NOTE – The Scent Lab is a perfume workshop in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi, Vietnam, where travelers create a custom fragrance in 90 minutes — a one-of-a-kind souvenir that captures their Vietnam journey in a bottle. Rated 4.9 stars from 500+ reviews on TripAdvisor, with locations in Thảo Điền, the Cafe Apartment on Nguyễn Huệ, and Lotte Mall Hanoi, this perfume workshop in Saigon has become one of the most talked-about travel experiences in Vietnam.
Vietnam hits you through scent before anything else. The charcoal smoke drifting from a street-side bún chả stall. Jasmine from a temple offering. Wet earth after a sudden afternoon downpour in District 1. Coffee — always coffee — thick, dark, sweet, pulling you into a plastic chair on the sidewalk before you’ve even decided to stop.
You will forget the name of the street. You will lose the photo in your camera roll. But the smell? That stays. Scent is the only sense wired directly to the brain’s memory center — no filter, no delay. One inhale, and you are back.
That’s the idea behind a fragrance making class at NOTE – The Scent Lab. Not a souvenir you buy. A souvenir you create — from the same ingredients that make Vietnam smell like Vietnam.
Book Your Workshop — Pay Online, Arrive Relaxed →
What Makes This Different From a Regular Souvenir?
You already know the souvenir problem. The lacquerware sits in a drawer. The T-shirt shrinks. The fridge magnet stays on the fridge, unseen, for years.
A custom perfume is different. You wear it. Every spray is a return ticket — not to a place, but to the way a place felt. The warmth of Thảo Điền in the afternoon. The chaos of Nguyễn Huệ at night. The quiet of a rainy morning in Hanoi.
“The workshop is very fun and enjoyable. We got to take home a little souvenir that reminds us Vietnam! The instructor is very friendly and answers our questions.”
And because the fragrance is made with high-quality ingredients — the same raw materials used in professional perfumery — this isn’t a novelty that fades after a week. It’s a real perfume you’ll actually use, wear to work, spray before dinner. Or give as a gift that carries a story no store-bought bottle ever could.
That’s why travelers keep calling it the best souvenir they’ve ever brought home from Vietnam — don’t take our word for it, read what 500+ visitors said.
How the Perfume Workshop Works: 90 Minutes, Start to Finish
No experience needed. No chemistry degree required. Just curiosity and 90 minutes. Here’s what happens when you walk into a scent workshop at NOTE:
Step 1: Discover Your Scent Profile (15 minutes)
Your scent artist — a trained fragrance guide — walks you through the fundamentals: top notes (the first impression), heart notes (the character), and base notes (the lasting memory). You’ll smell raw ingredients one by one, from bright bergamot to deep Vietnamese oud, and start to understand what pulls you in.
This isn’t a lecture. It’s a conversation. Your scent artist watches how you react — a wrinkled nose, a surprised smile — and uses that to map your preferences.
Step 2: Design Your Concept (15 minutes)
This is where it gets personal. What memory do you want to capture? A morning in Hội An with the lanterns still lit? A motorcycle ride through the pine forests of Đà Lạt? The first sip of egg coffee on a cold Hanoi morning?
Your scent artist helps you translate that feeling into a fragrance direction — warm or cool, bright or deep, floral or woody. You don’t need to know perfumery language. You just need to know what moves you.
Step 3: Blend Your Fragrance (30 minutes)
Using professional-grade essential oils and aromatic compounds, you build your custom perfume layer by layer. Your scent artist is beside you the entire time — guiding proportions, suggesting unexpected combinations, adjusting balance — but every final choice is yours.
This is the part people love most. The room is quiet. You’re focused. Drop by drop, something that didn’t exist 20 minutes ago starts to become yours.
“Did this workshop before in 2022, came back 3 years later and improved.”
Step 4: Name & Label (15 minutes)
You name your creation. You write your own label by hand. Some people name it after a person. Some after a place. Some after a feeling they can’t quite explain in words — which is exactly why they put it in a bottle instead.
