I’ve been all over the country of Italy, from small beach towns in Liguria to the marble mountains of Tuscany, but one small city had remained at the top of my bucket list through it all: Alba. Aside from truffle hunting with pups, I was unsure of what else I wanted to do in the small Piedmontese city. Luckily, Langhe Experience helped me curate a perfect itinerary that would finally get me there, from restaurant recommendations to helping me find a centrally located place to stay to. If you, too, want to visit Alba, the city is small enough to see in just one day, and here’s how to spend a perfect day there.
Breakfast buffet at Palazzo Finati
Let’s start with this: Alba is small and totally doable just a day trip from Torino or even from Milano (book a full day trip to Alba from Milano here).
However, should you choose to book a hotel to spend the night, you’ll want to choose a place with a solid European breakfast spread (budget travel hack–when I book hotels on Booking.com, I always use the “breakfast included” filter as a money-saving tactic!). The newly-opened Palazzo Finati is a nice mesh of a luxurious hotel and apartment-style accommodation. My room was MASSIVE, and I especially loved the private balcony.
As for the breakfast buffet, you can fuel your day with cornetti, meats, cheeses, different homemade breads, juices, plenty of coffee and espresso, yogurt, fruit, and plenty more.
Go truffle hunting (with dogs!)
For Alba’s main attraction, you’re going to want to go truffle hunting. Since this was a big incentive for me to visit Alba, I made sure this was the first thing I did. I left around 8:30 a.m. to go truffle hunting with a dog named Book and his trusted owner. How it works is, these dogs are trained to sniff out truffles, and you’ll simply walk through the majestic Piemontese forest until they start to sniff and dig when they find a truffle. It is one of the most fun food experiences I’ve had, and reinforces my love for dogs.
Once your pup finds a truffle, their human companion will teach you what to look for to ensure the truffle is of solid quality–for example, if there are any hotels in the truffle, this likely means bugs got to it first and it’s no longer good (yes, Italian bugs eat better than most humans!). The most common truffle to find is tartufo nero, or black truffle, and the coveted tartufo bianco is really only able to be found in October and November.
- You can book a truffle tour with Langhe Experience here.
- Or you can use GetYourGuide, and book a truffle hunting experience here.
- For a sunset truffle hunting tour, book here.
Take a walking tour of the city
After my truffle hunting experience, it was time to learn more about Alba’s rich history. The best way to do this on a time crunch is to simply take a walking tour of the city. I loved exploring some of the city’s churches, learning about some quirky history including locals getting shamed in their underwear in a public square, and simply seeing the city through a trusted guide’s eyes.
Lunch at Aldente Trattoria
It’s time to try some local Piemontese cuisine! There are plenty of unique dishes to Alba and to Piemonte in general. One of my favorite places to try some local dishes was at Aldente Trattoria. I’d recommend any of the following:
- Agnolotti di plin — or a lamb stuffed agnolotti in a simple butter sauce, naturally best served with freshly shaved black truffle
- Vitello tonnato — this divisive dish doesn’t look too appeasing, but it’s a must-try when in Piemonte. It’s boiled veal topped with a “tuna sauce” (I had this at Aldente Trattoria and it was my favorite version I tried)
- Gnocchi with castelmagno cheese — pillowy pasta in a funky cheese sauce! I also had this at Aldente Trattoria and I was a fan
- Tajarin with butter and black truffle (tajarin is a thin-stranded egg-yolk pasta)
- Battuta–which is basically a raw meat dish (think beef tartare)
Visit “the Nutella Pink House”
While walking around the city center, you’re going to stumble upon a “pink house” that is allegedly where Nutella was born. According to legend, a family by the last name of Ferrero resided here in the late 1930s/early 1940s. One day it got super hot out, causing a brick of chocolate to start melting. They thought, “hmmm… this could be something,” and decided to create a chocolate cream. The problem was, cacao was expensive at the time, so they added in vegetable oil and hazelnuts, more specifically, tonda gentile delle Langhe (more on that below), a specific hazelnut to Alba. And thus…Nutella was born!
- You can visit the pink house at Palazzo Belli Boutique at Via Pietrino Belli, 1, 12051 Alba CN, Italy
Try Gianduja or Nocciole Gelato
While it’s common knowledge that Alba is known for its truffles, the small city is just as famous for hazelnuts, more specifically, tonda gentile delle langhe (as mentioned above). Beause of that, you’ll want to try gianduja gelato, or chocolate and hazelnut gelato! Of course, you could also just go for nocciole, which is strictly hazelnut. Two of the best gelaterie in town are Gelateria Parlapà and Gelateria Il Gelatiere (which is right across the street from the train station).
Aperitivo in Piazza Michele Ferrero
No day in Italy is complete without aperitivo. Sip a sprits and eat some small snacks in Piazza Michele Ferrero, one of the most bustling areas of the small Piedmontese town. Some good options here are Locanda Da Gio, 100 VINI Alba, Bar Roma, and Cugnà Lounge Bar.
Dinner at Cortiletto D’Alba
It’s time to eat again! For dinner in a rustic setting, Cortiletto D’Alba is a fantastic option. They have a strictly Piedmontese menu, and their mixed appetizer plate of different dishes from the region is simply a must. I’d also highly recommend the tajarin pasta here–to add freshly shaved tartufo nero, it was only 5 extra euro, and they shave an ENTIRE truffle right in front of you! The entire dining experience was incredible and my personal favorite while in Alba.
Optional: Wine Tour from Alba
Did you really visit Alba if you didn’t have a glass of Barolo wine? This red wine is made from Nebbiolo grapes and is solely produced in Piemonte, often with nice tasting notes of rich cherries and tobacco, and is high in acidity. While you can easily grab a glass in town, why not immerse yourself on a wine tour to learn more about it? Here are some great wine tour options from Alba:
- 7 Wine Tasting in the Heart of the Langhe
- Barolo & Barbaresco Wine Tour with Langhe Experience
- Wine tour of Agliano Wines
- Hiking and wine tour
DISCLAIMER: I might make a small commission from some of the links throughout this article, but the price is the same for you. This helps keep my business running so I can continue to provide free travel tips!
DISCLAIMER II: Langhe Experience arranged my trip to Alba, Italy.