ExperiencesTruffle Hunting
Truffle hunting in Tuscany.
The experience
How we
arrange it.
A truffle hunt is the rare experience that lives up to it: out early with a professional trifolau and his dog, into the oak wood, and the genuine theatre of the dog finding, digging and being rewarded. It ends, as it should, with a lunch built around what you found, or, in the lean months, what the hunter brought.
Tuscany's truffle country runs from San Miniato, the white-truffle town between Florence and Pisa, close to estates such as Castelfalfi, to the Crete Senesi south of Siena. White truffle peaks October to December; the black summer truffle, scorzone, runs the warmer months, so a hunt is possible for most of the year.
How a Hunt Works
You meet the hunter and his dog near the villa, walk into the wood, and follow the dog, the dig and the find are the whole point, and the dog's reward is the only drama. It is a gentle morning walk rather than a trek, which makes it one of the few experiences that genuinely spans the generations, grandchildren to grandparents.
When, and Where
White truffle, the celebrated one, is at its best from October to December, with San Miniato's market town at the heart of it. The black summer truffle keeps a hunt possible through the warmer months. Wherever you are based, we find the nearest grounds, the woods around San Miniato in the northwest, the Crete Senesi and the Val d'Orcia in the south.
Where It Happens Best
Truffle country sits closest to the Lucca villas: Il Frantoio at the Coselli estate and Villa del Fattore put the woods within a morning's reach, and at Castelfalfi the hunt can start on the estate itself.
Plan for the people as well as the season
Tell us your dates and villa location so the provider can propose suitable grounds and the experience available that week. Ask which truffle season the outing relates to, how long the walk lasts, the terrain and whether lunch is included. Finding a particular truffle cannot be guaranteed.
Bring footwear suited to uneven or muddy ground and layers for the forecast. Mention young children, mobility needs or anyone who would prefer to join only the meal. Check the meeting point and transport rather than assuming the hunt begins at your villa.
From the woodland to the table
Confirm what the tasting or lunch includes, whether drinks are extra, and how dietary requirements will be handled. A hunt, a truffle lunch and a chef dinner featuring truffles are separate arrangements; the quote should make clear which you have booked.
Our Tuscan food guide puts truffles alongside the other dishes worth trying. If you want to continue the experience in the kitchen, ask about a cooking class at your villa. Confirm any weather-related changes or cancellation arrangements with the provider before the day.
What we arrange
- A private hunt with a professional trifolau and dog
- A morning in the truffle woods near your villa
- The truffle lunch that follows the hunt
- Hunts gentle enough for children and grandparents
- White-truffle season (Oct–Dec) or the summer scorzone
- A truffle-focused dinner back at the villa
Frequently asked
- When is truffle season in Tuscany?
- White truffle peaks October to December; the black summer truffle (scorzone) runs the warmer months, so a hunt is possible for most of the year.
- Where do the truffle hunts take place?
- Near your villa where possible, the woods around San Miniato and the Crete Senesi are the classic grounds.
- Is it suitable for children?
- Very, the dog at work is the draw, and the hunts are gentle walks rather than treks.
- Do we get to eat the truffles?
- Yes, a hunt usually ends in a truffle lunch, and we can arrange a truffle dinner back at the villa.
Enquire