cave is home to arguably the world’s most famous cave paintings. From 1948 to 1963, the caves were opened to the public (more than a million people visited!), which unfortunately led to a serious deterioration of the precious art, due to visitors bringing in fungus on their shoes and with their breathing changing the temperature and humidity that had kept the art intact for so long. The caves were officially closed to the public until, in 1983, a copy of the cave (accurate to within one centimeter), and showing 90% of the paintings found in Lascaux, was opened next to the original.
In 2017, another replica, Lascaux IV, was opened to the public, now reproducing 100% of the original cave, and adding an interactive museum as a bonus. It is this replica cave that we will visit.
While it may sound odd to be visiting a replica, the exhibit is so well made that it still manages to inspire awe, knowing that the real cave is just nearby and protected forever. It’s a great experience, and absolutely fascinating to see what our ancestors could do with limited art supplies!
After our tour and some free time to visit the museum, we’ll head over to nearby Saint-Léon-Sur-Vézère (15 minute drive) for lunch at a local vegan restaurant. You’ll also have time to wander around the tiny village, which enjoys a wonderful setting right next to the Vézère river.
There are a few options for the afternoon:
Regardless what you choose to do, you’ll be back at the hotel in time for our 7pm dinner.
Accommodation:
La Villa Romaine (4 stars)
Included:
entrance fees to Lascaux cave (including guided tour)
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation to/from the optional activities
Excluded:
premium drinks
Today we’ll visit the Dordogne Valley.
After a wander around Beynac village and its castle, we’ll drive 10 minutes over to nearby La-Roque-Gagneac, and explore one of France’s most beautiful villages. Seemingly built out of the cliffs, this fairy-tale medieval town checks all the boxes: riverside setting, stone-built houses, intertwining alleyways, and quaint outdoor cafés and terraces.
We’ll then enjoy a ride on-board a gabarre. This local boat was used to transport merchandise up and down the Dordogne river. Today they sail gently up and down the valley, allowing us to spot gorgeous castles and hill-top villages as we enjoy a sundowner drink.
Dinner will be back at our villa.
Accommodation:
La Villa Romaine (4 stars)
Included:
entrance fee and guide to Beynac village & castle
gabarre tour (local Dordogne river boat)
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
We have a full busy day together today, as we’re off to explore the Lot Valley, just to the east of the Dordogne. This area tends to see fewer tourists than its neighboring regions, which you will soon find out is completely unwarranted!
Our first stop is just under a 1.5hrs drive away. The Pech Merle cave is one of the very few prehistoric cave paintings sites in France that remain open to the general public, and after the educational introduction of Lascaux a few days ago, it will be amazing to see the real thing! It contains not only brilliant cave art (dating from 25,000 BCE and 16,000 BCE!!), but also interesting stalactite and stalagmite formations, and even a mud-preserved Cro-Magnon footprint!!
After a nearby lunch, we’ll have a guided wander around one of the most beautiful village of France, St-Cirque-La-Popie, before driving back north (1 hour) to one of Europe’s top pilgrimage sites, Rocamadour. The dramatic cliff-hugging setting is jaw-dropping, and also quite the test for your legs!
We will be back at the hotel just in time to freshen up and enjoy a well-deserved dinner.
Accommodation:
La Villa Romaine (4 stars)
Included:
entrance fee and guide at Pech Merle Cave
guided visit of Rocamadour
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
Our last full day together in the Dordogne… booooo!!!!
A visit to France, especially to the Dordogne, is incomplete without experiencing one of its local markets. Each town in the region gets its turn, following a rotation established for centuries. The French have arguably the best markets, filled to the brim with fresh produce, berries, olives, fresh bread, you name it.
We will head over a nearby village and follow our guide as he takes us around the weekly morning market, before returning to the hotel for lunch.
