Things to do in Milan: seven places worth your time
Seven places that earn their queue, in the order a first-time visitor should meet them. Prices and opening hours are listed with each one.
1Duomo di Milano
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The cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, and the roof is the better half of the visit. You walk among spires and statues close enough to touch, with the Galleria roof below and the skyline beyond.
Time
1 h 30 min to 2 h 30 min
Setting
Both
Best time
Right at opening, or just before closing
Getting there
Metro M1 or M3, Duomo
Tip: Large bags are not allowed inside, so leave the backpack at the hotel. The stairs to the roof are closed on Wednesday, which leaves only the lift that day.
Cathedral €8. Roof by stairs €14, by lift €16. Cathedral, museum and roof together €20 by stairs or €25 by lift. Open daily 9 am to 7 pm.
Leonardo’s wall painting hangs in the refectory beside the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Fifteen minutes in front of it is all you get, and it is enough.
Time
15 min
Setting
Indoor
Best time
First slot of the day
Getting there
M1 Conciliazione or M2 Cadorna, then walk
Tip: Entry is by reservation only, and no more than 40 people go in together. Book on the museum’s own site as soon as your dates are fixed, because the slots go first.
Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15 am to 7 pm, last entry 6.45 pm. Closed Monday.
A brick fortress that became a ducal palace and now holds the city’s museums. The courtyards cost nothing and the park behind them is where Milanese take their lunch breaks.
Time
1 h 30 min to 3 h
Setting
Both
Best time
Morning, before the school groups
Getting there
M1 Cairoli, M1 or M2 Cadorna, M2 Lanza
Tip: Pay for the museums only if you care about Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini, which is the reason to go in. If you do not, the free courtyards are a fine visit on their own.
Museums €10 full, €5 reduced, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5.30 pm. Grounds free, daily 7 am to 7.30 pm.
One of the best-known opera houses anywhere. The plain neoclassical front hides a red and gold auditorium that is worth far more than the facade.
Time
10 to 20 min
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Evening, with a ticket to a performance
Getting there
Piazza della Scala, a short walk from M1 or M3 Duomo
Tip: Give the outside ten minutes, then decide whether a performance fits your trip. The season opens every year on 7 December, the feast of Saint Ambrose, and that night is the hardest evening in the city to get into.
Photo: Travel with Lenses / Pexels, Pexels License
The old canal district and the former river port of the Darsena. By day it is an easy walk along the water, after sunset it turns into the part of town where Milanese go out.
Time
2 to 3 h
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
From about 19:00, when the aperitivo hour starts
Getting there
M2 Porta Genova for the western side
Tip: Walk the canal first and sit down on a side street, not on the water itself, where menus are shorter and prices lower. On Saturdays the flea market of Fiera di Senigallia sets up near Porta Genova.
An outdoor museum of sculpture, where families of Milan’s industrialists tried to outdo one another in marble. It sounds grim and is the most surprising hour of a stay.
Time
1 to 2 h
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Morning, on a day of soft light
Getting there
M2 Garibaldi or M5 Monumentale
Tip: Entry stops 30 minutes before closing, and Monday is shut. Wear quiet shoes and keep voices low, because it is still a working cemetery.
