Mont Saint-Michel Abbey: Tickets, Hours, and How to Book

The village of Mont Saint-Michel is free. There is no gate, no ticket, and no closing time for the streets, the ramparts, or the rock itself. The one part that charges admission is the abbey at the top, run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and with more than a million entries a year, it is the one part worth booking ahead. Book ahead on abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr, the only official seller; other sites resell the same entry with fees added. Parking and the free shuttle are a separate cost, covered in the parking and shuttle guide.

Our tourMont St. Michel Day Trip: abbey ticket included

From Paris360 km; about 4 hours by car

Admission€16 April 1–September 30, €13 October 1–March 31; free under 18

Open9:00–19:00 May–August, 9:30–18:00 September–April; closed January 1, May 1, December 25

By trainTGV to Rennes, 1h30 to 2h, then the coach, about 70 minutes; no station on the Mont

Time neededAbout two hours inside; about 350 steps up

The short version

The village and ramparts are free; only the abbey charges, €16 from April 1 to September 30 and €13 from October through March, free under 18 and for EU residents 18 to 25.
Hours are 9:00 to 19:00 from May to August and 9:30 to 18:00 from September to April, last entry an hour before closing, closed January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Buy on abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr, the only official seller; resellers add fees, and suitcases and large bags are not allowed inside.
Our Mont St. Michel Day Trip includes the abbey ticket, so you walk past the queue with three hours on the rock.
In 2026 the abbey reopened after dark every night from July 3 to August 31 on a separate ticket. The Private Mont St. Michel Day Tour from your Paris address includes the ticket too, any day except Christmas, New Year’s Day and May 1.

2026 Prices

In 2026 an adult day ticket costs €16 in high season, from April 1 to September 30, and €13 in low season, from October through March. Entry is free for everyone under 18, and for visitors aged 18 to 25 who are EU citizens or legal residents of France. Disabled visitors and one companion enter free. From November through March, the abbey is also free to everyone on the first Sunday of each month. Prices are set by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and the figure shown on the official site when you book is the one that counts.

LinkParis saysThe ticket is the one thing on the Mont you can get wrong, between the resellers and the summer queue. On our day it is already bought before your train leaves Paris. You climb, you go in, and the three hours are yours.John Romano, founder

About LinkParis

Opening Hours

From May 1 to August 31 the abbey opens 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. From September 1 to April 30 it opens 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. Last entry is one hour before closing, and the abbey closes on January 1, May 1, and December 25. The village around it never closes, so an early train or a late evening still buys you the streets and the ramparts even when the abbey doors are shut.

Booking and the Queue

A ticket office operates on site, but in July, August, and on spring and autumn weekends the gate queue runs long, and the climb to reach it is the same climb either way. Buy the e-ticket before you travel and walk past the line. If your dates are flexible, mornings right at opening and the last two hours of the day carry the smallest crowds; the coach groups fill the middle of the day. Our Mont St. Michel Day Trip from Paris includes the abbey ticket, so there is no line to stand in.

Summer Nights at the Abbey

In 2026 the abbey opens again after dark every night from July 3 to August 31, on a separate ticket. Doors open around 7:30 pm and the visit runs toward midnight, with light and music staged through the halls and last entry around 11:00 pm. The night route sells out on peak evenings, so book it like the day ticket: ahead, and from the official site.

The Climb and What You See

Mont Saint-Michel with the abbey crowning the rock, seen across the bay at dusk — The abbey crowns the rock; the church stands at the very top, 80 meters above the bay.

About 350 steps stand between the village gate and the abbey church, with no visitor lift, so the ticket buys a climb as well as a monument. The church sits on the summit platform, and the three-story Gothic complex on the north face, La Merveille, holds the cloister and the refectory, built in the early 1200s over the bay. The site began in 708, when Bishop Aubert of Avranches raised the first sanctuary to the archangel, and UNESCO listed the Mont in 1979. Room by room, the buildings are covered in the architecture guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Mont Saint-Michel Abbey cost in 2026?
€16 for adults in high season, April 1 to September 30, and €13 from October through March. Entry is free under 18, and free for 18-to-25-year-olds who are EU citizens or legal residents of France.

Do you need to book abbey tickets in advance?
Not strictly, but in July, August, and on busy weekends the on-site queue runs long. Book on abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr, the only official seller; other sites resell the same ticket with fees added.

Is Mont Saint-Michel itself free to visit?
Yes. The village, the streets, and the ramparts are open free of charge, day and night, all year. Only the abbey takes a ticket, and mainland parking is priced separately.

When is the abbey open?
9:00 am to 7:00 pm from May through August, and 9:30 am to 6:00 pm from September through April, with last entry one hour before closing. It closes on January 1, May 1, and December 25.

What are the abbey night visits?
Every night from July 3 to August 31, 2026, the abbey reopens after dark on a separate ticket, with light and music through the halls and last entry around 11:00 pm.