Best Things To Do in Milan Italy Travel Guide 2026

What's going on everybody? This is Island Hopper TV and today we've got the best things to do in Milan, Italy. This is the Italian fashion capital where renaissance art meets modern luxury. We will be showing you 30 different attractions including going up to Lake Como and Lake Garda as well as Cinque Terre. So let's get started from the northern part of Italy. Starting out here at Duomo. This gothic masterpiece took 600 years to complete and you can even go up to the rooftop to get one of the best views in all of Milan. It is Italy's largest church with over 3,400 statues and 135 spires. At the very top is the Golden Madonna that's covered in gold leaf. There's also a secret sundial and the hidden stained glass. So do be sure to check this place out. Maybe even consider the Bone Chapel. This is the most busy area of Milan so try to get skip the line tickets. Now here we are at the Royal Palace. This is actually right next to the Duomo. This was Napoleon's Italian throne room and 90% of the tourists walk right past it. They have a mirrored ballroom in here and if you're in the mood for some shopping check out Galleria Vittorio Emanuele which is one of the finest Milan shopping areas. But do keep in mind Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world by some. This 19th century mall birthed modern luxury and is Italy's oldest active shopping arcade. Originally opened in 1877. Named after the King of Italy he is said to have laid the first stone on the gallery in 1865. As a matter of fact inside this gallery is where Prado was born as a luggage shop called Fratelli Prada and the original shop is still here inside the actual gallery. And the gallery is four stories tall. It's a structure made of marble iron and glass so it's worth at least taking a look. Now as I said Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world and numerous iconic designer houses including Versace, Gucci, Prada, Armani they all come from Milan. That's why Milan is very famous for shopping, textiles and design. Because of its high quality craftsmanship in particular with tailoring and luxury menswear it makes it a destination where people come from far and wide to actually do shopping and get custom clothing made here. Now aside from the area around the Duomo another area to check out is the financial or business district. This business district is very modern unlike the Duomo area which is more historical. Another name is Porto Nuovo which basically means new gate in Milanese and it is considered Europe's richest district within a city. And in this area you will see many modern skyscrapers. One of them is actually a skyscraper called the Vertical Forest and here they have a pair of residential towers that are covered in trees and shrubs and plants on the outside and that makes it an interesting urban environment that incorporates the nature. So do check out these buildings they're cool to take pictures of and if you wanted to actually live there maybe you could. And they have a park here known as the Library of Trees as well as Piazza Alente which is a city square here in the financial area. If modern and cosmopolitan is what you're looking for then you should consider a hotel here but the most popular places to stay in all of Milan are going to be around the old city center of Duomo just so you know. Some quick facts about Milan there is actually 4.4 million people that live in the metro area and the best time to actually visit is considered in the shoulder seasons that's April to May or September to October. In the summers it does get sweltering hot and more busy. And here's a great up close look at those vertical forest buildings that you can actually live in if you're so lucky. Really cool right? Very modern. And not too far of a walk from here is going to be the Santa Maria Church. Now the interesting thing about here is this is where Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper is actually held so if you're a big history buff and you love Leonardo da Vinci come over here to this cathedral. Now make sure you plan ahead because it can get quite busy if you want to visit here. Now here we are at Sforza Castle. This here is actually one of the main landmarks right here. Since it is an old medieval fortification that was built in the 15th century to actually get inside here and check out the remnants of the fortification it's around three to five euros per person. Now as beautiful as this place is I do want to give a disclaimer about pickpockets as you know. So protect your belongings around the castle and other parts of Milan. Here we are at the Milan Metro another place popular with the pickpockets to hang out. I'm not saying to let it discourage you because it's not violent crime it's just petty crime that is irritating and obviously if you get pickpocketed that can set you back but the Milan Metro is an efficient way to get around Milan. I would consider getting the Milan Metro card which includes the Metro train, the buses and trams. As you can see these streetcars are also an efficient way to get around. You can get a one or three day pass. They also have passes that include access to museums. Now here we are at Teatro alla Scala. This is one of the most famous theaters in all of the world. A prestigious opera house famous for its history, architecture and high caliber performances that take place here. Next up here we are at the Arch of Peace and it's meant as a symbol of freedom from the Austrians and you know who commissioned