For an unforgettable foodie holiday, there aren’t many destinations with more to offer than Italy’s sun-soaked hills. With some of the top conditions for producers anywhere on earth, Italian food festivals are world-renowned.
These annual events take place during autumn so if you’re visiting as the leaves turn brown, be sure to include some of the best truffle festivals in Italy on your itinerary. We’ve rounded up the top locations to sample this specialty ingredient’s unique flavours. Get ready to immerse yourself in some of Italy’s finest flavours on your next European culinary adventure!
Are you planning on driving from the UK to Italy? Remember that you can bring your car onboard with P&O Ferries, making getting to the continent on four wheels a whole lot easier! If you’re planning to bring back any foodie souvenirs, using all the storage space in your boot is another bonus.
Tignale in Lake Garda
Our first destination is located within spectacular woodlands, on the slopes of mountains that surround the waters of Lake Garda.
Attractions that you can enjoy on a visit during September and October include tours with truffle foragers and special dishes cooked by local restaurants with some of the signature finds from this truffle festival in Italy.
Tignale has to be one of the best places in Italy for foodies with lemon greenhouses, an active olive oil press and the town’s signature dessert – “spongadi” – to enjoy.
Located not far from Venice, you can drive to this scenic spot from Italy’s city of canals in just under three hours!
San Miniato Truffle Fair in Tuscany
The next stop on our hunt for trademark Italian truffles is located between Pisa and Florence and offers panoramic views of Tuscany’s hills. San Miniato dates back to Roman settlers and its elevated geography was ideal for lookouts. Today it makes an amazing destination to take in Italy’s natural beauty and sample the town’s incredible white truffles.
The San Miniato Truffle Fair has been held here since way back in 1969 and takes place across three weekends in November. The level of local love for the produce of the area’s oak and willow trees is clear from this epic celebration!
So get ready to taste some of the most mouth-watering truffles in Tuscany from San Miniato – you can reach this stunning town in just over four hours via the A22 and E45.
Norcia Black Truffle Fair in Perugia
Perugia’s truffles are a world away from Tuscany’s with a distinctive dark colour and they’ve been celebrated here in an annual event since the 1950s! Nero Norcia is one of the most renowned festivals in Italy and takes place towards the end of February so makes for a perfect springtime culinary trip.
Italy’s black truffles have a distinctive earthy scent and flavour; it’s also said to be less powerful than the white truffle so may be more appealing if you find some fungi flavours overwhelming. Wandering around the town on a visit to this Perugia festival will also let you soak up some architectural wonders of the ancient city of Norcia like its Basilica.
If you want to taste Italian truffles harvested and served by artisans that are masters of their fields then this is definitely worth a visit on your next foodie holiday. Norcia is just over three hours’ drive south from San Miniato via the A1 and E35 so get ready to load up the car with even more delicious ingredients here!
Truffle and Potato Festival Pietralunga in Umbria
Just like all of our other top destinations for truffle festivals in Italy, Pietralunga is surrounded by thick forests as this is where this amazing ingredient grows. For a taste of small-town life in the Italian countryside, you can soak up local customs like a truffle dog race. There’s also a kids’ play area making it great for family travel by ferry.
To enjoy white truffles in Italy and see truffle hunting up close, this stop on our tour gives you a flavour of the incredible effort that goes into sourcing this ingredient. This food festival in Italy takes place over two weekends in October every year so be sure to taste some truffle mushrooms here if you get the opportunity.
You can reach Pietralunga in a two-hour road trip from Norcia via Tre Valli Umbre and SS685 to see and sample how Umbria celebrates its culinary heritage!
Volterra Truffle Festival
Our final truffle festival in Italy to explore takes place in autumn every year, during Italy’s white truffle season.
The whole town takes part in this tribute to Perugia’s truffles with buildings like the Palazzo de Luigi opened to the public for tasting experiences. There are also some great museums and galleries to explore in Volterra and a traditional cheese rolling race.
If you want to get a true experience of Italy’s love of truffle mushrooms, be sure to include Volterra on your itinerary!
