The Dordogne region is one of the best places to visit in France for viewing prehistoric cave paintings. The UNESCO-listed Lascaux Cave in the Dordogne's Vallée de la Vézère contains masterpieces of Paleolithic art created by Cro-Magnon man. Although the cave has been closed to the public to prevent damage, visitors may view a replica of the cave's original artwork at the nearby Lascaux II site (in Motignac) and learn more about the prehistoric animal paintings the site's International Centre for Cave Art. Also in the Vézère Valley, the Grotte de Rouffignac is adorned with paintings of horses, cows, bison, deer, goats, and mammoths.

One of the top attractions of the Pyrenees region is the Grotte du Mas d'Azil, an immense cave decorated with drawings from the Magdalenian and Azilian periods. This tourist attraction deep in the Pyrenees Mountains offers guided tours and admission to the nearby Musée de la Préhistoire.

About an hour drive from the Mas d'Azil Cave, the Grotte de Niaux also has remarkable Palaeolithic art dating from 14,000 to 10,000 BC. The Grotte de Niaux is open to the public for guided tours (reservations required). Near the town of Tarascon-sur-Ariège, the Grotte de Lombrives reveals fascinating ancient history, and the Grotte de Bédeilhac dazzles with its rare Magdalenien-era prehistoric art.