Alba Truffle Hunting Tours
Alba truffle hunting is a walk in the oak woods of the Langhe with a trifulau, a licensed hunter, and his dog, followed by the truffle shaved over eggs or tajarin, and from late September to January the truffle is the white one, the most expensive food in the world. Compare the top-rated hunts below, then read our notes on seasons, the fair and what to expect.
Truffle hunts in Alba and the Langhe
Truffle hunts across Piedmont, including from Turin
Formats: ninety-minute to three-hour hunts from Alba or the villages with a tasting; hunts with cheese, truffle and wine tastings at a farm; sunset hunts with dinner; full days from Turin with lunch and pickup; truffle fair tickets with a guided visit.
Seasons: white truffle 21 September to 31 January, peak October and November; summer black truffle June to August; winter black December to mid-March. Hunts run all year; the price of what is found does not.
Price and time: 80 to 95 dollars for a hunt with tasting; 90 to 140 with wine and cheese; 200 to 280 for a full day from Turin.
What a hunt actually involves
You meet the trifulau at his farm or at a spot on the edge of the woods, usually early morning or at dusk when the scent carries, and follow him and the dog, traditionally a small mongrel or a Lagotto, through oak, poplar and hazel woods. The dog scents, digs, and is rewarded; the hunter finishes the dig by hand so the truffle is not damaged, and explains why it grew there. Back at the table the finds are cleaned, weighed and priced, and shaved over fried eggs, tajarin or a cheese board with a glass of Langhe wine. Ninety minutes to three hours.
The seasons and the fair
Piedmont’s regional calendar sets the white truffle harvest from 21 September to 31 January; October and November are the peak and the Alba International White Truffle Fair, in its 96th year, runs from 10 October to 6 December 2026, with the truffle market open at weekends. Summer hunts find the black summer truffle, June to August, which is milder and cheaper; the winter black runs December to mid-March. A hunt in July is still a hunt, but do not expect a white.
From Turin
Several hunts collect you in Turin and add a Langhe lunch or a sunset dinner, at two to three times the price of an Alba-based hunt. If you can reach Alba by train, an hour and a quarter from Turin, the local hunts are better value. See also Langhe day trips from Turin.
Frequently asked questions
Will we find a white truffle?
In season, usually something; the dogs and the hunters are good. Size and quality are the lottery. Out of season, black truffles.
Do I keep the truffle?
No; it is the hunter’s livelihood. You taste it, and you can buy from him at a fair price.
How much does a white truffle cost?
Prices swing with the harvest; in a normal year several thousand euros per kilo at the fair, so a few grams shaved over your eggs is a real luxury.
What should I wear?
Walking shoes or boots and long trousers; the woods are muddy in autumn and the hunters walk at their own pace.
Read next: Alba white truffle season: when to go and how the hunt works
How we choose
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