I plan my travels around perfume. I began collecting fragrances in high school and later turned that obsession into a career as a fragrance writer and consultant. Over the years I’ve followed my nose to historic perfume towns, niche boutiques, ateliers, museums, perfume-making workshops, and sensory gardens. Perfume tourism is growing—people want to experience scent cultures in person—and these seven cities are among the best places to do that.
Grasse, France
Nestled above the French Riviera, Grasse is long considered the world capital of perfumery. The local climate and fields of roses, jasmine, lavender, and violets fueled centuries of fragrance craft; many modern techniques originated here. Big houses and artisanal ateliers alike source flowers from the region, and UNESCO recognized Grasse’s perfume skills for their cultural value. Highlights: Musée International de la Parfumerie for perfume history; walking cobbled lanes full of independent perfumers; perfumeries like Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard where you can tour factories and take hands-on perfume workshops; seasonal festivals tied to the rose and jasmine harvests; and opportunities to join real jasmine-picking mornings during harvest windows. Stay in historic perfumer’s homes or guesthouses to soak in the town’s scented atmosphere.
Florence, Italy
Florence was central to the Renaissance perfume revival and is home to one of the world’s oldest pharmacies, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (founded in the 13th century). The city mixes medieval perfume heritage with contemporary niche houses. Highlights: touring Santa Maria Novella’s time-capsule apothecary and sampling its classic eaux; boutique ateliers such as AquaFlor, Dr. Vranjes, Campomarzio70, and Profumoir (which offers an Olfactory Organ experience and in-residence stays); Museo Villoresi’s raw-material exhibits and Osmorama to smell hundreds of notes; the rose garden (Giardino delle Rose) in warmer months; and perfume-making workshops ranging from affordable masterclasses to bespoke olfactory residencies.
New York City, USA
New York represents the contemporary, creative side of perfumery—home to influential niche brands, experimental lines, and a dense perfume retail scene, especially in Nolita. Highlights: Fragrance Row along Prince Street (Bond No. 9, Le Labo, Le Labo’s and other flagships, Tom Ford, Frederic Malle), indie boutiques like Stele and Elorea, and curated scent bars such as Luckyscent’s Scent Bar. Workshops and tailored perfume appointments are widely available (Olfactory NYC, Olfactory workshops), and guided perfume tours—Nolita Perfume Tour, New York Nose—help you navigate the array of boutiques while delivering samples and insider discounts. Luxury properties often partner with perfumers too, offering scented hotel experiences.
Paris, France
Paris is synonymous with haute perfumery. Couture fragrance houses and historic maisons have shaped global scent culture for centuries, and the city remains packed with flagship boutiques, niche houses, and institutions. Highlights: flagship maisons (Guerlain, Chanel, Dior, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, BDK Parfums, Diptyque) and curated perfume emporiums (Jovoy, Nose, Printemps’s La Scent Room). The Osmothèque in Versailles is the world’s largest perfume archive and a must for scent history; Parisian perfumeries and department-store scent rooms offer consultations, bespoke blending, and candle customization; museums and walking tours teach the history of French perfumery; and hotels like Hotel Costes or Villa Marquis Melia lean into scent with signature aromas and perfume classes nearby. Paris combines heritage, haute couture, and modern niche discovery.
Dubai, UAE
Dubai’s fragrance culture is rooted in a millennia-old trade in incense, resins, and oud from the Silk Road. Today the city blends tradition and innovation: souks selling bakhoor and oils; luxury perfumers making modern oud masterpieces; and high-tech experiences. Highlights: Deira’s perfume souk and family-run perfumer houses; boutique concept stores and labs (Villa 515, Plethora, Scent Library) offering bespoke workshops; iconic perfumers like Yusuf Bhai; hotels that scent their lobbies and rooms; and futuristic attractions such as the Museum of the Future’s Algorithmic Perfumery Experience, which uses AI to generate a custom fragrance. Dubai is ideal if you want to explore oud, frankincense, bakhoor, and a living Arabic scent tradition alongside cutting-edge perfume tech.
Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech’s scent identity draws on local raw materials—orange blossom, rose, amber, myrrh, cedar, leather—and centuries of trade that introduced exotic spices and aromatic resins to the region. The result is a rich terroir of olfactory ingredients that have inspired perfumers worldwide. Highlights: Souk El Attarine and local markets for spices, perfumes, and oils; artisan houses and modern indie brands inspired by Moroccan materials (Héritage Berbère, Nouha Perfum, Nouha’s apothecary-style shops); the Musée du Parfum Marrakech for an educational look at distillation and raw materials; perfume-creation workshops and small-batch attar makers; and restorative spa rituals and hammams that use aromatic steam and oils. Marrakech is both an inspiration for global perfumers and a place to discover raw, traditional materials in sensory abundance.
Kannauj, India
Often called India’s perfume capital, Kannauj is the pilgrimage site for lovers of attar—traditional Indian essential-oil based fragrances made by steam distillation of flowers and botanicals. The region’s rose and jasmine fields and age-old distillation methods produce attars that sit close to the skin and last. Highlights: visiting ancestral distilleries and witnessing steam distillation of rose and jasmine; small shops creating single-note attars (rose, mitti—“scent of rain,” blue lotus); workshops and farm experiences arranged by local hosts and travel specialists; Perfume Tourism’s curated itineraries and 24 MG Road guesthouse as an immersive base; and scent-and-food experiences that pair perfumery with regional cuisine. Getting to Kannauj is a commitment, but the pilgrimage-like quality makes it a uniquely rewarding destination for scent devotees.
How to plan a perfume-focused trip
– Time your visit for harvests and festivals if you want to see raw materials being gathered (Grasse’s rose and jasmine festivals, jasmine picking windows in Provence; harvests in Kannauj).
– Book workshops and guided tours in advance—many perfume houses and niche boutiques have limited spaces for hands-on blending or private tastings.
– Mix museums, perfumeries, and field visits to balance historical context with sensory experiences and practical skills.
– Leave room for small discoveries: independent perfumers, souk stalls, and local apothecaries often yield the most memorable scents.
– Consider staying in fragrance-forward accommodations or perfumer guesthouses to keep the experience immersive.
Whether you’re drawn to centuries-old distillation in India, the hilltop flower fields of Grasse, the apothecaries of Florence, the couture maisons of Paris, New York’s creative ateliers, Dubai’s oud and innovation, or Marrakech’s spicy, resinous heritage—let your nose guide you. Each destination offers different entry points into the world of scent: history, raw materials, craftsmanship, retail discovery, and hands-on creation. Pack a notebook, leave room in your luggage, and prepare to bring home more than just a bottle—bring home a memory made with scent.