Looking for the best Paris perfume tour? This sensory journey through Paris’s hidden covered passages combines fragrance history, niche perfume houses and local french life. On this Paris perfume tour, you’ll discover secret courtyards, iconic perfume houses, and have a great time unwinding over lunch.
After seven years of guiding visitors through Paris’s hidden corners, introducing them to local markets, secret gardens, and tucked-away treasures, I’m finally excited to be launching this new tour that makes my heart sing: Paris Perfume & Passages.
This isn’t just another Paris walking tour. This is an invitation into a world I’ve been passionately exploring for years,the intersection of Paris’s perfume culture, its architectural gems, and the art of truly experiencing this city through all your senses. As an avid collector of niche and vintage perfumes myself, I’ve spent countless hours discovering the city’s most extraordinary perfume boutiques, learning from master perfumers, and understanding what makes French fragrance culture so singular.
Now, I’m sharing that insider knowledge with you.
Booking your Paris Perfume Tour
This isn’t a tour guide who memorized facts about perfume. I’m a collector, a student of fragrance, someone who genuinely nerds out over the difference between eau de parfum and extrait de parfum, who can tell you why Serge Lutens revolutionized niche perfumery, and who gets genuinely excited when someone discovers their signature scent.
My apartment? It looks like a perfume library. My weekend mornings? Often spent at Saint-Ouen hunting vintage fragrance bottles. My passion for perfume is real, deep, and something I genuinely love sharing.
What’s involved:
Forget the department store perfume counters that every tourist visits. We’re going to the boutiques where Parisians actually shop for their fragrances,intimate spaces where expert staff take time to understand your tastes, where you can smell perfumes you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and where the art of perfumery is still treated with reverence.
We’ll also wander through Paris’s stunning covered passages (les passages couverts),19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcades that feel like stepping into another era. These architectural treasures hide some of the city’s best perfume boutiques, and most tourists never find them.
Yes, you’ll learn about perfume history, composition, and the significance of French perfumery. But more importantly, you’ll smell, discover, and potentially find fragrances that speak to you. This is hands-on, sensory, and deeply personal. We’ll talk about what you’re drawn to and why, explore different olfactive families, and I’ll help you articulate the scents you love (even when you don’t have the vocabulary yet).
Fun, Shared passion and Connection:
I keep groups intentionally small (maximum 6-8 people) because this experience deserves attention and intimacy. This allows us to have real conversations, spend time at each boutique without feeling rushed, and create space for individual discoveries.
Plus, we’ll end our tour with lunch together,because the best Paris experiences happen around a table with good food, great company, and stories being shared.
Duration: 2 hours of guided exploration + lunch together (approximately 3.5-4 hours total)
Hidden Perfume Boutiques – Visit 3-4 carefully selected perfumeries, from historic houses to cutting-edge niche brands. I’ll introduce you to scents and boutiques you’d never find on your own.
Historic Passages Couverts – Wander through Paris’s most beautiful covered passages, learning their history while discovering the shops hidden within their glass-roofed corridors.
Expert Guidance – Learn to identify olfactive families, understand perfume composition, and articulate what you’re drawn to. Leave with the vocabulary to continue your perfume journey.
Personalized Recommendations – Based on what you’re drawn to during our tour, I’ll suggest other boutiques, perfumers, and fragrances to explore during your Paris stay.
Lunch Together – End our morning with a leisurely lunch at one of my favorite local spots. This is where we decompress, share discoveries, and I answer all your remaining Paris questions.
My Digital Paris Guides – Receive my comprehensive guides for where to eat and shop in Paris, ensuring the rest of your trip is filled with local favorites and hidden gems.
Who This Tour Is For:
✓ Appreciate sensory experiences – You’re someone who notices scents, textures, and details that others miss
✓ Want to go beyond tourist Paris – You’re seeking authentic experiences in neighborhoods locals actually love.
✓ Love perfume but want to learn more – Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned collector, there’s always more to discover.
✓ Enjoy small group experiences – This is my only group tour, because I think perfume lovers united are the best! If you’d like a solo one on one experience with me – please book a regular tour. You prefer intimate, personal tours over large group tours where you’re just a number
✓ Value expert guidance – You want someone who genuinely knows their subject, not just memorized information, live and breathes Paris in a fun and authentic way.
✓ Appreciate beautiful architecture – The covered passages are stunning, and you’ll want to photograph everything, plus I know a few hidden gem non perfume boutiques that you will also love!
✓ Like connecting with your guide and fellow travelers – Some of the best travel experiences happen through genuine human connection – and my tours are like meeting friends in real life back when the whole social network world started and it was so genuine and fun.
