Alba White Truffle Fair 2026: A Visit Guide

From October 10 to December 6, 2026 Alba returns to being the center of the white truffle season. The International Alba White Truffle Fair reaches its 96th edition with the World Market, tastings, meetings, cuisine, culture and events dedicated to the area.

During autumn weekends, the city changes pace: visitors from all over the world arrive, restaurants are working at full capacity, and the scent of truffles accompanies walks through the historic center.

The Fair, however, is not just a big truffle festival. It is the meeting point between trifolao, traders, cooks, producers and enthusiasts. To experience it well, it’s best to choose in advance what to visit, book the most popular experiences, and even leave some time to discover the hills around Alba.

The Alba Truffle Fair 2026 takes place from October 10th to December 6th.

The heart of the event is the World Alba White Truffle Market, open every Saturday and Sunday in the Cortile della Maddalena:

• Saturday: 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM, with last admission at 7:00 pm;
• Sunday: 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM, with last admission at 6:30 PM;
• Entrance: from Piazza Falcone, in the center of Alba.

The full 2026 appointment schedule is being published progressively. Before organizing the day, it is advisable to check the official Fair website, especially for cooking shows, workshops, dinners, masterclasses, and events that require a reservation.

The history of the Alba Truffle Fair begins in 1928, when it was born as a Sales Fair. The event lasted fifteen days and involved the towns of the Langhe with allegorical floats, agricultural products and moments of celebration.

The intuition that changed the history of the event was that of Giacomo Morra, a hotelier and restaurateur from Alba. Morra understood that the white truffle could become not only a precious product, but also a symbol capable of telling the story of Alba and the Langhe around the world.

In 1929 the truffle exhibition gained its own space. The trifolaos were able to present and sell the results of their research directly and the appointment was moved to the period most suitable for the ripening of the white truffle.

It was a surprisingly modern form of territorial marketing: a rare product, its place of origin, the people who sought it, and a story to take beyond Piedmont’s borders.

The Donkey Race and the Traditions of Alba

In 1932 the Alba artist Pinot Gallizio conceived the Palio degli Asini as an ironic response to the Palio di Asti. The race has become one of the most famous moments of the autumn celebrations, along with the historical parade and the events organized by the Giostra delle Cento Torri.

The Palio traditionally takes place on the first Sunday in October and precedes the opening of the World Market. The Investiture of the Podestà also usually marks the beginning of the Fair period.

The dates and modalities of the 2026 folklore events will be confirmed in the official calendar.

Over the years, the event has grown to become the International Alba White Truffle Fair: an event that combines gastronomy, culture, entertainment and local storytelling.

The World Alba White Truffle Market, in the Cortile della Maddalena, is the heart of the Fair.

Here you meet trifolao and traders and can observe and purchase fresh truffles with the support of the Quality Commission. Each specimen is evaluated before being admitted for sale, offering visitors greater guarantees of the product’s quality.

The market is also an opportunity to learn something more. The scent, texture, degree of ripeness, and storage condition help distinguish a good truffle from a less interesting specimen.

Alongside truffles are wines, cheeses, hazelnuts and other Piedmontese products. It is therefore not necessary to arrive with the intention of buying: the World Market is also worth a visit to get to know manufacturers, observe the different patches, and understand why the price can vary widely from one example to another.

Visiting the Fair allows you to get to know the truffle when it has already arrived on the market. The truffle hunt with the trifolaus and the dog instead tells what happens before.

You enter the natural environment where truffles can develop, observe the dog’s work, and listen to the trifolaus as it explains how it interprets trees, soil, moisture, and forest signs.

The search is not a treasure hunt with a guaranteed result. Truffle is a spontaneous product, influenced by the season and soil conditions. Precisely for this reason, the authentic experience consists not only in seeing a truffle emerge, but in understanding the relationship built over time between the seeker, the dog and the environment.

To better understand how the scent of truffles arises, what conditions favor growth and how research really takes place with the dog, also read our in-depth study on tartufi in the Langhe.

With SlowDays you can book a ricerca truffle in the Langhe with trifolao and lunch. We can also combine it with a tasting, a visit to the cellar or a day built around the Fair.

white truffle expresses the best of its aroma when sliced raw, directly onto the plate. It doesn’t need complicated recipes: a simple, warm preparation helps release its aroma without covering it.

Among the most traditional pairings we find:

• butter tajarin;
• fried eggs;
• raw meat from Alba;
• Piedmontese fondue;
• essentially prepared risotto or potatoes.

During the Fair, many restaurants offer seasonal menus, but it is important to check how the truffle is calculated. In some cases it is included in the price of the dish; in others it is weighed and counted separately.

The most useful tip is to book the restaurant before arriving in Alba and always ask how the truffle will be served and calculated. On weekends in October and November, finding a table at the last minute can be difficult.

The Fair’s program is not limited to the World Market. The 2026 edition includes several types of events, progressively published in the official calendar:

• cooking show with Italian and international chefs;
• aperitifs and guided tastings;
• dinner and special gastronomic events;
• taste laboratories;
• cooking courses;
• sensory analyses of truffles;
• Alba Truffle Bimbi activity;
• masterclasses dedicated to Piedmontese wines;
• markets and cultural events;
• appointments related to the Palio and Alba folklore.

For dates, times, prices, and availability, it is always best to consult the official truffle fair calendar. Some appointments have few seats and require advance purchase.

Visiting Alba during the Fair requires a little more organization than a normal autumn weekend.

For a balanced day, we recommend choosing one or two main activities, avoiding concentrating everything in a few hours. For example:

• World Market in the morning and lunch in Alba;
• truffle hunting in the morning and a visit to the Fair in the afternoon;
• World Market, lunch and a free walk around the city;
• Trifolao research, lunch and tasting in the cellar;
• A Fair event combined with a night in the Langhe.

It’s best to arrive early, account for traffic, and check parking, entrances, and booked activity times in advance.

October and November are months in high demand not only for Alba, but for all the Langhe. Restaurants, accommodations, wineries, and trifolaos can quickly reach maximum availability, especially on weekends.

Central Saturdays and Sundays in October and November are generally the busiest times.

Those who especially want to experience the Fair’s atmosphere can choose one of the weekends full of appointments. Those who prefer a quieter visit can consider entering the World Market in the early morning or spending part of the day outside Alba.

The final period of the event can also be interesting, but the quantity and quality of the truffles depend on the season’s progress. The Fair’s calendar is set well in advance; the truffle, on the other hand, follows the times of nature.

This is why SlowDays does not propose to fill the day with many stages. Better to alternate the Fair with a search, lunch, tasting, or panoramic stop, maintaining a pleasant pace.