What to do in Sarlat during your stay
Sarlat is more than a stroll through handsome lanes. Between the market, the monuments open to visitors, the local table and the evening programme, the town easily fills one or two days — more if you take your time.
Here are the activities genuinely worth your time, grouped by mood, followed by a suggested plan depending on whether you stay a day, a weekend or a week.
Five things not to miss
Do the Saturday market
The market takes over the place de la Liberte and the surrounding streets from early morning. Foie gras, goat cheeses, walnuts, ceps and truffles in season: the best place to put together a meal to take back to your rental.
Go up for the rooftops
The panoramic lift inside the former Sainte-Marie church, redesigned by Jean Nouvel, offers one of the few views down over the lauze rooftops from within the centre.
Step inside a townhouse
The Manoir de Gisson can be visited, complete with period furnishings and its tower, which offers a superb view over the town. The most direct way to picture life in a 15th-century Sarlat household.
Taste Perigord cooking
Confit, magret, sarladaise potatoes, walnuts and black truffle in season: the menu is unmistakable. Restaurants in the centre fill up quickly in the evening during high season.
Come back after dark
The deliberately understated night lighting reveals another side of the town. The loop takes half an hour and costs nothing.
Heritage to see in town
All of these are walkable from the centre, in a single loop if you like.
The old town
Cobbled lanes, honey-coloured stone façades, Renaissance mansions: the historic centre is best explored on foot, wandering through its hidden passageways.
View on Google Maps
The Cathedral & the Lantern of the Dead
Tucked down a side street, Saint-Sacerdos Cathedral and its striking cylindrical tower tell eight centuries of history.
View on Google Maps
Rue des Consuls
Sarlat's finest street, lined with Renaissance mansions such as the Hôtel Plamon, a testament to the town's merchant wealth.
View on Google Maps
Manoir de Gisson
This 15th-century manor house, furnished in period style, is open to visitors and offers one of the finest views over Sarlat's rooftops from its tower.
View on Google Maps
Place des Oies (Goose Square)
A charming cobbled square marked by a statue of geese, a nod to the region's foie gras tradition and the setting for the Saturday farmers' market.
View on Google Maps
Jardin des Enfeus
Behind the cathedral, this former burial ground carved into the rock houses medieval tombs in a peaceful, surprising setting.
View on Google Maps
Hôtel de Maleville
On Place de la Liberté, this Renaissance mansion combines three former houses behind a single turreted façade.
View on Google Maps
An evening stroll by candlelight
At night, the candlelit lighting reveals another side of the town: more intimate, more mysterious.
View on Google MapsWhat to do depending on how long you stay
One day
A loop of the historic centre in the morning, lunch on a terrace, one monument in the afternoon, then an evening stroll. Leave the car parked: everything is walkable.
A weekend
Add the Saturday morning market and half a day in the Dordogne valley, towards the perched villages and the castles above them.
Three days or more
Sarlat becomes your base camp. A day in town, a day of castles and villages, a day of prehistory in the Vezere valley — and there is still more to do.
With children
Sarlat's centre works well with children: no traffic, lanes where they can run a little ahead, and vaulted passageways that never fail to impress. The market is a good introduction too, provided you go early before the crowds settle in.
For more active days, the surrounding sites take over: canoeing on the Dordogne, parks and prehistoric sites set up for family visits.
Frequently asked questions
What to do in Sarlat when it rains?
Indoor monuments such as the Manoir de Gisson or the cathedral remain accessible. The caves and chasms nearby are also a classic wet-weather option, since the visit takes place underground.
Is there anything on in the evening?
The town hosts festivals and evening markets depending on the season, with a particularly full programme in summer. The calendar changes every year: see our upcoming events page.
Is Sarlat worth visiting off-season?
Yes. The town is lived in year-round and winter has its own appeal, particularly around truffles. Some monuments and nearby sites close or reduce their hours: check official websites before travelling.
Read next
- Visiting Sarlat, in the heart of the Perigord NoirWhat to see in Sarlat-la-Caneda: the cathedral, rue des Consuls, place des Oies, Manoir de Gisson. A guide to exploring the old town on foot.
- Two days in SarlatA two-day plan for Sarlat: historic centre, market, monuments and half a day in the Dordogne valley. Ideal for a weekend in the Perigord Noir.
- What to do around SarlatDordogne castles, perched villages, gardens, prehistoric caves and canoeing: everything to do around Sarlat, all within an hour's drive.
- Three days in the Perigord Noir from SarlatA three-day Perigord Noir itinerary from Sarlat: the old town, the Dordogne valley and its castles, then prehistory in the Vezere valley.
Content updated on