Milan in a day plan: Our recent trip back to Italy had us visiting three different cities on the go-round. Our first stop was Rome to spend some quality time with family. We moved on to Verona from there to hang out with friends. Our last stop was the to me city of Milan where we spent a day before continuing on to Egypt.
We actually spent a further two days in Milan on our way back to Valencia from Egypt. I know this makes a total of three days spent in the city. So the question is “why a day in Milan and not three days in Milan guide?”. Read on for my answer.
One Day Guide To The Best of Milan:
Milan is one of the most visited cities in Italy. Over eight million tourists visit on a yearly basis. It’s interesting to me that over half of these tourists are Italians according to Milan tourism office. We took the train from Verona to Milan, and the journey time was just an hour. Our tickets were purchased with my increasingly useful Loco2 app. It’s so easy to find trains schedules, pick the cheaper fares, pay and download the tickets without worrying about language problems. The price was €22.30 for both of us ($25).
My first impression of Milan? Nice city, but it looks really industrial to me. This is what l picture mining towns in America looking like. “Flashdance” , the movie kept popping into my head, to be honest as we approached the city. I was not a huge fan of its vibe. You can tell it’s an obvious “rich” city once you are at the core of Milan (the center), there looks nice. It is after all the center of the fashion industry in Italy and a lot of the big names have a presence here, very much a business hub.
Compared to the beauty of Rome, Florence, and Verona for instance, it left me wanting more. It was not “romantic” in the least, not by a long shot, so l was a bit disappointed. Nonetheless, I think it makes for a nice day trip. Here are some of the best things to do in Milan in a day. We stayed at the Cardano hotel close to the airport and took the bus in for the day on a daily basis. The hotel was quite cute, super clean,and shaped like a football stadium. Both times, our flights departed very early and it was more convenient to have the airport close by.
Find your Milan hotel here
Things to do in Milan in a day:
An abbreviated version of what to do in Milan since it is a gigantic city and impossible to do it all in one day. You can however enjoy the highlights here and it will give you an overview of the city. Here are places that we feel should be included on your Milan one day itinerary. You won’t be disappointed.
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Milan Central Station:
Milano Centrale station is the largest train station in Europe, and a beautiful one at that. Opened in 1931, I consider it a Milan attraction on its own. Mussolini’s desire to show off the power of the fascist regime led to additions of steel canopies to a languishing design that started in 1906. So many architecural styles blend harmoniously. Art Nouveau, Gothic, you name it, and it’s there. There are 24 platforms that ferries over 330,000 per person on a daily basis! Milan Central Station is a nice place to wander around, people watch, eat and shop. You can find the train schedules here.
One day in Milan: must include Via Montenapoleone:
Europe’s most expensive street. Via Monte Napoleone is a very upscale shopping street full of high-end boutiques by the biggest names in fashion. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Piguet and others rub shoulders. A wonderful place to window shop. Federico had flashbacks. He used to work as a private bodyguard when he still lived in Rome and often had to watch over rich oil heiresses and other famously rich people. On the outside looking in then, and we did it again :-).
The Milan Cathedral:
The Duomo di Milano is the most famous landmark in Milan. Dedicated to the St. Mary of the Santa Maria Nasciente. Taking almost 600 years to build, the Duomo is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. This behemoth church is the largest in Italy. St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican doesn’t count, remember Vatican City is a country. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful cathedrals l have ever seen.
We didn’t go inside the Duomo because the line was extremely long, even in January and we’ve seen plenty of other fine cathedrals, but l’m positive it’s beautiful inside as well. You can climb to the top for amazing views of Milan. Entry price for the Cathedral is €3 and you can purchase that, and combination tickets on their website.
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Piazza del Duomo
Located in the geographic center of Milan and flanked by the Duomo. The piazza del Duomo is a ginormous space (183,000+ square feet) and a gathering point for locals and tourists alike. Grab a coffee or ice cream, mingle with the people and maybe feed the insane number of pigeons.
Royal Palace Milan:
The former seat of government in the middle ages and is currently being used for expositions and a cultural center. It is right across from the Duomo. Did you know that part of the royal palace was destroyed so they could build the Duomo? I love how they repurpose buildings in Europe.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II: Milan Shopping
Headed to Milan for more than a day? Click here to find your hotel
One of the best places to see in Milan is the Galleria Vittorio. Italy’s oldest shopping mall that is still in use. A gorgeous space and one that reminds me of Leadenhall Market in London with all the glass and ironwork. The galleria is named for the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was constructed by architect Giussepe Mengoni and was finished in 1867. There are plenty of fancy stores, cafes and restaurants including an always crowded McDonalds. I’m always surprised at how people travel but choose to eat at the same old familiar places like McDonalds instead of trying the local cuisine.
Milan Day Wrap up:
Seeing these landmarks will make for a full day of sightseeing in Milan. Of course, you can stretch it out more leisurely and cover these in two days instead of one. There are other places of interest in Milan to visit that we didn’t get to see, for instance the Teatro alla Scala, the beautiful opera house and the San Siro Stadium (Giussepe Meazza Stadium), home of A.C Milan and Internazionale , the two local soccer teams of Milan. That would have been of great interest to us especially because l like football and he loves it, and we try to squeeze in a stadium tour when we visit new places with famous football clubs that offer tours. If you prefer touring with a reputable company, we recommend get your guide tours from personal experience.
