On my 7th visit to Italy and 4th in Milan, I thought it was the right time to tell you the 5 best things to do in Milan. Milan is one of the coolest cities in Italy and have a lot of cool places to see.

1. Milan Cathedral (“Duomo di Milano” in Italian)

What to do in Milan? There is no way a visit to Milan could be complete without visiting the “Duomo”.
The central cathedral of Milan is the seat of the Archbishop and dedicated to St. Mary of the Nativity. I go here everytime I’m in Milano. It’s the largest church in Italy (considering St. Peter’s church is located within the Vatican State) and probably the prettiest as well. In the Summer time you’ll see plenty of pigeons flying around in front of it and can even hold them if you dare. Pro tip: Calculate quite some waiting time to get inside of the Duomo, as there are tight security checks.

2. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

You probably can’t say Milano without mentioning fashion in the same sentence. There’s no better place to start your shopping tour through Milan than the beyond impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which will fascinate you for sure! Btw its location is right next to Milan Cathedral, so you won’t have to walk too many seconds to get there.

3. Last Supper / Santa Maria della Grazie

If you know Leonardo da Vinci, you probably know that the city of Milan has dedicated him a huge museum: the Museo nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci (Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci). It’s one of Milan best tourist attraction and has the huge “Last Supper” picture. Pro tip: In order to avoid waiting at the entrance of the museum, you should book your tickets online. It’s what I always do when I travel, and it saved me countless hours of waiting in line in Milan!

4. La Scala de Milan

Leaving from the Piazza del Duomo, following along the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, you will arrive directly on Piazza della Scala. As the name suggests, it’s where La Scala, the famous Milan Opera house is located.

Along with the San Carlo Theater in Naples and the Fenice in Venice, it’s one of Italy’s 3 most prestigious operas. I had the opportunity to see the interior, and it’s world famous for being sumptuous. So you should really go if you can!

5. Navigli canals

Another place you shouldn’t miss in Milan is the Navigli district, crossed by canals. It’s the most picturesque of Milan!

You can go to the Navigli district, walk quietly along the canals and enjoy a drink or a meal on one of the restaurant terraces. You’ll have such a good time!

The best is to go there at the end of the day, with the light of the setting sun. It’s a very romantic neighborhood, so if you have a girlfriend you should take her there for sure 😉 It’s especially nice in the evening with the lights reflecting in the canals and the local life starting in the numerous bars and restaurants.

Other places

This is a short list of some of my favourite places in Milano, but of course there are so many other cool things to do.  One thing I would strongly recommend to do is taking the train for a 40 minutes ride to Bergamo, where I went 3 times already. Bergamo is a picture-perfect city to the north-east of Milan. Beautiful old town and a great skyline view. Don’t miss that!

I hope you will enjoy Milano and Italy just as much as I did!

– Gustav

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