Perfume Masterclass in Florence: Make your Own Personal Fragrance

Florence has a perfume story worth smelling. This two-hour workshop takes you into the atmospheric Antica Erboristeria San Simone, an old apothecary and laboratory with glass vessels, dried herbs, ampules, and rare essences. I like the chance to make a 30ml personal fragrance and take home a signed certificate, and I also like the small-group format, with no more than 15 people.

The experience is creative, social, and easy to fit between major Florence sights. The main drawback is that the class may feel more like guided scent selection than full perfume training. You work with a set of prepared essences, and some participants wanted more theory, more samples, or a longer explanation in English.

Five things to know before you book

• You work inside an 18th-century apothecary: Antica Erboristeria San Simone gives the class an old-world setting filled with perfume bottles, glassware, herbs, and laboratory objects.

• Your fragrance begins with a prepared selection: You choose from a kit of essences, then the master perfumer determines the balance and number of drops.

• You take home a 30ml bottle: Your finished scent is bottled for you, and you also receive a recipe so you can order more later.

• The class is best for curious beginners: You learn the basics of top, heart, and base notes, but this is not an advanced perfumer-training course.

• Arrive early: The class begins at the stated start time, and one participant found that arriving only a few minutes late meant missing the opening explanation.

• The price buys atmosphere as well as perfume: At $84.69 per person, the value depends on how much you care about the setting, the personal souvenir, and the hands-on activity.

Entering Florence’s old Antica Erboristeria San Simone

The meeting point is Via Ghibellina 190, in central Florence. You make your own way there, since hotel pickup, drop-off, and transport are not included. The activity begins and ends at the same address, which makes it easy to pair with another walk through central Florence.

The setting is a major part of the appeal. Antica Erboristeria San Simone is presented as a workshop dating to the 1700s, with the feel of an old apothecary rather than a modern beauty counter. The shop contains unusual glass bottles, ampules, dried plant material, and perfume-related objects. One useful tip is to allow time to look around the owners’ collection instead of treating the shop as a simple meeting room.

I like this opening because it gives the activity a sense of place. You are not simply sitting in a bright classroom choosing scented liquids from anonymous bottles. You are working in a Florentine herbalist and apothecary setting tied to the city’s long connection with medicines, botanical ingredients, and fragrance.

That said, the atmospheric room cannot carry the whole class by itself. If you expect a detailed museum talk or a working laboratory demonstration, you may find the historical portion short. Some sessions provide a clear introduction to the venue and Florentine perfume traditions, while other participants felt the promised background was brief, especially in English.

The Florentine perfume story and Renaissance roots

The opening talk introduces perfume in Florence and its connection with Renaissance-era apothecaries and alchemists. You learn how ingredients are selected and how different types of notes work together.

The most useful piece of perfume theory is the explanation of top, heart, and base notes. Top notes are the first scents you notice. Heart notes form the main body of a fragrance, while base notes linger and help give the blend weight. This basic framework helps you make choices with more purpose than simply picking every smell you like.

The quality of the introduction may depend on the language and the particular instructor. English is offered, but one participant felt that the English explanation was much shorter than the Italian presentation. Another found the instructor difficult to understand. If perfume theory is your main reason for booking, keep your expectations modest and ask questions when something is unclear.

I would think of the history talk as an appealing introduction, not the central event. The real activity is choosing and combining scents. The historical setting makes that process more memorable, but you should not book this expecting a full lecture on Renaissance fragrance production.

Choosing from the essences

The creative part starts with a selection of prepared fragrance essences. The exact number described by participants varies, but one person counted about 20 dropper vials, while another described a preselected group of 30 scents. The important point is that you work from a limited kit rather than browsing every oil in the shop.

You smell the available options and choose the notes that appeal to you. The staff helps you decide how the scents might work together. Then the master perfumer or a staff member measures the drops and combines them into your bottle.

This is approachable for a first attempt. You do not need previous experience, and the staff guides you through the process. One participant described the class as starting everyone at stage one, which is exactly right. You receive enough structure to avoid feeling lost, while still making choices that shape the final scent.

The limitation is choice. Some people expected a large fragrance library and felt disappointed by the smaller selection. If you have a very particular favorite scent, it may not be part of the standard kit. Gardenia, for example, was available to one participant only for an extra €10. Another person wanted a certain note and received it after asking, also with an added charge.

Ask about extra-cost ingredients before you finalize your blend. A special note may be worth the fee if it is central to the scent you want, but it is better to know about the charge early.

How personal is the perfume?

The word personal needs a little explanation here. You choose the scents, but you do not independently formulate the perfume from raw materials. The staff decides how many drops of each selected essence to use and then mixes the blend.

That makes this a guided custom fragrance experience. It is more personal than buying a ready-made bottle, but less involved than a professional formulation workshop. You are choosing the direction of the scent, while the expert handles the proportions.

This arrangement has a real advantage: your perfume is more likely to be wearable than a completely unguided experiment. Fragrance ingredients can smell very different when combined, and too much of one note can overwhelm the rest. The perfumer’s help gives your blend a better chance of becoming something you will actually use.