Your formula is saved permanently in NOTE’s system. If you ever want a refill — a year, five years, ten years from now — they can reproduce it exactly. Your formula never expires — it’ll be waiting for you whenever you come back.
Step 5: Take It Home (15 minutes)
Your perfume is bottled, sealed, and packaged. It’s yours. Some people wear it on the flight home — the cabin fills with something no one else can identify. Some save the first spray for a special day. Some make two bottles: one to keep, one to give someone who wasn’t there but deserves to smell what Vietnam felt like.
Ready? Book Your 90-Minute Workshop →
The Ingredients: Why This Perfume Could Only Be Made in Vietnam
What makes this fragrance making class distinctly Vietnamese isn’t just the location — it’s what you’re working with.
Vietnamese vetiver from the Central Highlands — earthy, smoky, grounding. Patchouli from the southern provinces. Cinnamon — the real thing, not the supermarket kind — harvested from ancient forests in the north. Lotus, Vietnam’s national flower, delicate and almost impossible to capture in perfumery. Lemongrass, sharp and clean, the scent of every street food cart you’ve passed.
These Vietnamese ingredients sit alongside French aromatic compounds and Japanese precision materials, giving you a palette that spans continents. Your scent artist knows every one of them — where it grows, how it behaves, what it does when paired with something unexpected.
The result is something that couldn’t be made anywhere else. Your perfume carries Vietnam’s terroir — the red soil of the Highlands, the humidity of Saigon, the mountain air of Đà Lạt — in every note. It’s not a Vietnam souvenir. It’s Vietnam, bottled.
“Such a beautiful experience. My daughter and I did a spontaneous perfume making workshop here today.”
What Past Visitors Say
With 500+ five-star reviews across TripAdvisor, Google, and Klook, the workshop has built a reputation that travelers trust. Here’s what keeps coming up:
On the experience
On the staff
On coming back
Read more in our full review collection from 500+ travelers.
Who Is This Perfume Workshop For?
- Solo travelers looking for something meaningful to do in Saigon beyond temples and museums — read a solo traveler’s story
- Couples who want to create matching or complementary scents — a memory only the two of you share
- Families and friend groups who want a creative, hands-on activity that everyone can enjoy regardless of age
- Last-day travelers with a free afternoon before their flight — 90 minutes is all you need to wrap up your Vietnam trip perfectly
- Corporate teams and student groups looking for a unique team activity — private sessions available for groups of any size
- Gift hunters who want something genuinely unique to bring home — not another mass-produced item from a tourist market
Perfect Timing: When to Visit
The workshop runs year-round, but here are some insider tips on timing:
- October – March (peak season): Busiest months. Book 1-2 days ahead, especially weekends. The cool Hanoi weather makes the workshop extra cozy.
- April – September (rainy season): Fewer crowds, walk-ins usually available. A rainy afternoon + fragrance making = the perfect combination.
- Last day of your trip: Many travelers save this for their final day — it’s the ideal way to close out your Vietnam story before heading to the airport. Here’s why it works.
- Morning vs. afternoon: Mornings are quieter for a more intimate experience. Afternoons are livelier — great for groups and spontaneous visits.
Pro tip: Book and pay online before you arrive. It guarantees your spot, saves time on arrival, and lets you choose your preferred location and time slot.
Where to Find NOTE – The Scent Lab
Three locations across Vietnam’s two biggest cities. Each has its own character.
Ho Chi Minh City — Thảo Điền
34 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Thảo Điền, Thủ Đức. The original studio — intimate, quiet, surrounded by greenery. In the heart of Saigon’s most walkable neighborhood, minutes from cafés, boutiques, and art galleries. This is the location that started it all.
Ho Chi Minh City — The Cafe Apartment, District 1
42 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1. Inside the iconic Cafe Apartment building — one of Saigon’s most photographed landmarks, right on the Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street. Perfect if you’re already exploring District 1. Combine it with a full day at the Cafe Apartment.
