• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Normandie Lovers Logo travel blog

Normandie Lovers

To awaken your senses in Normandy - Claire et Manu’s Blog

  • D-DAY BEACHES
    • The 5 D-Day landing beaches
    • Best hotels
    • Best D-Day museums
    • Omaha Beach
    • Utah Beach
    • Gold Beach
    • Sword Beach
  • MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
    • Best things to do
    • Where to stay
  • WHERE TO STAY
    • Where to stay in Bayeux
    • Where to stay in Honfleur
    • Where to stay in Étretat
    • Where to stay in Deauville
    • Where to stay in Le Havre
    • Where to stay in Caen
    • Where to stay in Rouen
  • CITIES
    • DESTINATIONS
    • Bayeux
    • Caen
    • Deauville
    • Etretat
    • Honfleur
    • Le Havre
    • Rouen
  • IMPRESSIONISM
  • English
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • Nederlands
    • Español
    • Italiano
Home » Mont-Saint-Michel area

Mont-Saint-Michel at night (tips + photos)

by Claire | August 26, 2023 | this article contains affiliate links. If you use them, we just receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. (info)

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most special places in France. But it becomes even more extraordinary after sunset!
The streets of the village become empty, the lights come on, the abbey lights up and you discover a completely different atmosphere, as if transported back in time.
Here is our guide to visit the Mont-Saint-Michel by night and lots of pictures to discover what is waiting for you!

Mont-Saint-Michel by night
Content
Why and how to visit Mont-Saint-Michel by night
Lights of the Mont-Saint-Michel by night – general view
Night visit of the village of Mont-Saint-Michel – photos
The ramparts under the stars
The illuminated abbey and night show in summer
Sunrise and sunset

Why and how to visit Mont-Saint-Michel by night

Visiting Mont-Saint-Michel by night – is it worth it?

Absolutely.
We didn’t expect to enjoy the experience so much, but it was one of our favorite moments in Normandy.
The alleys are empty of crowds, only a few street lights in the streets and in the restaurants remain lit.
This highlights the half-timbered houses as well as the cobblestone of the street. You can take the time to discover all the details of the buildings.

magic of Mont-Saint-Michel by night
Magic of the Mont-Saint-Michel by night

But it’s the soundscape that brings the most to this experience.
You listen to the mountain and all the stories it has to tell!
In particular, pay attention to the creaking of the wooden floors, the birds resting, the wind rushing through the alleys.
And your footsteps echo on the walls of the granite houses.
The bay seems even more immense all around the mountain in this silence.

magic of Mont-Saint-Michel by night 2

Night visit of Mont-Saint-Michel: access

All our practical advice for a day visit also applies to a night visit. See our complete guide to Mont-Saint-Michel.

But here are some important things to remember:

  • The Mont-Saint-Michel is free to access 24 hours a day even if you don’t sleep on the bridge
  • Parking is cheaper after 7pm
  • Shuttles operate until 10pm in winter, 11pm in shoulder seasons and 1am in summer.
  • Even if the shuttles have finished, you can walk from the mountain to the parking lot (40 to 50min)
  • The lights are turned off in the middle of the night
Night visit of Mont-Saint-Michel - village

But our recommendation is to spend a night in the hotels on site. The experience is worth it! See our article on the subject with the 7 hotels.
For example:

  • Auberge Saint-Pierre Hotel
    – see prices, pictures and availability
  • Hotel La Croix Blanche
    – see prices, pictures and availability
  • Hotel Les Terrasses Poulard
    – see prices, pictures and availability

Video of Mont-Saint-Michel by night

Practical advice

Other essential tips for visiting Mont-Saint-Michel by night:

  • Wear comfortable walking shoes. This is already our daytime advice, but it is even more true at night. The lights are dim and the paving stones on the ground not flat!
  • Charge your phone or bring a flashlight. The main street is illuminated as well as a part of the ramparts. But otherwise, there is very little light, including to get from the footbridge to the mount. See the person and his flashlight in the picture below.
  • In summer the abbey opens its doors at night as well, with sound and visual effects and artistic installations (except on Sundays).
Access to Mont-Saint-Michel by night
Access to Mont-Saint-Michel by night – bring a lamp
WHERE TO STAY AT Mont-Saint-Michel

Option 1:

Choose one of the 7 hotels on the mountain, within the city limits – see our article

  • The historic Auberge Saint-Pierre Hotel – see prices, photos and availability

Option 2:

Or sleep in the part called La Caserne which is between the parking lots and the footbridge to Mont-Saint-Michel.

