Eight Travel Themed Candles That Smell Like a Vacation

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

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Ever catch a whiff of an exotic flower or baked goods and get instantly transported back to a past vacation? Scent is the sense that’s most closely tied to memory and emotion, and smelling certain fragrances can vividly bring up old recollections. Use that to your advantage and light one of these seven candles designed to smell like certain destinations, and feel like you’re on vacation without ever leaving the house.

Aerangis No. 50 Soiree Noire

For a fancy evening at home, light Aerangis’ No. 50 Soiree Noire candle. Housed in an elegant handmade artisanal clay vessel, this bespoke fragrance invokes a black-tie celebration in New York City. Notes of cashmere wood, musk, and lemon twist will instantly transport you to a luxurious night at a private club (even if you’re just in your pajamas at home).

The sleek black jar can be reused after the candle is finished—and the dust cover, which is infused with wildflower seeds, can be planted in soil to grow gorgeous flowers for an entirely new scent experience.

Fernweh Editions

The name Fernweh comes from the German words fern (far) and weh (pain), which is translated to “a longing for faraway places.” If you’ve been longing for a place you’ve visited or lived in the past, the smell of Fernweh Editions’ candles can take you back there in your mind. The candles are themed around a number of different destinations, including France, New England, and Cascadia.

The soy coconut wax candles are hand-poured in small batches and made in the United States.

Literie Candles

There are some city scents we definitely don’t want to smell in our homes (Eau de New York City summer sidewalk, for example) and some that we want to smell year-round. Literie’s clever line of candles has identified those iconic city scents that actually smell good and captured them in soy and coconut wax. Scents like Brunch in the West Village (citrus and champagne notes) and I Have a Cabin Upstate (smoke and pine) will bring memories and smiles to anyone who sniffs them. With lines inspired by New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, Literie’s candles are great for gifts or just for anyone who’s moved away from their favorite city.

Parks Project

Longing for the wide-open spaces of Glacier or Yosemite National Parks? Light a candle from the Parks Project, breathe in the custom fragrance and you’ll feel like you’re there. These hand-poured, soy-blend candles burn for 80 hours and smell like the best version of their namesakes. With scents for a wide range of parks and gorgeously-designed packaging, these candles make the perfect gift for any parks-lover.

Homesick Candles

Missing home or your favorite vacation spot? Homesick Candles can help you recreate a destination through their line of candles designed to smell like certain states, cities, or countries. There’s a candle for every U.S. state (according to Homesick Candles, our home state of Massachusetts smells like apple cider, coffee, and donuts—which isn’t wrong considering how many Dunkin’ Donuts we have per capita). Or pick a city or country to send to a homesick friend.

Bright Black Diaspora Candle Collection

Bright Black Diaspora Collection — Image via brightblackcandles.com

Family-run Bright Black company uses “scent as a medium and candles as a platform for sharing positive narratives about Blackness”. Their Diaspora Candle Collection celebrates iconic destinations including Addis Abba, Durham, and Kingston through long-burning (70-80 hours), custom-blended, fragrant candles.

Flores Lane City Candles

Missing New York City? Take an aromatic tour around the city via Flores Lane’s City Candles. These soy candles offer scents inspired by the neighborhoods of Chelsea, Astoria, Williamsburg, and other classic New York destinations..

The Kimpton Candle

You might not have taken a vacation in months, but light The Kimpton Candle and you can close your eyes and pretend that you’re in a luxury hotel. Kimpton hotels have their own signature scent, so that no matter where in the world you’re staying, they all smell like an elegant blend of citrus, green tea, black pepper, clove and musk—and now, so can your place.

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