The abbey of Mont Saint-Michel

Treat yourself to an exceptional summit, climb up to the abbey and try out various tours adapted to all interests and budgets!

Christmas in the Abbey starts the 11th December 2024 until 10th January 2025.

Please note: the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel
will be exceptionally closed to visitors
all day on 16th and 28th January 2025.

A masterpiece of architecture

With the technical prowess and daring of the master builders, coupled with deep spiritual ambition, the Benedictine abbey dedicated to the Archangel Saint Michael defies the laws of balance and offers a panorama of mediaeval religious architecture, from the Carolingian period to the most elegant forms of flamboyant Gothic art.

Providing a sumptuous illustration of monastic life over the centuries, the visit presents all the spaces dedicated to daily life (refectory, cloister, scriptorium, etc.), to religious life (abbey church, chapels, and crypts) and to welcoming pilgrims (chaplaincy, guest room, and more) across several levels.

Now it’s your turn to push open the doors and immerse yourself in the history of this truly unique place. Want to roam on the roofs of the choir? Choose the “In the Sky of the Archangel” tour. Experiences for young and old?  Opt for the “Family tour”.

A panoramic view, the crowning jewel of this UNESCO World Heritage Site

The first French site listed on the World Heritage List, in 1979, the Mont Saint-Michel and its bay bear witness to the exceptional universal values defended by UNESCO, through their dazzling natural spaces and exceptional built heritage. Mont Saint-Michel was also the subject of a second classification in 1998, as part of the Camino de Santiago in France, and remains an important place of spirituality.

The panorama offered from the west terrace of the abbey is truly unique : let yourself be enveloped by the sea as you enjoy the “Grande marée” evenings during high tidal coefficients!

One thousand three hundred years of history

From the dream of Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches, before whom Saint Michael appeared three times in 708, to visits made by the Kings of France – from Philippe Auguste to François I – the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel has also been known as the “Bastille of the seas”, entirely converted into a prison from 1793 to 1863.

Considered since the time of Napoleon III as a major historical monument, owned by the State, it has been subject to a programme of careful restoration and continues to extend its influence in the 21st century through its varied cultural offerings.

A concert, an exhibition, or a contemporary show … experience the abbey in a truly unique way!

Colours and textures throughout the seasons

Rocky outcrops rising from the bay, stones imported from the islands of Chausey, and beautiful woodwork come together in the architecture of the village and its fortifications. This harmony of materials is also found in monastic buildings, mostly erected in the 13th century: the Merveille.

Everything here is subject to the comings and goings of powerful tides, on the border between Normandy and Brittany. Every day, the light makes its mark with changing colours whose variations illuminate the Mont Saint-Michel. Every hour of the day offers a different atmosphere through which to discover the abbey: the quiet of the morning, the excitement of the afternoon or the magic of the evening.

What’s your favourite moment?

In the morning, seeing the village awaken and the sunrise from the abbey, or do you prefer to watch the sunset behind the huge bay windows of the cloister, or on the West Terrace? In winter, looking down upon the snow-whitened beaches, or on a summer evening, strolling through every last corner of the abbey, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds?

For more information about visits:

• A 45-minute guided tour from Monday to Friday, at the beginning and end of the day (mandatory booking).

• A 2-hour conference tour in english, giving access to closed areas, from June to September (mandatory booking).

• Lecture tours in French of approximately two hours, at weekends and every day during French school holidays, all zones combined (except exceptional dates).

Online booking required on the abbey’s website for all these tours.

Centre des Monuments Nationaux
Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel
50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Telephone number +33 (0)2 33 89 80 00
Website of the Abbey

Access conditions :

• Admission tickets can be purchased online, by booking a time slot via the website: www.abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr, or directly at the reception desk of our Tourist Office. Those benefiting from free admission (children, disability card holders, etc.) will also be required to book their time slot in advance.
• the discovery of the various rooms of the monument through individual visits, tablet tours or accompanied by a guide speaker;

Opening:

• From 2 May to 31 August : 9h – 19h

Last entry slot available for booking : 17h30
Last entry allowed : 18h
Last audioguide withdrawal : 17h45

• From 1st September to 30 April : 9h30 – 18h 

Last entry slot available for booking : 16h30 
Last entry allowed : 17h 
Last audioguide withdrawal : 16h45

Closed :

• 1 January
• 1 May
• 25 December

Animals are not allowed in the abbey (they are permitted in the village).