24 unmissable things to do in Milan

Let us be clear: Milan’s Duomo is not just another church. It is the city’s most important landmark located smack-dab in the centre of it all. Building on this magnificent Gothic cathedral began in the late 14th century and lasted hundreds of years (even today, it isn’t unusual to see scaffolding on the façade or the back of the church as restoration is often underway). While there is plenty to see inside the cathedral, visiting the top – via stairs or an elevator – is an absolute must to see Milan’s ever-changing skyline. Make sure to book in advance. 

🤫 Insider tip: The Duomo area and the cathedral itself gets very busy during the day. Plan to get there early – and we mean early – to enjoy it without the crowds. Also, this is a high-risk pickpocket spot, so keep an eye on your belongings. 

Constructed over hundreds of years with input from da Vinci himself, Milan’s system of navigable and interconnected canals granted the landlocked city more access to the outside world. Today, the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese are some of the only canals still visible, and around them have sprung up a torrent of bars, restaurants and cafés that thrum with activity on weekend nights. 

🤫 Insider tip: Milan is famous for its cortili – the courtyards that hide behind many of its charming buildings. In Navigli, two are very much worth a visit: the Cortile degli Artisti, located on Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4, where local artists hang their paintings and works for everyone to see; and the cortile of the Centro dell’Incisione at Alzaia Naviglio Grande 66, an engraving workshop and exhibition space. 

Perhaps one of the most famous paintings in the world, da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ has been reproduced to death, but no tote bag or mouse pad or even large-scale reproduction can adequately capture the artist’s emotionally charged mural. Visit this incredible piece of history – even though Jesus's feet were lost in 1652 given some ill-thought-out renovations.

🤫 Insider tip: Tickets for ‘The Last Supper’ sell out fast and often well in advance, so book them as soon as you’ve got your flight and hotels for Milan down. 

Since its founding by Archduchess Maria Theresa in the late 18th century, the Teatro alla Scala has remained one of the finest opera theatres in Europe. We'd highly recommend a night out at this grand auditorium, it's truly an experience like no other. But if you’re not feeling like sitting through an entire night of opera, you can visit the museum instead. You’ll at least lay eyes on the glorious red and gold interior.

Dating back to the 15th century, Milan’s Castello Sforzesco was once one of the largest citadels in Europe. Today, it houses various museums and numerous important artworks and relics, but it is also pleasant to wander through its courtyards and drink in the sense of history. Walk out the back gate and straight into Parco Sempione, Milan’s ‘green lung’ and one of the most beautiful parks in the city.

Stacked with masterpieces of Renaissance artists, including the most extraordinary collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s folios, Milan’s Biblioteca Ambrosiana is well worth a visit. And while Da Vinci is great and all, there’s one strange treasure here that outshines them all: a glass-cased reliquary containing a red-golden hair lock and two pendants. Both belonged to Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate daughter of the lascivious Pope Alexander VI. She was infamous for supposedly poisoning her lovers and for committing incest with both her brother and father. The lock bewitched men for centuries – the Romantic poets were known to pilgrim to Milan to worship the relic – and the fascination remains today. It’s said the library is haunted by Lucrezia’s crying ghost, who at night returns to brush her lost lock of hair.  

Tired of the crowd? Then go underground for a chilling archeological tour. The dark chambers of the crypt, right beneath the San Sepolcro church, rise on the ruins of the Ancient Roman forum. Yep – even Milan has a Roman soul. The forum was the main square of the Roman city of Mediolanum (Milan’s name during the empire), where civil and religious rituals took place. Walk on millennia-old white cobblestones and admire the frescoes and the vaulted starry sky, painted by persecuted early Christians who later took refuge in the crypt. For an even creepier sepulchral atmosphere, head into the crypt on a new night tour, led by a lantern-toting art restorer.  

Milan isn't just Italy’s fashion capital – it’s its design epicentre, too (one of the world’s largest design fairs, Salone del Mobile, takes place here every April). To learn all about that, make sure to spend an afternoon at the Triennale, a museum dedicated to the history and evolution of Italian design. The stately building, named after the international exposition that’s been held every three years in Milan since 1933, hosts a permanent exhibition of some of the boot-shaped country’s most iconic furnishings and design objects, as well as an extensive design archive and temporary showcases that span art, films and visual arts. Don’t miss the sculpture garden at the back of the Triennale, which you can also admire from the design-forward cafe. And if you’re feeling fancy, book a table at the top-floor Terrazza Triennale, a glass-enclosed restaurant overlooking Milan’s skyline and Parco Sempione, where the Triennale is located. 

If you are into architecture – and even if you aren’t – Villa Necchi Campiglio should definitely be on your radar. A two-story private home designed in the mid-1930s by Piero Portaluppi (Milan’s most famous mid-twentieth-century architect), the residence was once the house of sisters Gigina and Nedda Necchi and Gigina’s husband, Angelo Campiglio, who made a name for producing cast iron and enameled sewing machines from the 1920s to the ’60s – and hosting glam parties in their Milan abode. Now open to the public, the villa blends rationalist elements with grand art deco style, offering a stunning example of modernist architecture (a nice contrast from the city’s super ornate palazzi).

🤫 Insider tip: Check out the heated swimming pool (Milan’s first at the time), lush gardens and tennis court, then peek into the living quarters of the Necchi Campiglio family, with their stucco ceilings, heavy sliding doors and fanciful artworks. It doesn’t get more ‘old money’ Milan than this. 

The aperitivo is considered an institution in Milan, and no visit to the city would be complete without partaking in this pre-dinner ritual. Near Porta Ticinese, Fonderie Milanesi is the ideal venue to get stuck into the Italian tradition of sitting outdoors and snacking on light bites alongside your cocktail. The trend began in the late 19th century when Gaspare Campari, intent on serving a drink that stimulated rather than spoiled the appetite, started serving his eponymous bitter aperitif. Nibbles were added to the offerings and now it’s common to find bars serving up elaborate buffet spreads. Typically enjoyed between 7pm and 9pm, prepare for the best spots to be completely packed – but that community spirit is the aperitivo ethos.