The 22 Best Things to Do in Milan

All Milan Highlights on One Map

Here you’ll find all the major things to do in Milan plotted on one map — perfect for planning your sightseeing route before you arrive.

The Best Museums in Milan

Art Academy Pinacoteca di Brera

What do you need to know? Art lovers probably think of the Pinacoteca di Brera the moment Milan is mentioned — and for good reason. It’s the city’s leading art museum and one of the most important in all of Italy. Located in the Brera neighborhood, not far from the Castello Sforzesco, it’s home to an outstanding collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, including works by Raphael and Caravaggio.

Is it worth it? Definitely! The museum is large, so plan on spending at least two hours here.

Tickets: Admission costs 15 euros and is valid for three months, meaning you can come back multiple times. Visitors aged 18 to 25 pay just 2 euros, and those over 65 pay only 1 euro on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Get Tickets for the Pinacoteca di Brera

Pinacoteca Ambrosiana

What do you need to know? The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is another must-see art museum in Milan, with a collection spanning paintings, sculptures, and objects from the 14th to the 20th century. You’ll find works by Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Botticelli all under one roof.

Is it worth it? Absolutely — especially if you’re an art lover!

Our tip: In the same building you’ll also find the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, one of Europe’s most important libraries for ancient writings and manuscripts. Your art museum ticket gets you into the library too.

Get Tickets for the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Including the Library

Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci

What do you need to know? This is the most important science and technology museum in all of Italy, and it’s seriously impressive. Interactive and multimedia exhibitions cover everything from chemistry and space to telecommunications, genetics, and robotics. There’s also an extensive section dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions.

Is it worth it? Definitely — there’s so much to discover here. The place is genuinely massive, so set aside two to three hours.

Our tip: One of the standout highlights is the original 1960s submarine Enrico Toti, which you can actually climb inside. You’ll need a separate ticket for that, but it’s really cool.

Get Tickets for the Museum of Science

Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

What do you need to know? In the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie hangs one of the most famous paintings ever made: Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. You know the image — Jesus with his twelve apostles at their final meal. The roughly 9-meter-wide mural is in the convent’s refectory; the entrance is just to the left of the church.

Is it worth it? 100% — this is one of the most iconic things to see in Milan, full stop.

Tickets: Standard tickets on the official website cost 15 euros but are typically sold out months in advance. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed in the room at a time, and entry is strictly time-slotted. On GetYourGuide you can sometimes still find tickets on shorter notice, starting at 35–50 euros — that’s your best bet if you’re booking last-minute.

Our tip: If you can’t find a last-minute ticket, consider joining a guided tour. Tour operators often hold their own ticket allotments, so you may still be able to get in on relatively short notice.

Get Tickets for the Last Supper — Skip the Line

Guided Tour Including the Last Supper

Semi-Private Express Tour to the Last Supper

Squares, Parks, and Neighborhoods

Piazza Gae Aulenti

What do you need to know? The futuristic Piazza Gae Aulenti has only existed since 2012, but it’s already one of the most distinctive spots in the city. It’s the central square of Milan’s newest neighborhood, Porta Nuova, and surrounded by striking modern high-rises — including the 230-meter-tall Unicredit Tower, Italy’s tallest skyscraper. Plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops line the square, and the Bosco Verticale towers are just a short walk away.

Is it worth it? Oh yes. The piazza is especially atmospheric in the evening, when a solar-powered light and water show lights up the square.

Our tip: The piazza sits across from Milan’s Stazione Garibaldi. You can also reach it via a pedestrian bridge from the shopping street Corso Como.

Parco Sempione

What do you need to know? Parco Sempione is Milan’s green lung — right in the city center, between the Castello Sforzesco and the Arco della Pace. The park has a large turtle pond with a bridge, several cafés, the Milan Aquarium, the Triennale Museum of Architecture and Design, fountains, sculptures, and plenty of lawns and benches to relax on.

Is it worth it? Yes — this is where you come to escape the city buzz and just breathe for a bit.

Our tip: Inside the park you’ll also find the 108-meter-tall Torre Branca, a glass and steel tower you can ride to the top of in a transparent elevator. There’s a café up there and a seriously stunning 360° panorama of Milan.

