From Toulouse

5 days


Hiking on sacred path

& best of scenery landscapes to beautiful villages


Beginner or intermediate level


Price: €1,350

Hiking on sacred path & best of scenery landscapes to beautiful villages

3 days hiking ( 3 hours a day ) & 2 days greedy tour of beautiful villages

Departure Toulouse
arrival Toulouse / Le Puy

Hiking is available in beginner and intermediate levels. 
You can walk with just the baggage you need for the day's hike without carrying large luggage.

journey theme Hiking, World Heritage, Pilgrimage route to Santiago, sacred place, Romanesque art, beautiful village, bastide
local scenery  Plateau, rural scenery, endless meadows, valleys, small hills, beautiful river, starry sky full sky

Price
per person : 1,350 €
Charter : 3,375 € (1-4 people) 4,725 € (5-7 people) 

French driver who's english-speaking accompagnator will hike together with.
*Customers' meals, lodging and entrance fees are not included.

Mileage 1,100 Km

Day 1

An important pilgrimage route to Santiago, head to Moissac with the Saint-Pierre Abbey, a symbol of Medieval Romanesque art: the tampan, in front of the facade monastery which represents the last judgment sculpt in the 8th century indicate the entrance of the sacred path...
Along with Conques's tampan, which will be visited the next day, you will also see the tampan, which is said to be the masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture, and deepen your knowledge of pilgrimage hiking.
*Please note that we do not visit the corridor as the monastery is closed.

The beautiful medieval cityscape on top of hill, Lauzerte, has a castle and remparts in the town of bastides and is lined with houses made with Colombage. The central place is lively and its terrasses overlooks the Quercy area full of cereales fields and orchards.

In Cahors, you will visit the Santiago Pilgrimage Route cathedral (the Gothic corridor is a must) and the 14th-century Valentre Bridge over the Lot River.

After lunch, we will depart for a hike to Rocamadour, which is located on the precipitous surrounding cliffs.
We will hike on the limestone plateau for about an hour and a half and then hike in the Alzou canyon.
The appearance of Rocamador suddenly appears on a steep cliff as a very mysterious shape.

Rocamadour has flourished as a pilgrimage site after Rome in the Middle Ages, and has a large sanctuary.
Since you are staying in this village, you can enjoy the night illuminations.
There is also your guide to get until the view point where you can see the whole view of Rocamador from the valley.

*If you wish to arrive at Rocamadour early, you can shorten the hike to 2 hours from the bottom of the valley.

Day 2

We will not be hiker on this day but will visit the beautiful village along the pilgrimage route. Head to Saint-Cyr-Lapopie ,

one of the most beautiful villages in France, visiting small churches along the river in the Célé valley .
Walk to the lovely medieval village plaza on the cliffs along the Lot River and feel free to walk. Enjoy shopping and dining.

Head to Figeac, where the merchant houses are lined up. There are many scallops that are a symbol of pilgrimage in the city, so please look for them.

Located on the south side of the French Central Highlands, you will reach the Aveyron region, the entrance to pilgrimage hikes from tomorrow .

Charle emperor at the end of the 8th century flourished around the Sainte-Foy abbey, which continues to be protected from Conques's monk you will stayed with.
Around the 11th century, the second-floor part of the church of Sainte-Foix, called the Tampan or the Tribune, is said to be the masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture.
There is also a guide whom accompaign you to two different view spots overlooking the village.


*Everynight from April to October, the church will have an organ concert from 21:30 and a light up from 22:15.

Day 3

Pilgrimage hike through beautiful villages along the Lot River.

You can choose the beginner's level or the intermediate one according to your physical strength.
For each hike, spend your sightseeing time in three of the most beautiful villages in France.

Estaing has a beautiful church with Gothic castles and bridges. Local hand made artcraft shop.
Houses are lined with gray walls made of shale and black stones on roof called Lauze.

At St Come d'Olt you can see a little unusual architecture. French anciant way of living to feel.
The church spire in the center of the village has a spiral shape, and the roofs of farms and houses have a ship-bottom shape.

St Eulalie d'Olt in the Romanesque and Gothic churches, and lined with lovely houses.
The water mill from the days remains when the leather industry was alive. Peacefull place.

Overnight stay in Aubrac village.
You will be staying at the auberge on the vast plateau, so you can see the starry sky ever seen during your sejourn.

Day 4

Let's Hike the pilgrim path on the vast Aubrac plateau.
You can choose the beginner's level or the intermediate level according to your physical strength.

It is a popular course for families with children as you can hike while looking to the Aubrac beef herd smiling to visitors.
From June to July, you can see many plateau plants in the grasslands.

At lunchtime, a cow herder stays during the summer migration, called Buron, and has a meal in a restaurant that has been renovated in a stone hut where cheese was made with milk that was squeezed every day. Enjoy a mixture of potato puree called Aligo made with cheese from this region, add to a steak of aubrac beef.
Aubrac cattle are those raised by grazing in the highlands after grazing for more than 4 months.

After hiking, nestled along the Aveyron river we will head to Belcastel, which means beautiful castle in French. Its castle built from the 11th century, will give you a glimpse of the medieval way of life. Why not having a drink from the terrasse to enjoy the harmonious garden houses in bloom. At the botom the river is flowing.

Overnight stay at Cordes-sur-Ciel, the fortified city in the sky; a symbole of Occitanie region. After guiding you to the view spot with a panoramic view
of the village, take a walk through the historical stone pavement and old medieval village.
When pastel was produced in the region, this small village became known throughout Europe as a place for producing high-quality textiles, and was visited by many merchants.
You can also shop for pastel products.

Day 5

Visit of Cordes sur ciel. See the sunrise and maybe a foggy full valley and the splendid hill-village getting out...

Heading to Castelnau de Montmiral, the central square is lined with beautiful arched arcades that are characteristic of the medieval urban settlement called Bastide.
The houses on top of it are half-timbered columbage and still retain the medieval atmosphere.

From the opposite bank of Tarn River, the bishop's city of Albi will take you to the view spot overlooking the World Heritage listed brick old town and Pont Vieux Bridge.
Take a walk through the rosy city, the cathedral and the Lautrec Museum. Really preserved place!

The tour ends in Toulouse, in the heart of the Occitanie region.
There are important places of pilgrimage as Saint-Sernin Basilica in the big city, tallest church in europe for its roman architecture.
There is a promenade along the very attractive Garonne river docks, where you can admire the Pont Neuf and the spectacle bridge over it and maybe the pyrenees mountains.

program

Day 1
08:00                Toulouse
9:00~09:45      Moissac
10:15~13:00    Lauzerte
13:45~15:00    Cahors
16:00~18:00    2H Hiking to Rocamadour & free time

Day 2
09:00       Rocamadour
10:30~14:00  St-Cirq Lapopie
15:00~16:00  Figeac
16:45~17:00  Conques

Day 3
09:00       Conques
09:45~10:30     Estaing
13:30~15:00  3H hiking to Espalion 
15:1516:00     St Come d'Olt

16:30~17:30     St Eulalie d'Olt

18:00                 Aubrac

Day 4
08:00      Aubrac
08:30~15:30      Hiking from Finierols to Aubrac With a break lunch in a traditional "buron"
18:00      Le puy en Velay (pilgrim goal option) or Cordes sur ciel (getting back to Toulouse for the 5th option day)