Grasse day trip from Nice or Cannes or Antibes
A day trip to Grasse from Nice, Cannes or Antibes: the cathedral with its Rubens paintings, the old town round Place aux Aires, the International Perfume Museum, then the perfume houses of Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Grasse in 1 day
Day 1
Grasse Cathedral
Romanesque cathedral of the old town, with three early paintings by Rubens and Fragonard's Washing of the Feet.
Historic centre of Grasse (Place aux Aires)
Steep lanes of the old perfume town down to Place aux Aires, an arcaded square with a fountain and a morning market.
International Perfume Museum
Museum of the history of perfume over thousands of years, from ancient flasks and stills to modern bottles and how scents are made.
Fragonard Historic Factory
Perfume house named after the painter, born in Grasse; free guided tours show the old stills, the methods and the shop.
Molinard perfumery
Perfume house founded in Grasse in 1849, with free visits of its historic building and workshops for making a scent.
Galimard perfumery
One of the oldest perfume houses in Grasse, with free factory tours and workshops by booking, on the road towards Cannes.
Getting there
Trains run to Grasse in about 30 minutes from Cannes and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Nice, and buses come from Cannes, Nice and Antibes. By car Grasse is about 30 minutes from Cannes. The station is below the old town, an uphill walk or a short bus ride.
Staying in Nice or Cannes or Antibes? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Grasse
Spring and early summer are the best seasons, when the May rose is harvested and the town holds Expo Rose in May. The Jasmine Festival fills the streets in early August, at the start of the jasmine harvest. Summer is warm but fresher than the coast below.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Grasse on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Grasse on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Grasse on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Grasse
- Book a perfume-making workshop ahead if you want to make your own scent; the factory tours are free and need no booking.
- The old town is steep, with stairs and narrow lanes: wear comfortable shoes.
- Galimard is on the Route de Cannes, outside the centre: take a car or bus there, or skip it if two perfume houses are enough.
- The cathedral is closed on Sundays; plan to see it on another day.
- Look for the flower fields round the town when jasmine and the May rose are in bloom, both used in Grasse perfumes.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Fragonard Historic Factory: Markus Bernet, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Grasse Cathedral: M.S., Public domain
- Historic centre of Grasse (Place aux Aires): Lylambda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- International Perfume Museum: M.Strīķis, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Molinard perfumery: Christof Halbe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