After lunch, you can choose enjoy a cooking demo from Colleen, with the items we picked up that morning at the market. If cooking isn’t your thing, we’ll have a vehicle at the ready to take you to Sarlat, where you can finish your souvenir buying or simply have one last stroll in this gorgeous town. If you’d like to try any other activity (canoeing down the Dordogne River is a must!), your tour leaders will be there to help you plan the perfect last day.
From mid-afternoon on, it’s party time. We’ll celebrate our final evening together with some drinks, games and a dinner feast, toasting to our trip and no doubt starting to plan the next one!
Accommodation:
La Villa Romaine (4 stars)
Included:
guided visit of Sarlat and its market
cooking demo from Colleen
breakfast, lunch & dinner
non-premium drinks during meals
all transportation
Excluded:
premium drinks
After our final breakfast, we will provide a coach transfer to both the BORDEAUX AIRPORT and BORDEAUX TRAIN STATION (both around 2-2.5 hrs away). We will be leaving after breakfast so please do not book any ongoing flights or train rides before 1pm or so.
If you would like to stay longer in the Dordogne, leave at another time, or transfer to another town or train station, we can help arrange your transfer but it will not be covered by the trip cost.
Included:
breakfast
transfer to Bordeaux train station and airport
Excluded:
lunch & dinner
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Following the sign-up fee (PAYMENT #1), the remaining balance will be due in 2 installments:
We can work with you on a payment plan: pay your trip in the usual 2 installments, or opt for several. Contact us to discuss what works best for you!
We expect this trip to sell out quickly so ensure your spot on the trip and sign up early by paying the sign-up fee (1500$/person).
The sign-up fee is non-refundable under any conditions UNLESS the trip is not confirmed by the deadline of March 31st, 2023. Please carefully read our cancellation policy section for more information, especially in relation with the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to sign up, fill in the form on this page. Any problems or questions? Email us!
If you are signing up as a single, do so quickly! We have limited single rooms. Please read our single travelers section for more information and the single supplement cost.
Please note that signing up before the deadline of March 31st, 2023 does not guarantee the trip will run as this depends on having the necessary minimum of participants.
SINGLE ROOM AVAILABILITY: due to the number of rooms at our hotels, we are currently offering a maximum of 4 single rooms available for booking and they will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please note that the single supplement of USD 750$ applies.
SHARING ROOM WITH ANOTHER SOLO TRAVELER: if you would prefer to share a room with another single, please let us know. We’ll add you to our list until another single of the same gender signs up. We will put you both in touch so you can confirm that sharing is your preference before booking.
PAYMENT METHODS
We currently accept US DOMESTIC BANK TRANSFERS and CREDIT CARDS PAYMENTS.
EXTRA PAYMENT FEES
Online Bank Payment – US only: also called eCheck or ACH, we do not charge a fee for this, although your bank may do so. Please inquire with them directly.
Credit card payment: the following fees will be added to the total:
Since our trips are highly catered and made of activities that need a lot of planning and organization, all payments (the initial sign-up fee, 50% deposit and final payment) are all non-refundable. This is because we must forward payments for accommodation, transportation, suppliers, etc. very early on, in order to privatize our accommodation, activities and our meals.
To see our booking terms and conditions you can click here. You will find the cancellation policy in section 9 and 10.
TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE – MANDATORY
This is a World Vegan Travel requirement. You will need to provide a policy and emergency contact number in order to join the trip. This can be done just prior to the trip’s date.
Trip Insurance (ie. covering your flight tickets, luggage, etc.) is definitely recommended as well, but not mandatory.
ITINERARY
The itinerary is therefore subject to change, especially if we find an experience that we believe would make the trip even better.
DIET RESTRICTION & ALLERGIES
We do try to accommodate everyone’s food restrictions, especially allergies. We can only do so if you let us know of any requirements when you sign up. We begin working with all our hotels and restaurants a long time in advance, and meals are usually locked several months before the trip. At this point, it is often no longer possible to change menus.
In other words: it is your responsibility to alert us of any dietary requirements, restrictions, allergies and needs, when you sign up.
