The Riviera Journal · Towns and destinations
Visit Grasse: perfume houses and old town
Perfume houses, the international museum, workshops and old lanes: plan a day in Grasse, the world capital of perfume.
All Riviera Guide adviceAt a glance
- Suggested time
- Half a day to a full day
- Best for
- Perfume, heritage, crafts and food
- Access and getting around
- Grasse is built on a hillside: the station and historic centre are not at the same level. Check the local shuttle or plan a road transfer uphill.
Local selection
Stops worth keeping
Local craft
Perfume secrets at Fragonard
Grasse · 2 to 3 hrs
Step inside a Grasse perfume house, discover its raw materials and, when booked, compose your own fragrance.
Free access
Scents · sensory experience
A journey through perfume
Grasse · 1½–2 hrs
From raw materials to perfume bottles, the worldwide history of fragrance unfolds through interactive, touch-and-smell displays.
Adult €6
Perfume creation
Create your perfume at Molinard
Grasse · Bastide Molinard · Allow 1–2 hours, depending on workshop
At the Bastide Molinard, a guided workshop lets you compose your own perfume. You take your creation home, with its formula retained by the house.
Art & Provençal life
Provence through everyday objects
Grasse · Provence Art and History Museum · 60–90 min · estimate
Hôtel de Clapiers-Cabris explores daily life in eastern Provence. Furniture, ceramics and paintings shape this historical journey.
Provençal cuisine · olive grove
La Bastide Saint-Antoine: Provence among the olive trees
Grasse · 2–3 hrs · €€€
In a country house among olive trees and cypresses, Jacques Chibois celebrates Provence’s seasons between a flower-filled terrace and bright dining rooms.
Menus €73–149
Underground adventure
Saint-Cézaire Cave
Grasse countryside · 2 to 3 hrs
Stalactites, flowstone and a constant 16°C: a family-friendly underground adventure even in intense heat.
Adult €10.50 · ages 3–15 €7 · under 3 free
Itinerary advice
How to organise your visit
Start with the museum or a booked perfume-house visit, have lunch in the old centre, then keep a workshop or second museum for the afternoon.
Practical questions
Plan this outing well
How much time should you allow?
Half a day to a full day
What is the best way to get there?
Grasse is built on a hillside: the station and historic centre are not at the same level. Check the local shuttle or plan a road transfer uphill.
What order works best once there?
Start with the museum or a booked perfume-house visit, have lunch in the old centre, then keep a workshop or second museum for the afternoon.