One can no longer really present Mont Saint Michel (Saint Michael's Mount) for it has been an emblematic place for mankind for more than 1300 years. This granite rocky islet living to the rhythms of the most important tides in Europe was elected as prayers place after the Archangel Michael's appearance. Its construction has much changed through the centuries: from Middle Ages until 19th century, various styles have mingled. Religious and military architectures have combined to make it all unique to such an extent that it could even be considered as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Mont Saint Michel has a longstanding reputation for shopping and being lively, between Normandy and Brittany. Pilgrims who once were converging from all Northern Europe were largely replaced by the tourists nowadays (it is now the second most visited site in France after Paris). For the past fifty years or so, a few religious are now back in the Abbey. Recent works have now made it possible to remove the sand from the Mount thus giving it back its natural beauty and maritime side it deserves, right in the middle of the bay.
In the narrow streets, on its ramparts and stairs, facing exceptional landscape, we will listen to what old stones have to tell. And we will feel that Mont Saint Michel has maintained its mysterious attractive side especially if you come and visit at dawn, or late in the day or even at night. It is actually often possible to depart from the crowd and enjoy unexpected angles.
Book a tour in Mont Saint Michel
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Practical information :
- Visit is meant to last 2 hours. To benefit from more tranquillity during the high season, it is advisable to do the excursion in the morning, late in the day, or even at sunset to enjoy a unique experience.
- Price rates
- Private visit: 120 euros for your own group. Night tours or at dawn are possible on demand.
- Visit within a small group: 19 euros per person (free for -8 yo, 15 euros for -18 yo). On Mondays at 10.45am.
These tours do not include entry to the abbey, at the top of the island.
- Other durations and contents are available on demand for tours in Mont Saint Michel, for example hikes with beautiful views over the Mont (hikes in towns and in the country on hills five / ten kilometers from the Mont, hikes along the bay with arrival or not at the foot of Mont St Michel. We do not organize crossings of the bay properly said, which are offered by specialized guides only).
- You do not have a car ? You wish you could enjoy unusual panoramas on Mont St Michel ? You are looking for places to get inspired by the Mont, but still in the distance from the crowd ? We may organize a tour with private transport to get the best views around.
- For visitors on a tight schedule coming for the day from Paris or another region, we suggest a programme on demand transport + tour, to discover Mont St Michel at most in a short time (it actually is the quickest solution from Paris) : you take an early TGV train to Rennes or St Malo, we meet at the train station and drive together to Mont St Michel. We may even combine a tour in St Malo, Fougeres, Cancale or Rennes before driving back to the train station so that you take a train back to Paris at the end of the day.
- Special offer Mont-Saint-Michel + Saint Malo, 2 private visit pack on the same day : 225€.
- Special offer Mont-Saint-Michel + Fougeres, 2 private visit pack on the same day : 225€.
- Other tours over the day in Brittany or Normandy may include the discovery of Mont St Michel.
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How to come to Mont St Michel
- By car, 70 km away from Rennes, 55 km from Saint-Malo, 125 km from Caen, 370 km from Paris. Paid parking areas on the mainland (500m away from the departure of shuttles to Mont-Saint-Michel).
- By coach from Rennes (1h20) or from Dol de Bretagne (30 min). You can buy the tickets in the bus or with SNCF. From Saint Malo there is also a daily return trip to MSM, with a Keolis bus, in July and August (not on Sundays and Mondays in September, April, May, June. Not frequent during the low season).
In Rennes, Saint Malo and Dol, a few connections are possible after your TGV train from Paris Montparnasse.
- On a TER train from Caen till Pontorson train station (SNCF or here in French for TER trains), and then by coach from Pontorson to Mont-Saint-Michel.
- When you are on the mainland in front of Mont-Saint-Michel ("place du barrage" or "place des navettes"), you can go on foot (2.5 km) or by shuttle (free).
- With a private driver from your place / accommodation, a train station or an airport. It avoids you some stress not to have to find the direction, a parking spot and the best way to reach the Mont when you are parked. We may even take panoramic itineraries and not the highway to enjoy the region at most. Possibilities for private tours with a driver from Mont St Michel to many places in Brittany and Normandy (Saint Malo, Dinan, Cancale, Rennes, Bayeux, Caen...).
Agenda
- Large tides at Mont Saint Michel, which becomes an island again for this opportunity! Enjoy this wonderful natural show from the island or from the continent, in 2023, from January 22nd till 25th, February 20th till 23rd, March 21st till 24th, April 19th till 21st, August 3rd till 5th, August 31st till September 3rd, September 28th till October 2nd, October 28th till 30th. Depending on the weather conditions there can be some additional dates.
Large tide nights at the abbey in Spring (April and May, to be confirmed), usually between 19.00 and 22.30 (same rates as in the daytime are applied). - Monuments and music: a few concerts are organized in the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey from May to October (8.30pm ; precise programme to come. Some concerts during the day during the Via Aeterna festival in late September - early October).
- Mont Saint-Michel Bay Marathon, May 2023 (every year in late May, 5000 runners along a unique path from Cancale). Other races during the previous days.
- Rando Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel: every other year, hikes, concerts, fest noz, in the towns along the bay (Genêts and Cherrueix). Next edition in 2023, from June 15th till 18th !
- Night-time tour of the abbey (until midnight), in July and August 2023. A golden opportunity to see Mont Saint Michel from a different and rare perspective!
- Christmas lights at night on the village (approximately from 6pm, all night long). From mid-December 2023 till mid-January 2024.