Travel guide · Italy
Milan travel guide
Gothic Duomo, The Last Supper, fashion streets and canal-side aperitivo
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jiuguang Wang, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Italy's business and fashion capital is more about substance than postcard looks, but its centre holds some of the country's great sights: the Gothic Duomo with its walkable roof, the glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala opera house and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Beyond them, Brera's galleries and lanes, the Navigli canals and new skylines at Porta Nuova show the city's many sides. Milan is also the gateway to Lake Como, Bergamo and Lake Maggiore, all reachable by train in about an hour. Plan 3 days for a first visit; the best months are April–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Best time to visit
- April–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Main airports
- MXP, LIN, BGY
- Mid-range daily budget
- $180–$330 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Duomo di Milano, The Last Supper, Fashion and Design Week
Why visit Milan
- You can walk among the marble spires and statues on the roof of the Duomo, with views to the Alps on clear days.
- Leonardo's Last Supper, Brera's Raphael and Mantegna, and Michelangelo's final sculpture at the Sforza Castle are all in one city.
- The aperitivo was perfected here: a Campari or Negroni sbagliato with snacks along the Navigli canals at dusk.
- Lake Como, Bergamo's walled upper town and Lake Maggiore's islands are each about an hour away by train.
- Fashion and design shopping runs from the Quadrilatero della Moda to the April Design Week.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 19 things to do.
Religious site · Centro Storico
Duomo di Milano and its rooftop terraces
Begun in 1386 and finished only in the 20th century, Milan's cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world, with 135 spires and thousands of statues in pink-veined Candoglia marble.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Gallery · Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci painted his mural of Christ's last meal in the 1490s on the refectory wall of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes inside, 45 minutes total
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
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Architecture · Centro Storico
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Opened in the 1870s, this cross-shaped shopping arcade with a glass-and-iron dome links Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Castle · Brera
Sforza Castle
The red-brick fortress of the Sforza dukes, rebuilt in the 15th century, now houses several civic museums.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Kids
- Architecture
Architecture · Centro Storico
Teatro alla Scala
Opened in 1778, La Scala is one of the world's most famous opera houses, where Verdi and Puccini premiered major works.
- Time needed
- 1 hour for the museum
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- After dark
- Couples
- Rainy day
Gallery · Brera
Pinacoteca di Brera
One of Italy's leading art museums, in the Palazzo di Brera, holds Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Mantegna's Lamentation over the Dead Christ, Piero della Francesca's Brera Madonna, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus and Hayez's The Kiss.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Where to stay
Centro Storico is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, luxury and families
Centro Storico
The Duomo, the Galleria, La Scala and the main shopping streets
$$$$ · Best for couples, culture, first-timers and food lovers
Brera
Cobbled artists' quarter of galleries, boutiques and candlelit restaurants
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Navigli
Canal-side bars, vintage shops and the monthly antiques market
$$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, shopping and solo travellers
Isola and Porta Nuova
Glass towers of Porta Nuova beside the old working-class Isola district
What to eat
- Saffron risotto — Creamy risotto cooked with beef stock, butter, Parmigiano and saffron, giving it a golden colour.
- Breaded veal cutlet — A thick, bone-in veal chop coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter, served with lemon.
- Ossobuco — Cross-cut veal shanks braised with white wine and vegetables, topped with gremolata of lemon zest, garlic and parsley; the marrow in the bone is a delicacy.
- Mondeghili — Milanese meatballs made from leftover boiled or roast meat, mortadella and cheese, flattened and fried in butter.
- Cassoeula — A rich winter stew of pork ribs, rind and sausages slow-cooked with Savoy cabbage, traditionally eaten from November to February with polenta.
- Panzerotti — Fried or baked half-moon pastries filled with tomato and mozzarella; originally from Puglia, they became a Milan street-food institution near the Duomo.
When to go
The best times to visit Milan are April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild and the lakes are at their best. Check the calendar first: Design Week in April and the Fashion Weeks in February and September push hotel prices sharply up. August is hot and many local businesses close, though hotel rates drop.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Mild, increasingly sunny days, blossom in the parks and Design Week in April; showers are common. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, humid days and lively evenings by the canals; August is quiet as locals leave and some businesses close. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm September with Fashion Week and the Grand Prix, then mild October and foggy, damp November. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold and often foggy, with Christmas markets, opera season, the January sales and quick access to Alpine ski resorts. |
Getting there and around
Malpensa (MXP), about 50 km northwest, is linked to Cadorna and Centrale by the Malpensa Express train in about 35–50 minutes, and by coaches from Centrale. Linate (LIN), about 7 km east, is connected to the centre by metro line M4 in about 15 minutes. Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY), about 50 km northeast, is served by coaches from Centrale taking roughly an hour.
Milan has an efficient public transport network run by ATM, with five metro lines, trams and buses on one ticket. The centre is compact and walkable, and suburban and regional trains reach the airports and lakes.
Plan your days
Two days covers the Duomo and its roof, the Galleria, La Scala, The Last Supper, the Sforza Castle and an evening on the Navigli. A third day adds Brera, Porta Nuova and Fondazione Prada; add a day for Lake Como or Bergamo.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Italian
- Plugs
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and public fountains (vedovelle) dispense drinking water across the city.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- A cover charge is often included, so tipping is optional.
Milan is generally safe, but pickpockets work the metro, trams, the Duomo square and Stazione Centrale. Watch for people pressing bracelets or pigeon feed on tourists near the cathedral, and keep phones out of reach on terraces.
Flights to Milan
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Milan?
Two days covers the Duomo and its roof, the Galleria, La Scala, The Last Supper, the Sforza Castle and an evening on the Navigli. A third day adds Brera, Porta Nuova and Fondazione Prada; add a day for Lake Como or Bergamo. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Milan?
The best times to visit Milan are April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild and the lakes are at their best. Check the calendar first: Design Week in April and the Fashion Weeks in February and September push hotel prices sharply up. August is hot and many local businesses close, though hotel rates drop.
+What is Milan known for?
Duomo di Milano, The Last Supper, Fashion, Design Week, La Scala, Aperitivo, Risotto alla milanese and Navigli canals. You can walk among the marble spires and statues on the roof of the Duomo, with views to the Alps on clear days.
+Is Milan expensive?
Milan is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $180–$330 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Milan?
No. Public transport is excellent and the centre has a congestion-charge zone (Area C). A car is useful only for touring the lakes and countryside; even Lake Como is easy by train.