We do realize our prices seem high. However, when compared to many other tours to the region, we are actually comparatively priced when you take into account that our trips include all meals (and vegan to boot!) and drinks, all the tips for drivers and local guides, and many other extras like a amenities/essentials bag, a free laundry day, the support of 2 full time tour leaders (most tours have only one), and, finally, the chance to travel with author and animal advocate Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
It’s also worth noting that there aren’t many 100% fully vegan tours in France, where veganism is still somewhat of a new concept. Our trip cost does factor in the lengthy and hard work done with all our hotels, restaurants and local partners in educating and preparing them for our visit (meals, advocacy, toiletries, etc), which is far beyond any tasks that other tour companies are faced with. This work begins several months before the trip, and approaches full-time hours around 2-3 months prior to the trip’s start date.
We also realize that for many, these types of trips are something they’ve dreamed about for many years. As such, we’ve constructed an itinerary that will make this trip truly memorable in regards to our accommodation, meals, and choice of activities.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and World Vegan Travel work closely together to create JOYFUL VEGAN TRIPS, which are specifically curated by Colleen to ensure the high quality that she has come to be known for. All trips include activities and dedicated time with Colleen, such as Q&A session, round-table discussions, sharing, and more.
Absolutely! We have many people on our trip that sign up as solo travelers. However do note that single rooms availability is low, so book quickly! Please see our COST & SIGN-UP section for more information.
Should you still be on the waiting list when the trip closes and gets confirmed, we may be able to offer you a single room (depending on availability).
FLIGHTS
You are in charge of your own transportation — whether it be flights, train, bus, car, etc. — to our starting city, and your return transportation from our departure city.
For your arrival, we ask that you try and arrive early on the first day, as our first meeting tends to be in mid-afternoon. This exact time and place will be confirmed at a later date, but do plan ahead adequately to leave you enough time to get to our meeting place by that time. Even better is arriving one or more days before. This would provide you with a chance to take care of jet-lag and visit the town.
Please note that your transportation to our first meeting point is not included.
VISAS
For citizens of western countries (ie USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc), no visas are necessary for a stay of 90 days or less in the Schengen Area, of which France is a member. Other European citizens do not need a visa to enter Italy.
TRAVEL/MEDICAL INSURANCE
Medical travel insurance is mandatory on our trip. We need to have assurances that you are fully covered in the event of a medical emergency, including repatriation. You will need to send us your policy detail and emergency contact number before the trip’s start date.
Trip Insurance (trip cancellation, lost baggage, etc.), on the other hand, is entirely up to you, though we highly recommend purchasing it. It often comes packaged along with medical travel insurance, or you may get coverage simply by paying for the trip using a credit card (inquire with your card supplier).
As we are not a travel agency or booking agents, we can’t book any flights or ongoing travel (ie hotels, transportation, etc) for you. However we can surely help with recommendations, suggestions and tips as you look into flights, or extending your holiday. It never hurts to ask, so don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries whatsoever!
In general, September is an excellent time of year to visit the Loire & Dordogne valleys. The weather is almost always warm but not as hot as high summer, although it is slightly more changeable so the chance of rain is slightly higher. It is very rare and unfortunate for a holiday to be ruined by rain in these months, although early autumn showers may occur.
At this time, the countryside is more lush and the scenery even more beautiful, since the daylight is slightly less harsh than in the summer. It’s the perfect time for walking and cycling in the Dordogne, since the summer can be rather hot for these activities.
As a bonus, the huge summer crowds have mostly ebbed, and while far from being deserted, all the sights and towns will be much more manageable and, as such, be much more pleasant.
You should expect temperatures of no more than 25° (77.°F) and no lower than around 12° (53°F).
While we don’t have a luggage restriction on this trip, we recommend you not to bring more than 1 suitcase per person. You will need to carry your bags only from the bus to the hotel twice (plus the trip to our meeting place) but you should still make sure you can lift it by yourself (ie it’s not too heavy).
