You want France. The real France. Not the tourist one.

You've imagined it: long lunches at a sun-drenched café, walking cliff paths above a lazy river, buying walnuts from a farmer at a village market, coming home to a stone manor that smells of lavender and old oak. You've imagined it — and then you've wondered if you really want to navigate all of that alone.

That's exactly why We Wander France exists. Our small group walking retreat in the Dordogne is built for women who are independent at heart but smart enough to know that the best experiences are shared ones. You bring your curiosity. We bring everything else.

I've been a solo female traveler in France for years. I know this landscape the way you know your own neighborhood. I also know that arriving somewhere beautiful alone, with no one to turn to and say "can you believe this place?" — that's the part that gets lonely. We fix that.

What makes this different for solo women travelers


Arrive alone. Leave with friends.



Solo travelers make up a large part of our group every year. The retreat format — shared meals, guided walks, an intimate house — does the work of bringing people together naturally. No awkward icebreakers required.

Structure by day. Freedom by evening.



Mornings and afternoons are guided and filled. Evenings are entirely yours — linger over wine with the group, explore the village alone, read on the terrace. You decide, every night.

One of us has done this for years.



Your guide is a solo female traveler herself. She knows France not as a tourist but as someone who has lived and wandered it for decades. That experience shapes everything — where we eat, what we skip, and what we never miss.

Rural France is genuinely safe.



The Dordogne is unhurried, local, and warm. Stone villages where everyone knows everyone. Markets run by the same family for three generations. It is, quite simply, one of the safest and most welcoming places I have ever traveled as a woman alone.
Get out of Paris, people." It's on the back of my business card for a reason. The France that will change you is not in the 8th arrondissement. It's down a gravel lane in the Dordogne, past the walnut trees, at the end of a trail you almost didn't take.

— Your Guide Meghan from We Wander France

What's included in your week

Everything below is taken care of so you can arrive and simply be present. See the full week-by-week itinerary for daily details.

6 Nights Lodging

A restored stone manor outside Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. Unpack once. Stay for the week.

Daily Breakfast

Fresh, unhurried mornings at the manor before each day's walk begins.

Daily French Lunch

Multi-course sit-down meals at local restaurants. Long, leisurely, and completely French.

All Guided Walks

3–7 miles daily through forest paths, river valleys, and medieval villages.

All Local Transportation

Getting to trailheads, villages, and markets — all handled throughout the week.

Expert Local Guidance

A guide who knows the Dordogne deeply — the hidden paths, the best markets, the tables worth waiting for.

Questions solo travelers ask us most

You can also browse the full FAQ page for questions about fitness level, what's included, and how to book.

Absolutely. I've been a solo female traveler in France for years and have always felt extremely safe — so safe I never even thought about it. Rural France, and the Dordogne in particular, is warm, unhurried, and welcoming. The We Wander France retreat also means you travel with a small group of like-minded women, so you have both independence and companionship.

Not at all. We Wander France is designed with solo travelers in mind, and solo guests make up a large portion of our group every year. The retreat format — shared meals, guided walks, an intimate house — naturally brings people together regardless of how they arrived. Guests who came alone consistently leave as friends.

Yes — We Wander France is exactly that. Our guests are typically women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are curious, active, and ready for a travel experience that goes beyond sightseeing. The group is small (6–8 people), the pace is intentional, and the connections made tend to be lasting. Read more about the retreat.

Evenings are entirely yours. Some guests explore the village, linger over a glass of local wine, read by the fireplace at the manor, or join others from the group for a casual dinner out. There's no pressure and no schedule — just the beauty of a French evening in the Dordogne.

Not at all. Your guide handles all communication with locals, restaurants, and vendors. Part of the joy of the retreat is that you get the full French experience — village markets, family-run restaurants, countryside conversations — without any language barrier stress.

Please contact us directly for current pricing on single room arrangements. We do our best to accommodate solo travelers comfortably, and many guests travel solo with us every year.

October 12–18, 2026 Dordogne, France

Your week in the Dordogne is waiting.

A small group. A stone manor. Seven days of walking, eating, and discovering the France that most travelers never find. Come alone — you won't feel it for long.

Limited to 6–8 guests — spots fill early

Reserve Your Spot Meet Your Guide