Visit the Gouffre de Padirac : tickets, prices, schedules

Are you going on a holiday in southwest France? Don't miss Padirac's Gouffre! Here is our information on this natural site!

Located north of the Lot department, the Gouffre de Padirac is a natural and monumental cavity of 35 meters in diameter. Located 17 kilometres northeast of Rocamadour and less than 200 kilometres away Toulouse , the swell promises a descent into the innards of the earth, at the bottom of a well plunging 75 meters into the Causse du Quercy, and 103 meters deep, where flows an underground river, in the middle of a succession of vaulted rooms.

If you love geology and natural phenomena, you will certainly be fascinated by the visit of the Gouffre de Padirac! Here is our mini guide to visit the Gouffre de Padirac.

History of the Gouffre de Padirac

Forged by the erosion and the collapse of the vault of an old underground room, in which the waters frightened their passage by grazing the rocky massif, the Gouffre de Padirac would be old for several hundred thousand years. Archaeological excavations allowed the excavation of broken objects of kitchen and iron weapons, suggesting that the site was occupied by the inhabitants of Padirac in the vicinity of the 14th century. A thesis suggests that the inhabitants would be in a rush to escape the English soldiers during the Cent-Ans War.

Abandoned for centuries, the Gouffre de Padirac was once again explored until the end of the 19th century: in July 1889, the lawyer Edouard-Alfred Martel and three companions penetrated into the cavity, using candles and a magnesium lamp and a floating ladder, in the greatest uncertainty of what they were going to find tens of meters below. This first expedition allowed to discover 1,64 kilometer of galleries with stalactites, stalagmites, gours and calcite columns. Inaugurated on 10 April 1899, the Gouffre de Padirac becomes a tourist attraction receiving 480 000 visitors per year. Nowadays, 42 kilometers of galleries have been explored, but we know that the swell still contains hidden wonders. It is also classified as a natural monument!

What to see and what to do at the Gouffre de Padirac?

Visiting the Gouffre of Padirac allows you to enter a vast network of underground galleries, "venous" of the Earth having to leave pantois so impressive. You will not miss, by plunging into the depths of the earth, admiring stalactites and stalagmites in the rock. A lift and a staircase – as you wish – allow you to go down to the 2.2 kilometers of galleries open to the public. Once at the bottom, the visit to the underground river is made in a boat, an unusual descent where to admire beautiful limestone concretions, underground lakes, strange natural sculptures.

In the summer, visiting the Gouffre de Padirac allows, we will doubt, to take the costs: there is 13°C all year round, and the water is 12°C. So, what do you see at Padirac's Gouffre? Well the swelling in itself, the underground river, the lake of the rain, the lake of the gours, the room of the Grand Dôme and the stalactite called the "Grand Pendeloque".

How to visit the Gouffre de Padirac?

The tour will begin with the descent into the cavity abyssal of 35 meters in diameter. As the light goes down, the humidity increases and the temperature declines. A singular vegetation reveals itself, you are there: in the meanders of the earth. The first part of the visit is on a boat, fringinging on a kilometre in the calm waters of the flat river – allowing to circulate between the rooms – through the vertical cracks dug up for two million years. The vault rises and the walls widen at the level of Lac de la Pluie. The ceiling, cracked, drops of rain from the surface and multiple infiltrations, constantly feeding this underground lake. There is a giant limestone stalactite, 60 meters long and suspended above the “lake of rain”: it is the “Grand Pendeloque”.

The visit continues on foot at Lake Gours. Natural calcite dams are drawn at the bottom of the river: they are gours, which accumulate as natural bearings. Unwind on the majestic Salle du Grand Dôme, a natural room with a ceiling of 94 meters high: it is one of the largest underground rooms in France. A stalagmite dominates the lake, similar to a porcelain tower and nicknamed the Pile d’Assiettes, as carefully carved by the hand of a great artist.

To help you prepare your visit, we selected the most frequently asked questions:

How long does the visit last?

The visit lasts about 1h30 (2.2 km round trip, 500 meters in boat. )

Are animals allowed?

No, animals are not allowed during the visit. Dog guide and assistance are welcome on the site of the Gouffre de Padirac.

Can we park near the site?

Yes, free parking is located near the Gouffre de Padirac. Several parking spaces are also reserved for people with reduced mobility in the immediate vicinity of health access. Camping-cars are allowed on the parking lot (without water arrival or emptying) the time of the visit.

Accessibility

Three lifts are at your disposal to make the descent. On the other hand, the visit is punctuated with steps (70 steps to reach the level of the underground river, 150 steps uphill to access the Grand Dôme room and 150 steps downhill and several steps to visit the Gallery) and paths that can be slippery.

The visit of the Gouffre de Padirac is not suitable for people in manual or electric wheelchairs.

Are there unauthorized objects?

The strollers are not allowed during the visit as well as the selfie perches. The site does not offer instructions.

Schedules and rates of the Gouffre de Padirac

HORARI

To visit the Gouffre de Padirac ( The Gouffre, 46500 ), you must know that the schedules vary over the season. There are five hourly beaches depending on the month and the period of affluence (rend the website for more information :

• From 10:00 to 17:30 (March, end of October, November),
• From 9h to 7.30h (April, May and June),
• From 9:30 am to 6 pm (April, May, September),
• From 9am to 8:30pm (July),
• From 8am to 9:30pm (August).

DERNIÈRE ADMISSION 1H30 AVANT LA FERMETURE DU SITE.

This year, the Gouffre de Padirac will be open every day from March 24 to November 4.

RATES

• Adult: 17 €
• Adult Preferential: €15.50 (Passport with a disability, FFS (French Federation of Spéléologie), student)
• Child from 4 to 12 years old: 12,50 €
• Preference Child : 11,50 €
• Child under 4 years old: free

How to visit the Gouffre de Padirac?

By car, the site is accessible in particular:

• From Toulouse: On the A20, exit 56 Labastide Murat, Gramat, then go to Gramat and follow the signs Gouffre de Padirac
• From Paris: Take the A20; Exit 54 direction Gouffre de Padirac – Rocamadour. RN 140 follow Gouffre de Padirac
• From Bordeaux or Lyon: On the A89, go out to Brive and then reach the A20 direction Cahors – Rodez – Toulouse. Exit 54 Direction Gouffre de Padirac – Rocamadour. Follow Gouffre de Padirac

The airports of Brive-vallée de la Dordogne (45 min), Périgueux (1h30), Toulouse-Blagnac and Limoges (2h) also allow you to reach the site quickly if you rent a car . To find a flight at the best price, don’t hesitate to take a look at our partner’s website Ulysses .