Hanoi — Lotte Mall Westlake
4th Floor, Lotte Mall, Tây Hồ, Hanoi. A bright, modern space inside one of Hanoi’s largest malls, just minutes from West Lake. Great for travelers who want to combine shopping, dining, and a bespoke perfume experience in Hanoi.
See all locations on a map: Store locations →
Practical Details at a Glance
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Skill level | Beginner-friendly — no experience needed |
| Languages | English and Vietnamese. Travelers from China, Korea, Japan and beyond also enjoy the workshop — scent is a universal language, and the hands-on format makes communication easy |
| Group size | Walk-ins welcome; private sessions for groups of any size |
| What you take home | Your custom perfume bottle + formula saved for lifetime reorders |
| Price | See current pricing |
| Booking | Book & pay online → |
Your Vietnam story deserves more than a fridge magnet.
Create a custom fragrance in 90 minutes. Book online, pay securely, arrive relaxed.
3 locations · 90 minutes · 4.9★ from 500+ reviews
Can’t Make It to Vietnam?
If Vietnam isn’t on your calendar yet — or if you’ve already been and want to relive it — explore NOTE’s ready-made perfume collection. Each fragrance is crafted from the same high-quality Vietnamese ingredients you’d work with in the studio. Same craft, same ingredients, different format.
Find us: TripAdvisor · Instagram · Facebook
Related Reading
- Read more about perfume making workshop
- Read more about last-day perfume experience
- Read more about Cafe Apartment hidden gems
Further reading: shopping tips for Vietnam on Wikivoyage
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the perfume making workshop take?
The workshop takes 90 minutes from start to finish. You’ll leave with a completed, bottled perfume ready to wear or gift. No rushing — the experience is designed to be relaxed and unhurried.
Do I need any experience to make my own perfume?
No. The fragrance making class is designed for complete beginners. Your scent artist guides you through every step, from understanding notes to blending and bottling. Most visitors have never touched a raw ingredient before — that’s part of what makes it special.
How much does the perfume workshop cost?
Pricing varies by package and location. Check the current pricing page for the latest rates. All materials are included — no hidden costs.
Can I book the workshop on my last day in Vietnam?
Absolutely — many travelers do exactly this. At just 90 minutes, it fits perfectly into a last-day schedule. Book online in advance to secure your spot, especially during peak season (October–March).
Where can I make my own perfume in Vietnam?
NOTE – The Scent Lab has three locations: two in Ho Chi Minh City (Thảo Điền and the Cafe Apartment at 42 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1) and one in Hanoi (Lotte Mall Westlake, Tây Hồ). All locations offer the same 90-minute workshop experience. See the map.
Is there a perfume workshop in Saigon near the Cafe Apartment?
Yes — NOTE – The Scent Lab has a location inside the Cafe Apartment building at 42 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1. It’s on the Walking Street, one of the most visited spots in Ho Chi Minh City. Read our full Cafe Apartment guide.
Can I reorder my custom perfume later?
Yes. Your formula is saved permanently in NOTE’s system. Whether it’s one year or ten years later, they can reproduce your exact fragrance. Your formula is stored permanently — pick it up on your next visit.
Is the perfume workshop a good activity for couples?
Very much so. Many couples create matching or complementary perfumes — one designing the other’s scent. It’s consistently rated as one of the most unique couple activities in Saigon.
Can I book a private session for a group or team?
Yes. NOTE offers private workshop sessions for corporate teams, student groups, families, and special events. Group sizes are flexible. Contact the team through the booking page or reach out via WhatsApp for custom arrangements.
What languages are the workshops available in?
Workshops are conducted in English and Vietnamese. Travelers from China, Korea, Japan and many other countries also enjoy the experience — the workshop is highly hands-on and visual, and scent itself is a universal language. Communication tools and the practical format ensure everyone has a great time, even without fluent English.
