Le Puy Camino - Cahors to Lectoure Tour with 4 Reviews by Utracks

8 daysDuration

Private TourPrivate experience, no group joining

15 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Moderate

Involves sustained activity requiring a reasonable level of fitness and endurance.

Starts

The Way of St. James, France

Ends

Lectoure, France

Highlights

Discover traces of history in the villages

Explore a multitude of small chapels and churches in isolated locations

Visit the remarkable towns of Cahors, Montcuq, Moissac, Saint-Antoine and Lectoure

Enjoying the camaraderie of fellow hikers and pilgrims

Itinerary

Experience the rolling hills and pastoral beauty of Tarn et Garonne with the "Le Puy Camino - Cahors to Lectoure" walking tour. This eight-day self-guided trek leads travelers from Cahors to Lectoure along the French Way of St James, passing ancient stone walls, lush valleys, and fertile farmland. Discover Moissac’s changing landscapes, fields of sunflowers, and plum orchards, while exploring historic towns and sampling regional delicacies. The unique selling point: a journey that effortlessly blends history, nature, and gastronomy, making this tour package ideal for those seeking a classic pilgrimage experience with rural French charm.

day 1 - Arrive Cahors

Make your own way to Cahors and your hotel. Cahors is nestled in a U-shaped bend of the Lot River. Visit the famous Valentré bridge, an emblem of the city, UNESCO World Heritage listed and a well-known pilgrim milestone.

Once a major financial and trading centre during the Middle Ages, Cahors' rich heritage is evident in its fine buildings. It's also know for wine, predominantly its AOC Cahors, an intense red. The region's wine making dates from Ancient Rome, with vines being planted in the area since around 50 BC. It is the largest city on the Le Puy Camino with a population of over 22,000 inhabitants. On Saturday mornings, Cahors market (voted one of France's top 25) takes place at the foot of the magnificent Cathedral of Saint-Etienne. Try the local pastis, its famous apple cake.

day 2 - Walk to Lascabanes (6.5hrs)

Leaving Cahors, the walk starts with a demanding climb, giving you a good view of the city and bridge down to the valley. You'll then continue to the Causses limestone plateau. You will pass the villages of Labastide-Marnhac before arriving in the little village of Lascabanes, where you find a lovely chapel. Lascabanes had a pilgrims' hospital in the 15th century and the tiny church still offers a pilgrim blessing. Continue to nearby Lendou en Quercy for your overnight stay nestled in the countryside.

Distance 22km/13.7mi, +414m/1358ft, -355m/1165ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 3 - Continue pilgrimage to Lauzerte to (6hrs)

The trail today leads you into the Tarn and Garonne region, with a few ascents and descents all the way to Lauzerte. In spring you can enjoy the rich flora, particularly the presence of many orchids. Later you reach the medieval town of Lauzerte, located on top of a hill and visible from miles away. Founded in the 12th Century by the Count of Toulouse, it is one of the “most beautiful villages of France”. The village is in the heart of the AOC Chasselas de Moissac wine region and is also known for its Quercy melon production. Overnight Lauzerte.

Distance 25km/15.5mi, +616m/2021ft, -593m/1945ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 4 - Walk to Moissac (7hrs)

Today is a long but quite easy walking day, as you make your way on quiet countryside tracks, crossing woodlands, crop fields and vineyards. This morning you pass by the village of Durfort, one of few in the region not to have a church. The vegetation after Durfort is lush with forests. Near the Tarn valley, orchards (apples, plums, pears, peaches, cherries, kiwis and melons) replace the vineyards. Moissac was formerly an important stop on the road to Santiago de Compostela for pilgrims coming from Geneva. Here you can visit the prestigious Abbey of Saint-Pierre with its UNESCO World Heritage cloister. Take a walk along the pont Canal de Cacor, a 356m canal bridge which allows the Garonne lateral canal to cross the Tarn river.

Distance 28km/17.4mi, +469m/1538ft, -611m/2004ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 5 - To Auvillar, with its interesting medieval circular market (6hrs)

On leaving Moissac, pass by its abbey and continue along the Tarn before returning to the Garonne and its lateral canal. You soon enter the Lomagne or "hunchback Gascogne", an area of natural beauty. Straddling the Tarn et Garonne and the Gers, this former dependency of the Duchy of Gascony is a land of white garlic, interesting houses and churches. Today's destination is the village of Auvillar, built on a promontory and classified as another of the "Most beautiful villages in France". With its circular market built in 1824, its clock tower and old stone houses, there is much to see around the town.

Distance 22.4km/14mi, +334m/1096ft, -300m/984ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 6 - To Flamarens (3-4hrs)

Today you will leave the department “Lot” to enter the farmlands of “Le Gers”. The walk takes you to the lovely village of Flamarens, with its castle built in the 13th century.

Distance 14km/8.7mi, +364m/1194ft, -275m/902ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 7 - Continue to Lectoure (5-6hrs)

The final day's walk takes you first to Miradoux, a former bastide founded in 1253, the oldest in the department. Built on a small promontory, the town has character-filled stone houses, evidence of the area's rich history. Further along the trail is your destination, the lovely town of Lectoure, built on a rocky outcrop high above the hills of Lomagne. This is the Armagnac región, the famous brandy! Known as one of the oldest cities in the Gers, Lectoure's foundation dates back to the Gallo-Roman period. With its imposing Cathedral and Chateau, once home to the Counts of Armagnac, the town has a colourful history such as the siege of Louis XI in 1473. If you are here on a Friday, there is a fabulous market in the morning that showcases the region's gastronomical delights - cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables and wonderful local produce.

Distance 19km/11.9mi, +274m/999ft, -299m/981ft

Meals:Breakfast and Dinner

day 8 - Trip concludes

Trip concludes after breakfast, or you can continue along the trail to Aire sur l'Adour / Barcelonne du Gers. Additional nights are also possible, ask our office for details.

Meals:Breakfast

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What's Included

Accommodation

7 nights in guesthouses or simple hotels on a twin share basis, generally with ensuite facilities. On occasion facilities will be shared with one or two other rooms. 2024: Option to upgrade to comfort plus accommodation - supplement applies.

Meals

7 breakfasts, 6 dinners: Breakfasts are usually continental inclusive of breads, cheese, ham, tea, coffee & juices. Dinner will consist of 3 courses, usually starting with a salad, followed by a chicken, red meat, fish or pasta dish & finishing with a dessert of fruit or cakes.

Others

Digital information pack including smartphone app with maps, route book and GPS Tracks (app minimum requirements: Android 11 or newer, Iphone iOS 16 or newer)Luggage transfer - strictly 1 bag of 13kg per person. Excess charges per bag applyVisitor taxEmergency hotline

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

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4.0

based on 4 reviews

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