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11899

8 Hours

Availability : Every Day

Min Age : 4+

Max People : 8 persons

Tour Overview

Discover the world behind the curtains of one of the most unrevealed businesses in the world.

Funky Tours Team, in cooperation with one of the best Balkan truffle hunters, has created a unique adventure for all of you who are into off the beaten path places, breathtaking nature, charms of foraging and secrets of truffle hunting.

Did you know that Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the rare countries in the world that hides seven species of black gold?

This full day tour will enable you to make friends with your hosts and their irresistible truffle hunting dogs whose nose will guide you to the ripest of truffles waiting for you deeply rooted in dense Bosnian forest. You will have a chance to dig your very own truffle and experience the joy of cooking and tasting this remarkable ingredient in a charming village nested at turquoise river Krupa.

Highlights

Discover the hidden charms of off the beaten path pearls only 30min from Banja Luka
Meet your local hosts and get some classified information from a first class “black gold” hunters
Wander the mysterious forest passages and feel like Alice in a wonderland while hunting the treasure
Experience the surge of excitement while guided by trained dogs and harvest your own truffle from its natural habitat
Prepare lunch with your hosts and learn the secrets of local cuisine and the way strong truffle aroma found its place in some of the finest dishes you will have a chance to taste
Learn from the local experts about process of preserving the truffles as well as other sorts of mushrooms and taste some delectable organic products
Explore the amazing village Krupa na Vrbasu and enjoy spectacular cascades mirroring the dense forest trees
Visit one of the oldest BiH monasteries, admire the medieval wooden church, and watch the sunset colours merging into crystal clear Krupa river
Learn about the local community and discover the charms of rural life in Bosnia and Herzegovina

What's Included

INCLUDED

Full day tour.
English speaking local-expert truffle hunter.
Free of charge pickups in Banja Luka or Sarajevo
All tour transfers are provided by Funky Tours.
Truffle based lunch with the local family.
VAT 17% included in the price. No hidden costs.
Cancellation Flexibility. Cancel 24hrs before departure or change dates.
Tour is available throughout the year.
Pay safely online with a credit card. We accept payments for all types of credit cards.

NOT INCLUDED

Personal travel insurance is not included. Please buy it at home country.
Tips are not included in the tour costs. If you receive excellent service, please consider tipping.

Departure Times & Starting Points

Departure Times Tour from Banja Luka departs at 9 AM. Tour from Sarajevo departs at 7 AM. From other locations tour will depart at the time agreed before the tour.

Pickup Locations We shall pick you up anywhere in Sarajevo or Banja Luka. Tour is available to be arranged from Mostar, Split or Zagreb.

Itinerary

Activity Note: The tour is adapted to all ages and is not physically demanding. Children and kids are especially welcome. Tour requires walking on the uneven forest terrain.

Meet & Greet

At the meeting point your guide will give you short tour briefing.

When starting from Banja Luka first part of the tour will be short road trip through Banja Luka suburbs discovering all the small hidden gems and villages merging into spectacular nature diversity.

When starting from Sarajevo, the first part of the tour will be a 3hrs transfer via Central Bosnian regions, before arriving to Krupa na Vrbasu region.

Krupa na Vrbasu

In addition to a myriad of small waterfalls and cascades, Krupa na Vrbasu is known for its calming melodies and murmur of foaming water produced by still functional old mills. As soon as we arrive, we will make sure to grab some breakfast snacks traditionally prepared just as our ancestors used to have.

>Beautiful slopes of Krupa na Vrbasu river

Once we bless our eyes and souls with incredibly serene morning setting of captivating Krupa river, we will head for meeting up with our hosts for a day. Local family of well known truffle hunting experts and organic producers will welcome us at their home. This is where we will meet the entire family, get our equipment and head towards the secret chambers of nearby forest.

Truffle Hunting Experience

The location of the forest simply can not be exposed in advance but rest assured it will be no longer than another half an hour of pleasant drive and that you will be simply astonished once the location is unlocked right in front of your eyes.

Accompanied by our host and his valuable and faithful companions, truffle hounds, we will start our, roughly 3hrs hunting adventure. Just imagine all of the joy of being completely embraced by intact nature while following the truffle hounds through the woods and experience a once in a life time adrenaline when you finally locate it.

> There are 164 species of truffles, of which only nine are edible, seven black and two white.