Meet Your Guide: Why I Created This Tour
Hi, I’m Yanique, and I’ve been living in Paris and running tours here for seven years. But my love affair with perfume started long before that.
I’ve always been the person who asks strangers what perfume they’re wearing (usually in French, which makes it less weird). The one who spends Saturday mornings hunting vintage perfume bottles at Saint-Ouen. The one whose idea of a perfect afternoon involves discovering a new niche perfumery and spending an hour smelling everything they carry.
Over the years, I’ve built relationships with boutique owners, learned from perfumers, and developed what I can only describe as an obsession with understanding French perfume culture,not just the famous houses everyone knows, but the small independent perfumers, the artisanal producers, the people keeping this art form alive.
I’ve also spent seven years perfecting the art of showing visitors the Paris I love,not the Paris of tourist traps and overpriced cafés, but the Paris of hidden passages, neighborhood bakeries, and shops where locals actually shop. NB. I wrote this book – LOCAL PARIS!
This Perfume & Passages tour is where my two passions meet: sharing authentic Paris and celebrating the art of perfumery with people who genuinely appreciate it, like you!
Let your hair down and let go have fun wandering around and deep diving into our passions – now is the time to treat yourself!
Practical Details
- Duration: 2 hours guided tour + lunch together (3.5-4 hours total)
- Group Size: Maximum 6-8 people (intimate, personal experience)
- Price: €285 per person
- Date: April 4, 2026
- Language: Tour conducted in English (I speak French fluently and can translate/interpret as needed).
- Meeting Point: Central Paris location (exact details provided upon booking).
- What to Bring:
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A small bag for any purchases you can’t resist
- An open mind and curious nose
- Camera for the stunning passages
- Weather: Rain or shine! Most of our time is spent indoors or under covered passages
- Accessibility: Please contact me if you have specific accessibility needs,I want this experience to be available to everyone possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to be a perfume expert to enjoy this tour? Absolutely not! Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned collector, there’s something for everyone. I tailor the experience to the group’s knowledge level.
- Will I be pressured to buy perfume? Never. While we’ll visit boutiques where you can purchase if something speaks to you, there’s zero pressure. Many guests prefer to test samples and return later to buy,that’s perfectly fine!
- What if I have allergies or sensitivities to fragrances? Please let me know in advance. We can adjust which boutiques we visit, and you can participate as much or as little as feels comfortable. The passages themselves are stunning even without entering every shop.
- What happens if it rains? Perfect! The covered passages were designed for rainy Paris days. We’ll be mostly indoors and under glass roofs regardless of weather.
- Can I book a private tour for my group? Yes! Contact me at myparisianlife@gmail.com for private tour rates and availability. Private tours can be customized to your specific interests.
- Do you offer tours in other languages? Currently only in English, though I speak French fluently and can translate or interpret as needed during our boutique visits.
- What if I need to cancel? You can cancel up to a week before the tour for refund. I try to be as flexible as possible while also respecting the small group size.
Your Paris Perfume Journey Starts Here
Paris and perfume are inseparable. This city gave the world the language of fragrance, the houses that defined modern perfumery, and a culture that treats scent as an essential part of self-expression.
But to really understand Paris perfume culture, you need to go beyond the famous names and tourist-trap boutiques. You need a guide who knows where the treasures hide, who speaks the language (both French and perfume), and who genuinely loves sharing these discoveries.
That’s what this tour offers: an insider’s perspective, expert knowledge, and genuine passion for both Paris and perfume.
Whether you find your signature scent, discover new perfumers to follow, or simply spend two glorious hours exploring beautiful passages and smelling extraordinary fragrances,you’ll leave with memories, knowledge, and a deeper connection to this remarkable city.
Ready to discover Paris through its most beautiful sense?
[BOOK YOUR PERFUME & PASSAGES TOUR – €285]
Or email me at myparisianlife@gmail.com with questions.
I cannot wait to share this world with you.
À bientôt,
Yanique
P.S. – Wondering what other tours I offer? I also lead market tours, neighborhood explorations, and custom experiences throughout Paris. All share the same philosophy: small groups, expert knowledge, and the Paris locals actually love. [LINK TO OTHER TOURS]
A Note About Perfume Week & Special Events
Our first tours launch in April 2026, perfectly timed just before Paris Perfume Week in April,one of the most exciting times in the city’s fragrance calendar.
For those interested, I’m also hosting a special Wine & Perfume Pairing Event during Perfume Week where we’ll explore the surprising connections between oenology and perfumery, both arts deeply rooted in French culture.
Want to join the waitlist? Email me at myparisianlife@gmail.com and I’ll send you details as they’re finalized. This will be intimate (limited to 12-15 guests), sensory, and utterly unique.