When people go to Milan, they think there are only one or two spots to visit at the city, and as soon as they see them, they leave without visiting anything else. Please, don´t be one of those people, because there are many things to see and do in Milan, and you will regret it.
Great food, canals, churches, and even a cool graveyard… These are just a few of the things you have to see in Milan, but there are many more, so don´t miss this list.
1) Duomo
Of course, we could not start our list of “Places to visit in Milan”, without mentioning the most famous one… The Duomo, or how it´s also known: “The Cathedral of Milan”.
It´s one of the biggest cathedrals in the world (probably on the top 10), but other than that, it´s size is not what impressed us the most, because it´s architecture was outstanding.
Gon visited it two times, and on the first one, he was only able to see them from outside, and he always said that it was amazing. This year, we decided to go inside, and just visiting the external part of the superior area made the price (which is quite expensive) worth it.
2) Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Our second visit is literally one minute far from the Duomo, as it´s still located near the Duomo Square. We are talking about the Galleria of Vittorio Emmanuele II, and it´s for sure one of the most famous places to visit in Milan.
These galleries are very well known for two different reasons. On one side, it´s mosaics and arches, well, actually all about its design and incredible architecture. On the other side, they are pretty famous for having inside shops of the most luxury brands in the world. The prices over there are very expensive, we literally show shoes that cost over 900$.
¡Oh! And we almost forgot to tell you, but as soon as you go through the galleries, you will have to do the tradition and walk in circles around the mosaic of the bull.
3) Cimitero Monumentale
The third of the best tourist attractions in Milan, in our opinion, is the Cimentero Monumentale, or also known as the Monumental Graveyard of Milan in English.
It may be weird, but yes, we have decided to add a graveyard to the list, and the reason is that it´s probably the most beautiful graveyard we have seen in our lives.
Each tomb has a sculpture, a special architecture, or even a monument built on top of it, and if you combine that with the trees and the atmosphere of the place, it becomes an incredible place to visit. It´s a huge place, so plan to visit it with enough time ahead, and of course, always be respectful, because although it´s one of the most beautiful sites of Milan, it´s still a sad place for many people who visit it every day.
4) Pizza, Pasta, and Gelato
As it happens in all of our guides, after talking about the 3 main things to do in Milan, it´s time to talk about the food you need to try.
Milan is similar to the rest of Italy, and that means that pizzas, pastas, and gelatos are a must. They may not be as popular as in cities like Napoli or Rome, but you still need to try them.
You will see that in almost every restaurant they sell the three of them, so you won´t find hard to eat them. For a gelato we recommend you going to “Ciacco”, and for a pizza, we advise you going to “Pizza Am”.
5) Try the rest of the “Milanese” food
Although as we said pasta, pizza, and gelatos are mandatory, you can´t only eat those three things because there are many other amazing options.
One of the activities to do in Milan, is going to a simpler and more local restaurant, and order a “risotto allá Milanese”. This risotto is as simple as a risotto with butter and saffron, but believe us, it tastes amazing.
Other local dishes from Milan that you need to try are the panettone, el carpaccio, and of course, the tiramisu.
6) Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Not many people know it, but the famous painting of “The last supper” made by Leonardo Da Vinci (which by the way is an UNESCO World Heritage Site), is located in Milan.
You can find it in the church of “Santa Maria delle Grazie” and although many people only go there to see the painting, we also recommend you visiting the church because it´s beautiful inside and outside.
Without any doubt, is one of those places you must visit in Milan but try to make the reservation with enough time ahead, because it gets very crowded.
7) Naviglio Grande
Another of the things you have to do in Milan is visiting the Naviglio Grande. We know Milan has nothing to do with Venice, but in this area, you will feel a little bit more like if you were in the city of the canals.
The big canal goes through a path of colorful a houses, and if you go there at sunset time, we can guarantee you that you will get to see one of the best postcards of Milan.
Other than that, the local people of Milan love to go to Navigli, as there are many restaurants to have dinner, so there is an incredible atmosphere all around the canals.
8) Pinacoteca di Brera
On eight place we have another of the best tourist attractions in Milan: “The Pinacoteca di Brera” (also known as the Art Gallery of Brera in English).
If you are an art lover, we would totally recommend you going, but even if you are not, you should see it, because there are many more things than just frames of incredible artists. There is a botanic garden, a library, an observatory, an academy, and of course, the amazing courtyard.
We were not able to buy the tickets to go inside, as they were already sold out, but luckily, you can just visit the courtyard for free, and it´s also very nice.
9) Modern area of Milan
You won´t probably see it in many guides for sightseeing in Milan, but being honest, for us it was a very pleasant visit. It´s not a mandatory visit, but if you have enough time, I recommend you going.
When we talk about the modern part of Milan, we mean the Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Uni Credit Tower, and the vertical garden, which by the way is the second tallest one in the world.
We visited the area on a Saturday, and there were plenty of families and people walking around. It felt a little bit like being in the United States, because there were many shops and tall buildings.
10) Sforzesco Castle
You thought we were going to forget it right? Well, we haven´t! To finish the list of things to see in Milan, we have the famous Sforzesco Castle, also known as the Castle of the Sforza family.
The great news about this place is that it´s FREE! For us, the best of all is seeing it from the outside, because there are many museums inside (they do have a price), but most of them don´t have any relationship with the castle.
Less than 5 minutes away from the castle you will see the Sempioni park, which is very beautiful and peaceful, so make sure to go for a walk after your visit.
Do you know any other places to visit in Milan?
That´s it! That´s the end of our “top things to see and do in Milan” list, as you have seen, it´s impossible to get bored in the city, and there are a million things to do, so don´t go only for one or two days, because you probably won´t have enough time.
Hope you have enjoyed reading the article. If you have any suggestion of other cool places to visit in Milan, or if you have any question, please, make sure to leave us a comment.