  • Mercure 4-starhotel – see prices, photos and availability

Option 3:

And if you are looking for luxury, check out our article dedicated to luxury hotels near Mont-Saint-Michel.

  • The charming guest house Clos de Gilles – see prices, photos and availability

Option 4:

The Normandy countryside is very green and inspiring. At the bend in the forest or in the fields, pretty villages with beautiful buildings transport you to another world, or even another era.

  • Hotel Ermitage at 5min – see prices, pictures and availability
  • Château de Boucéel at 30min – see prices, pictures and availability
See all our tips arrow

Lights of the Mont-Saint-Michel by night – general view

Where to see the Mont-Saint-Michel by night

View of the Mont-Saint-Michel by night

The best point of view on the Mont-Saint-Michel at night is (in our opinion), at the beginning of the footbridge while leaving the Mont.
This way you are close enough to see the detail of the illuminated houses and abbey, as in the picture above.

The other very beautiful points of view on the Mont-Saint-Michel which are very beautiful during the day (the meanders, the Roche Torin…) are not so good at night because you are really far from the mount.

Apparently there are more than 1500 spots to illuminate the mountain.

Best time

The best time depends of course on the season.
It takes about 2 hours after sunset.
It’s ideal in October, because you can see the sunset and then go to dinner, then go back out to see the mountain at night!

FOR ADVICE ON
QUALITY Support us

Do you appreciate all the free content you find on our blog?
Our independence, the only guarantee of qualitytips, is partly based on your generosity!
We offer you to give us a coffee (or several) in the hope of sharing it with you one day in person!

I’ll buy you a coffee arrow

Night visit of the village of Mont-Saint-Michel – photos

Night visit of the Mont-Saint-Michel - door

The main entrance and the main street are really magical at night.
They look even more like the Harry Potter universe!
The lights are soft, creating shadows and bringing out certain details of the architecture.

Night visit of Mont-Saint-Michel - main street

As you are not hustled by the crowds, take time to admire:

  • massive entrance doors
  • the cobblestones on the ground that have been walked on by so many generations
  • the wood of the half-timbered houses
  • the details of the signs or certain lights
  • the stained glass windows of the church
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
  • Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
  • Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
  • Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
  • There is a lot of demand, book it early.
See available cars arrow

See all our tips

Night visit of Mont-Saint-Michel - church

The ramparts under the stars

Also take time to climb the ramparts.
They are much less illuminated so take a flashlight or your charged phone.
As usual, the ramparts are our favorite part of the mountain.
First, because you feel the immensity of the bay that surrounds the mountain. You can guess the water that remains on the sand.
And civilization remains far away with its strong lights, while your eyes get used to the night.

Mont-Saint-Michel ramparts by night

Then, the ramparts have nooks and crannies, covered passages and steps. It is a real adventure with on one side the houses and their old stones and on the other the bay and its nature.
Since the people who stay are on the main street or in the restaurants, the sound atmosphere is even more present on the ramparts. You may be alone like us!
And look closely at the gargoyles watching the horizon!

Mont-Saint-Michel ramparts by night 2

But what we like best are the perspectives on the houses. You can see the details of the roofs up close and the window panes.
The tangle of roofs is fascinating.

Our advice to visit the village at night:
Go up the main street and once at the entrance of the Abbey, go back down to the entrance by the ramparts.

Mont-Saint-Michel ramparts by night 3

And when night falls, the local cats find their domain!

Cat on the Mont-Saint-Michel
USE OUR GUIDE TO PLAN A
DREAM TRIP TO Normandy

All the information you need for your trip:

  • 8 maps that make planning easier
  • 160+ pre-selected locations
  • Practical advice
  • 300+ photos to help you choose
Discover arrow
Box Ebook Corsica FR

The illuminated abbey and night show in summer

The abbey is the best lit part of the mountain.
This wonder at the top of the rocky islet is adorned with light at night.
See the entrance façade in the photo below.

Illuminated Abbey

In the summer (July and August), there are even night visits possible.
A special show is set up with :

  • lighting effects
  • sound effects
  • artistic performances
  • and art installations

The visit to this majestic place becomes even more intense by stimulating your senses even more.
This takes place every night except Sunday with a last entry at 11pm.

Make a reservation here

Illuminated Abbey 2

But all year round (we think), posts of lights are directed towards the spire and the abbey, the sky and its sculpture of the Archangel Saint Michael slaying the dragon of the Apocalypse.
These lights represent well the description of the mountain: between sea and sky!

