Milan Travel Guide

The capital of Italy’s Lombardy region, Milan Italy attracts visitors from all over the world. Experience its historic sites, world-class shopping, glamorous restaurants, and hopping nightlife. You can spend leisurely days photographing the city from the rooftop of Milan’s famous Duomo. Take a Milan guided tour to get the inside story on Milan’s highlights, or shop for high fashion in Quadrilatero d’Oro. With canal-side cafes, regal palaces, and Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ to discover, there’s something for everyone in this buzzing northern Italian metropolis. Read our Milan Travel Guide to get your journey started!

How to Visit Milan

Milan is located in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy and is accessible by both land and air. It’s the gateway to the Italian lakes and has two airports - Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate. Both receive domestic and international flights to Milan. Our Milan airport guide will ensure you have all the necessary information before you travel. If you’re looking to travel from the airport in style and comfort, why not book one of our Italy private transfers? We have transfer services from Milan Malpensa Airport to Milan city center and Como. We also offer a transfer from Milan Linate Airport to Milan city center and back.

Alternatively, if you are visiting the city from elsewhere in Italy or Europe you can travel by rail. It takes 3 hours to journey from Rome to Milan and 2 hours from Venice to Milan. There are also regular coach services from European cities which can be cost-effective modes of travel if you’re on a budget. Alternatively, there’s an impressive network of highways leading to the city from Turin, Como, Bergamo, Piacenza, Genoa, Brescia, and Verona.

How to Get Around Milan

Ultimately, the best way to get your bearings in Milan, Italy, is on a guided tour. For the perfect itinerary, begin your journey in Piazzale Cadorna, then admire the imposing Sforzesco Castle as you stroll through the city’s historic heart. Wander through charming medieval squares, uncovering hidden corners where past and present merge seamlessly. Visit the iconic Alla Scala Theater and the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, both cultural gems of Milan. Stand in awe before the magnificent Duomo Cathedral, skipping the line to explore its breathtaking Gothic interior and fascinating history. Finish your day with a visit to the Duomo terraces, where sweeping views of Milan’s skyline provide the perfect finale to this unforgettable experience.

Neighborhoods of Milan

Centro Storico

This is the historic center of Milan, dominated by the breathtaking Duomo in Piazza del Duomo, the Royal Palace, and Merchant’s Square - a lively medieval square with outdoor markets, exhibitions, and live music. The neighborhood is also home to Vittorio Emanuele II, the city’s oldest and most glamorous shopping center. In short, Centro Storico is a great base if you want to be close to shopping, fine dining, cultural and historical sites of Milan.

Isola

Isola stands alone to the north of the city - a once poverty-stricken neighborhood, it’s now one of its trendiest districts of all, home to affluent entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives. Exuding a charming village feel Isola boasts chic, quirky boutiques, jazz cafes, and great dining and nightlife. It’s a superb area for students and groups wishing to experience life as a local in Milan. Check out the Milan design guide for a deeper look at the city’s aesthetic gems.

Brera

Just north of the city center, a short walk from Sforza Castle, La Scala, and several interesting museums is Brera. This neighborhood is popular with writers, poets, and artists. It has a bohemian vibe, and cobbled streets flanked by traditional houses. They’re peppered with trendy art galleries, cocktail bars, and old-style trattorias which delight with Milanese treats. Brera is the perfect neighborhood for a romantic couple’s break in the city.

Navigli

You can experience life by the canal if you opt to stay in the Navigli neighborhood southwest of the city. The waterways are lined with pink, apricot, and ochre-hued buildings which hide stylish cafes, bars, and restaurants. Every first Sunday of the month, the riverbank thrives with a superb antique market attracting visitors from all over Lombardy. There are several parks close by, museums, and specialty shops to browse, and you’re a 30-minute walk or a short Metro or bus ride into the historic center of Milan.

To experience Navigli Milan like a Milanese local, join our Milan Street Food & Drink Evening Tour. Led by an expert insider, you’ll wander alongside the famous Navigili canals and visit several bars. After sampling a range of Milanese foods and drinks, sit alongside the canal with an aperitivo and soak in the atmosphere and views.

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Food, Drink & Nightlife

Milan is packed with cafes, bars, Italian trattorias, International and fast-food restaurants. There’s something to cater to everyone’s taste buds and dietary needs, whether you wish to feast on platefuls of pasta and risotto alla Milanese or American burgers and Lebanese cuisine. You can simply eat, or get your hands dirty and learn how to master local Milanese dishes with a private cooking class with a local.

