September 15-23, 2025
Arrive in Rennes, either by air or by train. Keep taxi receipts for your ride to the hotel, for reimbursement by the tour. For the first night, we all stay in a hotel in Rennes, so we can collect everyone before riding on our tour bus to our home base in Carnac the next day. In the evening we will have a brief talk about what the trip holds in store. Hotel TBD.
On our way to our base in Carnac, we take in several important monuments, starting with one of the most famous and largest Neolithic dolmens in Brittany: La Roche-aux-Fees (Rock of the Fairies), named for a legend that claims that the stones were placed by fairies. From there we move on to the Menhirs of Monteneuf, which has over 400 stones, among them 42 standing menhirs, on the edge of the legendary and enchanted Broceliande Forest. Then lunch at Restaurant Les Mégalithes! Our last stop of the day will be Babouin et Babouine, a pair of menhirs with strangely carved faces, deep in a forest.
At the end of the day, we settle in to our Carnac residence, which will be our home base for the rest of this adventure: Hotel les Alignements.
This day focuses on the Carnac locale, where we will see several sites. Among them is the Tumulus St. Michel, the largest grave mound in continental Europe. Not far away, we’ll see a rare dolmen still covered by its original earthen cairn, the Tumulus de Kercado, and a unique ensemble of three dolmens called the Dolmens of Mane Kerionned. Along the way is an alignment of six menhirs, the Alignement du Vieux Moulin, which might actually be the remnant of an ancient tomb.
Our destination today is the Locmariaquer megaliths, a complex of remarkable Neolithic features located close to one another east of Carnac and near the mouth of the Gulf of Morbihan. These notably include the Broken Menhir of Er Grah, the largest stone block known to have been erected by Neolithic people. Now fallen and broken into four pieces, this menhir had an estimated weight of 330 tons and a length of nearly 21 meters. Nearby we will see another 18 menhirs as well as the impressive Er-Grah tumulus passage grave, 140 meters long. Also in the vicinity is the Table de Marchands, a large dolmen containing a number of interesting decorations.
This afternoon (2-3 pm) is our time to see the Carnac Prehistory Museum, the leading place to see many fine artifacts recovered from Neolithic sites that have brought fame to the region.
One of our longer drives of the tour happens today, as we venture northward to the Plussulien vicinity to explore the dolerite quarry site of Quelfénnec, one of the main Neolithic sources of stone in Brittany for making polished stone axes, used between 3500 and 1800 BC. Interesting features here include a number of polisoirs, or polishing boulders, used to polish and sharpen stone axes.
On this day we again focus on the very famous Carnac locale one more time, visiting a series of sites rather close to each other. This cluster includes the largest collection of standing stones of this kind anywhere in the world. The two main sites (Ménec and Kermario) alone account for nearly 3,000 menhirs, most arranged in rows, and the alignments extend over almost four miles. Other nearby sites notable for their standing-stone alignments and on our agenda are Toulchignan, Kerlescan (including a stone circle), and Petit Menec. We will also see the distinctly different feature of Manio, the focus of which is a massive menhir known as the “Giant,” over 6.5 m (21 ft) high, standing within a stone-bordered quadrilateral.
This day begins with a visit (9:30-11:00 am) to the House of Megaliths (Maison des Mégalithes), the official visitor center at Carnac, where we will have 30 minutes to explore the interpretive center and then have a one-hour guided tour of the monoliths in one area of the site that is normally off-limits to the public. Then we will be off on our own to see areas of the site that are not closed.
Our destination today is the Gulf of Morbihan, and part of our time will be spent on the water. A centerpoint of this day’s adventure will be the spectacular Gavrinis Passage Grave, on an island near the mouth of the Gulf. This feature stands out for its wonderfully rich internal decorations and excellent preservation. Nearby, we will also explore, not on foot but from our boat, the two stone circles on the islet of Er Lannic, one of which is completely submerged due to ancient sea level rise and the other is half submerged at high tide. Finally, we will drive around the Gulf to see the Petit Mont Chambered Tomb, on the very tip of the Rhuys Peninsula. The decorations on the stones of the passage and the chamber of this complex, multi-phase monument must not be missed, so of course we will see them!
On this day we will spend the day near Erdeven, where we will examine some of the many dolmens and alignments in the vicinity. Dolmen de Crucuno, Dolmen Mané Croc’h, and Dolmen Mané Bras all have multiple chambers. The alignments are at Kerbernes and Kerzerho. The latter once had 1100 standing menhirs, of which nearly 200 remain, standing in a dozen rows.
Saying our goodbyes. Transfers by bus to points of departure in Rennes, including the train station and the airport. Some may choose to depart by train from Carnac.
Saying our Goodbyes. Transfers by bus to the Nantes airport.
An Educational Tour Designed for ALI and Led by Standing With Stones Filmmakers Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin!
Concentrating on the exceptionally dense array of ancient stone alignments, dolmens, menhirs, and tumuli in Brittany, the traditional homeland of the Breton people, this 9-day adventure traverses a hilly, windswept region with a rugged coastline and picturesque Medieval villages.
Our journey begins in Nantes, Brittany’s largest city, where we arrive, spend one night and then set off to explore the region’s remarkable Neolithic past. After a first night’s sleep, we head northwestward to the Carnac vicinity to see several remarkable sites, including the Tumulus St. Michel, the largest grave mound in continental Europe. By the end of the day, we will settle into our home base near Erdeven, from which we will venture out on each day of this adventure.
Each following day has a different theme and route, beginning on Day 3 with a foray to the east to a forested area that shelters an array of diverse sites, including sculpted faces, a large cluster of menhirs, and one of the most famous and largest dolmens in Brittany. By contrast, Day 4 involves rather little driving, but brings us to the largest menhir in the world, a huge tumulus passage grave, and a large decorated dolmen.
One of our longer drives of the tour happens today, as we venture northward to the Plussulien vicinity to explore the dolerite quarry site of Quelfénnec, one of the main Neolithic sources of stone in Brittany for making polished stone axes, used between 3500 and 1800 BC. Interesting features here include a number of polisoirs, or polishing boulders, used to polish and sharpen stone axes.
On the next day, we are back to the nearby Carnac locale to see literally thousands of standing and aligned menhirs and the unique feature of Manio, with its quadrilateral arrangement and huge standing menhir. Then, on Day 7, we explore the Gulf of Morbihan, even on the water as we take a short boat trip to see the spectacular Gavrinis Passage Grave, on an island near the mouth of the Gulf, with its elaborate and well preserved interior decorations. While on the boat, we observe two stone circles at another small island, one of which is submerged as a consequence of ancient sea level rise. We end the day at another well decorated passage grave, the Petit Mont Chambered Tomb.
For our final day of exploration, Day 8, we stay close to our home base to see some of the many dolmens and menhirs in the vicinity.
Total Price: $5100 per person (double occupancy). Add $260 for the tour if you are traveling as a single.
Registration fee: $1500 to ALI. This amount is included in the total price above. Spots are limited, so register today!
Included costs: All lodging, meals, private ground transportation, all entry fees, tour guides (Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin).
Costs not included: alcoholic beverages, gratuities for service providers (guides, waiters, drivers, maids), personal travel insurance, and airfare to and from France.
Dates: September 15 - 23, 2025