How To Spend One Day In Milan | Italy’s Fashion Capital
On our recent trip to Italy, we found some really cheap flights to Italy’s fashion capital. We only had one day in Milan but we had such a great time that I wanted to share our favourite parts of the city with you guys!
The first thing I think of when someone says Milan is fashion! I imagine women walking around in designer dresses and high heels, while the men strut around in sharp suits. This is the fashion capital of the world, after all. And whilst I wasn’t greeted by Italian supermodels, I was introduced to a city that’s rich in history and culture.
Milan’s reputation means that most people either think it will be too expensive to visit or that there’s not enough to see as other Italian cities. While places like Rome and Venice get all the attention (with good reason), there is still so much to see in Milan to make it a worthy visit. Avoid eating and drinking around the tourist hotspots and you’ll see that visiting Milan on a budget is possible.
Getting In
Most visitors flying into Milan will land at Malpensa, Italy’s 2nd busiest after Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Be aware that you could land at either of Milan’s two other airports, Bergamo or Linate, depending on where you’re flying in from.
Getting to the city from Malpensa is very easy. There are plenty of trains and the journey is around 45 minutes. We walked out the airport to the shuttle bus area and got on the Malpensa Shuttle, which leaves every 15-20 minutes. A return ticket costs €16 and the journey to Milan Central Station (Stazione Milano Centrale) takes around 50 minutes.
The Central Station have regular departures to cities like Florence and Rome. The trains are efficient and comfortable. Just make sure you plan well and book tickets early online. A last minute train journey from Milan to Florence could cost as much as €60!
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Getting Around
The public transport in Milan affordable and plentiful. It is well connected by buses, trams and by the metro. Milan Central Station is quite far from all the attractions, so if you’re staying in that area, I recommend the metro.
While Milan is the largest city in Italy (by area), most of the sights are actually within walking distance of each other. If you plan your day well, you will be walking from one attraction to the next, just like we did.
Just be careful with taxis! Our hotel called one for us as we were running late to catch the train. The taxi arrived with €7 on the meter and the 2 min drive to station cost us over €10. Scandalous!
What To See
Duomo di Milano
This elaborate, Gothic cathedral is the iconic symbol of Milan. Instantly recognisable from all those social media posts, the Duomo is the largest church in Italy, and took about 600 years to complete! It’s no surprise then, that it took over 78 architects and engineers to design and build the cathedral, yet the architect of the original design is still unknown.
Most people are happy just to admire the extravagant front facade and take in all the intricate details. It is a great place to get that awesome image for your social media feed. To really appreciate the building though, you should take a look inside. The interior is just as impressive, with its stained glass windows and collection of artwork. Be sure to look out for the statue of a ghastly looking Saint Bartholomew carrying his own skin!
The Duomo is the perfect place to start the day in Milan due to its central location in the public square of the Piazza del Duomo. We got off at the metro and to see the cathedral appear whilst exiting the station is really a bizarre experience! Tickets can be bought at the Duomo Museum which is opposite. I recommend a combo ticket that includes a visit to the roof for €13 (€17 with the lift.) Walking on the Duomo roof, and admiring the views across Milan is something not to be missed!
Duomo – Tips
Remember that when entering a church you must dress appropriately. You don’t necessarily have to cover your knees but anything deemed too short and you will be refused entry. Zuzana managed to buy a cheap scarf just outside the entrance for €2.
Tip | Beware of anyone trying to strike up a conversation with you around the Piazza del Duomo. They’ll usually start with “hey! you look like *insert any celebrity ever*” then will try and offer you a ‘free’ African bracelet. Of course it’s not free because they will ask for a donation! Just politely, or even impolitely, say “no, grazie” and walk away.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
If you want to shop for a bargain, in one of the fashion capitals in the world, then this is not the place to go. If you want to see an over-the-top, extravagant shopping mall where high-end designer shops such as Versace, Prada and Louis Vuitton have made their home, then take a stroll through the Galleria!
Italy’s oldest shopping mall is just next to the Duomo, and it’s not just a place for opulent. The Renaissance style building is beautifully decorated and has a glass vaulted dome roof making it worthy of a visit. After all, what other mall can say they had the power to force out a McDonald’s restaurant?!
Santa Maria delle Grazie
This small church might not be as extravagant as some other buildings, but it’s whats inside that this UNESCO World Heritage Site that makes it one of the most popular attractions in Italy.
The Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza ordered the construction of the church. But it was his fourth son Ludovico who commissioned one of the most recognisable paintings in the world. When Ludovico became Duke of Milan, he planned to turn the church into the Sforza burial site. Ludovico wanted to change the refectory of the monastery into family mausoleum and, luckily for us, he was a famed patron of a certain Leonardo da Vinci.
The Last Supper
This masterpiece is one of the most famous murals in the world and needs no introduction. For years now, scholars and historians have scrutinised every centimetre of this painting, looking for hidden messages. Admiring the painting in person though, isn’t so straight forward.
The Last Supper started to deteriorate before da Vinci had even finished it as it wasn’t painted as a fresco (painting quickly onto wet plaster.) In fact, there is actually very little of the original painting still remaining. This means only 30 people at a time can visit the refectory and for only 15 minutes! If you know you’re visiting Milan soon, you need to have booked your tickets yesterday!
Vivaticket is the official site of the Santa Maria delle Grazie and the only place you can buy official tickets. Bookings can be made up to three months in advance but sell out extremely fast. If you do miss out on the official tickets, you’ll end up paying a lot more. Joining a tour is the only other way to get in (be sure to check they actually include Last Supper tickets!). We managed to buy some through Viator for €39 each. Sure it wasn’t cheap but it included a one hour guided tour and it was totally worth it to be able to see The Last Supper!
Castello Sforzesco
The Sforza Castle was first built in around the 1360s by the Visconti’s. The Sforza family then remodelled the complex into their elegant royal residence in the 15th century. The castle has been renovated on several occasions and now houses several museums and galleries including works by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
This large complex is more than just a castle. A short walk from the Duomo, the castle is next to Parco Sempione and the Arco della Pace. So after visiting the castle grounds and museums, why not take stroll through the Milan’s largest green space?
Entrance to the castle itself is free. If you want to see the museums, tickets will cost €10.
Parco Sempione & Arco della Pace
Parco Sempione is Milan’s most popular park. It’s a great place to just grab a coffee and take a wander through the grounds. You can admire the birds and tortoises by the lake, cross romantic bridges or get lost in the maze of flowers. The park is the perfect location for locals and tourists to relax from the busy city.
If you walk from the Sforza Castle to the other end of the park, you’ll find yourself at another Milan landmark. The Arch of Peace. This triumphant arch was built during Napoleon’s rule and the original design was based on the Arch of Septimius Severus at the Roman Forum. I think it looked a little bit more like the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Stazione Milano Centrale
The central station of a city may seem like a strange place to visit. Most visitors will arrive or pass through here at some point anyway, so why not take a minute to admire the largest railway station in Europe?
Mussolini wanted the station to represent the power of his Fascist regime, and any decorative symbols and images can be found on the main exterior of the building. Don’t look took much though, you might end up missing your train or bus!
San Siro
Milan is home to two of the Italy’s greatest football (or soccer) teams, A.C. Milan and Internazionale, and they both share the San Siro. Opened in 1926, the 80,000 seater stadium is very much a part of Milan’s culture.
It is officially named The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in honor of the player who turned out for both Milan teams. Meazza actually spent most of his career at Inter before moving to A.C. Milan for a couple of years later on. Most Inter fans will often refer to the stadium by its official name while Milan fans use the San Siro – the district where the stadium is located.
The football season is from August to May so we couldn’t see a match. There are stadium tours though and tickets are €16. Better hurry though – both Milan teams have agreed to build a new stadium. Rumours are that the San Siro will be demolished after the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Teatro alla Scala
‘La Scala’ is among the worlds greatest opera and ballet theatres. Built in 1778, it is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, Ballet and Orchestra as well as the La Scala Academy. We didn’t have enough time to see a performance in person unfortunately. I’m probably not cultured enough to appreciate opera anyway. Tickets can be purchased for around €50 for the cheap seats and there is a strict dress code!
Would I recommend Milan?
We really enjoyed our short time in Milan and recommend it as a day trip or a weekend away!
It may not enjoy the reputation other cities in Italy get, but that didn’t stop us enjoying ourselves. We only had one day and a night in Milan but I could’ve spent longer exploring the city! Just seeing the Duomo from outside, inside and on top can take hours (but worth it). It’s also so easy to get around by foot. We felt like we saw a lot of the main sites in Milan but the truth is we’ve only just scratched the surface!
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I hope you enjoyed reading about our day in Milan. I hope you’ll now think of Milan as an interesting place to visit rather than just an expensive city for fashion aficionados. If you liked this post, or want to know anything else, please leave a comment. Thanks.
