Château de Beynac opening hours 2026
Arriving without a car?Every car park in the village is paid, all year, and the top one fills first in summer. A half-day tour from Sarlat drops you in the village and takes you on to Domme and the river; every option cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check availabilityThe 2026 bands, as the castle publishes them
- 7 February to 3 April: 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00.
- 4 April to 3 July: 10:00–19:00, last entry 18:00.
- 4 July to 30 August: open from 09:00, with a late closing in the evening.
- 31 August to 30 September: 10:00–19:00, last entry 18:00.
- 1 October to 1 November: 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00.
- 2 November to 18 December: 10:00–17:00, last entry 16:00.
- 19 December to 3 January 2027: 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00.
Those are the seven bands published for 2026. The first of them begins on 7 February; the castle states that it opens every day of the year, and for a date that falls outside a published band the sensible move is to read the castle’s own site before setting off. The same page is the one to trust if a band shifts mid-season.
High summer, and the closing time nobody agrees on
Between 4 July and 30 August the castle opens at nine in the morning, an hour earlier than the rest of the year, and closes late in the evening. Two of the castle’s own pages give two different evening figures, so this site prints neither: a late closing in high summer, and check the castle’s own page on the day. What the early opening is good for is certain. Nine o’clock is before the coaches, before the upper car park fills and before the stone gets hot, and the lane up is a different walk at that hour. Which month and which hour to choose.
What last entry leaves you
Last entry is an hour before closing in every band that publishes a closing time, and the visit itself takes about an hour — the castle’s own wording is a good hour at most. Arriving on the last-entry hour therefore works, but it works better with the walk up already done: from the riverside car parks the climb through the village takes ten to fifteen minutes. How long a visit really takes, door to door.
Winter at a castle that never closes
From 2 November the castle shuts at five in the afternoon, which makes a short day shorter, and the Christmas fortnight from 19 December runs to six. Nothing closes for the season. The rooms are stone and the terrace is exposed, so winter is a coat-and-boots visit with the valley bare below and almost nobody else in the Salle des États. The river boats and the canoe bases do not run in those months, which is the real difference between a January visit and a June one.
Hours are the castle’s to change and this page is read from its own notices; the figures here were last checked on 16 September 2026. Booking the entry ticket online fixes the date you have chosen and cancels free up to 24 hours before, which is useful when the weather in the valley is doing something else. What the ticket covers.
Fix your date for the castle
The castle’s own entry ticket, booked for the day you want: entry, the exhibition on Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine, the bookshop, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. From around seventeen euros.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Château de Beynac open all year?
Yes. The castle is open every single day of the year, including through the winter, and individuals do not reserve a slot. Only the closing time moves: 17:00 in November and early December, 19:00 in spring and September. Season by season.
What time does the Château de Beynac open?
At 10:00 for most of the year, and at 09:00 between 4 July and 30 August. Last entry is an hour before closing, and the visit inside takes about an hour. How long to allow.
How late is the castle open in summer?
From 4 July to 30 August it stays open late into the evening. The castle’s own pages give two different figures for that closing, so check its site on the day rather than trusting a single time printed anywhere else.
Do I need to book the Château de Beynac in advance?
No reservation is possible for individuals and the castle sells entry at the gate every day. Booking online fixes a date and cancels free up to 24 hours before. Tickets and what each option includes.