"A fabulous family experience. An expert truffle hunter with his trained Lagotto hike and finding truffles, then a fun cooking class followed by a magnificent lunch. The host family and farm was so special as well. A trip highlight!"
Rated 5.0 by 86 Verified Guests
Truffle Hunting in Italy
Three regions sell truffle hunting in Italy and they are not interchangeable. Alba owns the white truffle's reputation and its prices; Umbria owns the black; Tuscany owns the easy version — the one that fits a trip you were taking anyway.
From
$186
per person
Free cancellation
- 5.0 / 5 86+ Reviews
- Oct–Dec Tuscan White Truffle
- Oct–Jan Piedmont's Window
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What This Hunt Includes
From the operator's own listing — the hunt in Chianti, and the pasta class that follows it.
Highlights
- Truffle hunting with professional "Truffle Hunter" and his dog Lagotto Romagnolo
- Cooking class on fresh pasta
- lunch based on fresh truffle on the terrace overlooking the olive grove
- Taste our products based on truffle, our Extra Virgin olive oil and our wines
What's Included
- Truffle hunting
- Cooking class
- Lunch with truffle
- Wines and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Good to know: This activity involves a 1-hour hike, wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes. · Not Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Truffle found in the forest (available to buy)
How the Chianti Day Runs
Hunt first, then you cook what goes under the truffle.
Check Which Truffle Is Actually in Season
This is the step nearly every listing skips. Tuscany's prized white truffle runs October to December; the marzuolo takes over January to April, and the summer scorzone runs May to September. Hunts operate year-round because there is almost always something to find — but the species changes, and so does what ends up on the plate. If you booked expecting white truffle in July, you were always going to be disappointed.
Decide Whether You Are Buying a Walk or a Meal
The hunt itself is usually 45 minutes to an hour and a half in the woods behind a dog. Almost everything above $150 is buying the rest of the day — a long lunch, a winery, a pasta or cooking class. Reviewers are consistent about this: the hunt is charming and short, and the meal is what people describe at length afterwards. Price the meal, not the walk.
Pick Your Corner of Tuscany
San Miniato is the white-truffle town and holds the national exhibition across four weekends in November. San Gimignano has the deepest-reviewed hunts on the platform. Chianti pairs the hunt with cooking classes, and Volterra and Arezzo are the cheaper, quieter options. All are 45 minutes to 90 minutes from Florence, and most tours include transfer or meet you there.
Expect a Trained Dog, Not a Pig
The truffle pig is a museum fact in Italy — pigs eat the truffle and have been banned from truffle hunting here since 1985. Every hunt you can book uses dogs, usually the curly-coated lagotto romagnolo. The dog does the work; your job is to keep up, watch the dig, and not be disappointed that the whole thing takes less time than the lunch that follows.
Photo Gallery
Italian Truffle Country
Chianti's oak woods and the kitchen the hunt ends in.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Tuscany, Alba or Umbria
Different species, different seasons, genuinely different legal harvest dates - and very different trips attached.
| Feature | THE CONVENIENT ONE Tuscany | Alba, Piedmont | Umbria |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Headline Truffle | White - excellent, especially around San Miniato | White - the world's most famous, and priced like it | Black - winter melanosporum and a lot of summer scorzone |
| White Truffle Window | October to December | 1 October to 31 January - a month longer | Not its speciality |
| Where It Sits | 45-90 minutes from Florence, on the usual itinerary | North-west Italy, well off the Florence-Rome axis | Central, near Norcia, quieter than either |
| Cost | $99 to $488 for a hunt with a meal | The most expensive of the three, in season | The cheapest of the three |
| The Honest Case Against | Alba's white truffle is better, and we are not pretending otherwise | A decision to go to Alba, not a day you add to a trip | It is not the white truffle, if that is what you pictured |
| Can We Book It | Yes - 20 Tuscan hunts compared on this site | No - we do not sell Piedmont hunts | No - we do not sell Umbrian hunts |
| Check Availability |
In Tuscany
The Tuscan Options
What we can actually book you — the Tuscan end of the Italian truffle map, from $99 to a private winery day.
MOST REVIEWED IN TUSCANYSan Gimignano: Truffle Hunting with Lunch & Wine Tasting - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
Participate in a unique local Tuscan tradition with this guided truffle hunt followed by lunch and a wine and olive oil tasting. Follow the powerful noses of hunting …
HALF DAYTruffle Hunting in San Gimignano - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of truffle hunting. After meeting your guide at the meeting point, begin with a brief introduction to the secrets of …
THE WHITE TRUFFLE TOWNSan Miniato: Truffle Hunting, Food, and Gourmet Experience - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
Join us and one of Tuscan's best truffle dog teams on an exhilarating morning truffle hunt experience. Francesca and Vittorio will expertly guide you through …
FROM FLORENCETuscany: Truffle Hunting Experience with Tasting - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
We look forward to welcoming you to our place in the countryside of San Miniato in the locality of Corazzano where you can live an amazing experience: after an …
CHEAPESTTuscany: Volterra Truffle Hunting Experience - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
This experience, guided by our truffle hunter and his well trained dogs, takes you on a hunt for truffles into the woods around Agriturismo Biologico Diacceroni. You …
WINERY LUNCHTuscany: Truffle Hunting and Meal at a Winery - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
The excursion starts from Florence, where you will be picked up at the meeting point. Your driver will then take you out to the Tuscan countryside, where the truffle …
The Independent Guide
Alba, Umbria or Tuscany?
