Month guide · Milan · Italy
Milan in May
What May is really like in Milan: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
May is one of the best months to visit Milan. Expect average highs of 23°C (73°F), lows of 12°C (54°F), about 10 rainy days and roughly 14.9 hours of daylight. Warm and green, ideal for walking and lake trips, with some thunderstorms.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 23°C (73°F) / 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days
- About 10
- Daylight
- About 14.9 hours
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in May
May is the 5th-warmest month in Milan: days average 23°C (73°F) against a yearly average high of 18°C (64°F), and nights fall to about 12°C (54°F). Rain falls on roughly 10 of its 31 days. Compared with April (18°C (64°F)), May is warmer; by June highs climb to around 27°C (81°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 05:52
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 20:46
- Daylight
- About 14.9 hours
Spring (March–May). Mild, increasingly sunny days, blossom in the parks and Design Week in April; showers are common.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 4 for crowds (the peak is April at 5) and 4 for hotel prices (highest in April). Book accommodation early: May is one of the pricier months.
Events in May
May has no major recurring festival in Milan, which usually means easier bookings.
What to do in May
With frequent rain, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Architecture · Centro Storico
Teatro alla Scala
For a performance on a budget, look for gallery seats or same-day tickets sold at the box office.
- 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
Gallery · Centro Storico
Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana
Look for the room with the Raphael cartoon; its scale is hard to appreciate from reproductions.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio
San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
Behind a plain facade on Corso Magenta, this 16th-century church is covered wall to ceiling in frescoes, many by Bernardino Luini, earning it the nickname of Milan's Sistine Chapel.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
What to pack
For highs near 23°C, lows near 12°C and 10 wet days: light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Milan?
One of the best months to visit Milan. The other best months are April, June and September–October. Compare every month.
Milan in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Milan?
It is one of the best months to visit Milan. Warm and green, ideal for walking and lake trips, with some thunderstorms.
+How warm is Milan in May?
Average highs are around 23°C (73°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Milan in May?
Expect rain on about 10 days of the month.