August 2020

Perfect 3 Day Itinerary for Milan, Italy

Regardless of where we travel to in Italy, we always fly into Milan. It is significantly less to fly into Milan than all the other Italian cities – at least in our experience flying out of JFK / New York. Once in Milan, the trains can travel virtually anywhere in the country. There are fast trains that can take you from Milan to Rome in 3 hours and it can save hundreds of dollars on airfare.

Because we have flown into Milan so many times, we have had the pleasure of using it as a layover destination – either arriving the last day of a trip for easy access to the airport or having time to spend before our train. Based on that, I was able to package a quick 3 day itinerary for visiting Milan.

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What is there to do?

Milan is certainly the most metropolitan in the country – while there is a tourist scene, it is not nearly as prominent as most of the other towns that depend on tourism. Milan has the hustle, a pulse like Paris or NYC which makes it stand out from other tourist destinations in Italy.

Duomo di Milano is the crown jewel of the city – it’s enormous, it’s detailed, it’s powerful. Consider purchasing the Duomo Pass which includes entrance to the terraces on foot (roof of the Duomo), the Duomo di Milano, the Duomo Museum and Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti. Going onto the roof of the Duomo was really incredible – recommend!
Museums – There are over 60 museums scattered throughout the city so the odds are high there is one that suits your interests. Here are just a few to consider:
- Santa Maria delle Grazie – visit the famous painting of the Last Supper. Fair warning that you need tickets very far in advance to get a peek at this piece of art.
- Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci – the science museum! We loved our visit here and were very happy with our choice.
- Pinacoteca Ambrosiana – art gallery full of Da Vinci work
- Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano – Natural history museum!
- Civico Museo Archeologico – ancient artifact exhibits
If you are able, see a production at Teatro alla Scala – it is regarded as one of the best opera houses in the world
Indulge in the cafe culture but do not overlook visiting one of the few Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world – located in the heart of Milan in a beautiful building
Plan a day trip to Lake Como! If you are not planning on visiting the northern lake region as a separate part of the itinerary, Lake Como is easily accessible by train for a perfect day trip destination. If you are able to keep you itinerary flexible, I would pick the best weather day to visit Lake Como, especially if you want to experience the sea plane.

Where to eat?

I have so much more eating to do in Milan to have a good handle on recommendations – the city is so big and each area has food to be explored. Looks like I have some homework to do!

Nerino Dieci Trattoria for dinner
Panzerotti Luini for everything in between (so good!)

Here is a complete three day itinerary!

Day 0	Arrive in Milan
Day 1	Climb Duomo di Milano Duomo di Milano Duomo Museum Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II
Day 2	Museum of choice Wander streets Shopping Performance at Teatro alla Scala
Day 3	Day trip to Lake Como – Aero Club Como Seaplane – Boat ride to Bellagio – Enoteca Cava Turacciolo
Day 4	Depart