Private Tour: Truffle-Hunting Experience from Sorrento with Lunch

Leave your Sorrento hotel in the morning for your full-day tour. As you travel by private minivan, relax on the journey around Monti Picentini Regional Park to the town of Volturara Irpina, nestled at the foot of Mt Terminio. Surrounded by mountains that tower to some 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level, the town and its surrounding countryside is where Campania's famed truffles grow.

Meet your truffle hunter and hunting dogs, collect your equipment, and then start your easy-paced hike that winds along the mountain paths. The hike is suitable for all, although a good standard of physical fitness and sensible walking shoes are essential. Follow the hunter through the forest, and watch as the dogs work their magic, sniffing the earth for hard-to-see truffles hidden along the forest floor. Once the dogs have scored a truffle, stop for an on-the-spot tasting with fresh ricotta cheese — the perfect pairing to balance the truffle's earthy flavor.

Your forest hike lasts roughly three hours, and includes plenty of stops to take photos of the landscape and learn about Italy’s truffle-hunting traditions. After your descent down the mountain, meet back up with your driver and travel to a nearby restaurant for a 3-course lunch. Each dish is made with local Campania products and enhanced with the rich flavors of local truffle. Complement your meal with some Italian wine, and finish with a rich coffee and digestif (perhaps grappa or amaro).

Finally, relax on your journey back to your Sorrento hotel.