Get Tickets for the Torre Branca

The Brera Neighborhood

What do you need to know? The charming Brera neighborhood is just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral Square, yet it feels like a completely different city. While the streets near the cathedral or the Teatro alla Scala are wide and lined with imposing buildings, Brera offers traffic-calmed cobblestone alleys, flower-filled balconies, and loads of little boutiques.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! Brera has that quintessential Italian charm in spades. There are great cafés and restaurants with outdoor terraces, and in the evening it’s one of the best areas in Milan for a relaxed night out.

Our tip: From around 6 PM, most bars kick off happy hour. You pay a fixed price of 7–8 euros for an alcoholic drink and get unlimited access to a food buffet — that’s aperitivo culture at its best.

The Navigli Canals

What do you need to know? The Navigli are a network of canals and waterways connecting Milan to the Adriatic Sea and Switzerland. Located to the southwest of the city center, this is one of Milan’s most popular nightlife districts — packed with bars, restaurants, and clubs, with something going on almost every evening.

Is it worth it? Oh yes. Head here in the late afternoon or evening for a proper aperitivo along the water. During the day it’s quieter, but that’s when the boutiques are open and the canals have a really special, laid-back charm.

Our tip: A boat tour is a great way to soak up the atmosphere while relaxing on the water.

Boat Tour on the Navigli Canals

Cathedral Square

What do you need to know? The Piazza del Duomo is the beating heart of Milan. At 17,000 square meters, with magnificent buildings on every side, it’s a major sight in its own right. Beyond Milan Cathedral itself, you’ll find the luxury shopping arcade Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and the Royal Palace of Milan all clustered around the square.

Is it worth it? Absolutely — it’s one of the top attractions in Milan, and you’ll pass through it repeatedly no matter what you’re doing in the city.

Our tip: The Cathedral Square has its own metro stop, but we’d actually recommend getting off one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way. The wow factor when you turn the corner and the square suddenly opens up in front of you is so much better that way!

Buildings and Monuments

Milan Cathedral

What do you need to know? The Duomo di Milano is the city’s number-one sight — and it earns that title. It’s the third-largest church in the world by floor area, and the sheer scale of the building is breathtaking. Construction began in the 14th century and took 400 years to complete, which explains just how extraordinarily detailed the white façade is.

Is it worth it? Absolutely — this is the one Milan attraction you simply cannot skip.

Our tip: You can visit both the cathedral interior and the rooftop terraces. Between the ornate spires there’s a rooftop walkway you can reach by stairs or elevator — more on that in the next section.

Tickets: Book in advance — the lines are always long and it’s genuinely worth it to skip them. Various combination tickets are available. The basic entry ticket can be bought on-site or online, but we strongly recommend the online skip-the-line option. You can also combine your cathedral visit with a trip up to the terraces.

Get the Basic Skip-the-Line Ticket for Milan Cathedral

Get Tickets for the Cathedral and the Cathedral Terraces

Cathedral Terraces

What do you need to know? If you have the time, combining a cathedral visit with a trip up to the terraces is really worth it. You take an elevator up to a rooftop promenade of nearly 8,000 m² — an incredible walkway above the city’s rooftops. From up here you get sweeping views over Milan, plus an up-close look at the extraordinary craftsmanship of the cathedral’s sculptors.

Is it worth it? Totally! All around the walkable platform you can admire the towers, arches, and sculptures — each one unique — at arm’s length. They also make for some seriously great photos.

Our tip: Go up at sunset if you can. The sculptures cast dramatic shadows in the golden light and look almost alive. You can also head straight to the terraces without visiting the cathedral interior first.

Get a Separate Ticket Just for the Cathedral Terraces

Teatro alla Scala

What do you need to know? The Teatro alla Scala is one of the most celebrated opera houses in the world and a true Milan landmark. From the outside it’s a relatively understated building, but step inside and the opulent hall is jaw-dropping. For over 300 years, the world’s greatest opera singers and performers have taken the stage here.

Is it worth it? Absolutely — whether you’re going to a performance or just looking around. Through GetYourGuide you can book a guided tour of the venue and the theater museum.

Our tip: The theater museum houses a fascinating collection of theatrical objects, portraits, and instruments — including Verdi’s piano.

Get Tickets for the Guided Tour of the Teatro alla Scala

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

What do you need to know? This magnificent 19th-century shopping arcade is one of Milan’s most recognizable points of interest, sitting right next to the cathedral. Named after the then-king of Italy, it’s an absolute must for a stroll. The barrel-vaulted glass roof floods the interior with light, while the floors and walls are lavishly decorated with marble, mosaics, and stucco. Inside you’ll find exclusively luxury boutiques: Armani, Prada, Gucci — the full roll call of Italian design.

