Grasse and the perfume houses

1,150 meters for Mount Cheiron’s crest sets the backdrop; from Mougins you’re barely a 10–15 minute drive to Grasse at 333 m, the historic capital of perfumery since the 18th century. Behind pastel facades, three stalwarts open their doors year‑round: Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard. Expect organ tables, rose centifolia and jasmine grandiflorum absolutes, and the glove‑maker origins of scent. In season, fields spread around Plascassier and Pégomas, 6–12 km away, with pickers delivering at dawn. The International Perfume Museum, inaugurated in 1989, stitches together the craft’s evolution room by room.

Your driver collects you at your hotel in Mougins and stays with you throughout the half‑day: comfortable Mercedes, flexible timing, and a route that pivots around workshop slots. You tour while they handle traffic and parking, then pause for a coffee on Place aux Aires before an optional, pre‑booked perfume‑making class. With a private chauffeur on the Côte d’Azur, you can link the perfume houses, seasonal flower fields, and a quick viewpoint at the citadel—calmly, and in sequence.