You Can Book a Truffle Hunting Trip Through Airbnb Now

Booking a room via Airbnb? Might as well throw in a truffle hunting trip, too. The company just launched a new service called “Experiences” which enables users to book activities and tours with local guides — think urban gardening, burlesque lessons, and samurai training.

The experiences can be booked in conjunction with an Airbnb rental or on their own, and range from a few hours to two days, with most hovering around $200. The aforementioned truffle hunting trip is a two-day affair that involves traipsing through the forest with famed truffle hunter Giulio Benuzzi and his dog to dig up the prized fungi, learning how to properly clean and incorporate them into various dishes, and of course, eating them (along with plenty of wine). It seems fairly reasonably priced at $177 per person — though you’ll have to get yourself to Florence first.

Travelers may love Airbnb for alternative lodging that’s typically cheaper and more spacious than a traditional hotel room, but some legislators aren’t so fond of it — in New York City, for instance, Airbnb hosts can now be slapped with fines for advertising short-term rentals — so it’s no wonder Airbnb’s looking to expand its business model.

The company also just announced a partnership with Resy; scheduled to launch early next year, it will allow Airbnb users to book restaurant reservations directly through the Airbnb app or website to streamline that whole vacation-planning thing.

• The Truffle Hunter [Airbnb]
• Airbnb Broadens Its Business With Tours and Travel Experiences [NY Times]