When it comes to nightlife, Milan does not disappoint. Bars in Milan range from iconic wine bars to al-fresco piazza cafes and cocktail clubs. You can spend a low-key evening at the theater or opera, or dance till dawn in underground tunnels or palatial, neon-lit clubs with the city’s glitterati. One of the most popular clubs is Plastic, a hotspot in Milan since the ’80s. Its clientele has included Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Andy Warhol.

Shopping

For those who love to shop, shopping in Milan is as good as it gets. It’s Italy’s fashion capital with designer stores, bustling shopping malls, and independent specialty stores selling everything from hand-made jewelry to vintage garments and interior design elements. The best place for glamorous shopping and dining combined is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Its stained glass and iron cupola and Victorian arcade design were completed in 1877. With floor mosaics, stunning architecture, and a great selection of shops and eateries to explore, you may stay for a while. If it’s designer couture you seek, visit Via Della Spiga - home to Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Tiffany & Co, and Moschino. Alternatively, for hand-crafted jewelry and antiques, you can’t go wrong in Brera or at Navigli for their monthly Sunday markets.

Culture

4-Day Milan City Break Tour Package

One of the best things to do in Milan is to discover all of its stunning, sophisticated treasures. On our incredible Milan tours, knowledgeable guides will bring the history of Milan’s impressive Duomo to life and tell you some secrets too! You’ll venture to 15th-century Sforza Castle a short walk away. One of the largest citadels in Europe, it houses museums and art collections, including works by Michelangelo. We also offer a 4-Day Milan City Break Tour Package, which will roll this experience and more into one fabulous exploration.

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Da Vinci’s Last Supper Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

If you’re visiting Milan, don’t miss the opportunity to see Da Vinci’s famous Last Supper painting. This world-renowned artwork stands in all its glory within the walls of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie and seeing it with your own eyes is an experience to remember. Depicting the moment that Jesus informed his 12 apostles that one of them would soon betray him, the raw emotions are palpable. Due to the delicate nature of the masterpiece, crowds are heavily controlled with maximum group numbers and limited viewing times. For this reason, getting hold of Last Supper Tickets can be difficult. The best way around this is to book a guided tour of the Last Supper which includes skip-the-line tickets.

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Milan Night Walking Tour

Explore the city after dark on an amazing Milan Night Walking Tour. This superb guided tour invites you to discover incredible examples of haunting Gothic architecture after the sun goes down. Local experts will mesmerize you with stories and ancient tales as you wander Milan’s piazzas and side streets. Pass the iconic Duomo, Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, and Sforza Castle - one of Europe’s largest citadels. You’ll take in La Scala - one of the world’s most important opera houses. See the city’s charming cobbled streets as they are illuminated by the glow of the moon.

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Accommodation

Accommodation in Milan is a mix of budget, mid-range, and luxurious independent and branded hotels in the heart of the historic center and fashion district. You can choose to lay your weary head in a traditional city B&B, book a 3- or 4-star hotel near the airport, or splurge on a 5-star city center, boutique hotel with all the amenities you desire.

Milan and Beyond

There are incredible sites to see and many amazing things to do in Milan, but more adventures await just beyond the city’s borders. For example, it will take you under 2 hours to travel by train from Milan to Lake Como or Milan to Lake Garda where breaking views await. It’s also highly worthwhile journeying from Milan to Venice, Rome, Verona, or Florence, whether that be by bus, train, or plane. Check out our recommendation for the best day trips from Milan.

Italy Today, Switzerland Tomorrow?

Located near the Italy-Switzerland border, Milan serves as the perfect base for exploring both countries. From Milan, a short journey into Switzerland offers breathtaking landscapes that complement Italy’s beauty perfectly. Many travelers are choosing to combine these destinations into a single Italy and Switzerland trip. In response, we have created our popular Italy and Switzerland tour packages. Available in 6-day, 10-day, 13-day, and 15-day versions, we handle all logistics, tours, and hotels, allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the views.

If you prefer to explore Italy independently and join us only for the Swiss part of your journey, opt for our Switzerland from Italy tour packages, all departing from Milan. Whether you opt for the 5-Day Zurich, 5-Day Lucerne, or 4-Day Zurich, Switzerland from Italy Tour package, it’s guaranteed to be a memorable addition to your adventure!

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