Night show at the abbey

Sunrise and sunset

And of course, if you sleep at the Mont-Saint-Michel, you can complete with sunrises and sunsets.
If you are on the mount, you will see the sun setting over the bay in the distance along the erosion.

Sunset at Mont-Saint-Michel
Sunset from the Mont-Saint-Michel

And at sunrise, you can enjoy the rays reflected on the houses.
It’s even easier to appreciate in winter, when the sun rises later! See our tips for visiting Mont-Saint-Michel in winter.

Sunrise at Mont-Saint-Michel

But to see the sun setting around the mountain, it depends on the time of the year and the alignment… There are several places to consider around the Bay. Check out the ephemeris for photographers.

A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE AT Mont-Saint-Michel

Step 1: Plan and get there

  • All our top tips for visiting Mont-Saint-Michel
  • How to get to Mont-Saint-Michel
  • Visiting Mont-Saint-Michel from Paris
  • Mont-Saint-Michel in winter

Step 2: Decide on your program

  • Best things to do at Mont-Saint-Michel
  • Mont Saint-Michel Abbey Tower
  • The museums of Mont-Saint-Michel
  • Where to eat at Mont-Saint-Michel
  • Visit Alligator Bay
  • Visit the Avranches Scriptorial Museum
  • Discover the most beautiful views of Mont-Saint-Michel

Don’t forget to book your visit here!


Step 3: decide where to sleep

  • Where to sleep near Mont Saint-Michel
  • Hotels on Mont Saint-Michel intramuros
  • Luxury accommodations around Mt.
À PROPOS DES BLOGUEURS
Claire et Manu

Une sœur passionnée de voyages, un frère épicurien, des valeurs familiales bien ancrées… des blogs que nous avons construits à notre image et au service des voyageurs du monde entier.

Je vous paye un café fleche

Primary Sidebar

Claire and Manu's blogs

A sister with a passion for travel, an epicurean brother, strong family values... blogs that we have built in our image and at the service of travellers from all over the world.
→ discover our story


Need information about traveling in Normandy? We may have the answer:


If you enjoy this content and want to help us remain fully independent

Buy us a coffee →

Footer

Normandie Lovers Logo

our videos on Youtube

our photos on Instagram

our news on Linkedin

contact form

SEARCH OUR SITE

Search

OUR MULTI-DESTINATION BLOGS

Regionlovers.fr

ZigZagroadtrips.com

OUR OTHER REGIONS TO DISCOVER

LoireLovers.fr

NormandieLovers.fr

ProvenceLovers.fr

CanariasLovers.com

CHANGE LANGUAGE
  • French
  • English (English)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Italiano (Italian)

Legal Notice / Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

NormandieLovers.fr participates in Amazon's EU, US, UK and Canada Partner Programs, affiliate programs designed to allow sites to earn money by linking to Amazon.

Copyright Normandie Lovers © 2023

Avant les plages et villages... parlons cookies !
We share everything with you: our favourite places, our tips, our good plans... To bring you the best possible site, cookies are an essential ingredient. Do you accept them?
Find out more
Fonctionnel Always active
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est strictement nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de permettre l’utilisation d’un service spécifique explicitement demandé par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur, ou dans le seul but d’effectuer la transmission d’une communication sur un réseau de communications électroniques.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistiques
Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement à des fins statistiques. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire pour créer des profils d’utilisateurs afin d’envoyer des publicités, ou pour suivre l’utilisateur sur un site web ou sur plusieurs sites web ayant des finalités marketing similaires.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Voir les préférences
{title} {title} {title}
Avant les plages et villages... parlons cookies !
Pour offrir les meilleures expériences, nous utilisons des technologies telles que les cookies pour stocker et/ou accéder aux informations des appareils. Le fait de consentir à ces technologies nous permettra de traiter des données telles que le comportement de navigation ou les ID uniques sur ce site. Le fait de ne pas consentir ou de retirer son consentement peut avoir un effet négatif sur certaines caractéristiques et fonctions.
Fonctionnel Always active
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est strictement nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de permettre l’utilisation d’un service spécifique explicitement demandé par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur, ou dans le seul but d’effectuer la transmission d’une communication sur un réseau de communications électroniques.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistiques
Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement à des fins statistiques. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire pour créer des profils d’utilisateurs afin d’envoyer des publicités, ou pour suivre l’utilisateur sur un site web ou sur plusieurs sites web ayant des finalités marketing similaires.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Voir les préférences
{title} {title} {title}