Perfume Making Workshop in the Heart of Florence

Florence’s perfume tradition comes alive inside an old apothecary workshop, where glass vessels, fragrant herbs, flowers, fruits, and precious essences set the scene. You learn how scent connects with Renaissance medicine and alchemy, then blend a fragrance of your own with help from a master perfumer.

I like the hands-on custom perfume and the fact that you leave with a 30 ml bottle, not just a story. I also like the compact 90-minute format and the historic setting at Antica Spezieria Erboristeria San Simone.

The main caution is booking reliability. One booking was canceled after the customer was asked for a passport photocopy that had not been clearly requested at first. Confirm the document rules before you pay, especially if this workshop is tied to a tight Florence schedule.

Key points at a glance

• A Renaissance apothecary setting: Meet at Antica Spezieria Erboristeria San Simone, a shop and working artisanal laboratory on Via Ghibellina.
• Your own finished fragrance: Blend a personal scent from a kit of essences and take home a 30 ml bottle.
• A short, focused class: The experience lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes, making it easy to fit between Florence’s major sights.
• Florentine perfume tradition: Learn how herbs, flowers, fruits, medicine, and alchemy shaped local fragrance-making.
• English-language instruction: A master perfumer leads the class, with personal guidance during the blending process.
• A low-cost creative outing: At $29, the class offers a physical souvenir and a participatory activity, not just a demonstration.

Inside the Florence workshop on Via Ghibellina

The meeting point is Via Ghibellina 190, in central Florence. You do not get hotel pickup, and the experience does not include transportation, so you need to make your own way there. The class ends at the same location.

The workshop is part shop, part artisanal laboratory, and part historical setting. You enter a place designed around the old relationship between scent and healing. Rare glassware, ampules, herbs, flowers, fruits, and concentrated essences help create the atmosphere of an earlier Florence, when an apothecary could be part pharmacy, laboratory, and perfume counter at once.

That setting does real work. A perfume class in a modern room could teach you how to combine fragrances, but this location gives the lesson a sense of place. You are not only learning about scent in general. You are learning in a city closely tied to Renaissance courts, medicine, trade, and artistic craft.

The workshop presents the tradition through figures such as Catherine de Medici and René le Florentin. Catherine’s move from Florence to the French court is often linked with the spread of Italian perfume customs, while René le Florentin is remembered in the story of court fragrance-making. You will not need a long history lecture to enjoy the class, but these names help explain why Florence is a fitting place for this activity.

What happens during the 90-minute class

The class begins with an introduction to Florentine perfumery. Your guide and master perfumer explain how fragrance ingredients are selected and how different notes can be combined.

The supplied details do not provide a fixed minute-by-minute schedule, so you should expect the order and pace to depend on the group and the instructor. The basic path is clear: an introduction to the history of perfume, an explanation of the ingredients, guided blending, and the filling of your own 30 ml bottle.

The most important part is the blending session. You work from a kit of essences and create an individual perfume rather than simply smelling finished products. That makes this a better choice for you if you like making things, testing combinations, and making small creative decisions.

A perfume can change as you smell it, so the instructor’s guidance matters. One person described the instructor as a patient nose in training who helped with scent customization. That detail suggests the class is not just a quick sales pitch. You should have someone on hand to help you sort through the choices and keep the mixture balanced.

Still, do not expect to become a professional perfumer in 90 minutes. This is a friendly introduction, not a full technical course in extraction, aging, formula design, or commercial fragrance production. The value is in the guided experiment and the finished bottle.

Why the custom bottle matters

The 30 ml perfume is the strongest practical feature of the experience. You leave with something connected to your own choices, rather than a standard souvenir selected by a shop.

The bottle also gives the activity a useful sense of purpose. You are not simply watching a demonstration and then moving on. You make a decision about the scent, receive help with the formula, and take the result with you. That can make the class especially appealing for couples, friends, families with older children, or anyone who likes a creative keepsake.

There is also room for imperfection, which is part of the fun. Your fragrance may not smell exactly as you pictured it. That is normal with custom blending, and the workshop format gives you a chance to adjust your choices with help from the instructor.

I would treat the finished scent as a personal Florence souvenir, not as a guaranteed replacement for a high-end department-store perfume. The experience is about the process, the setting, and the connection to your trip as much as the final formula.

The history behind herbs, flowers, and medicine

The class connects perfume with the old world of herbs and medicine. In Renaissance Florence, scent was not viewed only as a luxury. Plants, flowers, fruits, and aromatic substances were part of the broader apothecary tradition.

The workshop’s references to alchemists and apothecaries add useful context. You get a glimpse of a time when scientific study, healing practice, craft, and superstition could exist side by side. The glassware and ampules are not just decoration. They help you picture how precious liquids and botanical ingredients were handled before modern perfume laboratories.

