Free, hour-long tours of the L’Occitane Factory visit the laboratory, workshops, and packing line. The tours are held in French and English, with the chance to sample some of the company’s signature products, which include scented creams, soaps, and perfumes. Since the factory is located amid the lavender hills of Provence, it’s an included stop on many tours of the area.
The factory is located on Avenue Saint Maurice in Manosque off highway A51, 35 minutes from Aix-en-Provence. Most visitors arrive with a tour or by car, and free parking is available on-site. The town is also on two train lines, Lyon–Perrache and Marseille–Grenoble–Saint Charles. Disembark at the Manosque–Gréoux-les-Bains station, which is 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) from the factory.
Provence’s famed lavender fields, which surround the L’Occitane Factory, bloom from late June through the beginning of August, with peak bloom in mid July. Tours are offered seven days a week from April through October, and Monday to Saturday from November through March. While the tour takes an hour, it’s worth setting aside extra time to browse the on-site boutique and garden.
Lavender is everywhere in Provence, from farms to family-owned shops. In addition to the L’Occitane Factory, favorite stops during lavender season include the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Senanque, a historic monastery whose residents create lotions from flowers grown on-site. In the picturesque village of Sault, find locally distilled lavender essential oils at the old-fashioned Distillerie Vallon.
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