I visited Milan last year in May, which was my third visit to the city. During this visit, I had the opportunity to explore the city extensively. I revisited places and explored new ones. It was also the visit that changed my perspective towards Milan, to a more positive one. From walking around Navigli to visiting the Duomo, I covered most of Milan’s major sights. This blog post provides you with my 3 day itinerary in Milan, which can inspire your trip as well.

Day 1: Visiting Fondazione Prada and exploring Brera

We arrived in Milan on an early morning flight from Athens. From Malpensa airport at 10.30 it took me almost an hour to get to my hotel near the Duomo. The best way to get from the airport to the city center is the Malpensa Express. There are 2 stations you can get off in Milan: Centrale and Cardona. This time I figured out that to get quicker to the Duomo is by getting off at Cardona and then taking the Metro.

My first stop in the city was Fondazione Prada. I got there by using the Yellow Metro Line and getting off at Lodi Tibb. From there it was a 10’ walk to my destination. Fondazione Prada is a contemporary art exhibition center. I really enjoyed the complex, which consists of different buildings and exhibition areas. I particularly liked the exhibits in the Tower (Atlas).

In the afternoon I explored Brera once again. I tried (emphasis on tried) to visit the Pinacoteca di Brera. I had to issue a ticket from a machine that was out of order. There was no other (obvious) ticket desk, so I resigned. I walked around the Accademia di Brera building and then went into the Botanic Garden. Then I made my way back towards the Duomo by walking the streets of Brera. Via Madonnina is my favorite street in the neighborhood.

We ended the day by dining inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II.  This shopping arcade is the oldest (still) active one in Italy. There are a lot of luxury stores, restaurants and cafes inside the Galleria. More on that later on the post where I’ll cover all the places we ate.

Day 2: A very long walk all around Milan

On our second day in Milan, my husband and I explored most of the city. We did that on foot. If I recall well, we walked around 20.000 steps on that day alone. The places we visited on this day are the following.

Milan’s Duomo: I had booked tickets for 3pm to visit the Terraces. At 9.30am there was hardly any queue, so the guard let us in. The Cathedral took 600 years to complete. It features  3.400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures. By visiting the terrace and walking around it, you can marvel at those statues. The front facade is very impressive as well.

To get inside the Duomo there is a separate queue. On Sundays the church is accessible after 1pm, so we left the premises and returned later on. Inside the Cathedral we explored the stained glass windows. My tip for visiting the Duomo is to get tickets from the official site as they are slightly cheaper.

Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco):  Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan built the castle in the 15th century . It was later expanded and in the 16th and 17th centuries was one of the largest citadels in Europe. 

Today the castle houses many museums, which you can check out on their website. We visited those of Ancient Art, Musical Instruments, and the Pinacoteca. There is a single ticket office and then you follow the exhibition. By exploring the museums located all over the castle, you also explore the castle itself! It took us around 2-3 hours to check out most of the exhibitions.

Sempione Park: The park was created in the late 19th century. It’s located on the northeast side of the Sforza Castle grounds. There is a lot to explore within the park. We walked towards Arco della Pace before heading towards Brera.

Navigli area: I hadn’t visited the Navigli area since 2005 and it’s one of my favorite places in Milan. The area is busy with canal side restaurants and bars. On our way there we passed by Colonne di San Lorenzo. It is an archeological site made up of 16 Roman marble columns, next to remains of an amphitheater and baths. Next to the columns there’s Porta Ticinese, a medieval gate which was part of the Walls of Milan.

Upon reaching the canals, we walked along Naviglio Grande which is the largest one. On each side there are many restaurants and bars. 

Santa Maria Delle Grazie: This church is like a white unicorn for me. In 2005 we naively thought that we could visit and see The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Spoiler alert: We didn’t. This year I researched tickets online 2 months in advance with no luck. Apparently you can visit the church without seeing the painting. But we got there past closing time so we only saw the church from the outside.

Day 3 Exploring Milan’s future and past

On our last of 3 days in Milan we visited the park of Biblioteca degli Alberi. The main purpose was to check out the Bosco Verticale aka vertical forest. On one side of this park there are two skyscrapers both inaugurated in 2014. The facades have over two thousand unique tree species, which makes them special. They look like CGI but they are very real!

The Bosco Verticale isn’t the only sight in the area though. Porta Nuova is one of Milan’s main business districts. The Uni Credit Tower which is part of this district is Italy’s highest skyscraper. Piazza Gae Aulenti is a shopping destination as is Corso Como nearby.

We then crossed half the city on foot to reach Basilica di Sant’ Ambrogio. This church is one of the most ancient in Milan. St Ambrose commissioned the church back in the 4h century AD. Since then, the church building has undergone several restorations and partial reconstructions. In the 12th century, it was rebuilt in the Romanesque style seen today.

Last but not least I spent the rest of my day in Milan shopping in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. I’ll share my favorite shopping spots later in this post! 

Related: Italy and Switzerland Road Trip

Where to eat in Milan

Bar Luce, Fondazione Prada:  I had a snack there, as finding a table to sit was impossible. Got a panini and a croissant. The panini was delicious and impressed me. The croissant was good too. I wish I had gotten a dessert too, as they looked delicious.

Luini Panzerotti: I thank Pinterest for discovering this spot off Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Panzerotti are small versions of calzoni, but are usually fried. They reminded me a lot of the cheese pies we have in Greece. Again ideal for a snack (you can only take away)!

La Locanda di Gatto Rosso is a nice restaurant inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Despite it’s location it is not overly touristy. The food is decent, but not so much value for money.

Fabbrica di Grano  in Corso Garibaldi. The restaurant serves pasta dishes based on ancient grains from Sicily. The crostini with pistachio pesto were amazing, as were the pasta dishes. For desserts we got cannoli and pistachio semifreddo. Both were amazing. I 100% recommend this restaurant!

Osteria del Corso is a cozy restaurant on Corso Garibaldi.  The staff is friendly and the food delicious. We got the “Fiorentina” steak which was more than enough for 2 people. 

Venchi is the best spot for ice cream. You’ll notice a line outside the parlor and justifiably so. There are many stores around Milan. We visited the one on Via Giuseppe Mengoni near Duomo square.

Shopping in Milan

Last but not least, let’s talk about shopping in Milan. After all, the city is considered a shopping destination. For luxury brands, your best bets are Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and Via Montenapoleone. 

You can find brands like Motivi, & Other Stories, and Sephora on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. As well as the usual suspects Zara and H&M. Brera has smaller stores and boutiques. COS is my favorite store there. Last but not least, for kid’s clothes head to Via Dante. Here you will find brands like Chicco, Jacadi, Petit Bateau and DP…AM.

Want to discover Milan’s attractions, find hidden gems, and savor delicious meals? With this itinerary, you can make the most out of your trip and have an amazing 3 day visit in Milan! Don’t forget to share this blog post with your friends and family if they are planning a trip to Milan.