We meet for a welcome breakfast in Perth. This is your chance to connect with fellow travelers, meet the team, and go over the full itinerary before we load the coach and head south toward Margaret River. We recommend arriving in Perth at least the night before. We will provide hotel recommendations as part of the final itinerary.

A 3½-hour drive south with snacks, water, and plenty of truffle conversation on the bus — with a stop on the way at one of the regions celebrated wineries. Perched atop 60 hectares of rolling hills in the Gunyulgup Valley, Wills Domain is one of Margaret River’s most celebrated estates — a James Halliday 5 Red Star winery and holder of three consecutive Australian Good Food Guide Chef’s Hats. We’ll settle in for a guided wine flight through their estate ranges before sitting down to lunch, where Culinary Director Jed Gerrard and Chef de Cuisine Sergio Labbe turn locally sourced, sustainably harvested seasonal produce into something genuinely special. The dining room looks out over the vineyard below, making it the kind of unhurried midday meal that stays with you. This is fine regional dining at its best — and a perfect pairing for the start of our journey. After lunch we’ll check into our accomodations at the Historic Caves House and have a casual dinner on site you’re welcome to join as we decompress from travel. The next morning we’ll head to our 1st Truffle Farm stop for a hands-on hunt, tour a favorite local wineries, enjoy WA’s celebrated red wines and visit a local Olive Oil operation. After that we’ll load up and head over to Manjimup in the heart of the southern forests checking into our Luxury Australian estate accommodations.

After a relaxed morning breakfast on site we’ll head to another truffle farm that highlights some of the unique growing conditions of the region. After a bit of downtime, or a chance to explore the luxury accommodations grounds and trails (and other offerings) we’ll head over to our first event at the Australian Truffle Kerfuffle- the area’s premier food & wine education festival where we’ll be joining in the Friday night opening reception Truffle Dinner.

After breakfast, we make our way to the Truffle Kerfuffle festivities — Manjimup’s celebrated annual ode to the black gold of the Southern Forests. The morning unfolds at your own pace among the stalls and demonstrations before we take our seats for the centerpiece of the day: an intimate cooking class and lunch led by Michelin star chefs. Expect an artful, indulgent exploration of the Southern Forests’ finest seasonal ingredients, with Australia’s prized Périgord truffle as the undisputed star of the table. The afternoon is yours to rest and recharge before the evening brings something altogether more relaxed — a casual and quintessentially Australian BBQ dinner with your hosts and hopefully some of the region’s truffle growers. Good food, good wine, and the kind of unhurried conversation that only happens around an open fire.

We ease into the morning with brunch at the Truffle Kerfuffle, taking our time to soak in the last of what the festival has to offer — the artisan stalls, the atmosphere, the sheer celebration of this remarkable ingredient. Then the real magic begins. We head to Australian Truffle Traders for the first of our exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences: a guided hunt on their family farm, an inside look into the training of their working dogs, and agritourism operations. There is nothing quite like witnessing a truffle come out of the ground right infront of you! The afternoon takes us into town for the first in our progressive culinary exploration during our time in Manjimup — moving through a selection of Manjimup’s restaurants to see how local chefs interpret and elevate the truffle across different cuisines and formats. From refined to rustic, it’ll be a fascinating study in just how versatile Australia’s black gold can be.

The morning is yours — sleep in, take a walk, or simply sit with a coffee and let the Southern Forests work their quiet magic. Late morning we will gather at the accommodation for something a cut above: an immersive, hands-on cooking class led by an acclaimed local chef. This isn’t a demonstration — it’s a true deep dive into the art of cooking with fresh truffle. You’ll work directly alongside the chef, learning technique, understanding flavor, and building a genuine fluency with one of the world’s most prized ingredients — including getting your hands dirty with the ingredient itself. Class flows into an indulgent lunch where we sit down together to enjoy the fruits of our work. The afternoon brings us back to Australian Truffle Traders, where we trade the kitchen for the orchard and get our hands in the earth for an active harvest alongside the farm team digging the truffles out of the ground. The sheer scale and amount of truffles will impress.

This day we make our way to Truffle Hill — one of the original pioneering plantations of the region and a living piece of Australian truffle history. We’ll sit down for lunch on the property, do some Truffle Products Education, and if the timing aligns, take to the rows for a hunt before we eat. The afternoon brings us back to ATT for our most technical session yet — an in-depth look at the post-harvest world of the truffle. Sleeves rolled up, we join the team for hands-on cleaning and grading, learning to assess quality, maturity, and value with the practiced eye of a professional. It’s the final piece of the puzzle: from spore to soil to harvest to table, the full picture comes into focus.

The morning takes us into the heart of the Southern Forests for something a little more wild — an informal encounter at a historical site with with some of the region’s most charming locals, where remarkably friendly kangaroos roam freely and remind you just how far from home you really are. From there we head to a colleague’s property with dramatically different soil types and a distinctly different approach to truffle cultivation than anything we’ve encountered on the trip. It’s a fascinating final piece in understanding just how much terroir shapes this industry, and a reminder that there is always more to learn. The evening brings our last dinner together — a beautifully catered farewell meal with Mel and Gav, the perfect setting to raise a glass, reflect on the week, and ask every question you’ve been saving up. Expect great food, great wine, and the kind of conversation that only happens at the end of a very special journey.

We drive back north (3½ hours) with a stop at a beloved bakery — a chance to grab Australia’s finest sausage rolls and pies. We arrive back in Perth by late afternoon, leaving time to explore the city, plan an extension, or begin your journey home. Post-tour Perth activities are yours to discover — we’re happy to share the Cartwright family’s favorite spots.