Why You Should Visit Milan

“Why would you want to visit Milan Italy”?

“There is nothing to see in Milan”.

Those are the comments we received from travellers when we mentioned we were going to start our Italian Journey in Milan. Those comments actually made us want to visit Milan more to understand why travellers thought that way and to prove them wrong.

We guess they did not see this drone video of Milan (thanks to Expedia on Youtube).  The drone footage is one of the best we have seen that really captures the essence of Milan City.

So is Milan worth visiting? We would definitely say yes! Read on and see if you would like to visit beautiful Milan too!

Travel Milan on the Hop on Hop off Bus

“Explore Milan at your own pace with a ticket for the open-top hop-on hop-off bus. With 4 routes at your disposal, discover all of the city’s top attractions, from the magnificent Duomo and La Scala to the city’s many quaint neighbourhoods.”

48 Hour Milan Pass

Explore Milan according to your own interests with a 48-hour Milan Pass, and enjoy discounts at dozens of affiliated restaurants, shops, museums, shows and more. Get free entrance to city museums, and add on transport options to discover more.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more information. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (if applicable).

So now we say “Why you should visit Milan”.

Can you do Milan in a day? This was another question we would get regularly. Each time we have said no, you need to give Milan at least 3 – 4 nights. There are so many top things to do in Milan that you won’t cover it all in 1 day.

Italy is well known for its cuisine and we all love Italian cuisine. But did you know that Milan is known as one of the best cities in Italy for its food in particular Osso Buco and Risotto all Milanese?

Milan Italy Map

Milan City Map

Where is Milan

Milan is located in the Lombardy region of Italy.  It is Italy’s second-largest city after Rome.  Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world and the design capital of the world.  Two of the world’s largest fairs Milan Fashion Week and Milan Furniture Fair are held every year in the capital.

Things to Do in Milan Italy

Wondering what things to do in Milan? There are many Milan attractions some that you can pre-purchase and enjoy skip the line and fast track entrances such as the:

•  Milan Duomo and Terraces Fast Track Entrance Tickets
•  Da Vinci’s Last Supper Skip the Line and Guided Tour Ticket
• La Scala Theatre and Museum Skip the Line Ticket

which we highly recommend doing especially if you are visiting Milan in the summer or over public holidays.

Visit Sforza Castle and Michelangelo’s Pieta Rondanini Tour

Did you know that you can see a statue created by Michelangelo in 1564 “Rondanini Pieta” in the Sforza Castle? It was the last sculpture that he worked on before his death.  The marble sculpture was purchased by the City of Milan from Conte Sanseverino in 1952 for 125 million lire. It stands 77 inches high.

But it is not all about Michelangelo. Have you ever heard about his friend Leonardo Da Vinci? During the 1.5-hour guided experience with your monolingual guide, you will hear many stories about him as well. Finally, every secret of the Castle is going to take life, visit the courtyard and the interior of the Castle and learn about Milan’ powerful families.

The Castle was built in the 15th Century by Francesco Sforza Duce Milan and it houses the city’s most important museums and art collections.  There are a total of 12 museums, art collections and displays in the Castle and you can easily spend a whole day wandering around.

Simplon Gate

The Main Park of Milan houses the Simplon Gate (Porta Sempione Gate) with its Arch of Peace.  Built in the 19th Century it stands proud in Piazza Sempione (Simplon Square).  It is a lovely walk from the Castle down to the Gate, past a cafe where elderly men are enjoying the afternoon playing cards with their friends and children playing whilst their mothers are enjoying a coffee. The Hop on Hop off Bus tour includes Simplon Gate and it is a great way to navigate the sights of Milan City.

Visit Santa Maria delle Grazie

Inside Santa Maria delle Grazie you will find on the end wall of the dining hall the “Last Supper” painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1495 and 1498.

Hot Tip:

You will need to book in advance for viewing click here for booking and more information.  We turned up on the day hoping that we could visit or that there may be a cancellation, but no such luck.

Milan’s Impressive Cathedral

Milan’s skyline is dominated by its Gothic Cathedral which took over 6 centuries to build starting in 1386 and finally completed in 1965.  It is the 5th largest church in the world and Italy’s largest.

Milan’s Premier Shopping Centre – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Milan is a shopping mecca offering the shopper the world’s oldest shopping Mall – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II built between 1865 – 1877.

Admire the mosaic marble floors and the domed roof whilst enjoying a coffee.

You can enjoy a 3-hour walking tour of Milan that includes a visit to the Galleria.

