3 days in Occitanie Itinerary

Best known as a fortified town, Carcassonne is a walled city that provided the inspiration for the castle in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" and the location for many scenes in Kevin Costner's movie "Robin Hood." For a daily dose of excitement, medieval jousting tournaments are held twice per day between the two walls--while this may sound like a typical touristy show, it's actually an entertaining display of combative competition and horsemanship.

Start off your visit on the 12th (Thu): get engrossed in the history at Musee De L'ecole, take in the architecture and atmosphere at Eglise Saint-Nazaire, and then take a stroll through Cité de Carcassonne.

For where to stay, traveler tips, maps, and tourist information, you can read our Carcassonne road trip tool.

Lisbon, Portugal to Carcassonne is an approximately 5-hour flight. You can also drive; or take a train. The time zone changes from Western European Standard Time (WET) to Central European Standard Time (CET), which is usually a 1 hour difference. In August, daily temperatures in Carcassonne can reach 33°C, while at night they dip to 19°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 12th (Thu) so you can drive to Rocamadour.

Rocamadour is only accessible by one road leading into the port town built on the face of a cliff with a large number of buildings cantilevered over the edge.

Start off your visit on the 13th (Fri): identify plant and animal life at La Foret des Singes, Head underground at Gouffre de Padirac, and then steep yourself in history at Cite Religieuse.

To find photos, where to stay, reviews, and more tourist information, read our Rocamadour trip tool.

Traveling by car from Carcassonne to Rocamadour takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or do a combination of bus and train. Traveling from Carcassonne in August, expect little chillier with lows of 16°C in Rocamadour. Cap off your sightseeing on the 13th (Fri) early enough to travel to Saint-Martin-Lys.

Saint-Martin-Lys is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. You've now added Gorges de la Pierre-Lys to your itinerary. Kick off your visit on the 14th (Sat): let the river carry you with a rafting and tubing tour and then look for all kinds of wild species at Gorges de la Pierre-Lys.

To see photos, more things to do, other places to visit, and other tourist information, refer to the Saint-Martin-Lys online holiday builder.

Traveling by car from Rocamadour to Saint-Martin-Lys takes 4 hours. August in Saint-Martin-Lys sees daily highs of 33°C and lows of 19°C at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 14th (Sat) so you can travel back home.