We do have one free laundry included on the trip, so hopefully this can help in not over-packing. Laundry will also be available on other days at a fee.
In terms of clothing, it’s a good idea to bring some late summer garb, such as shorts, t-shirts, etc., and a swimsuit, as we will have a swimming pool at our Dordogne hotel (and in case you want to go caneoing down the rivers).
Long and light cotton pants and shirts (or dresses) are a good idea. A hat is a good idea to block off the sun.
A sweater or light jacket for the cooler evenings is a good idea. Rain gear isn’t really needed, but a small umbrella could prove useful.
Do bring some comfortable, but sturdy, shoes, as we have many walking tours. The Dordogne villages are made for exploring, and often the streets are cobblestones. Overall we’re not going on any big hikes, so there’s no need to bring your best pair of hiking boots. You can always bring a 2nd set of comfy shoes/loafers to wear in the evening, for dinner and also afterwards when we’re relaxing with a nightcap.
Other essentials should include:
We will be sending an info packet several weeks before the trip that will include, amongst other bits of information, a packing list.
If you are coming from outside of Europe, then yes, your mobile phone should work, but do check with your carrier to make sure. It is highly recommended to turn off global roaming unless you carrier can offer you a package for your stay in France. Otherwise you risk being charged exorbitant fees upon you return home!
If you are a UK or other European citizen, your phone should work as usual as Europe no longer has borders when it comes to mobile phone usage. However do check with your carrier to ensure your package qualifies.
If your phone is unlocked (please check with your carrier directly) you can also purchase a French SIM Card from Amazon, and enjoy having a local number and much cheaper data (internet) usage. We recommend the 20GB Orange Holiday Europe SIM card. Please follow the instructions that come with the SIM as we do not offer support for this product.
Yes, our hotels have WIFI, and we will also have internet connection on-board our coaches. For the latter, connection speeds may vary, as will the connection itself.
We provide all accommodation, transportation and meals. All expenses during our included activities are taken care of, including tips for guides and drivers.
You will then only need cash for extra purchases such as souvenirs, extra drinks outside of what’s included, extra snacks, etc. There are ATMs in every town and credit cards are accepted in most places. This mostly means Visa and MasterCard, with American Express having quite a lower acceptance rate outside of hotels and higher-end restaurants.
The tour leaders will be carrying extra cash. If you decide to go on an optional activity at the last minute but don’t have enough money, we will be able to help you out and you can simply pay us back when we find an ATM.
Non-premium alcoholic drinks are included, especially during meals and down time.
Tipping hotel and restaurant staff is not necessary and entirely up to you.
This is generally not a problem, but we do need to be informed at the time of booking so we may prepare the meals accordingly. Please be as precise and detailed as possible. Once on the trip, it is difficult and/or not possible to change our meal plans.
Colleen (and her husband David) is very much another traveler in our group and will be taking the same vehicles and participating in the same activities as the rest of us. You can approach and talk to her at any time, just like anyone else. Having said that, do remember that she will be as tired as everyone after a long day of travel or sightseeing, so we should just be respectful of that as we are of anyone else.
We do have quite a lot of walking activities on this trip, though mostly this will be on flat surfaces in towns and villages. Some Dordogne villages are build near cliffs and hills, so expect a bit of uphill/downhill walking.
Youth above 16 years young are welcome. We are currently not accepting any younger children.
There’s no upper age limit, though do note that there is a fair amount of walking on this trip.
We will provide water, juice, coffee, tea, some cocktails and wine/beer during lunches and all dinners and some activities. We will make it clear what’s included and what’s not. Premium alcoholic drinks (ie expensive cognac, whiskey, champagne, etc) are not included. You can pay for those on the spot or sign it to the room and pay when checking out.
World Vegan Travel and Joyful Vegan Trips aim to be a safe place for all LGBTQ travelers. We have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination of any sort.
Generally speaking, France is a safe and welcoming travel destination for the LGBTQ community.
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