Palazzo Finati
Why we like it: Bed and breakfast in an early 19th-century townhouse in Alba's historic centre, with nine rooms and breakfast under brick vaults.
Duration2 nights
Getting thereFlight to Turin and hire car
Getting aroundCar
Best timeSeptember to November
BudgetFrom about €350 pp without flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Friday to Sunday, between March and November, when Cà San Ponzio is open. The first night, in the centre of Alba; the second, among vineyards near Barolo. Saturday is the day of truffles and castles; Sunday, of wine. From October to early December add the truffle fair in Alba.
Friday
- 120:00Dinner at Osteria dell'Arco
An hour by car from Turin to Alba; park outside the old town and leave your bag at Palazzo Finati. A few minutes' walk away, 40-yolk tajarin, plin and vitello tonnato at osteria prices. Book.
- 222:30Palazzo Finati
Nine rooms in an early-nineteenth-century villa, with a buffet breakfast under brick vaults.
Saturday
- 110:00Truffle hunt
Ten minutes away, at Piobesi d'Alba, Tartuflanghe opens its workshop and sets out into the woods with a trifolao and dogs; it ends with a tasting. Two and a half hours; book by email well ahead.
- 213:30Lunch at La Ciau del Tornavento
About 20 minutes to Treiso. A MICHELIN star in a former school from 1931 with views over the vineyards: the plin at €30, the market menu at €140. Book; closed Wednesday and Thursday.
- 316:30Grinzane Cavour castle
Eleventh-century tower, Langhe Museum and regional wine shop. €8; closed on Tuesdays.
- 418:30Cà San Ponzio
A quarter of an hour to Vergne, beside Barolo. A country house among vineyards with a pool and a spa by slots. Check-in until 19:00.
Sunday
- 110:00Fontanafredda cellars
About 15 minutes to Serralunga d'Alba. Historic cellars and an underground tunnel, with a three-wine tasting from €35. Book: there are few places at weekends.
- 213:00Lunch at Trattoria della Posta
About 20 minutes to the countryside of Monforte d'Alba. The Massolino family's trattoria since 1875, open on Sunday at midday.
- 315:30WiMu and Marchesi di Barolo
A quarter of an hour to Barolo. The wine museum in Falletti castle, €9, and, if you are still thirsty, the Marchesi di Barolo shop and winery a few steps away, open until 18:00. Back to Turin in an hour.
The Langhe are vine-covered hills south of Turin, with Alba at the bottom of the valley and villages such as Barolo, Serralunga or Monforte on top of the ridges. In two nights you see the essentials: the truffle city, a hunt in the woods with dogs, two castles, two wineries and three very different meals, from the osteria to the MICHELIN star. Everything is less than half an hour away by car.
How do you get there from Spain?
Fly to Turin Caselle (TRN), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville and Málaga. Hire a car at the airport: Alba is a little over an hour away and the wineries have no useful public transport. Milan Malpensa has more routes from Spain, but adds almost an hour's drive. Without a car, the train from Turin to Alba works for the first night; for the rest, a taxi or a transfer with a driver.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Finati | Historic centre of Alba | B&B in a nineteenth-century villa, within walking distance of the osterie and the fair |
| Cà San Ponzio | Vergne, five minutes from Barolo | Country house with pool, spa and family rooms; closed from December to February |
| Il Boscareto | Serralunga d'Alba | Resort with a spa for a luxury getaway; opens from 27 March |
In truffle season
From October to early December, swap Sunday afternoon for the International White Truffle Fair in Alba: the world market opens in the old town and at weekends there are tastings, courses and a children's programme. Note that Cà San Ponzio closes in December: in those weeks, sleep both nights in Alba.
With children
It works with children if you alternate: the truffle hunt with the dogs, Grinzane castle (€3 for ages 6 to 14) and the WiMu, with a family rate on the second Sunday of each month. Cà San Ponzio has rooms with a loft for three or four, and La Ciau del Tornavento has a children's menu.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Langhe, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Langhe
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car, from hill to hill
The Langhe are explored by car: Alba, Barolo, Serralunga, Monforte and Treiso are less than half an hour from each other, along narrow ridge roads. Turin is an hour away by motorway. Without a car you reach Alba by train, but not the wineries or the vineyard villages.
