Grasse, capital of perfume

The morning carries a green snap of crushed leaves, then a ribbon of jasmine drifting through the old lanes: Grasse has supplied the world’s noses since the 1600s, when glovemakers turned to essences. Copper stills at Fragonard hum near perfume organs at Molinard, while Galimard’s archives point to formulas shaped by local crops; the International Perfume Museum (opened 1989, 195 m) lays out rose centifolia, tuberose and mimosa with raw materials you can actually trace. Eight kilometers away, Plascassier’s plots show how dawn harvests define today’s compositions.

Setting off from Cap d’Antibes, your dedicated driver collects you at the hotel in a Mercedes sedan or van, timing flexible and routes adjusted on the fly. You tour and sample while they handle the road: 30 km via D6107 into Grasse, reserved slots for a hands-on perfume workshop if you wish, then on to Plascassier to see how the flowers are cut at first light. In the afternoon, loop back through Mougins for a coffee on Place des Patriotes—or a lingering lunch—before drop-off at your door.