About L'Essentiel de Lavande
L'Essentiel de Lavande is an organic lavender and lavandin estate outside La Bégude-de-Mazenc in the Drôme Provençale, about an hour and a half south of Lyon. Odile Guerpillon Tassi took over the farm and has grown it as an organic lavender operation since 2009. Oil from the fields is distilled, left to rest so the scent can develop, and bottled on site, then used in the estate's own cosmetics. About 15 beehives stay on the property all year, and roughly 100 more arrive for the summer.
The rows start turning blue in June and reach full color in July, and harvest runs from late June to mid-July, so the last days of June and the first half of July are the surest time to see color. From June through August a 45-minute discovery visit runs every day at 11 am and 4 pm: you smell lavender and lavandin side by side, walk the rows and watch oil collect in a glass still. From September to May the same visit is offered by appointment for groups of four or more.
Several extras can be booked: picnic baskets served among the rows (children's, vegetarian, traditional and premium versions), a 75-minute workshop where you blend an organic body balm to take home, and a massage beside the fields from May to September. The shop sells the estate's essential oils, soap, cleansing milk and other cosmetics, along with herbal infusions. A four-bedroom gîte with a private pool sleeps six for longer stays, and the estate also hosts weddings, seminars and group stays.
Lavender here
- When it blooms
- Fields color in June and peak in July; harvest late June to mid-July
- Visiting
- Open to visitors. Daily 45-minute discovery visits with a still demonstration at 11 am and 4 pm, June–August (€5, ages 5 and up, 2026); September–May by appointment for groups of four or more. Picnics, balm workshops and massages by booking.
- Varieties grown
- True lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Lavandin
From the farm shop
- Lavender and lavandin essential oils (drops, sprays and roll-ons)
- Solid soap
- Cleansing milk and other organic cosmetics
- Herbal infusions
What to do
- Take the 45-minute discovery visit with a still demonstration, daily at 11 am and 4 pm, June–August
- Eat a picnic basket in the lavender rows (from €22 per person, drinks extra)
- Blend your own organic lavender body balm in a 75-minute workshop (€45, ages 10 and up)
- Book a massage beside the fields, May–September (€95 for one hour)
- Shop for the estate's essential oils, soap and cosmetics
- Stay in the four-bedroom gîte with a private pool
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Fields color in June and peak in July; harvest late June to mid-July. Daily visits June–August; shop open from early April.
- Hours
- 2026: shop 10 am–6 pm, Monday–Saturday from April 2, daily in July and August
- Admission
- Discovery visit €5 per person from age 5 (2026); shop free
Good to know
- Accessibility
- Visitors with disabilities are welcome on the discovery visit
- Reservations
- Recommended
- Payment
- Cash, check and card
Tips for your visit
- Book picnics 24 to 48 hours ahead by phone.
- Come in late June or early July to see color before harvest wraps up in mid-July.
- Outside June–August, visits need an appointment and a group of at least four.
Getting there
Questions
When is the lavender in bloom?
The fields color in June and peak in July; harvest runs from late June to mid-July.
How much is the field visit?
€5 per person from age 5 for the 45-minute visit (2026 price).
Can I stay overnight?
Yes. The estate rents a four-bedroom gîte that sleeps six and has a private pool.
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