Is it worth it? Definitely worth a stroll — this is where you step into Milan’s world of fashion.

By the way: This is also home to one of Italy’s most famous cafés: Camparino. It’s an entirely Art Nouveau-styled bar that has been serving Campari on the Rocks for over 100 years. A true Milan institution — but be warned, it’s quite pricey: a jam croissant and coffee at a table runs around 25 euros per person.

Castello Sforzesco

What do you need to know? The Castello Sforzesco is Milan’s enormous castle, sitting right in the heart of the city. Over the centuries it served as a royal residence, defensive fortification, and military post. Today it’s open to the public and houses several museums, including the Museum of Ancient Art — where Michelangelo’s final sculpture stands.

Is it worth it? Yes. It’s only a ten-minute walk from the cathedral and belongs on every Milan must-see list.

Our tip: The castle is also great for a leisurely walk — there’s a freely accessible courtyard with sweeping lawns, and the Parco Sempione is right behind it.

Tickets: Admission to the Castello Sforzesco including the museums costs 5 euros. If a special temporary exhibition is on, admission is 10 euros. On the first and third Tuesday of every month, museum entry is free from 2 PM onward. You can also visit as part of a guided tour.

Guided Tour of the Castello Sforzesco

Bosco Verticale: The Vertical Forest

What do you need to know? In the center of Milan stand two of the world’s most innovative buildings: the Bosco Verticale, or vertical forest. These two towers — roughly 100 meters tall — have balconies home to around 900 trees and 20,000 plants. That’s the equivalent of a 7,000-square-meter forest growing right in the middle of the city. Architect Stefano Boeri solved two problems at once: the towers help counter Milan’s urban sprawl, while all those trees actively improve air quality in the city center.

Is it worth it? The towers are entirely private apartments, so you can’t go inside. But from the outside they’re absolutely worth seeing — there’s really nothing else like them.

L.O.V.E.

What do you need to know? If you’re into provocative street art, make your way to the Milan Stock Exchange. Right in front of the building stands a massive marble hand by artist Maurizio Cattelan — giving the middle finger, with the other fingers essentially cut off. The Milanese call it Il Dito, “the finger.” The title L.O.V.E. is an acronym for libertà (freedom), odio (hate), vendetta (revenge), and eternità (eternity).

Is it worth it? We think so. There are many interpretations — protest against high finance, a fight against fascism — and it’s genuinely fun to stand in front of a giant marble middle finger and think about what it all means.

Cimitero Monumentale

What do you need to know? Spread across more than 250,000 square meters, this cemetery is filled with sculptures, obelisks, altars, temples, and pyramids that you can explore along winding paths and promenades. You can immediately tell there was a real race among Milan’s wealthy elite of the 19th and 20th centuries to have the most lavish grave. Among those buried here: writer Alessandro Manzoni, Motta — the inventor of panettone — and the Campari family.

Is it worth it? We know it might seem unusual to include a cemetery among the best things to do in Milan — but the Cimitero Monumentale really is a remarkable open-air museum. Don’t skip it.

Our tip: Admission is free. You can also book a guided tour if you’d like the full story behind the monuments.

Guided Tour of the Cimitero Monumentale

Arco della Pace

What do you need to know? To the north of Parco Sempione stands the Arco della Pace, the Arch of Peace. Built in the 19th century to mark Napoleon’s entry into Milan, it’s a beautiful monument — and if you’re already in the park, it’s an easy add-on. Or simply combine both into a single afternoon walk.

Is it worth it? Yes — if you’re in Parco Sempione, the short detour is definitely worthwhile.

Our tip: Right in front of the arch there’s a large square lined with bars and restaurants with outdoor terraces — perfect for an aperitivo with a view of the monument.

Shopping & Special Experiences

The Fashion Quadrilateral: Quadrilatero della Moda

What do you need to know? As a global fashion capital, Milan has an entire district dedicated to high-end style. The Quadrilatero della Moda — the “fashion quadrilateral” — is formed by four intersecting streets: Via Monte Napoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga, and Corso Venezia. This is pure luxury territory: jewelers, fashion designers, and showrooms line up one after another.

