I know people who choose where to vacation based on the food scene, climate, and sometimes, social media virality of a destination. As for me, I base my travels around perfume. Fragrance has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember—I began collecting perfumes in high school and have leveraged my olfactory fascination into a successful career as a fragrance writer, consultant, and expert.
My fragrant curiosity has led me to explore some of the world’s top perfume destinations, not just for work, but also for pleasure. I’ve followed my nose to Grasse, France, (a.k.a. the perfume capital of the world) to learn about the history of perfumery; I’ve spent birthdays sniffing my way through Paris’s niche perfume shops in an effort to discover otherworldly creations; and I recently stayed in a master perfumer’s house in Florence, Italy, where I developed my own personal scent before venturing out to visit the world’s oldest perfumery. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Perfume tourism isn’t new, but it is gaining traction. Research firm Market Intelo projects perfume tourism will grow from $1.12 million (in 2024) to $2.08 billion in 2033. This goes hand in hand with the fact that the fragrance industry is the fastest growing sector of the beauty industry, with no signs of slowing down. People are looking for new ways to explore fragrance cultures and get exposed to unique scents and experiences—and if that sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place.
This guide includes seven fragrance-forward destinations around the world that are leveling up perfume tourism through retail experiences, factory tours, perfume-making workshops, museums, and more. Every location has something different to offer, but they all have one thing in common: Perfumery is deeply ingrained in their heritage. So go forth and let your nose guide you to the world’s best perfume destinations.
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Grasse, France
Hidden in the rolling hills above the French Riviera lies the perfume capital of the world: Grasse. Grasse has long been considered the mecca of perfumery, not only for its optimal flower-growing climate—where roses, jasmine, lavender, and violets abound—but also because many perfume-making techniques originated in the town. Designer perfume houses like Chanel, Dior, and Lancôme all cultivate flowers for their fragrances in the area, and UNESCO named the town a World Heritage Site in 2018 for its intangible contributions to perfume conservation and composition.