Our Complete Milan Travel Guide Will Make Your Stay Easy!

If you are vacation planning and looking for things to do in Milan, Italy, our travel guide will give you all the options you need to make your travel planning easy!

If you are planning on visiting Italy, you might be asking yourself: “Should we visit Milan?”. I could take the easy route and say, “Well, it depends…“, but that is a bit of a cop out. I’ll share our recent experiences with traveling to Milan for a weekend away with friends, and hopefully that will provide you with enough information to make your decision. Don’t worry, I’ll also let you know if we ever plan to return.

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Why Go To Milan, Italy?

Let’s start with a little Pros/Cons list just to get started. Obviously, there are positives and negatives, or else this wouldn’t be much of a debate.

Should I Go To Milan?
Pros	Cons
Different Cuisine Than Rome	The Cuisine Is Different Than Rome’s, But Not Better (IMHO)
Has A More “European” Feel	The Feel Of The City Is “Generic-European” And Lacks The Character Of Other Italian Cities.
A Unique Gothic Cathedral	Gothic Cathedrals Are Less Common In Italy, But If You’ve Been To St. Peter’s, Do You Need Another Church?
The Last Supper (If you can get tickets)	Last Supper Tickets Are Very Difficult To Get
There Is An Active Aperitivo Culture	You Can Get An Aperitivo Anywhere In Italy
Affordable, As Compared To London Or Paris	Expensive, As Compared To Rome And Florence

Milan Travel Guide - Starbucks Roasters — Starbucks Roasters

How To Get To Milan

Milan is a transportation hub in Italy, so certainly you can drive to Milan, but for us, a high speed train from Rome was the solution. It is only 3.5 hours, with a simple stop in Bologna on the way there, and only a quick stop at a regional train station near Milan on the return trip.

One option is TrenItalia. They run high-speed trains, known as the FrecciaRossa, at pretty regular intervals during the day. Currently, prices for the one-way ticket are €85.90 for Economy and €109.00 for Business Class.

Milan Travel Guide - Fancy Breakfast — Marchesi – Fancy Breakfast

Our choice was with the other high-speed rail service, Italo. Although their prices are a little more affordable, we chose them because we prefer their service when it is available. Their one-way Economy was €79.90, and their Business Class cost: €99.90.

Where And What To Eat In Milan

Before traveling to a new city, we like to build a list of the “Must Try” foods that are local to that city or region. The list is fairly short with Milan and we were able to try most of them during our relatively short stay (3-Days)

Milan Travel Guide - Classic Rice and Veal — Risotto and Ossobuco

Here are the food you must try in Milan:

Risotto alla Milanese – This is a rice dish strongly flavored with Saffron that you will find on almost every menu.
Ossobuco – This is a braised veal dish that pairs well with the Risotto. It goes so well with it, you can usually find them served together on a combo plate.
Cotoletta alla Milanese – A large pan-fried veal cutlet. It is often compared to wiener schnitzel, which I prefer.
Panettone – This is a seasonal sweet bread that is usually only available during the Christmas season, but you can find it year round in Milan because it was invented there.
Gorgonzola – This is a blue cheese that you can find all around Milan.
Mondeghili (meatballs) – These are deep-fried meatballs with an outer layer of breading.
Polenta – I hesitate on this one because while we heard Polenta is popular in Milan, the version we had was an off-color, gelatinous mess. Good luck if you choose this!

Milan Travel Guide - Panettone — Panettone

In order to find these dishes, we chose these restaurants and we would highly recommend all of them, except Starbucks!

For Breakfast:
- Marchesi 1824 (in Galleria) – Fancy and a little pricey, but a fun experience that one could equate to high tea.
- Starbucks Reserve Roastery – I only went here to see one of these large roasteries and check if they changed their formula for their coffee. They didn’t and it still tastes sour to me.
- Sebastian Cafè Milano – a little touristy, but for an early breakfast, we enjoyed the decorations and fantastic service.
For Lunch:
- Osteria del Treno – Excellent food and a great wait staff. It is a little out of the way, but definitely worth the trip.
- Burla Giò – Proof that the high prices are only for the tourist. We found the food here delicious but without the high prices. Check it out if you’re tired of feeling ripped off.
For Snack:
- Spontini – Popular on social media, but still delicious. It is thicker and cheesier than typical Italian pizza, which is why it stands out here. For me, it was a fun variation on a theme.
For Dinner:
- Sugo – A smaller restaurant, but definitely worth a try. The staff was fantastic and the food was amazing.

Milan Travel Guide - Pizza Slice — Pizza Popular On Socials

If none of those mentioned are grabbing you, there are Other Options that we weren’t able to get to because of the length of our visit. These were recommended to use by someone with good taste, so you might check these out:

Things To Do In Milan

Depending on your interests, there is either a short list of sites to see, or a really long list. For us, the list is brief. Here are the highlights of what you should see, but we only go to about 4 of these:

Duomo di Milano – Gothic, Iconic, intricate and unforgettable church that is the highlight of things to see in Milan.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – With marble floors and golden light, this high-end shopping mall is worth a visit.
Castello Sforzesco – This castel is a walk through time. There are tours available for added context and it is centrally located for your convenience.
Navigli District – This area is made for aperitivi. While some might say that the canals remind them of Venice, I would say that you shouldn’t compare these two places and just accept Navigli for what it is.
AC Milan – If you are there during the season, catching a match can be (and was) a cool and unique experience.
Monumental Cemetery – One of the two largest cemeteries in Milan, this one is loaded with artistic tombs and monuments.
Via Dante and The Quadrilateral – If you are looking for shopping, this is where you need to go. It can range from pricey to really expensive, so be prepared.
La Scala Museum – There aren’t tours of La scala, but the museum can get you access to take a quick look at this historic opera house.
Risorgimento Museum – Located in Palazzo Moriggia, it houses a collection of artwork that illustrate the history of Italian unification.
Porta Nuova – A more modern side of Milan, this is where you will find: Bosco Verticale and Piazza Gae Aulenti.
National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci – The largest museum of science and technology in Italy.

Milan Travel Guide - Duomo At Night — Duomo At Night

Insiders Tips For A Visit To Milan

Even after such a short weekend visit, I did come away with some suggestions that might make your visit a little easier. These are based on our experiences, so take them for what they are worth:

Trams Are Not On Time – If you plan on using them, understand that they run infrequently and you should factor in at least 30 minutes additional time if you are trying to make a reservation.
Taxis Can Be Tricky During Rush Hours – When we left, it was during a rush-hour morning and getting a cab through one of their apps was a challenge. We bailed out and took the Metropolitan, which was running on time.
Always Make Reservations At Restaurants – Milan is a popular city, so be sure to make reservations for every lunch and dinner or you might miss something good.
Avoid Food From Other Parts Of Italy – Why be in Milan and eat Carbonara or Cannoli. Focus on the Milanese food listed above and eat locally.
No Tipping – There generally is no tipping at restaurants in Italy, but because you are a tourist, they might try to get you to add a little on top.
Buying Duomo Tickets Online, Even That Morning – Showing up without a ticket will put you at the end of a very long line, so be sure to purchase them before arrival at the Duomo and the quicker line will be yours.

So, What Is The Verdict On Milan?

I mentioned at the top that I would share my thoughts on Milan and if it is worth a visit, and here we are. You might have picked up on a negative tone during this article, and you would be right. We didn’t love the city or the food. Nothing egregious, just: Meh! It is a pretty generic city with very overpriced food. If you need to see the Duomo or the Last Supper, it wouldn’t be a bad trip so go ahead. Otherwise, here are some other cities to visit: