Truffle Hunting in Le Marche: A Private Day Out

Destination Le Marche: Italy's Best-Kept Secret, and My Home
Cost From €140/pp
Duration 1 day
Experience dates Flexible
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A truffle hunter in an oak wood with two truffle dogs

Experience overview

A private truffle hunting day in southern Le Marche: about an hour in the woods with a licensed hunter and his dogs, then fresh tagliatelle with truffle at the farm table. From €140 per person, depending on the season.

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How the day works ↓

Duration

Half day with lunch

Where

Southern Le Marche

Private, from

€140 pp

Season

May to January

Lunch

Included

Group

Your party only

Why hunt truffles in Le Marche?

In Le Marche the truffle is not a luxury, it is part of Sunday lunch. Acqualagna, in the north of the region, holds one of the most important white truffle fairs in Italy, and you can taste it on our Gourmet Le Marche tour. For this day I take you south instead, to a quiet valley below the Sibillini Mountains, where a licensed hunter works the oak woods with his dogs.

The hunt is private to your party and lasts about an hour. You follow the dogs, watch them stop and scratch, and see the hunter lift the truffle with his vanghetto. Then we walk back to the farm, collect the eggs, roll out the tagliatelle by hand and eat them with the truffle we found.

It fits into any stay in Le Marche, and we can add Urbino, a Verdicchio winery or a night in a castle.

Moreno Moretti, founder of Italy Charme

“In Le Marche the truffle is not a luxury, it is part of Sunday lunch.”

Moreno Moretti · Founder of Italy Charme

Fresh egg tagliatelle with eggs and flour on a wooden board
Fresh tagliatelle, made by hand at the farm.

Which truffle can you find in Le Marche, and when?

We hunt from May to January. Each season has its own truffle, and each truffle its own price. The day starts from €140 per person and costs more in white truffle season, so we confirm it with your dates.

White truffles from Le MarcheOctober to DecemberWhite truffleTuber magnatum Pico, the most prized truffle of all, found around Acqualagna and in the Apennine valleys. The day costs more in white truffle season.
A truffle hunter with his dog in the woodsFrom DecemberBlack winter truffleTuber melanosporum, intense and earthy, the truffle of fresh pasta and eggs on cold days.
Truffle hunter resting with his dog in the woodsMay to AugustSummer black truffleTuber aestivum, the scorzone, milder and lighter, the truffle of long summer lunches outdoors.

How does a truffle hunting day in Le Marche work?

1 · Meet the hunter and his dogs

We meet in a quiet valley in the hills of southern Le Marche, below the Sibillini Mountains, with a licensed hunter and his two trained dogs.

2 · Hunt together

About an hour in the oak woods. You follow the dogs, watch them stop and scratch the ground, and take part in the search.

3 · Watch the dig

The hunter finishes the work with a small spade called a vanghetto, only where the dog started, as Italian law requires.

4 · Make the pasta

Back at the farm you collect fresh eggs from the hen house and roll out tagliatelle by hand.

5 · Lunch with truffle

The truffle goes on your pasta, with a local appetizer, dessert, coffee and a sparkling wine from the hills.

Nothing is planted for visitors. Some mornings are generous, some are not, and that is the honesty of it. Lunch happens either way, and there is always truffle on the pasta.

Hand digging a truffle from the soil among ivy leaves

What is included in the price?

Included

The hunt

A private truffle hunt with a licensed hunter and his trained dogs.

Included

The lunch

Handmade tagliatelle with fresh truffle, a local appetizer, dessert, coffee and a sparkling wine from the hills.

On request

Transfers

Transfers from your hotel or villa, arranged with the rest of your trip.

Not included

Extras

Truffles you decide to buy, gratuities and personal expenses.

Make it a full day

On request, we add any of these to your truffle day.

The Ducal Palace of Urbino at duskRaphael’s Renaissance cityA day in Urbino
A truffle hunter holding up a truffle at a truffle fair in Le MarcheAutumn weekendsThe Acqualagna truffle fair
Wine barrels in a vaulted cellarThe hills of Jesi and MatelicaA Verdicchio winery
Villa Le Volte in the Le Marche countrysideCastles and farmhousesStay in a Le Marche villa

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19:24 24 Sep 25
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14:21 26 Jul 19
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08:43 24 Jul 19
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00:55 22 Jul 19
We had an amazing vacation in Italy 🇮🇹 and the Italy charm team arranged everything for us to have the most amazing time in central Italy.
They really exceeded our expectations. From the most beautiful charming B&B to the excursions, to the rustic restaurants, to the mom and pops local bars( breakfast -cappuccino and cornettò)
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12:10 20 Jul 19
Moreno and his team put together a wonderful and luxurious experience for me. It was arranged including small details and fun surprises, like they knew me personally. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget. He made my first trip to Italy a perfect experience and I knew it would not be my last trip. I have told my friends and associates, Italy Charme is the way to truly feel Italy.
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02:09 29 Dec 17
ItalyCharme created the itinerary for my first holiday trip to Italy, last month. They really exceeded my expectations!! The hotels were all great, the (private) excursions were excellently organized and provided authentic experiences of the most beautiful corners of Italy. Exactly where we were looking for. All drivers and guides were super friendly and enabling us to enjoy fully our trips. I recommend everyone to use this local agency to organize your Italy trip. By the way, they are located in Italy, and the owner is always available for any questions.

Questions about truffle hunting in Le Marche

How much does truffle hunting in Le Marche cost?

The day starts from €140 per person, with the hunt and the lunch included. The price changes with the season and the truffle, and it is higher in white truffle season, so we confirm it once we know your dates.

How long does the truffle hunting day last?

The hunt itself lasts about an hour. With the pasta making and the lunch, plan on the morning and a long lunch at the farm.

Is the truffle hunt private?

Yes. The hunter, the dogs and the day are for your party only.

Will we find a truffle?

Usually, but never certainly. The hunt is real and nothing is planted in advance. Lunch does not depend on the morning’s luck, there is always truffle on the pasta.

When is the truffle season in Le Marche?

We hunt from May to January. The summer black truffle runs from May to August, the white truffle from October to December and the black winter truffle from December. Le Marche sets its own legal calendar, and we plan the day around it.

Do Italian truffle hunters use dogs or pigs?

Dogs. Italian law requires the search to be carried out with a trained dog, which rules out pigs. The classic truffle dog is the Lagotto Romagnolo, although many hunters work with mixed breeds they have trained themselves.

Prefer to talk?

Speak with a travel designer

USA: 1-800-413-9647

info@italycharme.com

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Plan your truffle trip

The bell tower and dome of Urbino CathedralTour · 5 days from BolognaGourmet Le Marche & Truffle HuntingHunt near Acqualagna, stay in Urbino. From €1,900 pp.A truffle seller holding up a truffle at a truffle fair in Le MarcheGuideAcqualagna and the white truffle of Le MarcheThe fair dates, the season and what truffle costs, from a local.A basket of truffles with a bottle of wineExperience · 1 dayPrivate Truffle Hunting in Piedmont or TuscanyLanghe (Alba) or Chianti. From €180 pp.

Book your truffle hunting day in Le Marche

Tell us your dates and your group. A travel designer replies within 24 hours.

Plan my truffle day
Your dates – Step 1 of 3

Private Truffle Hunting

Make this truffle trip yours.

Five private days from Bologna, with a morning hunt beside a licensed truffle hunter. Tell us when you would like to travel and who is coming, and a travel designer will reply within 24 hours.

When would you like to go?
Pick the day you would like to hunt. If your dates are open, leave it empty and tell us below.
Would you like to add something to the day?

Experience information

DestinationLe Marche: Italy's Best-Kept Secret, and My Home
CostFrom €140 per person
Duration1 day
Experience datesFlexible
ActivitiesModerate
Recommended age18+
StartsHotel/Villa pickup
EndsHotel/Villa dropoff

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