4 days in Milan

Day by day

1. Day 1: Duomo di Milano and its rooftop terraces and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

   Duomo di Milano and its rooftop terraces, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Teatro alla Scala, then Navigli canals in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Duomo di Milano and its rooftop terraces

      Allow 2 hours (mid-priced). Go up to the terraces in the late afternoon for softer light, and on clear days look north for the Alps.

   2. Late morning

      Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

      It houses luxury boutiques and historic cafés under mosaic floors; tradition says spinning on your heel on the mosaic bull brings good luck.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Saffron risotto

      Traditional trattorias across the city; ask whether it is made with meat stock if you are vegetarian.

   4. Afternoon

      Teatro alla Scala

      Allow 1 hour for the museum (low cost). For a performance on a budget, look for gallery seats or same-day tickets sold at the box office.

   5. Evening

      Navigli canals

      Arrive around 7pm for aperitivo, then walk the Naviglio Grande towards the Vicolo dei Lavandai as the lights come on.

2. Day 2: Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Santa Maria presso San Satiro

   Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Santa Maria presso San Satiro and Museo del Novecento, then Navigli and Darsena in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana

      Pages from Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus are shown in rotation.

   2. Late morning

      Santa Maria presso San Satiro

      Allow 20 minutes (low cost). Look at the apse from the entrance first, then walk to the side to see how the illusion works.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Breaded veal cutlet

      Classic Milanese trattorias and osterie.

   4. Afternoon

      Museo del Novecento

      Inside the Arengario palace on Piazza del Duomo, a spiral ramp leads up through Italian 20th-century art, including Futurist works by Umberto Boccioni, Giorgio de Chirico and Lucio Fontana, whose neon installation hangs in a window facing the cathedral.

   5. Evening

      Navigli and Darsena

      Canal-side bars and crowds spilling onto the towpaths, busy every night in summer.

3. Day 3: San Bernardino alle Ossa and The Last Supper

   San Bernardino alle Ossa, The Last Supper and Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, then Corso Como and Garibaldi in the evening.

   1. Morning

      San Bernardino alle Ossa

      Allow 20 minutes (free). It is small and quick to visit; combine it with a walk to the Università Statale's Renaissance courtyards nearby.

   2. Late morning

      The Last Supper

      To protect the fragile painting, visitors enter in small groups for about 15 minutes. The Renaissance church next door, with its tribune attributed to Bramante, is free to visit.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ossobuco

      Traditional restaurants, often paired with saffron risotto.

   4. Afternoon

      Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

      Allow 45 minutes (free). Visit on 7 December, the feast of Sant'Ambrogio, when a traditional Christmas market fills the surrounding streets.

   5. Evening

      Corso Como and Garibaldi

      Upmarket bars and clubs with a dressy crowd near Porta Nuova.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Lake Como

   About 40 minutes to 1 hour by train each way. Getting there: Train to Como or Varenna, then ferries.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Lake Como

      About 40 minutes to 1 hour by train (Train to Como or Varenna, then ferries); about 50 km.

   2. Day

      Lake Como

      Steep green mountains frame Lake Como's villas and villages. From Como town, ferries and the funicular to Brunate start the day; from Varenna, ferries cross to Bellagio and the gardens of Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello.

   3. Evening

      Back in Milan

      Dinner: try Mondeghili.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Duomo di Milano and its rooftop terraces, The Last Supper and Teatro alla Scala before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 nights, Centro Storico keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Brera ($$$$) suits couples, culture, first-timers and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–11 hours of visiting over 4 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Milan
• 2 days in Milan
• 3 days in Milan
• 5 days in Milan

Questions travellers ask