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While l enjoyed my time in Milan, and l’m glad l had a chance to visit, it’s a place l wouldn’t purposely choose to visit. Federico on the other hand, likes Milan a lot because he loves fashion. I’m okay with the one-off. It’s kind of expensive too compared to the other cities in Italy that l’ve visited.
Have you been to Milan? What did you think of the city? Would you recommend it as a must visit in Italy?
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There are so many beautiful things to see in just a day in Milan! The Galleria Victor Emanuel is really breathtaking and I personally didn’t know about the lucky bull there 🙂 I’ll keep that in mind if I get there and I’ll definitely do the full spin!
True. There are lots to fit into a day, and the good thing is they are close to each other so once you start walking, you hit most along the way..a long walk..but a pretty one. I just don’t care for the looks of the rest of the city :-). Haha! I hope you do the spin, everybody needs good luck, but don’t forget it has to be counter clockwise to count.
It looks like you picked some truly amazing things to see in Milan despite your less-than-enthusiastic response to the city as a whole. For not being a “religious” person, I am always attracted to cathedrals for their architecture and art, and the Milan Cathedral looks magnificent. Milan might not be a go-to destination but it definitely looks like some time spent there is well worth it. P.S. I can see Fede as a bodyguard. At least until he smiles! 😀 Anita
Haha! I tried not to make it obvious how kind of meh l felt about the city. I love the cathedrals too, especially after reading “pillars of the earth”. I love checking out the architecture too. Milan is a great place for a short layover. Yeah, you can totally picture him as a bodyguard. He has some stories about preventing well endowed women from some very famous movie stars. Ask him next time you see him :-).
Kemkem, just the stunning Duomo alone is reason enough to visit this city. It is not top of my list, but I would certainly like to spend at least one day there. I love Italy and would love to spend few months touring around. Italian food is another great reason to visit. I have not heard of the loco2 app…thanks for this new piece of information 😄
I have a feeling we’ll go back sooner or later because the city seems to be making great strides in having a lot of reasonably priced flights leaving from there, especially to Asia and Africa. I was just a bit disappointed because it seems so different from other cities in Italy. You will love the loco2 app, and the prices are the same as you would get on whatever country’s website :-).
Beautiful photos! I’ve not yet been to Milan, but would love to go. The Duomo di Milano looks incredible!
Thanks Doreen. The Duomo Milan is definitely gorgeous, at least from the outside. I’m sure it looks awesome inside too. I am a bit partial to the Seville one though… 🙂
We didn’t love Milan our first time there but it has grown on us over the years. We love the place. And just found an airfare from Athens at least than 50 euros per person but alas we remain on indefinite lock down thanks to immigration so we aren’t filling a bag and hopping a plane there. You’ve reminded me of all that we are missing. . .
I wonder if Milan will eventually grow on me too. It was certainly jarring at first sight. The food though, Federico and l still talk about that seafood pasta. Awesome! better than his even, and that’s saying a lot. I know flights to Milan are insanely cheap aren’t they? Your time in purgatory will soon be over though and you will be gallivanting all over the place soon :-).
I agree that it Iswill take kust a day but if you like shopping, do the lux items come at great prices?
Haha! I wish they did, but nope! Pricy as hell :-). We had to keep walking to come to more reasonable shops, but not on that very long street.
I appreciate your honest evaluation of Milan. As much as it’s not your favorite, there does seem to be a lot of historic sites. I really enjoyed reading your post!
Thanks for reading Marilyn. Milan does have a few interesting places in the very center. I am hoping it will grow on me if l do go back. Federico likes it a lot so there is hope..haha!! 🙂
I think I’ve been to the same restaurant near the Milan airport! I was also staying next to the airport because my flight was early in the morning and was picked up and dropped off by the restaurant. I don’t remember eating pasta but had huge plates of cheese and salami and lots of wine and it was a great ending to the trip. As for Milan itself, I’m in agreement with you. It was my first city in Italy wayyy back when and I never felt the need to go back. But I love how cheap flights are! Tip for everyone: if you have the time, fly to Milan instead of Rome for better prices. This is especially true when flying in from the US.
Hey!!! How are you doing? Pretty sure it’s the same restaurant than from your description. Their food is to die for which is saying a lot from both of us. Lots of wine is good and not having to drive back to the hotel was a plus. The flights are really good from there though like you say, they have really been boning up on that and is a good alternative to Rome and even believe it or not for us, Madrid which surprised me. Milan l feel is good for a layover and l felt like l had two heads because everybody and their mother loves it to bits and l can’t really understand why. It’s good enough though. Hope you guys are doing well and enjoying Singapore. 🙂
The architecture of Milan is simply amazing, well-captured by your camera. I love the shot of the Duomo!t
Thanks Irene. The Duomo is definitely gorgeous! 🙂