03 · Journal · City Guides
Things to do in Milan
My highest-scoring city so far. How long to stay, the Duomo's rooftop, a night at San Siro, a food tour and where to eat.
Milan scored 87 out of 100 on my Europe 2026 trip, the highest of any city I've rated. I got everywhere on the metro, watched one of the best games of football I've ever seen, and found out I love cannoli. I'll definitely go back.
- My score
- 87 / 100
- How long
- 5 nights
- Food
- About €50 a day
- Getting in
- Fly to Linate, then the metro
How long to stay
I spent four nights there, including a day trip to St. Moritz in Switzerland. I'd recommend five, so you also have a day for Lake Como. My four nights looked like this:
- Day 1Arrive
- Day 2The Duomo and the food tourThe Duomo and its rooftop in the morning, then the No Diet Club food tour.
- Day 3San Siro and the castleInter v Fiorentina at lunchtime, then Castello Sforzesco.
- Day 4St. MoritzA day trip into the Swiss Alps.
- Day 5Breakfast and onwardBreakfast at Boscovich, then the train to Rome.
What to do
Go up on the Duomo
Milan's Gothic cathedral took almost six centuries to finish. On the rooftop terraces you walk among the spires and statues with the city below you. It's the largest church in Italy (St. Peter's is bigger, but that's in Vatican City). I booked ahead and took the stairs, which is cheaper than the lift.
See a game at San Siro
I watched Inter come from behind to beat Fiorentina 2–1 in front of 74,642 people, the best atmosphere of any game I've been to. I bought my ticket on Inter's official site after creating an account. AC Milan play here too: AC Milan tickets.
Walk through Castello Sforzesco
The 15th-century castle of the Sforza family, who once ruled Milan. It holds Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, which he was still working on days before he died.
Take a day trip to St. Moritz
A coach from Milano Centrale at 7:30, past Lake Como and over the Maloja Pass, about an hour and a half of free time in St. Moritz, then the red Bernina Express train down to Tirano and a coach back. A long day, with most of it spent on the coach and train.
Where and what to eat
The No Diet Club food tour
The best moment of my trip until Chelsea beat Manchester United in London. A three-hour walking tour from Corso di Porta Romana, with all the food included. I booked it on GetYourGuide. Two of its stops are worth going back to on your own:
Cannoli at Ammu
A Sicilian pastry: a crisp fried shell, filled with sweetened ricotta while you wait. I didn't expect anything made with cheese to taste like that. They come close to a Portuguese pastel de nata, and I'll be making them at home.
Pizza by the slice at Rom'antica
Roman-style pizza al taglio, sold by weight. I had the tuna and onion.
Breakfast at Boscovich
French toast with berries and pistachios, and a hot chocolate, before I left for Rome.
Osteria Al 29
Proper Italian food (pasta, gnocchi and pizza) in big portions at good prices.
Aperitivo on the Navigli
Naviglio Grande is lined with restaurants, wine bars and terraces, one of the best places in Milan for dinner at sunset; Naviglio Pavese, next to it, is quieter. For cocktails: Mag Cafè, Rita & Cocktails or Ugo. Officina 12 does modern Italian food, and El Brellin serves classic Milanese dishes in an old courtyard.
More to see
Adult ticket prices as of late 2026; check before you go.
Fondazione Prada
Contemporary art in a converted industrial complex.
Museo del Novecento
20th-century Italian art, right beside the Duomo.
Pinacoteca di Brera
Renaissance and Baroque masters, including Raphael and Caravaggio.
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
More Renaissance art, with a Caravaggio of its own.
Armani/Silos
Decades of Giorgio Armani's collections, by timed entry.
Galleria and the fashion streets
The glass-roofed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II next to the Duomo, then the Quadrilatero della Moda around Via Monte Napoleone.
Bosco Verticale
The two tower blocks covered in trees, best seen from the park below.
Lake Como
Trains from Milano Centrale reach Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes. Or ride about an hour to Varenna (about €7) on the Lecco arm of the lake; there are beaches to swim at around Lierna.
Gifts to take home: panettone, Milan's sweet bread, sold beautifully boxed all year, and saffron for risotto alla Milanese, which is light and easy to pack.
Getting there and around
I flew into Linate, the airport closest to the city, took the M4 metro to Milano Dateo, and changed there to the S5 suburban train into the city. The S5 didn't take tap-to-pay, so I had to buy a ticket for it. After that I went everywhere on the metro, just tapping my phone or contactless bank card at the gates. The ATM website has fares and maps.
Where to stay
I stayed at Hotel Berna, a few minutes' walk from Milano Centrale. Good location, but an older room, and being near the main station makes trains (and the St. Moritz coach) easy.
Budget
What my four nights cost:
| Hotel BernaFour nights, including taxes (about $122 a night) | $488 |
|---|---|
| FoodTwo meals a day | ≈ €50 a day |
| MetroValid for 90 minutes; tap your phone or card | €2.20 a ride |
| Duomo rooftopBy stairs | ≈ €20 |
| No Diet Club food tourDepends on where you book | from ≈ €55 |
| Castello Sforzesco museumsThe courtyards are free | €10 |
| Inter v FiorentinaCentral second tier (secondo rosso centrale) | €129.90 |
| St. Moritz day tripCoach, Bernina Express and coach back | $134.83 |
Good to know
- Be careful on trains.
- Pistachio gelato should be brownish or a pale, pastel green. If it's bright green, it's coloured, and it isn't the real thing.
- Buy a ticket for the S trains. The S5 from Dateo didn't take tap-to-pay. On the metro, tapping your phone or contactless card works.
- Book the Duomo ahead, and take the stairs to the rooftop to save a few euros.
Weather
Late October was mild: around 13–18°C in the day and 6–10°C at night, and dry apart from light rain on the day I arrived.
Would I go back?
Yes. It's the best city I've been to so far, for the football, the food and how easy it is to get around. Next time I'd stay a night longer and spend a day at Lake Como.