# Grand Roc cave, France: what it is and when to go > A rock shelter in the Vézère valley, near Les Eyzies, excavated since the 19th century. Its value lies in its stratigraphy: layers of occupation one above another that were used to put the cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in order. You visit the site itself, not paintings. The best time to visit is March to October. In June there are 15 h 24 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 36. It has articles in 7 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/grand-roc-cave/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-02 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Show cave in France · Nature, History - **Local name:** Grotte du Grand Roc - **Where:** France - **Best time:** March to October. - **Nearest airport:** BOD Bordeaux, 136 km as the crow flies - **Protection:** UNESCO World Heritage Site - **Coordinates:** 44.94801, 0.99803 ## What you will see here - The stratigraphic section with the occupation layers marked - The shelter and the cliff that overhangs it - The neighbouring sites in the same valley, a short distance away - The National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies, to put it all in context > It's a guided visit with no paintings: if you're after cave art, go to the caves in the same valley, not here. ## What it is and where Grand Roc cave is a show cave in France (Grotte du Grand Roc) (Le Bugue). It has articles in 7 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. It is in [Le Bugue](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/le-bugue/), where this site lists 28 more places to see, 6.4 km from the centre. Its coordinates are 44.94801, 0.99803; the nearest main airport is Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD, Bordeaux), 136 km as the crow flies. How to get around France (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=44.948007%2C0.998029) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=44.948007%2C0.998029) - **Protection:** UNESCO World Heritage Site It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/naturaleza/) and [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/historia/) places in France. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Grand Roc cave is **March to October**. In high season the sites of the Vézère valley draw big crowds; outside summer, access may be more restricted. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 8 h 57 | | February | Possible | 10 h 11 | | March | Best time | 11 h 37 | | April | Best time | 13 h 16 | | May | Best time | 14 h 39 | | June | Best time | 15 h 24 | | July | Best time | 15 h 05 | | August | Best time | 13 h 53 | | September | Best time | 12 h 18 | | October | Best time | 10 h 42 | | November | Possible | 9 h 18 | | December | Possible | 8 h 36 | In June there are 15 h 24 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 36. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. | What you come for | Best time | Possible | | --- | --- | --- | | Nature | April to October | November to March | | History | March to October | November to February | It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Grand Roc cave has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you. When to go to France in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to France To enter France there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the France checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and E · 230 V · 50 Hz; emergencies: 112 · 15 ambulance (SAMU) · 17 police · 18 fire brigade. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Laugerie-Basse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/site-de-laugerie-basse/): Archaeological site · 60 m - [Laugerie-Haute](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/gisement-prehistorique-de-laugerie-haute/): Cave with prehistoric art · 451 m - [Abri du Poisson](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/abri-du-poisson/): Cave with prehistoric art · 455 m - [Grotte de l'Oreille d'Enfer](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/grotte-de-l-oreille-d-enfer/): Cave in France · 491 m - [Cro-Magnon rock shelter](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/abri-de-cro-magnon/): Cave and archaeological site in France · 1.2 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the France guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/). ## More in France: Nature - [Mont Blanc](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/mont-blanc/): highest mountain in the Alps - [Chartres Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/cathedrale-notre-dame/): medieval Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France - [Lascaux](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/lascaux-cave/): cave in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings - [Chauvet Cave](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/grotte-chauvet/): cave in France - [Champ de Mars](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/campo-de-marte/): large public green space in Paris, France - [Jardin du Luxembourg](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/luxembourg-garden/): urban park in Paris, France Every France place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/naturaleza/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Grand Roc cave? It is a show cave in France (Grotte du Grand Roc in the local language). It has articles in 7 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. ### When is the best time to visit Grand Roc cave? March to October. In June there are 15 h 24 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 36. ### How do you get to Grand Roc cave? The nearest main airport is Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD), 136 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=44.948007%2C0.998029) opens the route on the map, and how to get around France is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the France map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Laugerie-Basse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/site-de-laugerie-basse/), [Laugerie-Haute](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/gisement-prehistorique-de-laugerie-haute/), [Abri du Poisson](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/abri-du-poisson/). The rest is in [the France guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/851219351), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2452386), CC0. More about Grand Roc cave on [Wikipedia](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotte_du_Grand_Roc). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).