Mushroom Foraging in Périgord 2026: Itinerary & Best Spots

Where does the Dordogne flush stand?

On paper, the porcini season runs from June to November, peaking from September to October on the Périgord plains, according to Sarlat Tourisme. In 2026 that calendar does not hold: as of 27 September, ICI Périgord reports that drought is delaying the arrival of porcini. The organiser of the Saint-Saud-Lacoussière festival on 4 October even says he is almost certain there will be no fresh porcini that day. Dishes made with porcini remain on the menu, though.

Nothing is lost yet. The same article points out that the Périgord has already had flushes that only came in November, and rain was forecast for early October. A porcino usually appears one to two weeks after a proper wet spell followed by milder days. If the rain did return around 1 October, the first porcini could therefore show up around mid-October, close to the Villefranche festival. That is a hypothesis, not a promise.

What matters for your trip

• Book your nights with free cancellation, as the flush is uncertain.
• Ring the town halls of Villefranche (+33 5 53 29 91 44), Saint-Saud (+33 5 53 56 97 03) and Mussidan (+33 5 53 81 04 07) before you set off.
• Have a plan B that does not depend on porcini: markets, chestnuts, the truffle museum, bastide towns.

Public forest, private forest: the national framework

Bear in mind that French rules are stricter than the informal foraging habits many Britons are used to. A wild mushroom belongs to the owner of the land. According to the Centre national de la propriété forestière (the French national forest ownership centre), picking in a private wood without the owner’s consent is theft, and the owner does not need to put up a sign to assert that right. And according to ICI, around 99% of Dordogne’s forests are private. Only about thirty public forests remain.

The general framework comes from Article R163-5 of the French Forestry Code. In a forest under the forestry regime (managed by the ONF or a commune), picking is presumed allowed up to 5 litres, roughly one well-filled basket, unless a local rule says otherwise. Without permission and under 10 litres, it is a 4th-class offence: a €135 fixed fine, up to €750 in court. Above 10 litres, or for truffles in any quantity, it becomes theft, punishable by 3 years in prison and a €45,000 fine.

Good habits

• Pick for your own consumption only: selling is forbidden in public forest.
• Use an open basket rather than a plastic bag, and cut the porcino’s stem rather than pulling it up.
• Ask at the town hall: local orders can restrict days, quantities or areas.
• No truffles, and never dig on private land.

Four official markets, opening only when the mushrooms come

Four markets are devoted to the porcino: Villefranche-du-Périgord, Monpazier, Mussidan and Saint-Saud-Lacoussière. Their opening is decided at the last minute depending on the rain, usually in the early afternoon (3 pm or 4 pm depending on the square). Sellers are Dordogne woodland owners belonging to the Cèpes du Périgord association, with proof of ownership, mushrooms picked less than 24 hours earlier and a traceability certificate handed to the buyer, according to the Mussidan town hall. You cannot sell your own haul there.

For reference, in 2025 porcini traded between €12 and €22 a kilo, and twelve tonnes were sold in one week across three markets, according to ICI. No 2026 figure exists yet. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before opening, look around first, and ask for the traceability certificate.

October 2026 highlights

• Sunday 4 October, Saint-Saud-Lacoussière: « Cèpes par-là » festival, 10 am to 5 pm, free entry, meal at €20. Fresh porcini unlikely, according to the organiser.
• Sunday 11 October, Le Bugue: local produce festival, meal at €23 with booking.
• Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, Villefranche-du-Périgord: 34th Chestnut and Porcini Festival, free apart from concerts and meals, with a giant omelette and the Maison de la Châtaigne open to visit, according to fete-de-village.fr.
• 19 to 24 October: first Semaine des Chefs (Chefs’ Week), 40 Périgord chefs, menus at €38 or €48 including wine and coffee, according to A vos assiettes.
• Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October: Bastides en Fête, including Monpazier, free entry.

Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October 2026

This itinerary follows market days and keeps activities that work even without porcini. Do not plan more than two big stops a day, and leave 45 minutes of margin for the afternoon markets. A car is close to essential: the villages are small and opening hours are unusual.

Day 1, Thursday 15 October: Green Périgord

• Morning: Excideuil market (Thursday, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm) and the castle courtyard, free.
• Afternoon: Écomusée de la Truffe in Sorges, about 40 minutes for the visit, €6 full price, truffle trail open access. Closed on Tuesdays, open 10 am to 12:30 pm then 2 pm to 5 pm on weekdays.
• Night in Périgueux or Excideuil.

Day 2, Friday 16 October: Périgueux then Sarlat

• Morning: historic centre and Halle du Coderc in Périgueux, then the road to Sarlat (about 1 hour).
• Late afternoon: Sainte-Marie covered market in Sarlat, or the communal forest of Sarlat-Campagnac if the flush has happened, within the 5-litre limit.
• Night in Sarlat.

Day 3, Saturday 17 October: Chestnut and Porcini Festival

• Villefranche-du-Périgord is about 1 hour from Sarlat and 45 minutes from Bergerac. Saturday morning market, Maison de la Châtaigne, giant porcini omelette at lunchtime.
• Afternoon: guided visit, sacred music concert, and the porcini market if the flush has allowed it.
• Sunday option: procession of the confréries (traditional brotherhoods) and a cherry-stone spitting contest, then Monpazier.