Rainy day · Milan · Italy
8 things to do in Milan when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Marco Pagani, CC BY 3.0
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Quick answer
Start with Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Teatro alla Scala and Pinacoteca di Brera. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 11–12 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free. May is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 11–12 hours
- Areas
- Centro Storico, Brera and Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio
Milan on a rainy day
Architecture · Centro Storico
1.Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Walk through after dark, when the arcade is lit and much quieter than in the daytime.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Architecture · Centro Storico
2.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
3.Pinacoteca di Brera
After your visit, walk through the palazzo's courtyard to the small Brera Botanical Garden behind it.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Centro Storico
4.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
5.San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
Combine it with The Last Supper, a five-minute walk away; entry is free.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Gallery · Porta Romana
6.Fondazione Prada
Stop at Bar Luce for coffee even if you only have time for one exhibition.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio
7.Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology
Book the submarine tour on arrival; places are limited and children love it.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Centro Storico
8.Museo del Novecento
Finish at the top floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows look straight onto the Duomo.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Storico | Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Teatro alla Scala, Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Museo del Novecento | 30 minutes + 1 hour for the museum + 1.5 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Brera | Pinacoteca di Brera | 2 hours |
| Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio | San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore and Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology | 30 minutes + 2–3 hours |
| Porta Romana | Fondazione Prada | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for Teatro alla Scala. The longest visit is Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Teatro alla Scala: Opera and ballet seats sell out early; book on the official site when the season goes on sale.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro Storico): Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II → Teatro alla Scala → Pinacoteca and Biblioteca Ambrosiana → Museo del Novecento, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Brera and Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio): Pinacoteca di Brera → San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio and Porta Romana): Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology → Fondazione Prada, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- May: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 10 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm and green, ideal for walking and lake trips, with some thunderstorms.
- April: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 9 rainy days, very busy crowds. Pleasant spring weather, but Design Week makes hotels scarce and expensive.
- November: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Damp and foggy, but the opera and concert seasons are in full swing.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centro Storico — The Duomo, the Galleria, La Scala and the main shopping streets
- Brera — Cobbled artists' quarter of galleries, boutiques and candlelit restaurants
- Magenta and Sant'Ambrogio — Elegant residential streets around The Last Supper and Sant'Ambrogio
More of Milan
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Milan?
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.
+Which of these are free in Milan?
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.