Marble spires of the Duomo in the foreground and the Porta Nuova skyscrapers behind
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Milan in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.9 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Milan in a single day is a challenge with a solution: the centre is compact and the three routes fit together without rushing if you start early. This plan is for anyone passing through or squeezing in a quick city break who wants the essentials: the Duomo, the Galleria, Roman Milan and a dose of dark legends. It's about nine kilometres on foot, with breaks for meals.

One day in MilanFrom the Duomo to dark Milan

Start early with "Must-see Milan: from Brera to the Navigli": La Scala, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Duomo, finishing at the Navigli. Have a risotto alla milanese at a trattoria in the centre. In the afternoon, "From Mediolanum to the Sforza" begins at the Columns of San Lorenzo and runs through Sant'Ambrogio and Santa Maria delle Grazie to the Castello Sforzesco. At dusk, take the metro back to the Devil's Column to start "Dark Milan", and end the day with a cotoletta for dinner.

  1. Morning

    Must-see Milan: from Brera to the Navigli

    Mixed · 3.2 km · 2 h

    1. Palazzo di BreraA former Jesuit college turned temple of art, with a naked bronze Napoleon in the middle of the courtyard.
    2. Teatro alla ScalaA modest façade for the world's most famous opera house, born in 1778 on the ruins of a church.
    3. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIMilan's «drawing room»: a glass-and-iron covered street with a bull in the floor that everyone treads on for luck.
    4. Milan Cathedral (Duomo)Almost six centuries of building, a forest of pinkish marble spires and a golden Madonna watching over the city.
    5. The Columns of San Lorenzo and the TicineseRoman columns, a basilica with a huge dome and the square where Milan sits down to chat at dusk.
    6. The Navigli and Vicolo dei LavandaiThe canal that brought the Duomo's marble, a century-old stone washhouse and Milan's favourite bank for an aperitivo.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Risotto alla milanese at Trattoria Milanese. Via Santa Marta, 11

  3. Afternoon

    From Mediolanum to the Sforza: twenty centuries on foot

    History · 2.7 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. The Columns of San LorenzoSixteen Roman columns that have stood for nearly two thousand years, a reminder that Milan was once an imperial capital.
    2. The Basilica of Sant'AmbrogioThe church founded by the most influential bishop of his age, which became the spiritual heart of Milan.
    3. Santa Maria delle GrazieThe Dominican convent Ludovico il Moro wanted as his family mausoleum, and where Leonardo painted the Last Supper.
    4. San Maurizio al Monastero MaggioreA plain façade hiding the so-called «Sistine Chapel of Milan» and a church split in two by a wall.
    5. Castello SforzescoThe fortress of the Visconti and the Sforza: blown up, occupied, half demolished and finally revived by a stubborn architect.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Dark Milan: devils, plague-spreaders and skulls

    Mysteries & legends · 3 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. The Devil's ColumnA Roman column with two holes that, legend says, were made by the devil's horns as he charged at Saint Ambrose.
    2. The Colonna InfameThis was the home of the barber Gian Giacomo Mora, executed in 1630 as a plague-spreader after a trial under torture.
    3. Via BagneraA narrow, winding alley where Antonio Boggia, regarded as Italy's first serial killer, carried out his crimes.
    4. The half-woolly sow of Piazza dei MercantiA sow half covered in wool, carved on a medieval arch, holds the legend of Milan's founding.
    5. Casa degli OmenoniEight stone giants guard the house of Leone Leoni, sculptor to emperors and a man with a violent temper.
    6. San Bernardino alle OssaA small church beside Santo Stefano hides a chapel whose walls are covered in skulls and bones.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Cotoletta alla milanese at Antica Trattoria della Pesa. Viale Pasubio, 10

The map

Milan in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Milan in 1 day

  • Get up early: the Duomo and the Galleria are far better without crowds, and the afternoon route needs fresh legs. Wear comfortable shoes, because the cobblestones and tram tracks are hard on your feet.
  • Many museums close on Mondays, and Leonardo's Last Supper sells out weeks ahead: if you want to see it, book before you travel rather than on the day.
  • Between routes, use the metro (lines M1, M2 and M3 cover the centre) to save energy. In churches, cover your shoulders and knees.

Questions

Milan in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Milan in one day?

Yes, the essentials of the centre fit into one day if you start early and don't enter every museum. These three routes cover the Duomo, La Scala, the Galleria, Sant'Ambrogio and the Castello, but not long indoor visits or the Last Supper, which needs a booking.

How far do you walk in one day in Milan?

The three routes add up to about 8.9 km (3.2 for the must-see, 2.7 for history and 3.0 for mysteries), plus the transfers by metro or on foot between them. It's a long day, but very doable with breaks.

Do I need to book anything?

For the routes themselves, nothing: they're free and at your own pace. It's worth booking Leonardo's Last Supper, which sells out far in advance, and checking the opening hours of the Duomo and its terraces, which vary from day to day.

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