Before our travel to Milan, we did a detailed search about the places we will see. Most of the information we get online. We also like to use travel guide books.
For Milan, there are a lot of websites with suggestions. When we made a sum of them we found out they end up mentioning all the same attractions.
More information on how we planned our trip to Milan and Lake Como you can read in the previous blog Milan and Lake Como in 3 days.
We made the list of the attractions we found before the travel.
Next to it is a note of what type of attraction it is and do you need a ticket for the entrance or not (and if there is a reduced price for people +65). For the attractions that have their website, we put the link to it so you can get more information.
lIST OF ATTRACTIONS IN MILAN
| Attractions in Milan | Type | Need ticket | Reduced for +65 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duomo di Milano | church | yes | no |
| Piazza Duomo | square | no | / |
| Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II | shops | no | / |
| Teatro alla Scala | theatre | yes | yes |
| Castello Sforzesco | castle | no | / |
| Parco Sempione | parc | no | / |
| Santa Maria delle Grazie (Last supper) | church | yes | no |
| Pinacoteca di Brera | museum | yes | yes |
| Palazzo Reale | museum | yes | yes |
| Piazza Mercanti | square | no | / |
| San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore | church | no | / |
| Santa Maria Presso di San Satiro | church | no | / |
| San Lorenzo Maggiore | church | no | / |
| Sant’Ambrogio | church | no | / |
| Pinacoteca Ambrosiana | museum | yes | yes |
| Biblioteca Ambrosiana | museum | yes | yes |
| Museo Poldi-Pezzoli | museum | yes | yes |
| Museo della Scienza e Tecnica | museum | yes | yes |
| Via Manzoni | shops | no | / |
| Via della Spiga | shops | no | / |
| Porta Ticinese | gate | no | / |
| Navigli | riverside | no | / |
| Piazza Gae Aulenti | square | no | / |
| San Siro Stadium | stadium | yes | yes |
choice of attractions
Among so many, we had to pick our choice. That was not so difficult because many of them are close to each other and within walking distance.
The old city center is a circular shape and there you find most of the mentioned places. That is how you can walk around from one place to another in one or two days.
Fortunately many places worth seeing in Milan are free.
There are two churches where you need to reserve tickets in advance. It is because there is a limit of people who can be inside at the same time. Those two are Santa Maria delle Grazie with the famous Leonardo da Vinci’s Last supper and La Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore. Good thing is that you can reserve it online and pick the time for the entrance.
TOP 10 THINGS TO SEE IN MILAN
1. Duomo di Milano. Milan’s most popular square is Piazza Duomo. It is the heart of the city as it is home to the famous city cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Gothic white marble cathedral -The Duomo is the square’s focus and the city’s main Catholic place of worship. It is one of the largest and more famous cathedrals in the world.
2. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Milan’s famous shopping mall. The arcade that connects the square with Piazza Della Scala. Through the arcades, there are lines of shops. The stores have large glass windows and house exclusive brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada etc.
3. Sforza Castle is a historic fortress. It houses several of Milan’s best museums including the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco. The original fortress on this site was constructed in the 14th century and at that point, it had four long walls with square towers at the corners. Later they expanded the fortress and converted it into a palace house.
Parco Sempione is an English landscape park very close to the Castle. It is worth visiting and having a rest from walking.
4. Pinacoteca di Brera contains one of the leading art collections created by Italian artists from the 14th to 20th centuries. Including masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Andrea Mantegna, Canaletto and Giovanni Bellini. The collection grew into one of Italy’s most important galleries.
5. San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore was the church of a Benedictine convent. Today the convent is an archaeological museum and the church is used by locals. The church interior is one of the most beautiful in the city with frescoes covering every surface and bursting with colour.
6. Piazza Mercanti is a public square not far from the Duomo. At one time was the centre of Milan’s commercial and governmental life. During the Middle Ages, the square was surrounded by important civil buildings like the city hall, law courts and a prison. This was where a crier would announce weddings and where the city market was held.
7. Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio is the church founded in the 4th century A.C. by the former bishop Ambrogio and Milan’s patron saint. Later they expanded the church and constructed a Benedictine convent adjoining the church. Donate Bramante began construction of the cloisters and portico.
8. Santa Maria Delle Grazie (Last supper). In the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie is the famous The Last Supper. A mural painting masterpiece by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.
9. Teatro Alla Scala is one of the world’s most famous opera houses and the leading theatres globally. Its interior is fascinating. The Theatre Museum contains a large collection of objects related to the world of opera and theatre.
10. Piazza Gae Aulenti – is the centre of Milan’s most modern neighbourhood. The square is dedicated to the famous female architect Gae Aulenti. Another of the highlights is The Vertical Forest, a pair of towers covered by 2.000 species of plants.
What else to do in Milan
Shopping in Milan
Last but not least, do not miss strolling through the famous shopping streets of Milan like Via Manzoni, Via Della Spiga, Via Montenapoleone, Via Torino, and so many more.
Milan city centre is easy to explore walking. But the second best choice is a tram. Many tram lines are going around the city. In the centre, one can see very old ones as well. So it is a very comfortable way to have a sightseeing tour.
Gucci shop
Food tasting
Along with sightseeing all those attractions, make time to sit in charming cafes or traditional restaurants. Enjoy the best coffee in the world and delicious pasta, pizzas, cakes and ice cream.
Very helpful in making an itinerary is a site Visit a city and Wanderlog. There you pick and add attractions and it calculates how far they are from each other and show you the way on the map. And many more features. And it is completely free. Here are some maps from the site Visit a city as an example of planning the sightseeing.
Maps of our Planned two days tour of Milan
On our page Tables, lists you can find all our planning tables templates to print or download. Like this table of Milan itinerary. Use an empty one to make your own travel itinerary for any destination.
