Must-see tourist attractions in Milan for 2025

The Duomo is one of Milan's most famous landmarks and tells a story of faith and art spanning over six centuries. The 14th-century cathedral is home to airy marble interiors and exquisite stained-glass windows and is 600 years in the making, reflecting the city's creativity and ambition. If you want to skip the long lines at the ticket office, buy your tickets online beforehand.

Time Out tip: Want a good photo op? A real focal point of the cathedral is its numerous spires, so it's well worth going up to the terrace.

A right of passage in Milan, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper draws nearly 500,000 visitors to Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie per year. And Santa Maria is well worth a visit alone, too – a UNESCO-listed Renaissance church and a beauty in her own right. Despite much of the original fading, nothing compares to seeing it in person, with its emotional depth, detail and innovative technique. Visits are limited to 15 minutes and require advance booking, but you can get queue-jump tickets via GetYourGuide too. 

Famous with football fans the world over (just ask Chelsea fans of a certain age about Denis Wise and, I warn you, they might start singing…), the San Siro stadium is truly a masterpiece of sporting architecture. It’s the largest stadium in Italy and – interestingly – is the joint home of Inter and AC Milan, the city’s rival teams. This tour takes you behind the scenes, into the museum, into the locker rooms and even down to the pitch. If you don’t consider yourself a diehard sports fan at the moment, a visit to this place might just tip the balance.

Built by Francesco Sforza in the 15th century, this castle was originally a family residence, and quite an imposing one at that. It was in the late 19th and early 20th century that its signature Filarete Tower was added to the façade by Luca Beltrami as part of a partial reconstruction. The halls that once held Napoleon’s troops now constitute the city’s largest exhibition complex. The Museo d’Arte Antica (Ancient Art Museum) is particularly popular, mostly because it occupies the Sala delle Asse, which was decorated by da Vinci. At the back of the castle is Parco Sempione, the largest green space in the city center and where all segments of Milanese society come together for a bit of fresh air.

Time Out tip: To get away from the crowds in the castle, head towards the middle of the park, where you’ll find the X Triennial Pavilion (1954), which has been converted into a public library. It’s the perfect spot to unwind with a book.

Of course, one of Milan’s biggest draws is its proximity to other major destinations. And the Milan to Lake Como day trip is probably the best of them all – you might even want to make a weekend out of it. There are plenty of experiences to book that’ll take you through Como, Lugano and Bellagio from Milan, or you can go all out and get a train through Como, St Moritz and Bernina. Whichever you choose, a day trip is well worth it – trust us, once you return to Milan in time for dinner, you’ll appreciate this marvellous city even more. 

Time Out tip: Head to Rive Enoteca for a picturesque little lunch, serving up modern takes on traditional regional dishes. 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II epitomises the Italian flair for retail commerce. This glass-vaulted shopping arcade, built between 1865 and 1877 to link the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza della Scala, is chockfull of luxury designer shops and white-tablecloth establishments. Can’t afford to splash the cash in Gucci or Tod’s? The arcade is worth visiting from an architectural standpoint, and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of window shopping either.

Time Out: This is a bit of a pickpocketing hotspot (as you might imagine), so keep your belongings safely zipped.  

This mid-19th-century cemetery is more akin to an open-air art museum than a ghoulish graveyard. It’s the final resting place of some of Milan’s most famous personalities, including politicians, the inventor of Campari, and a father and son – Antonio and Alberto Ascari – who were both race car drivers who, in separate incidences, met their fate dramatically and entirely too young.

Time Out tip: If you want to avoid the scorching heat, we’d recommend visiting during June and December when the weather is typically cooler.

You may well have come to Milan to eat, but why not also leafrn to cook? There are plenty of Milanese cooking classes to choose from, but all of them will teach you the secrets of an authentic Milanese kitchen, from pasta to gelato and tiramisu. Learn to prepare fresh pasta dough from scratch (a seriously impressive line to add to any CV), try your hand at Milanese pizza, and at the end of it all, you’ll usually get to sample your own wares with a glass of wine in hand. We’re sold.

Time Out tip: Don’t worry if you’re gluten free: lots of the pasta-making classes offer risottos as a GF alternative. 

Opened in 1933 as the headquarters of the Triennale di Arte Decorativa (Italy’s decorative arts, industrial design and architecture triennial), this classical monumental-style building now houses a design museum. The rich permanent collection showcases the history of Italian design – expect to see a Fiat 500 rubbing shoulders with iconic pieces from the Memphis Group – while its regularly updated exhibitions showcase the best Italian and international design.

Proudly giving life the finger in Milan’s financial district is this bold artwork, created by Italian satirical sculptor Maurizio Cattelan in 2010. Some say it’s a push back at the bankers responsible for the economic crisis of 2008, which hit the country hard, while others see it carrying a weighty political message. Whatever its meaning, there’s no denying it’s a sight to behold.

Time Out tip: This 36-foot sculpture is another great free attraction, especially for the gram.