The regions have different truffles, different seasons — genuinely different legal harvest dates — and very different trips attached.
Italy’s three truffle regions are not variations on one experience. They have different species, different reputations, different price levels, and — a detail almost nobody mentions — different legal harvest dates, because the calendar is set regionally rather than nationally.
Here is the honest comparison, including the case against the region this site is about.
The harvest dates genuinely differ
This surprises people who assume “Italian truffle season” is one thing:
| Species | Tuscany | Piedmont (Alba) |
|---|---|---|
| White — T. magnatum | October – December | 1 October – 31 January |
| Black winter — T. melanosporum | November – March | 15 December – 15 March |
| Marzuolo — T. borchii | January – April | 15 January – 30 April |
| Summer scorzone — T. aestivum | May – September | 1 June – 31 August, plus 1 Oct – 30 Nov |
Piedmont’s rules also close all truffle harvesting from 1 to 31 May and from 1 to 20 September. Tuscany’s calendar sits under regional law 16/2008; Piedmont publishes its own.
The practical upshot: Alba’s white truffle window runs a month longer at the back end. If you are travelling in January and the white truffle is the point, Piedmont is open and Tuscany is not.
Alba — the famous one
Piedmont’s Alba is where the white truffle’s global reputation was made, and where the world-record auction prices are set. Its International White Truffle Fair runs autumn weekends and the town is genuinely given over to it.
The case for: the best white truffle in the world, in the season, in the place that treats it seriously. Barolo and Barbaresco are next door.
The case against: it is expensive in every dimension, it is a long way from the usual Italian itinerary — Alba is in the north-west, not near Florence, Rome or Venice — and in peak season it is booked out. Going to Alba is a decision to go to Alba, not something you add to a Tuscan week.
Umbria — the black truffle one
Umbria, and Norcia in particular, is black truffle country — melanosporum in winter, and a serious volume of the summer scorzone. Norcia’s identity is built on it alongside its pork butchery.
The case for: cheaper than either alternative, less touristed, and the black winter truffle is arguably the better cooking ingredient — it stands up to heat, where white truffle collapses and must be shaved raw at the table.
The case against: it is not the white truffle, and if that is what you pictured, Umbria will not deliver it.
Tuscany — the convenient one
The honest case for Tuscany is convenience, not supremacy. Its white truffle is genuinely excellent — the San Miniato hills are among Europe’s best magnatum ground, and the town holds its National White Truffle Exhibition across four weekends in November. But Alba’s reputation is deserved.
What Tuscany has that neither rival does is that you were probably coming anyway. A hunt near San Gimignano or in Chianti is 45 to 90 minutes from Florence and slots into a trip already built around Florence, Siena and the wine. Nobody restructures a holiday to hunt truffles in Tuscany; that is exactly the point.
It is also the deepest bookable market of the three online, which matters when you are trying to compare operators rather than take the first one you find.
The Tuscan end of the map, which is what we can actually book:
Best-rated combination
Chianti Hunt & Pasta Class
Hunt, then make the pasta the truffle goes on. The strongest rating-and-depth combination in Tuscany.
Check dates →Most reviewed
San Gimignano Hunt & Lunch
The deepest review sample in the Tuscan set, and the classic hunt-and-long-lunch shape.
See the lunch day →Prices, ratings and review counts from our September 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing — treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
We do not sell Alba or Umbria hunts, and we are not going to pretend Tuscany wins on every axis to avoid saying so. If January is your travel month and white truffle is non-negotiable, Piedmont is the correct answer and this page has just told you so.
Which Tuscan species is in season now is on the season page; the regional differences within Tuscany are on the Tuscany page.
We are not affiliated with any operator, consortium or truffle fair. Tours here are sold by GetYourGuide and we earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
5.0/5
from 86 verified guests
"perfect day in the farm of the family, every part of the day was extraordinary. the hunting was exciting, the cooking class was fun and on point, and the food and wine were just perfect across the amazing views of Tuscany. the family hosted us to perfection."