Is it worth it? Even if fashion isn’t your thing, a stroll through here is worth it — the artfully lit entrances and elaborately decorated shop windows are genuinely impressive.

By the way: Via Monte Napoleone is one of the most expensive streets in the world, on a par with Fifth Avenue in New York or New Bond Street in London.

The Shopping Strip Porta Ticinese

What do you need to know? Beyond the chic designer boutiques of the fashion district, Milan also has a thriving alternative shopping scene. If you love browsing for one-of-a-kind finds or secondhand fashion, head to the Ticinese neighborhood — a characterful part of Milan’s historic center packed with hip restaurants and independent boutiques.

Is it worth it? Yes — if you’re hunting for unusual souvenirs from Milan, this is your spot.

Our tip: The main artery is Corso Ticinese, where tattoo studios sit next to vintage jewelers, record stores, collector’s shops, independent fashion labels, and secondhand clothing stores.

Fiera di Sinigaglia

What do you need to know? Every Saturday, the special Fiera di Sinigaglia market takes place along the Naviglio Grande canal. It feels a lot like the Portobello Market in London or the Mauerpark market in Berlin. Around 400 stalls offer secondhand clothing and jewelry, books, vinyl records, antiques, and art objects — plus several food trucks serving up classic Italian street food.

Is it worth it? Yes — this is the kind of lively, chaotic market atmosphere you find in every great Italian city, and it’s a real highlight.

Historic Tram Line 1

What do you need to know? Milan’s tram line 1 has been running since 1929, and the moment you step on board, you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. The interior is still styled like the 1920s — dark wooden benches, glass light fittings, and old-fashioned swing doors. It’s a genuinely charming way to get around.

Is it worth it? We think so. This line passes many of Milan’s best attractions — the cathedral, the Teatro alla Scala, the fashion district, and the Arco della Pace are all on the route.

Our tip: There are 39 stops in total, but you don’t need to ride them all. Board at Piazza Cavour and get off at Piazza Sempione (or the other way around) — that stretch covers the most important highlights.

Tickets: Pick up tickets at any metro station or at bars and tobacco shops. A standard ticket costs 2.20 euros and is valid for 90 minutes.

Practical Tips for Your City Trip to Milan

Here are a few more useful pointers for your stay in Milan. For more detailed information on public transportation or the best time to visit, check out our Milan travel guide:

Our Travel Tips for Milan

Book Milan Tickets Online in Advance

Some Milan attractions are especially popular, and tickets sell out fast. It’s worth booking ahead for these in particular:

The Milan Card: The 48-Hour Pass for Milan

If you’re planning to visit a lot of Milan’s paid attractions, the Milan Card is worth a look. It’s valid for 48 hours from the time you pick it up on-site and gives you free admission to most of Milan’s highlights, plus unlimited use of public transportation.

For the pass to pay off, you’ll need a fairly packed schedule — it’s only valid for 48 hours, after all. That said, if you’re spending more than two days in Milan and dedicate two full days to museums and exhibitions (saving shopping and leisurely exploring for a third day, for example), it can absolutely be worth it.

If you’re only in Milan for a weekend, though, the math probably doesn’t add up.

Get the Milan City Pass

The Best Milan Travel Guides

If you’d like to flip through a good travel guide over your morning cappuccino in Milan, here are a few we’d recommend.

Marco Polo Travel Guide Milan
Covers Milan’s most interesting neighborhoods, the best places to shop, and comes with a practical tour app with online and offline maps. There are also handy tips for visiting with kids and things to do in rainy weather, plus a cheat sheet with useful Italian vocabulary.

111 Places in Milan That You Shouldn’t Miss
If you want to go beyond the classic highlights, this is the one to pick up. It’s packed with insider tips about Milan that even many locals don’t know — great for reading in the evening at your hotel or before your trip.

Marco Polo Travel Guide Northern Italy
Visiting Milan as part of a bigger trip through northern Italy? Then this guide is worth a look. The Milan coverage won’t be as detailed as a dedicated Milan guide, but you’ll also get solid tips for the Italian Lakes, highlights in Venice, and other top spots across northern Italy.

Our Milan Hotel Recommendations

Especially if you’re not staying long — say, just for a weekend — try to book as centrally as possible. That way you can reach most highlights on foot or after just one or two metro stops, without wasting time on commuting.

These hotels are very centrally located and well connected:

For more accommodation options in Milan, check out our dedicated hotel guide: