Milan 7-day itinerary

Start at the Duomo di Milano — the Gothic masterpiece took 600 years to build. The rooftop terraces (€14 lift) let you walk among 135 spires and 3,400 statues with panoramic views to the Alps. Inside, the scale is staggering — five naves, 52 pillars, and extraordinary stained glass. Walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II next door and spin on the bull mosaic.

Pre-book Leonardo's Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie (€15). Only 30 people every 15 minutes in a climate-controlled room. The painting is larger and more moving than photos suggest. Lunch at Luini near the Duomo — their fried panzerotti (€3) have been a Milan institution since 1888. The queue is always long but moves quickly.

Navigli canal district is where Milan unwinds. Aperitivo (6–9pm) at bars along Naviglio Grande — cocktails €8–12 with a buffet spread. Start at Mag Café for craft cocktails, then walk the canal to Rita or Luca & Andrea. The old artisan workshops and coloured buildings reflected in the canal at twilight are the most atmospheric scene in the city.

Pinacoteca di Brera (€15) is Milan's finest gallery — Mantegna's Dead Christ, Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Caravaggio, Bellini. The Brera neighbourhood itself is cobblestoned charm — independent galleries, the Orto Botanico (free), and Jamaica Bar where artists have met since 1911. Walk Via Fiori Chiari for antique shops.

The fashion district — Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni, Corso Venezia — is worth walking for the window displays alone. The architecture and interior design of these stores is art. Lunch at Paper Moon in Montenapoleone for excellent thin-crust pizza (€12–16) or find a panino shop on a side street for €5–7.

Walk through Porta Nuova — Milan's modern skyline centred on Piazza Gae Aulenti. The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) towers are covered in 900 trees and are stunning at sunset. Cross into Isola — a creative neighbourhood with street art, craft beer bars, and Via Paolo Sarpi (Milan's Chinatown) for affordable Chinese, dumplings, and Sichuan food (mains €8–14).

The Sforza Castle (courtyard free, museums €5) houses Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà — his final, unfinished masterpiece — along with Egyptian artefacts, Renaissance armour, and medieval instruments. Walk through Parco Sempione to the Arco della Pace. The park has a good cafe for a morning coffee stop with views back to the castle.

Walk to the Colonne di San Lorenzo — 16 Roman columns from the 3rd century where Milan's students and young professionals gather every evening. The Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore behind is a hidden gem. Continue through the Porta Ticinese neighbourhood to the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio (€6 for the stunning Portinari Chapel). Lunch at a Ticinese trattoria.

The Tortona district is Milan's design and creative hub — converted industrial buildings now house ateliers, coworking spaces, and galleries. Base Milano is a cultural centre in a former train depot. MUDEC museum (€14) has global culture exhibitions. Dinner at one of the Tortona trattorias, then drinks at Spirit de Milan — a live music venue in a converted factory with jazz and swing.

Trenord regional train from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni (1 hour, €5). Walk down to the lakefront — the promenade with the Alps rising from the water is immediately breathtaking. Take the Brunate funicular (€6 return) for panoramic views from 700 metres above the lake. The ride up through steep woods is half the fun.

Ferry from Como to Bellagio (€12 slow ferry, €18 fast, 2 hours or 45 min). Bellagio — the "Pearl of the Lake" — has steep lanes, pastel houses, lakeside terraces, and Villa Melzi gardens (€6.50). Lunch at a lakeside trattoria — fresh lake fish with polenta (€12–16). The scenery of mountains plunging into blue water from the ferry is extraordinary.

Ferry back to Como and train to Milan. Use the evening to explore a neighbourhood you have not yet visited — try the aperitivo scene around Corso Como (10 Corso Como rooftop is iconic) or the authentic trattorias of the Porta Romana neighbourhood. Osteria del Treno near Centrale station serves classic Milanese risotto alla Milanese (€14).

Fondazione Prada (€15) is a converted 1910 gin distillery redesigned by Rem Koolhaas. The gold-clad Haunted House, the permanent collection, and rotating exhibitions are world-class. Bar Luce — designed by Wes Anderson with pastel Formica and Italian cinema nostalgia — is the most Instagrammed cafe in Milan. Allow 2–3 hours for the full complex.

The Museo Nazionale della Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (€10) is Italy's largest science museum — housed in a 16th-century monastery. The Leonardo da Vinci gallery has wooden models of his inventions, there is a real submarine to board, and interactive science exhibits. The cloisters themselves are beautiful. Lunch at the museum cafe or nearby on Via Olona.

For football fans, the San Siro stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza) seats 80,000 and hosts AC Milan and Inter. Match tickets from €20 on club websites. For culture, La Scala opera house offers last-minute tickets from €15 for upper gallery seats. The museum (€12) has original costumes and Verdi memorabilia. Either is an unforgettable Milanese evening.

Explore Porta Romana — an authentic residential neighbourhood with the Mercato Comunale (covered food market) on Piazza XXIV Maggio. Local vendors sell fresh pasta, cheeses, cured meats, and seasonal produce. Breakfast at Pavé (Via Felice Casati) — Milan's best pastry shop with brioche and granita that rival Sicily. The neighbourhood has zero tourist infrastructure.

The Cimitero Monumentale (free) is an extraordinary open-air sculpture museum — elaborate tombs and mausoleums from Milan's wealthiest families spanning 1866 to today. Art Nouveau, Gothic, Egyptian, and modern designs. Then walk to Via Paolo Sarpi (Chinatown) — hand-pulled noodles at Ravioleria Sarpi (€8), Sichuan dishes at Shuguolala, and excellent bubble tea.

Return to Navigli for a proper sit-down dinner — El Brellin (traditional Milanese in a historic laundry house, mains €14–18), Osteria con Vista, or Al Pont de Ferr for creative Lombard cuisine. Walk the Naviglio Grande one last time at night — the canal reflections, wine bars, and artist studios create an atmosphere unique to Milan. End at Mag Café.

Visit the Highline Galleria (€12) — a glass walkway above the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II roof with close-up views of the iron-and-glass architecture and the Duomo spires. Take one more look at the Duomo interior if you rushed the first time. Walk through the Piazza dei Mercanti — Milan's medieval heart, hidden behind modern commerce.

For affordable shopping, head to Corso Buenos Aires — Europe's longest shopping street with over 350 stores. For food souvenirs, Eataly (Piazza XXV Aprile) has curated Italian products — olive oil, pasta, pesto. Peck (Via Spadari) is Milan's legendary gourmet food hall since 1883. A final risotto alla Milanese with ossobuco at Trattoria Masuelli (since 1921, mains €16–20).

One final Milanese aperitivo — Terrazza Aperol on Piazza Duomo for an Aperol Spritz (€12) with the Duomo facade right in front of you, or Ceresio 7 rooftop pool bar for the fashion crowd and skyline views. Milan's goodbye is always sophisticated. The Malpensa Express to the airport runs every 30 minutes from Cadorna (€13, 52 minutes).