Canals in Milan? Who would have thought that Milan had canals as well as Venice?  Of course, we had to pay a visit and we headed down there for dinner.  To our surprise, there were canals and restaurants opened along the banks.  For 10 euros per person, we had the ‘happy hour dinner’ – a large beer and a selection of pasta, chicken, potatoes and vegetables and you get to sit by the canal watching the tourist boats glide past.

Enjoy an Evening Drink at Cafe Sforzesco Milan

A visit to Cafe Sforzesco is a fun experience.  A large beer at the end of the day served with complimentary potato chips was what we needed.  It is situated in the upmarket shopping precinct Via Dante.

More Milan Attractions:

Where to Stay in Milan

5 Star Milan Hotels

One of the top 5 star hotels in Milan Italy is the Mandarin Oriental located at Via Andegari 9, Brera, Milan close to the fashion district.

Dine at the 2 Michelin Star restaurant Seta for the best of Italian cuisine.

Latest Guest Review: Great location near all the luxury shopping stores and great services with fantastic staff.

A 5 star alternative to the Mandarin Oriental is the Palazzo Parigi Hotel & Grand Spa Milano 

Located at Corso Di Porta Nuova 1, Brera, Milan in the heart of Milan’s fashion district.

Latest Guest review: Luxury hotel taking extreme care of details, located close to the city main attractions, very professional service, exceptional bed and linen, very clean suite with all amenities, including window blinds (support comfort in the night)

4 Star Milan Hotels

The Square Milano Duomo is located at Via Alberico Albricci, 2-4, Centro Storico, Milan.

A great location with only a 5 minute walk to the Milan Cathedral, the La Scala Opera House and the Vittorio Emanuele shopping area.

Guest review: The location was great, breakfast was perfect. The staff were friendly.

Berna Hotel Milan located at Via Napo Torriani 18, Stazione Centrale, Milan

Great location only 200 m from the Milan Central Train Station. A fabulous breakfast is included.

Latest guest review: The hotel staff was the most polite people I’ve met. The hotel was clean. The location is ideal. Oh! The breakfast as well. It could satisfy even the most demanding customer. One thing that I particularly enjoyed is the choice I had to order anything I would need even days before reaching the hotel. Wow!!!

3 Star Milan Hotels

Hotel Gran Duca di York located at Centro Storico – Sant’Ambrogio, Milan close to the Duomo Cathedral.

Set in an 18th-century historic palace with a display of period frescoes in the hall the Hotel Gran Duca di York ticks all the boxes for your stay in Milan.

Latest Guest Review: Wonderful family-run hotel just 5 minutes from Duomo. Special thanks to Oreste! Breakfast was great, something for everybody and service was all in all excellent. The rooms are quite small, but that’s Milan. It was also nice that drinks in the minibar (non-alcoholic) included the room rate

Lancaster Hotel Milan is located at Via Abbondio Sangiorgio 16, Milan a 15-minute walk to the centre of Milan. A great breakfast is included.

Located in the Sempione district, the hotel is just a few steps from the Arch of Peace and Sempione Park. A 5-minute walk will take you to the FieraMilanoCity Exhibition Centre.

Latest Guest Review: Great location helpful friendly staff nice ambience. Tasty breakfast. Great location/base to explore Milan and Lake Como

For more hotels in Milan Italy:

Best Restaurants in Milan

We researched Tripadvisor Milan to bring you the latest best restaurants in Milan.

POMET by Pasquale Pometto: Angolo Via Torino Via Valpetrosa 1, 20123 Milan

Ristorante Enrico Bartolini: Via Tortona 56, Museo delle Culture, 20144 Milan – 3 star Michelin restaurant

Sapori Solari: Via Sofonisba Anguissola 54, 20146 Milan

For more restaurants in Milan:

Milan Airport

Malpensa is Milan’s International Airport and it is located 65 km from the city.

You can pre-book your own private transfer from Linate Airport, Milan’s domestic and European Airport to Milan City.

If you prefer a bus transfer from Malpensa Airport to Milan City book here.

To book your private one-way transfer from Malpensa Airport to the city click here.

Cheap Flight Deals to Milan

Find the cheapest flights with Skyscanner our ‘go-to’ when researching and booking flights.

Train Travel to Milan

Rail travel in Italy is so easy. There are many fare options from regional train fares to Eurail passes.

Car Rental in Milan

Car rental is easy to organise either when you arrive at the airport or from city locations.  For the latest prices, information and availability click here.

Day Trips from Milan

If you base yourself in Milan there are several day trips that you can make:

1.  Day Trip from Milan to Como, Bellagio and Varenna
2.  Day Trip to Lake Maggiore
3.  Day Trip to Verona and Lake Garda

You may want to click here if you want to consider pre-purchasing your Milan 48 Hour City Pass.

Time in Milan

Milan is GMT +1.

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