it was Napoleon Bonaparte. Yes he was over here and that's why you'll notice it's very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Now here we are at This is one of the most important areas for hanging out in the evening time in all of Milan right along the canal. For those of you who love nightlife this might actually be where you want to stay since it's a hot spot for trendy bars and where there's a bit of party scene younger people tend to hang out around here. In the daytime you'll find cafes and boutiques, art galleries and then at night that's when it really comes to life. Now here we are at Briera district. This is another trendy area to be hanging out in Milan. Known for the lively atmosphere, unique boutiques, historical landmarks and lots of arts and culture here. One of my favorite ways to get around the city is on a bike so consider getting one of these rental bikes. Consider downloading RideMovie or BikeMe before arrival. Now if you love soccer or football as they call it here check out San Siro Stadium because this is where AC Milan, the Italy national football team and Inter Milan also play here. Do check the schedule before arrival. Now for those of you who want to explore around Italy, Milan Centrale is where it's all going to happen from. They've got high speed trains all across Italy. You can take the train from Milan to Naples which I've actually done in the past. You can get to Florence, you can get to Rome from here. So do consider taking a high speed train from Milan. Very easy to get around. Some of those destinations include Lake Como which is about an hour and a half train ride. So getting up here to Lake Como can be really a nice escape from the city. It's very beautiful up here as you can see. There are several beautiful towns including While here you can do a boat tour around the lake. That's one of the best ways to get around. You can either do a private or group tour. Then they have a funicular ride to Brunate which is from Como to Brunate and that provides scenic views. Hiking as well. Relaxing at the beaches along the lake. Another day trip in the opposite direction is Turin also known as Torino. Now this is a vibrant city about an hour and 50 minutes away from Milan. Here you'll also find Italian chocolate. Not quite as prestigious as Swiss chocolate but still up there in its own right. So while here in Milan area definitely make a point of trying some of the Italian chocolate. Milani's hot chocolate is considered one of the finest hot chocolates you'll find anywhere in the world. So do give that a try. Put a little orange slice in there with some milk. Now we're headed out to Lake Garda. This is another beautiful lake just like Lake Como. The train out here takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. You can also drive out to any of these locations if you wanted to get a rental car. That'll give you an opportunity to explore a lot around Milan. But Lake Garda is definitely one of the most beautiful lakes in northern Italy. And the castle here is just absolutely spectacular. If you can get a boat that arrives right there you'll just be amazed at the views especially on a beautiful day. Another trip that you can do from Milan is the Milan to Venice day tour. So one of the benefits is you don't have to pay the very high cost of staying in Venice overnight. And you just pay the $10 pass to do the day tour into the city and then you come back. It takes about two hours to two and a half hours by train. It's a little bit longer actually to do it by car. So just take the train on a day trip from Milan to Venice and bam now you've seen Venice. We recently did a full best things to do in Venice travel guide. You can check the links down below in the description and the comments. I'll post that down below if you guys are planning to actually go there and see what's going on on a day trip. This is one of the best ones you can do. For those willing to wake up a little bit earlier you can actually check out the Cinque Terre. This is about 143 miles away. That's three to four hours and you can actually get down there and explore all the villages in one day. If you left around seven in the morning arrive around 11. You've got so many villages. There are the five villages of the Cinque Terre. This is the Italian Riviera. Some of the famous foods here involve veal. As you can see they've got a nice breaded veal. They've also got a saffron type rice known as Risotto alla Milanese. And of course with anywhere in Italy you're going to have plenty of bread. You're going to have coffee, lots of pastas. Pasta, pasta, pasta right? But definitely you're going to enjoy the food in Milan. Some of the finest you'll find anywhere in the world. With many Michelin rated restaurants all across the city you can really not go wrong over here. Just check the reviews on Google and if it's above 4.7 you know it's good. My final review of Milan is I would say come here and explore the city. Spend the evenings around Milan but do some day trips. Go to Lake Garda. Go to Lake Como. Do the Venice trip and for those of you who are feeling extra adventurous definitely head down to Cinque Terre. I wouldn't say you would do a day trip down to Florence because that is a trip all in of itself. But if you wanted to do the three day trips Lake Garda, Lake Como and then Venice I would say plan to be here around five to seven days and then you'll really feel like you enjoyed this part of northern Italy. We'll see you guys on the next one from Venice. Click the link here next.