110–220 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepPalazzo Finati, in the centre…
- Getting aroundTurin – Alba, an hour…
- Where to eatOsteria dell'Arco, in the centre…
- ServicesAlba's centre is a limited-traffic…
Where to sleep
- Palazzo Finati, in the centre of Alba; ask where to park, the old town is limited-traffic
- Cà San Ponzio, in Vergne, five minutes from Barolo, with private parking included
- Il Boscareto, in Serralunga, with covered parking and electric chargers (open from late March to autumn)
Getting around
- Turin – Alba, an hour by motorway; Alba – Barolo, about 25 minutes
- In Barolo, park once: the WiMu and Marchesi di Barolo are a few steps away
- If there are tastings, have someone who does not drink drive
Where to eat
- Osteria dell'Arco, in the centre of Alba, on foot from the car park
- Trattoria della Posta, in the countryside of Monforte, open on Sunday lunchtime
- La Ciau del Tornavento, in Treiso, for the special meal
Services
- Alba's centre is a limited-traffic zone: park outside the old town
Fly to Turin and hire a car to Alba
Turin is the airport for the Langhe for those leaving Spain: there are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville and Málaga, and from Caselle airport to Alba it is about 90 km, a little over an hour by motorway. Milan Malpensa has more routes from Spain, but is about two hours by car. Hire the car at the airport: the wineries and vineyard villages do not have good public transport.
- Getting thereTurin Caselle (TRN), a little…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to sleepPalazzo Finati, in the centre…
- ServicesTurin – Alba train for…
Getting there
- Turin Caselle (TRN), a little over an hour from Alba by car
- Milan Malpensa (MXP), with more flights from Spain, about two hours away
- Without a car, train from Turin to Alba and a taxi or organised tour for the wineries
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: it is what you need for Barolo, Serralunga and Treiso
- Alba is visited on foot; park outside the historic centre
Where to sleep
- Palazzo Finati, in the centre of Alba, for the first night and for those arriving by train
- Cà San Ponzio, among the vines beside Barolo, if you already have a car
Services
- Turin – Alba train for those who do not drive
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Cà San Ponzio
Why we like it: Family country house among vines and hazelnut trees in Vergne, five minutes from Barolo, with twelve balcony rooms, a pool with views of Monviso and a small spa.
From €120
View details
Il Boscareto Resort & SPA
Why we like it: Luxury resort with 49 rooms above the vineyards of Serralunga d'Alba, with a glass-walled pool spa and the fine-dining restaurant La Rei Natura; reopens on 27 March.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Langhe
Osteria dell'Arco
What to order: La Tradizione to start (Russian salad, knife-beaten raw meat and vitello tonnato), the tajarin "40 tuorli" and the bunet for dessert.
Trattoria della Posta
What to order: The veal rotondino with old-style tonnata sauce, the 30-yolk tajarin cut by knife with ragù and the roast kid or rabbit.
La Ciau del Tornavento
What to order: The agnolotti del plin ai tre arrosti (€30), with truffle in autumn, or the surprise menu of the day's market (€140) if the whole table goes.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you are going to taste at both wineries, have whoever is not drinking drive or book a transfer: the hill roads are narrow and winding.
We'd skip it
Do not fit four wineries into one day. With two, you eat without hurrying and see the villages.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Without flights, with mid-range accommodation, car, tickets, tasting visits and meals, from about €350 per person for the two nights; the starred lunch pushes up the bill.
Can you do it in winter?
In December and January yes, sleeping both nights in Alba: Cà San Ponzio closes from December to February and Il Boscareto until 27 March.
Do you need a car?
Yes, for the wineries and villages. Without a car, stay in Alba and arrange a transfer.
How many nights do you recommend?
Two are enough for the essentials. With a third, add Serralunga and La Morra at leisure.