Advice for visitors

How to prepare your visit to the Château de Hautefort en Dordogne

Our recommendations for your comfort

To make the most of your visit to the Château de Hautefort and its gardens, we recommend that you read the information below before you come.

Recommended length of visit

A complete tour of the château, immersive areas and gardens takes an average of 2 to 2? hours. Every day, free guided tours are offered of the Château at 11am and 4pm, and of the gardens at 3pm. 

Allow extra time if you want to have lunch on site or attend an event or night-time party. 

Our recommendation for an ideal day at Hautefort: 
- Arrival at 10am, tickets booked online in advance 
- Self-guided discovery of the estate 
- 11am: take part in a guided tour of the Château 
- 12.30pm-2pm: lunch at the restaurant on 17
- 2pm: guided tour of the gardens 
- 3pm: stroll through the English-style park

Tickets and peak periods

To ensure that your visit is as comfortable as possible, we recommend that you book online, especially in high season and during events.

The busiest periods are school holidays, weekends and summer afternoons.

For a quieter visit, opt for mornings or the end of the day.

Visitor dress and comfort

The Château de Hautefort is a vast estate with staircases, ancient floors and formal gardens.

Comfortable footwear is recommended.

In summer, remember to bring a hat and sun protection. There are plenty of benches and tables in the formal gardens and English park for a cool break.  

In the event of variable weather conditions, as some parts of the tour take place outdoors, adapt your clothing accordingly.

Restore to Hautefort

To extend the experience, the château offers a range of restaurants on the estate. 

Lunch, snack or dinner on a night out: several formats are available depending on the season.

It is advisable to book in advance, especially for packages combining a visit and a meal.

There are several shaded picnic areas in the English park.

A castle open to all

We offer each visitor the best possible welcome, depending on your wishes and needs.

For families

The Château de Hautefort lends itself particularly well to family visits. The immersive displays, embodied stories and gardens will appeal to young and old alike.

A family pass is now available for discovery at a preferential rate (€38 for 2 adults and 2 children).

Pushchairs are allowed in our formal gardens, our park at
and the château's main courtyard. However, they are not permitted in the rooms of the château because of the particularly fragile staircases and parquet floors. There is a parking space for them in the courtyard of honour.

Toilets and a nursery area are available inside the château.

For people with reduced mobility

We are committed to welcoming all visitors. People with disabilities :

  • benefit from a reduced rate
  • A ramp leads into the château's inner courtyard to the main gallery, the flats of the Marquis de Hautefort, the tapestry room, the chapel, the ground floor of the Tour de Bretagne, the restaurant and the shop.
  • Unfortunately, the floors are not. Our teams will be happy to help you get around and, if you wish, show you around the upstairs areas using a specially designed photographic booklet.
  • accompanying dogs are allowed inside the Château
  • Accompanying persons may drive up to the drawbridge for easy access to the Château.
  • adapted parking spaces are available nearby.
    https://acceslibre.beta.gouv.fr/app/24-hautefort/a/lieu-de-visite/erp/fondation-du-chateau-de-hautefort/

For parties and events

During the season, the Château de Hautefort offers dramatised evening visits and cultural events. These tours offer a different, immersive approach to the castle.

Specific times and conditions will be specified at the time of booking.

For our dog friends

Pets are allowed on a lead in our 30 hectares of parkland (plenty of room to stretch their legs) and in the formal gardens. They are not allowed in the courtyard of honour or in the rooms of the château (even when carried in a bag), with the exception of guide dogs. We do, however, offer a free dog-sitting service, which you can request at the ticket office.
Water is available at the entrance to the estate.

Need information on place?

A reception team is on hand on arrival to guide you, answer your questions and advise you on the most suitable route for your visit. All our communication materials are available in English.

FAQ

You should allow 2 hours to visit all the rooms in the château, the shop, the formal gardens and the English park. If you would like to enjoy our restaurant, "La cour carrée", you can allow a further 1 hour.

The château, grounds and gardens are open to visitors of all ages. A number of activities have been designed around a welcome booklet to satisfy the curiosity of 5-8 year olds. You'll find it in the shop.

Yes, to give you maximum freedom, all our tickets are valid for the whole day. So you can leave the castle to wander around the village of Hautefort and return to the castle at the end of the afternoon.

Yes, you can buy your tickets online here. They are valid for the entire season.

No. We don't have queue-cutting tickets, and buying a ticket online doesn't mean you don't have to go to the ticket office. This is necessary so that we can check your ticket.

As soon as you arrive at the château, you can book a table with our chef Luciano. Reservations by telephone are not possible.

Your admission ticket includes access to a guided tour of the château, a guided tour of the garden and the cinema and bread oven workshops, subject to availability. If it is not possible to book by telephone, please contact our receptionist at the ticket office as soon as you arrive. The times of our free activities are here.

No. You need to buy a ticket to enter the château in order to use all the services on offer, including the restaurant and shop.

No. An entrance ticket must be purchased to gain access to the park, gardens and/or château.

Unfortunately, the entire château is not accessible to wheelchair users, given the heritage features that we are unable to modify. You can find all the information you need about accessibility at here

The château has 2 large free car parks with spaces reserved for people with disabilities.

Dogs are allowed in our 30 hectares of English parkland and 3 hectares of formal gardens. Water is available at the entrance to the estate. However, they are not allowed to visit the château or its inner courtyard.

Naturally, pushchairs are allowed in our formal gardens and English park. However, they are not allowed on tours of the château due to the particularly fragile staircases and wooden floors. There is a parking space for pushchairs on the right-hand side of the drawbridge.

Yes, you can picnic in our park. Several tables are provided for this purpose. And if you've forgotten your drinks or ice creams, our delivery trolley will be at your disposal.