Home » Destinations » Europe » Italy » Milan » Milan Itinerary: 2 Days
- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
ABOUT THIS ITINERARY
While you could easily spend a week here getting to know modern Italy, this 2-day Milan Itinerary will help you see most of the major sights in a couple of days. This itinerary is good for first-time visitors, or those who have only come for business in the past. It also works well for those many tourists who have passed through Milan, but have never really gotten to know the city.
ABOUT MILAN
Milan is Italy’s modern gem, and one of the most underrated cities in the country. While it doesn’t have the ancient structures of Rome, or the Renaissance charm of Florence, only Milan boasts all the comforts of Italy (charming people, delicious food, artistic masterpieces, etc) in a truly modern European city. This is Italy’s capital of fashion, banking, and industry. In our experience, people here are still as friendly as they are in southern Italy, but they also have places to be and money to make. You will also find that things tend to be more convenient here than the rest of Italy, e.g., extended opening hours for restaurants and shops, lots of food delivery options, etc.
Table Of Contents - Milan Itinerary
STAR RATING KEY:
★★★ Top priority
★★ Highly recommended
★ Worthwhile
No Star – Skippable if not interested
Day 1: Milan Itinerary For 2 Days
Duomo
The Duomo is the single most important sight on this 2-day Milan itinerary. It is an absolute must-see, including the rooftop. This huge cathedral is the third biggest in all of Europe, and it takes a while to see it all. You can take either the stairs or elevator to get to the roof, but be aware that even those taking the elevator will have to climb a lot of stairs. We recommend taking the lift if you don’t mind the extra cost.
Cost and Hours: €15 per person (€20 with elevator). Open 9:00am-7:00pm daily.
Address: P.za del Duomo, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Website: www.ticket.duomomilano.it/en/
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the galleria after which all other gallerias are modeled. This covered shopping area has fun bars, stores, and cafes. Even if you’re not in the mood to shop, you must go check it out for its architectural significance. You will inevitably see people spinning around in the center of the galleria. This is because legend has it that spinning around twice (clockwise) on the mosaic bull’s testicles will bring you good luck. Try it!
Cost and Hours: Free to explore. Open 24 hours a day, shops and restaurants will have their own hours.
Aperitivo
The Aperitivo is a sacred tradition in Milan. At around 6pm, everyone comes outside to get a pre-dinner drink (aperitivo in Italy, apéritif in France). This is actually pretty common in all of southern Europe. The difference in Milan is that most places serve a free snack with your aperitivo. You can even make a light dinner from your aperitivo snacks if you drink enough. We recommend trying at least 1-2 places each night in Milan if you can. Have one drink at each place, then head to dinner.
One place that never disappoints is Princi. This bakery is popular all day: in the morning for bread, at lunch for food, and in the evening for aperitivo. They don’t advertise aperitivo – just go up to the register, order your drink (we recommend a Campari spritz or Aperol spritz), and pay. After that, the cashier will walk over to the focaccia, ask what kind you want, and warm up a huge slice for you in the oven. The flavors are excellent and there is a great variety, but they do sell out, so go early.
Anywhere you go, don’t be embarrassed to ask if a drink comes with a snack before ordering.
Naviglio Grande
The Naviglio Grande canal district was once a working class area and considered a rough neighborhood. Now, it has been gentrified and is one of the hottest spots in town for an aperitivo or dinner. This is where the locals get drinks after work. The main area is along the Naviglio Grande canal around Via Casale.
Address: Viale Gorizia, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Website: www.navigliogrande.mi.it/
Day 2: Milan Itinerary For 2 Days
Pinoteca Ambrosiana
This venerable art museum is Milan’s oldest. It holds several masterpieces, including an enormous sketch by Raphael, which has an excellent video description accompanying it.
Cost and Hours: €15 per person. Open Monday-Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm, closed Wednesdays.
Address: Piazza Pio XI, 2, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Website: www.ambrosiana.it/en/
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper
This is Leonardo da Vinci’s finest fresco, and one of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance. It is a must-see if you can arrange the mandatory timed-entry reservation. Once inside, you will have 15 minutes of time to enjoy the painting.
Reservations: Unfortunately, reservations are hard to come by. They are released about 3 months in advance, but can sell out instantly, so you need to be ready to check the day of release (check website for this day).
If you don’t manage to get a reservation, don’t worry. There is a workaround. GetYourGuide provides guided tours of the fresco daily. They are much more expensive than the reservations, and the guides are nothing to write home about, but getting your tickets from a third party company like this is the only other way in. Tour companies come and go all the time in this area, so if the link to the recommended tour below does not work, or if it’s sold out on the day you want to go, just search GetYourGuide for Last Supper tours and you’ll see at least 20 options. It’s safe to just go with the one with the best reviews.
Cost and Hours: €15 per person for reservation, third party guided tour price varies with demand. Open Sunday 2:00pm-7:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday 8:15am-7:00pm, closed Mondays.
Address: Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie, 2, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Website for reservations: www.cenacolovinciano.org/en/
Website for guided tours: Milan Last Supper tours.
Porta Nuova
The Porta Nuova is one of the coolest places in Milan. This planned neighborhood, with its wildflower meadows, playground, futuristic fountain, cafes, and glassy skyscrapers (some of which have trees growing out of them in an effort to improve sustainability), provides an excellent glimpse into the Milan of today. This is a true urban living community, and it is constantly bustling with life. Not many tourists make it this far, so you’ll get a good look at how the local hipsters live.
Start in Piazza Gae Aulenti and wander from here to the vertical forest (the two bushy buildings – just admire them from the outside). Walk from here through the Library of Trees park. Make sure you see it all! Where else can you snap a photo of such beautiful wildflowers with a skyscraper background? This is one of the most climate-conscious, innovative urban parks we have ever enjoyed. When you’re done, wander where your heart takes you. There are plenty of places for aperitivo around here if it’s that time. We cannot recommend seeing this area enough.
Practical Info
Getting Around Milan
You don’t need a car in Milan. Many of the tourist sights are walking distance from the Piazza del Duomo. If you need to venture further, the metro is excellent.
Day Trips From Milan
Lake Como
A visit to Lake Como is the single best day trip you can do from Milan. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is the place of dreams. No where else can you witness such awe-inspiring natural beauty, while simultaneously enjoying all the comforts of Italy (charming people, delicious food, etc). Follow our 1 Day Lake Como Itinerary for your day-trip from Milan.
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