
Between your tours of Le Louvre, exploring views of the Eiffel Tower, and snacking your way through the city’s boulangeries and patisseries, I recommend you stop to smell the flowers.
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Not literally, but figuratively.
Paris has many facets to its identity, and one that doesn’t get enough attention is its expertise in perfumery. The city has been a well-known mecca for perfumery since the Middle Ages… when pleasant scents and herbal concoctions were used to ward off the plague.
Later, they became the subject of royal interest, with King Louis XIV becoming known as the Perfume King for his interest in opulent scents.
Fast forward to 2025, and perfumery remains prevalent. Only now, it’s associated with refinement, luxury, and complexity—a la Chanel No. 5.
Don’t care about perfume? Maybe your lover does, and if you’re not thinking about how to delight your lover in Paris, then what are you doing in the City of Love?
Here’s my point: Adding a perfumery tour to your Paris itinerary lets you soak up one of the city’s lesser-known specialties. Even better, you get the chance to craft your own signature scent.
Don’t miss out on these perfume-making tours in Paris.
(Perfume in French is ‘parfum’, which is pronounced par-fuh. Cut the ‘m’ and make the ‘fuh’ nasally. Et voila! You speak French. Sort of.)
Perfume-making tours in Paris that let you walk away with a signature scent
Fragonard Paris: Make your own mini-perfume
Fragonard and Molinard (below) are two of Paris’s legacy perfume makers. They specialize in ‘grasse’, which are scents that are naturally derived. In this tour, you get to explore the Fragonard museum with a guide, then create your own small bottle of perfume. The 12ml perfume bottle is perfect for anyone who only has a carry-on.
Fragonard Paris: Make your own scent and cocktail course at Sofitel Hotel
This Fragonard workshop is slightly different. Guests are first treated to a guided tour of the Fragonard Perfume Museum. From there, you’ll gather at Le Scribe, a bar in the Hotel Sofitel. There, you get a front-row seat to a unique mixology workshop that incorporates scent.
Molinard Parfums Paris: Perfume class + make your own perfume workshop
Now onto Molinard, the second legacy perfumery in Paris. Though there’s no museum tour here, you’ll still learn plenty about the art of crafting balanced perfumes. After a little class, it’s your turn to craft your own personalized perfume.
Molinard: Create your own scent workshop for children
A perfume-making class for kids might sound like a bit of a stretch, but it’s the French way—they’re known for welcoming kiddos just about everywhere. This tour is geared toward children aged 4-8. They’ll walk away with their own 50ml bottle of customized, kid-friendly perfume.
CANDORA: Create your own fragrance class and workshop (50 ml bottle)
If you want to dive deep into the more technical side of perfumery, book a CANDORA workshop. Not only do you get the chance to make your own signature perfume, but you’ll also get an up close and personal take on how perfumes are created, the history of perfumery in Paris, and even a glimpse into the complex chemistry of the art.
ABC du Parfum: Create your own signature scent workshop
This perfume workshop introduces you to 60 scents that go into creating a customized perfume. (There are well over 100 scents used in perfumery, traditionally.) That gives you hands-on experience as you make your own scent. This course is also kid-friendly for children over the age of seven.
Seeds of Scent: Create your own vegan perfume
This course is located in an art gallery in central Paris, in case you’re looking for ambiance. The workshop focuses on vegan-friendly scents that are cruelty-free and IRFA-compliant, which you can use to put together your own signature fragrance.
Galimard: Perfume-making course with 100ml bottles
Want the freedom to put together a complex fragrance? Galimard’s workshop lets you take on perfumery like a master with 126 scents at your disposal. As an added perk, the company will hold onto your personalized perfume in case you want to order more!