"My girlfriend and I visited Florence and booked this cooking class experience with truffle hunting, a pasta class, and lunch featuring truffle pasta, wine, and olive oils. From start to finish, it was absolutely amazing. We were welcomed by Fabricio at his home, joined by Gian Marco (the truffle hunter), Nico, and Taboo along with two other couples. Gian Marco was professional and engaging, and even though Taboo sampled a few truffles, we still managed a great haul for later. Afterward, we made pasta together with Fabricio. He was very accommodating, helpful and engaging. Lunch was incredible. Overall, a fantastic experience and highly recommended for anyone visiting Florence. Very memorable, interactive, full of great food and hospitality."
"Everything was amazing! Niccolo was very attentive, making the experience very enjoyable! The truffle hunt was really cool, the cooking class had a wonderful view, and the food was divine! I highly recommend it!!"
"Everything, the family the guide the food the truffle tour and pasta making class was wonderful. I would go back over and over again."
"We really enjoyed the truffle hunting, cooking class, and lunch experience. Going into the forest with Luca and Taboo was relaxed and fun, and the small group made it feel very personal. The tagliatelle cooking class was simple but really enjoyable, and the 3-course lunch afterwards was fantastic. We’d definitely recommend it as an activity when visiting Tuscany. My only feedback would be that I would have loved to learn how to make the full pasta dish, including the sauce and final cooking process."
"This was by far one of the most amazing experiences we had during our trip to Italy! The hosts are super friendly and welcoming, and the property is simply gorgeous! After some time hunting the truffles with Tabu (the BEST hunter ever!!), we had a very fun cooking class, followed by the best meal we had in Italy. Additionally, they produce very good wine and olive oil, which we of course brought with us as well. I can only recommend this experience!!"
"This was outstanding value and an experience not to be missed! Jean Marco and Tabu the dog were just awesome. We were lucky enough to find 6 truffles - and what a lunch ❤️"
Read all 86 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Hunt and Cook the Pasta
A truffle hunt in Chianti followed by a pasta cooking class — the best-rated combination in Tuscany at 5.0/5 from 86 verified guests, from $186. Free cancellation. Starting from $186 per person.
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Truffle Hunting in Italy — FAQ
Which region, which season, and the rules nobody mentions until you are at the airport.
Piedmont, if you mean the white truffle - Alba is the truffle capital and it is not close. Alba's International White Truffle Fair and its record auction prices built the species' global reputation. Umbria, and Norcia in particular, is the black truffle centre and is cheaper and quieter. Tuscany's honest claim is different: San Miniato's hills are among Europe's best ground for the same white truffle, and Tuscany is somewhere most travellers are already going. Best depends on whether you are restructuring a holiday around truffle or adding a day to one.
No - harvest dates are set regionally, and the differences are real. Tuscany's white truffle window is October to December; Piedmont's runs 1 October to 31 January, a month longer at the back end. Piedmont's black winter truffle runs 15 December to 15 March against Tuscany's November to March, and Piedmont additionally closes all truffle harvesting from 1 to 31 May and from 1 to 20 September. Tuscany's calendar sits under regional law 16/2008. If you are travelling in January and want white truffle, Piedmont is open and Tuscany is not.
Alba if the truffle is the reason for the trip; Tuscany if it is an excellent addition to one. Alba has the better white truffle, the serious fair, and Barolo next door - but it is expensive, it books out in season, and it sits in the north-west, far from the Florence-Siena-Rome axis most itineraries follow. Tuscany's hunts are 45 to 90 minutes from Florence and slot into a trip you were taking anyway. Nobody restructures a holiday to hunt truffles in Tuscany, and that is precisely the argument for it.
Declare them, and expect fresh ones to be a problem because of the soil. US Customs and Border Protection requires all agricultural items to be declared and inspected, and soil is prohibited without a permit issued in advance by USDA - fresh truffles arrive covered in it. Declared items found inadmissible can be abandoned at the port with no penalty; undeclared ones are confiscated and carry a civil penalty, which CBP puts at $300 for a first offence and $500 for a second. Sealed, preserved truffle products are the far safer route home.
Enough that the tour is not the expensive part - and the price swings violently year to year. White truffle is sold by weight at autumn markets and the rate depends almost entirely on summer rainfall: a dry summer means a thin harvest and a steep market. That volatility is exactly why we will not print a euros-per-hundred-grams figure here that would be wrong by November. Buy at a market in San Miniato during the November exhibition if you want the real price on the day, and treat any number you read online as historical.
Dogs, decisively - and in Italy pigs have been illegal for the job since 1985. The ban was ecological: pigs root destructively and damage the ground. The practical problem is simpler - a pig will eat the truffle before the handler can get to it, while a dog has no interest in eating it and works for praise. The lagotto romagnolo is the only breed internationally recognised specifically for truffle hunting. Dogs are also lighter, more manageable, and far less conspicuous, which matters where truffle poaching is a live concern.
Still have questions? Email us at info@tuscanytrufflehuntingtour.com