3 days in Milan: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Milan rewards travellers who like art, architecture and design, and most of what matters sits within walking distance of the Duomo. Day one covers the cathedral square, the Royal Palace and the Galleria before a walk to the natural history museum, day two goes from La Scala through two picture collections to the Sforza Castle and its park, and day three starts with the Last Supper and follows the old churches west and south of the centre.

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Day 1

The Duomo, the Galleria and the Giardini Pubblici

5 stops

09:00
Milan Cathedral
About 55 min
Walk the length of the nave first, then go up to the roof terraces for a close look at the marble spires and the gilded Madonnina on the highest one. An hour covers the interior and a short time on the roof, and the Royal Palace is right next door.
Walk, 2 min
10:00
Royal Palace of Milan
About 1 h 30 min
The former seat of government next door is now Milan's main venue for large temporary exhibitions, so what you see depends on what is on. Check the programme before you go and choose one show for the slot.
Walk, 2 min
11:35
Piazza del Duomo
About 20 min
Back on the cathedral square, take in the whole space: the facade from the middle of the piazza, the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II and the arcaded buildings around it. It is a short pause before the Galleria on the north side.
Walk, 3 min
12:00
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
About 45 min
Walk through the glass-roofed arcade from the cathedral side, stop under the iron and glass dome at the central crossing, and find the mosaic bull in the floor that people spin on a heel for luck. From the far end it is a longer walk northeast to the Giardini Pubblici.
Walk, 20 min
13:05
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
About 1 h 30 min
The natural history museum stands in the Giardini Pubblici park, and its dioramas and dinosaur rooms are a change of pace from art, especially with children. It is the longest walk of the trip from the centre, so treat it as optional if you would rather stay with art.

Day 2

La Scala, Brera, the Sforza Castle and Parco Sempione

5 stops

09:00
La Scala
About 45 min
The opera house looks plain from the square, so go into the theatre museum, which usually lets you look into the auditorium from a box when there is no rehearsal. The Poldi Pezzoli is a few minutes' walk away.
Walk, 4 min
09:50
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
About 1 h 30 min
A nineteenth-century collector's house near La Scala, with paintings, armour and decorative arts shown in the rooms he lived in, and Pollaiolo's portrait of a young woman as its best-known picture. From here it is a short walk north to Brera.
Walk, 7 min
11:30
Pinacoteca di Brera
About 1 h 35 min
Milan's main picture gallery holds Italian painting from the Middle Ages onward, including Mantegna's Dead Christ and Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin. Ninety minutes is enough for the highlights, and the Brera streets outside are a good place for lunch before you walk to the castle.
Walk, 11 min
13:20
Sforza Castle
About 1 h 35 min
The Sforza family's brick fortress is big enough for a long visit: walk through its courtyards, and the museums inside include Michelangelo's unfinished Rondanini Pietà. Parco Sempione opens out right behind it.
Walk, 7 min
15:05
Parco Sempione
About 1 h
The park behind the castle was laid out in the late nineteenth century on an old parade ground, with lawns, a small lake and the Arch of Peace at the far end. It is an easy place to sit down at the end of a museum day.

Day 3

The Last Supper and Milan's oldest churches

5 stops

09:00
Santa Maria delle Grazie
About 50 min
This Renaissance church and convent hold Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper on the wall of the old refectory, seen in small timed groups that sell out well ahead, so book before you travel. Use the rest of the slot for the church itself, with Bramante's domed tribune and the small cloister.
Walk, 8 min
10:00
Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
About 45 min
Founded by Saint Ambrose in the fourth century, this is one of the oldest churches in Milan, with a calm brick atrium and a Romanesque interior that feels far older than the centre. Look for the gold altar and the early mosaics in the chapel of San Vittore in Ciel d'Oro.
Walk, 15 min
11:00
Santa Maria presso San Satiro
About 30 min
This small church hides a famous trick of perspective: Bramante had no room for a real choir, so he built a shallow false one that looks deep from the nave. Look from the back first, then walk up to see how flat it really is; it is a short visit, so the rest of the slot is yours for a coffee nearby.
Walk, 11 min
11:45
Basilica of San Lorenzo
About 45 min
Sixteen Roman columns stand in a row in front of the church, and they are as much the reason to come as the domed early Christian interior behind them. Sant'Eustorgio is a short walk south through the park between the two basilicas.
Walk, 7 min
12:40
Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio
About 45 min
This old basilica was once a pilgrim stop for the relics of the Three Kings, and its Portinari Chapel, behind the church, is an early Renaissance room with frescoes by Vincenzo Foppa. The Navigli canals are a few minutes away if you want to end the trip by the water.

Good to know

The Last Supper is the one booking to make before you travel: visits are in small timed groups and sell out well in advance.
The whole plan is on foot; the longest walk is from the Galleria to the natural history museum on day one, where the metro is an easy alternative.
Churches here, the cathedral included, expect covered shoulders and knees.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for walking; summers are hot and humid, and in August some shops and restaurants close.
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3 days in Milan: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Milan Cathedral

Royal Palace of Milan

Piazza del Duomo

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano

La Scala

Museo Poldi Pezzoli

Pinacoteca di Brera

Sforza Castle

Parco Sempione

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

Santa Maria presso San Satiro

Basilica of San Lorenzo

Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio

Good to know

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