With a little help and advice, you will have a chance to dig your own truffle which you can either keep or prepare some tasty meal with your hosts afterwards.

During the hunt we will have a chance to learn more about the local community, the art of foraging, diverse world of mushrooms, plants and animals, and some interesting stories and legends originating from this region.

> Originally used as a water dog in Italian wetlands, Lagotto Romagnolo has been used to hunt truffles since the 19th century.

Family Lunch - Truffle Time

We will return to home of our hosts with our black gold trophy (or white with a little luck, Bosnia is known as a home to both edible white truffle sorts) and enter the world of culinary top secrets. Rest assured that you will have a truffle recipes enigma revealed in front of your eyes. Moreover, you will have a chance to enjoy this area’s many sights and culinary delights over a pleasant conversations, tasty food and some good local drinks.

Just imagine flirting with mixture of the strong truffle rakija taste along with a home made honey-like juice teasing your taste buds.

>Brandy made of wild pears aromatized with black truffle. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

You will finally understand the secrecy laying behind the truffle business and how did one man managed to preserve the pungent truffle aroma through canning in without any artificial additives. Not just truffles, whole obscure world of mushrooms will be unlocked in front of you.

>Cheese with Truffle aromatized olive oil is always a great appetizer

Afternoon Return

Before we return and call off a day, we will take ride through Krupa na Vrbasu and admire the cultural, historical and natural wonders of this charming small settlement seemingly bewitched by a sorceress.

Return to Banja Luka should be around 5 PM, while return to Sarajevo should be no later than 8-9 PM.

Important Notes

Our Truffle Hunter Not far from Banja Luka, in a small charming place called Krupa na Vrbasu, lives the king of truffles. Our host and truffle hunter Mijodrag in addition to going truffle hunting, he also processes these expensive and other types of mushrooms into top quality secondary products.

Mijodrag family with their various truffle and other kind of mushrooms products

>Mijodrag’s family showing their selection of products based on truffle and other sort of mushrooms.

An exclusive delicacy or black treasure as many call this mushroom is not only a source of income for him but also gives him exceptional pleasure and fills his soul. At the end of the day aside trying truffle based products over the delicious truffle based lunch you will have an opportunity to buy some of his high-quality products.

Mijodrag, the Truffle hunter

> Mijodrag, the Bosnian King of Truffles

Knowledge SharedServices we offer during the Funky Tours story of Truffle Hunting and Truffle Tasting are aimed at high quality experiences. We aim to show you and to teach you how to differentiate the real, top quality truffle from the fake ones, how to know where to find and how to look for truffles. Additionally we shall discuss facts about truffle’s natural habitat, its organoleptic characteristics, its biological cycle, why Bosnia and Herzegovina is undiscovered “black diamond” paradise, and other important facts in the unique story of truffles.

Our DogsNo matter how good a truffle hunter you are, in the woods without a well-trained dog you are an ordinary pedestrian. Therefore, in addition to studying truffles, Mijodrag had to procure a special Italian breed of dog (Lagotto Romagnolo) that his friend trained to find this mushroom. You need to be aware of the fact that these dogs know how to recognize when you go truffle hunting in a bad mood and “for the sake of order”. And, in that case, they are not overly interested either. Consequently, without strong desire, passion and love for truffles you will not be successful in hunting.

Mushroom picking Bosnia

>Beautiful Lagotto Romagnolo truffle hunting dogs

What to Bring

What Do I Need to Bring?

Comfortable walking shoes for forest walks. In case of rain make sure to have sturdy shoes.
Rain jacket in case of rain and layered clothing.

Trip Extensions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lunch included in costs?
Yes, costs include buffet lunch. Please inform us in case of any dietary restrictions.
Can I join this tour other than from Sarajevo or Mostar?
Yes you can join this tour if you are staying in any part of Central Bosnia or Herzegovina.
Can I book as a solo traveller?
Yes you can. Significant number of our fellow travelers are solo.
How much should I tip?
Tips are not included in the tour costs, nor they are heavily expected in Bosnian culture. However when you receive excellent service, we recommend tipping.
How much in advance do I need to book this tour?
It is recommended to book at least 5 days in advance but our team will go above and beyond to confirm the trips even 24h before the supposed departure.
Can I pay for the tour online with credit card?
Yes, we accept all credit cards.
Which currency is accepted for cash payment?
We are fans of our local currency (BAM), but you can also pay in EUR, HRK, USD, GBP or even combined.

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