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Perfume in Paris

Blend your own perfume in an hour, visit the flagships of houses founded here, then hunt for rare scents in the niche shops.

Guide last checked 29 Sept 2026.

Make your own perfume

Molinard classic workshop

Book this workshop

The best all-round first workshop. An expert walks you through top, heart and base notes, then you compose your own blend. Your formula is kept on file so you can reorder it.

Where
270 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris (1st)
Hours
Shop: Mon to Sat 11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 19:00, closed public holidays
Length
1 hour
You take home
50 ml, from 90 essences
Price
Check booking page

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (2)

Molinard discovery workshop

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Shorter, cheaper version of the Molinard workshop on the Left Bank.

Where
72 rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris (6th)
Length
45 minutes
You take home
30 ml, from 40 essences
Price
From €65

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (1)

Fragonard mini workshop

Book this workshop

The quick, budget option. Less creative: everyone follows the guide using pre-picked notes. Minimum age 8.

Where
Musée du Parfum, 9 rue Scribe, 75009 Paris (9th)
Length
About 45 minutes including a short museum tour
You take home
12 ml eau de toilette
Price
Check booking page

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (2)

Le Studio des Parfums

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A Marais studio where you blend your own scent. It says it has over 100 notes to choose from, and it keeps your formula so you can reorder.

Where
21 rue des Écouffes, 75004 Paris (Le Marais, 4th)
Hours
Mon to Sun 11:00 to 19:00
Length
1 to 4 hours (most workshops 2 hours)
You take home
30 to 100 ml, depending on the workshop
Price
From €95 (1 hour, 30 ml); 2-hour workshops from €115

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Checked on the official site on 29 Sep 2026: address is now 21 rue des Écouffes (the old entry said 23 rue du Bourg-Tibourg), open daily 11:00 to 19:00, prices from €95 (1 hour, 30 ml) to €520 (4-hour masterclass, 50 ml). Not confirmed: the founding year (the old entry said 2006) and whether prices differ by day. A human should confirm the move by phone (+33 1 40 29 90 84) or a visit.

Sources (2)

Galimard perfume workshop, Paris

Book this workshop

The Paris workshop of Galimard, a Grasse perfume house. You create your own scent and Galimard keeps the formula on file.

Where
43 rue de Provence, 75009 Paris (9th)
Length
1 hour 30 to 2 hours
You take home
A 100 ml bottle with your own name on it
Price
€89 per adult, €79 for children under 15

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Price, length, 100 ml bottle and address confirmed on Galimard's official booking page on 29 Sep 2026. The page says workshops run 7 days a week and in English, French or Chinese; exact slot times were not checked. Only one source so far.

Sources (1)

Flagship boutiques

Guerlain, 68 Champs-Élysées

Listed 1914 townhouse with bottle engraving and bespoke perfume.

Where
68 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris (8th)
Hours
Mon to Sat 11:00 to 20:00, Sun 11:00 to 19:00

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (1)

Serge Lutens, Palais-Royal

Hidden purple salon with a spiral staircase, under the Palais-Royal arcades. Bottle engraving available.

Where
142 galerie de Valois, Jardins du Palais-Royal, 75001 Paris (1st)
Hours
Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00, closed Sunday and public holidays

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Address and hours (Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00, closed on public holidays) confirmed on Serge Lutens' own boutique terms page on 29 Sep 2026; Visit Paris Region gives the same 11:00 opening. Paris je t'aime still says 10:00, so the official time was used. Not confirmed on an official page: bottle engraving. The photo dates from 2009.

Sources (3)

Diptyque, 34 boulevard Saint-Germain

The brand's original 1961 shop. Its scent '34 boulevard Saint Germain' is named after the shop and meant to smell like it.

Where
34 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris (5th)
Hours
Mon to Sat 10:00 to 19:00, closed Sunday

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Address and weekly hours (Mon to Sat 10:00 to 19:00, Sunday closed) confirmed on Diptyque's official store locator on 29 Sep 2026. Not confirmed: public holiday hours. The photo dates from 2008.

Sources (2)

Perfume shops

Nose

Niche perfume concept store by the Montorgueil market. Take the scent quiz and get five suggestions from its curated selection.

Where
20 rue Bachaumont, 75002 Paris (2nd)
Hours
Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:30

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (2)

Jovoy

A multi-brand perfume shop near the Tuileries that stocks many small and rare niche houses. You can book an in-store consultation.

Where
4 rue de Castiglione, 75001 Paris (1st)
Hours
Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Address and hours (Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00) confirmed on Jovoy's official site on 29 Sep 2026. Not confirmed: Sunday and public holiday opening. The old 'widest range' claim came from a 2013 blog and was dropped.

Sources (2)

Free museums

Fragonard Musée du Parfum

Free guided tours of 30 to 60 minutes through perfume bottles spanning three thousand years. No cloakroom; the tour ends in the shop.

Where
9 rue Scribe, 75009 Paris (9th)
Hours
Mon to Sat 9:00 to 17:30, Sun 9:00 to 16:30
Price
Free, no booking

Checked 27 Sept 2026

Sources (1)

Houses made in Paris

A one-day perfume route

Works Monday to Saturday, since several shops close on Sunday.

  1. 9:30 Fragonard Musée du Parfum (9th). Free tour to learn the basics first.
  2. 11:00 Serge Lutens (1st). A 15-minute walk south to the Palais-Royal gardens. It opens at 11:00.
  3. Around 12:00 Molinard workshop (1st). Short walk along rue Saint-Honoré. Book ahead and pick the slot nearest noon.
  4. Lunch around Montorgueil market.
  5. 14:30 Nose (2nd). Take the scent quiz and collect samples.
  6. 16:30 Diptyque (5th). Cross the Seine to the Latin Quarter.
  7. Evening, optional: Guerlain (8th). Open until 20:00 Monday to Saturday.

Practical tips

  • Test on skin, not paper, and walk around for an hour before buying.
  • Don’t wear perfume on workshop day, and don’t arrive hungry.
  • After four or five scents your nose gets tired. Smell your own sleeve to reset.
  • Non-EU visitors can often claim back VAT on larger purchases. Ask for a tax-free form (rules unverified, check with the shop).
  • Bottles over 100 ml can’t go in carry-on luggage.