It also explains why some participants felt they had not created something truly unique. If you want to test dozens of individual oils, calculate formulas, and mix several trials before bottling, this class may seem limited. If you want an enjoyable introduction with a finished souvenir at the end, the guided method works well.

One practical detail matters: the fresh fragrance may change over time. Several participants noted that they expected to wait about a month for the ingredients to settle and blend fully. Your bottle may smell different immediately after the class than it does later. Keep that in mind before judging the final result on the spot.

The two-hour class and the pace of the session

The experience lasts about two hours. That is long enough for the introduction, scent selection, mixing, bottling, and a short refreshment break, but it is not a full-day craft course.

The maximum group size is 15 people. That is small enough for a shared table and personal assistance, although the experience can still feel like a group activity rather than private instruction. If everyone needs help at the same time, you may spend part of the session waiting for the staff to move around the table.

A coffee, tea, or water break is included. It is a small touch, but useful because smelling many scents can become tiring. Take your time between samples, and do not rush to choose simply because other people are ready.

Arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes early. The stated start time is not a loose arrival window. A participant who arrived three minutes late found that the class had already begun, so you should build in time to find Via Ghibellina 190.

The workshop is offered in English and is open to most participants. Service animals are allowed, and the venue is near public transportation. The listed conditions require participants over age 12 to show one of several forms of COVID-related documentation, including proof of full vaccination, proof of a first vaccination at least 15 days earlier, proof of infection within the past six months, or a negative test taken within 48 hours. Check the conditions attached to your booking because such requirements can change.

What you take home from Florence

The main souvenir is a 30ml bottle of your own fragrance. It is small enough to pack easily and has more meaning than a standard shop purchase because you selected the blend yourself.

You also receive a signed certificate of completion. It is a pleasant keepsake, especially if you are booking this as a birthday gift or a special activity with a daughter, son, or friend. The certificate will not make you a perfumer, but it marks the occasion nicely.

The recipe is perhaps the most useful extra. If you love the scent, you can use the formula to order more later. That matters because a custom fragrance is not much of a success if you cannot replace it once the bottle is empty.

The finished scent may not appeal to everyone in your group. Fragrance is personal, and some people left delighted while others did not like their blend. The staff can guide your choices, but no workshop can guarantee that a scent assembled from your preferred notes will become a favorite after it settles.

Is $84.69 a fair price?

At $84.69 per person, this is not a bargain activity if you measure the cost only by the 30ml bottle. You can buy perfume for less elsewhere in Florence, and a shop visit will take less time.

The price makes more sense when you include the setting, instruction, guided blending, refreshment break, certificate, and the personal nature of the souvenir. You are paying for an experience in an old apothecary as much as for the liquid in the bottle.

I think the value is strongest for someone who enjoys fragrances and wants a memorable Florence activity outside the standard list of churches, museums, and viewpoints. It also works well as a mother-and-daughter activity, a birthday gift, or a relaxed group outing. Several people enjoyed doing it with friends, and one parent found that a 10-year-old son stayed engaged, although the formal age documentation rules specifically address participants over 12.

The value is weaker for a serious perfume enthusiast who expects rare raw materials, extensive sampling, or a technical lesson in formulation. You may be happier at a specialist fragrance shop or a more advanced course.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to curious beginners, fragrance lovers, and anyone who wants a hands-on souvenir rather than another photograph. It suits people who enjoy making choices, chatting with a small group, and learning a little about how perfumes are structured.

It is also a good choice when you need a two-hour indoor activity. The setting has air conditioning, and the pace is generally relaxed. You can make it social with friends or family, but it also works alone. One participant enjoyed taking the class solo, while others liked comparing choices around the table.

I would hesitate if your main goal is a detailed account of Florentine perfume history. The historical material can be interesting, but the amount of English instruction may be limited. I would also hesitate if you dislike group activities or want hundreds of ingredients from which to build a formula.

The strongest part of the experience is the combination of place, scent, and souvenir. The weakest part is the gap between the romantic idea of making perfume and the simpler reality of selecting from a prepared set while staff handle the final proportions.

Should you book the Florence perfume masterclass?

Book it if you want a friendly, unusual Florence activity and like the idea of leaving with a fragrance that carries your own choices. The old apothecary, helpful staff, 30ml bottle, recipe, and signed certificate give the experience a clear sense of occasion.

Skip it if you want advanced perfume chemistry, a large selection of essential oils, or a deeply detailed English lecture. At $84.69, the class is worth it for the memory and personal keepsake, not because it is the cheapest way to buy perfume.

FAQ

Where does the perfume masterclass begin and end?

The class begins at Antica Erboristeria San Simone, Via Ghibellina 190, 50122 Florence. It ends back at the same meeting point.

How long does the experience last?

The workshop lasts approximately two hours, including the introduction, fragrance creation, bottling, and a coffee, tea, or water break.

Is the class offered in English?

Yes. English is one of the offered languages.

What do I take home?

You take home a 30ml bottle of your personalized fragrance, a recipe for the blend, and a certificate signed by the master perfumer.

How many people can join the class?

The activity has a maximum group size of 15 participants.

Is transportation included?

No. Hotel pickup, drop-off, and transportation to or from attractions are not included. You must make your own way to Via Ghibellina 190.

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 in advance are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.