This historical angle gives the activity more substance than a simple fragrance bar. You learn why ingredients mattered and how perfume-making developed within Florence’s older traditions. If you have already visited the Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio, or the Medici sites, the workshop adds another way to understand the city’s court culture and domestic life.

The historical portion is still likely to be brief. The main event is making the perfume, so you should book this for an active lesson with historical context, not for a formal museum-style lecture.

How much personal attention can you expect?

The experience is sold as a small-group tour in English, though the stated maximum is 30 participants. That maximum is larger than what many people picture when they hear small group, so it is worth keeping your expectations sensible.

A group of 30 can still work in a workshop if the instructor organizes the stations well, but personal help may feel less immediate than it would in a class of six or eight. The provided experience details promise guidance from the guide and perfumer, while the actual amount of one-to-one time may depend on attendance that day.

The strongest fit is for you if you enjoy learning by doing and can make choices without needing constant individual instruction. If you want a very private consultation with a perfumer, this may not be the right format.

The English-language instruction is useful for understanding the scent choices and historical background. It also matters when you are trying to explain what kind of fragrance you want. Clear communication can make the difference between a scent you enjoy and one that feels accidental.

Is $29 a good value in Florence?

At $29, this is priced below many longer Florence activities, and the 30 ml bottle adds clear value. You receive an English-language class, a historical introduction, access to the shop and laboratory, guidance during the blending process, and a finished personalized fragrance.

I see the price as particularly fair if you want something different from another church, gallery, or walking tour. Florence can become museum-heavy, and this gives you a short break with a physical result at the end.

The value is less certain if you are interested only in luxury perfume brands or expect a formal perfumery certificate. The class is an introduction, and the final product depends partly on your preferences and the available essences.

For most people, the cost works because it combines three things in one visit: a historic setting, a creative activity, and a souvenir. You should also remember that transportation is not included, though the meeting point and ending point are the same.

Who will enjoy this activity most?

I would recommend the workshop to:

• Couples who want a shared souvenir they create together
• Friends looking for a short activity outside the usual Florence checklist
• Families with older children who can take part in scent selection
• People already interested in perfume, herbs, cosmetics, or apothecary traditions
• Visitors who want an English-language activity lasting less than two hours
• Anyone who prefers a hands-on class to another sightseeing lecture

It may be less suitable for you if strong fragrances cause discomfort, if you want a long technical course, or if your schedule cannot tolerate a possible booking issue.

The workshop can also work well on a day when you need flexibility. At about 90 minutes, it is short enough to place before lunch or between other central Florence plans. Still, do not schedule a major timed attraction immediately afterward. Allow time to find Via Ghibellina and a little breathing room in case the class runs over.

Booking caution and cancellation terms

The cancellation policy allows a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the activity are not refunded, and changes inside that window are not accepted.

You receive confirmation at booking, and most people can participate. The more serious concern is the inconsistent passport-document experience reported in one case. A participant entered passport information, then was asked for an actual photocopy to confirm the appointment, followed by a cancellation when the issue was not resolved.

Because that requirement is not clearly listed in the main activity details, contact the provider before booking if you are asked for passport information or a copy. Ask exactly what is needed, why it is needed, and when it must be supplied. Keep the written answer. That small step can protect both your money and your itinerary.

The provider is Click Tours. The activity uses a mobile ticket, so keep the confirmation available on your phone.

Should you book the Florence perfume workshop?

Book it if you want a short, affordable activity where you make something personal in an atmospheric Florentine setting. The old apothecary, the link to Renaissance perfume traditions, and the custom 30 ml bottle give the class more character than a standard souvenir-shopping stop.

I would be cautious if you need absolute booking certainty or if your schedule is packed with timed attractions. Confirm any passport-copy requirement before payment, and leave some space around the 90-minute session.

For most visitors, this is a good pick for a creative half-day addition, especially at $29. Go for the hands-on blending and the story behind the ingredients. Do not book it expecting a full professional perfumery course.

FAQ

Where does the perfume-making workshop meet?

The workshop meets at Via Ghibellina 190, 50122 Florence, Italy. The activity ends back at the same meeting point.

How long does the experience last?

The class lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

What language is the workshop conducted in?

The small-group tour is conducted in English.

What do I make during the class?

You create your own custom perfume from a kit of essences, with guidance from the master perfumer and guide.

Do I receive a bottle of perfume?

Yes. You receive a 30 ml bottle of your personalized perfume at the end of the workshop.

Is transportation included?

No. Hotel pickup, hotel drop-off, and transportation to and from the attraction are not included.

How many people can join the activity?

The maximum stated group size is 30 participants.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.