Join us for a beautiful & tranquil canoe tour in the south of France.
We weren't able to run any Canoe Tours in the 2020 season and in the circumstances
it looks like we wont be able to in 2021 either. If you want details of any of our tours for arranging yourselves then please do not hesitate to ask. I'd be happy to help you get paddling again.
We look forward to getting on the river just as soon as we can.
Stay safe,
Regards,
Steve, Paul and Keith.
Each tour is fully described with a complete daily schedule, a map, photographs and details of our Inns or B&Bs.
All our tours are fully guided. You will be accompanied on the river and trail by an experienced guide who knows the area and the rivers well. The second guide will accompany us in the background by driving our vehicle between lodgings and will be transferring our luggage, meeting us for lunch and generally being available as and when required. Larger groups will have two guides on the river: lead & sweep.
We stay in small and comfortable local Hotels, Chambre D'Hotes and B&Bs, which are often family run.
The tour prices include all transfers, canoe hire (and equipment), accommodation (with breakfasts) all lunches and all evening meals.
Small tours have a maximum group size of 9 people. That is 7 guests and 2 guides. Medium groups of up to 17 consist of 14 guests and 3 guides (2 of which are on the river). Larger groups can be accommodated by arrangement.
The rivers we paddle on these tours are rated as easy to medium: in the usual classification system this is no harder than Class II+. That is small and straightforward rapids from time-to-time, but mostly flat, green water. It is very suitable for novice canoers and children. Many tours have no rapids at all.
At most we shall paddle 12 miles in a day which will take approximately 5 hours. Generally we will canoe less than this distance and we will take a lunch break, and stop whenever we wish. As long as you are reasonably fit then the paddling should provide few problems. Remember we are canoeing downstream and letting the river do most of the work.
Everyday will will review the safety procedures for the water and we will provide paddling instruction for those that are novices and a revision for the more experienced. New paddlers need have no fear that we will leave them behind. The canoeing we do is not about racing down the river: it is about enjoying the environment and our surroundings. It is about having a good time.
The tours also include some walking and hiking. We try to avoid sitting in the small bus as much as possible! Again, as long as you are reasonably fit then these walks should provide no problem. In any case the walks are optional and you will always be offered a ride instead if you wish.
Canoe in the Loire, Perigord, Dordogne, Lot, Ardeche and Tarn regions of France.
Visit local Chateaux and the painted caves of Lascaux, Chauvet and Pech Merle. Immerse yourself in the quiet nature of river, woods and hillsides.
All tours are fully guided. You will be accompanied on the river and trail by an experienced guide who knows the area and the rivers well. The second guide will accompany us in the background by driving our vehicle between lodgings.
Stay in small and comfortable local Hotels, Chambre D'Hotes and B&Bs. Often on the riverside
Beautiful rivers in fabulous valleys and gorges. Passing intricate châteaux and huge castles and history on every side.
Lovely countryside with plenty of birdlife to see. A host of butterflies and dragonflies and in the season an amazing variety of orchids.
Visit the Unesco heritage cave-painting sites at Lascaux, Chauvet and Peche-Merle to witness art-work from thousands of years ago. See the homes where medieval people lived in cliff-faces. Explore the huge castles from the 100 Years war and the châteaux built on the spoils of the religous wars.
Experience the regional cuisine of the regions we visit: the Perigourdine menu, for example, features duck, walnuts and truffles. Try the lovely local wines to match the food.
The tours are a wonderful chance to take fabulous photographs particuarly if you join the guides on an early morning walk to catch the light and perhaps the mist in the valley in the Autumn.
Inevitably the rivers we canoe offer countless opportunities for wild-swimming. We have our favourite spots: some of which are popular river beaches but many others can only be reached by paddling.
“thank you for our wonderful, once in a lifetime guided tour of the Dordogne region”
“We had such a fabulous time mucking about on the rivers; the wild-swimming and island picnics were the best" L & F aged 15 & 10”
“we had a fabulous time even when we got wet!”
“those rivers are magical”
“Joseph and I wanted to thank you again for a fun trip in the Cevennes”
“We learned a wealth of information about wildlife, the rivers, canoeing, gardening, photography, and the area. Thank you so much”
“We both had a fabulous time that exceeded even our elevated expectations prior to the trip”
Ardèche & Tarn ⇒
France
Ardèche/Tarn
Ardèche, Cèze, Gardon, Chassezac & Tarn
Medium
Medium
12 Days
€3295
France
Ardèche/Gard
Ardèche, Cèze, Gardon & Chassezac
Medium
Medium
8 Days
€2295
Steven House
River & Trail Guide
Steven is our river and trail guide. He’s been working these rivers for the past 16 years and has paddled these rivers many times over: spring, summer and autumn. "Every season and every group makes for a different experience." When not taking guests on these tours Steve is often to be found on a trail somewhere with a camera in hand taking landscape shots and close-ups of butterflies and dragonflies. Steve lives near Antwerp in Belgium and when at home he spends time attending to his vegetable and fruit garden.
Paul Miller
River & Geo Guide
Paul is our river guide and geology/geography/geomorphology guide. Paul knows the rivers of Vermont as these are on his doorstep but he has been coming over to France to paddle the Perigord, Tarn and Ardeche regions of France since 2005. Paul lives in upstate New York in the USA and can be found maintaining an old tractor and trying to make use of it in his large garden. Paul works as a hydrogeologist specializing in groundwater and soil remediation in the northeast and southwest US. Do ask him about the rocks around us when paddling.
Keith House
River & Nature Guide
Keith is our river and nature guide. Keith has canoed and kayaked since he built his own whilst still at school. He paddles regularly and currently has three boats hanging up in his garage. Keith lives in Kent in England, but travels all over Europe to find places to paddle & ride. His cycling tours are legendary and every summer he embarks on a gruelling 1000 mile, eight day ride to a distant corner of Europe. In 2019 he cycled from Dover to Shanghai with his son and brother: 8100 miles. After that they cycled a month in Japan. And, not done with that, he rode alone from LA to Jacksonville, Florida to complete a round-the-world ride.
