Is Milan guide in one day It is prepared for travelers who do not want to miss anything important in the city of fashion, but have only one day to do it.
Capital of the beautiful region of Lombardy, Milan is the perfect combination of great historical-cultural heritage with new trends and modernity, something that besides being unique, makes it unique as well as a perfect city to walk on foot, having the vast majority of Points of interest concentrated in the historic center.
Based on the experience of our trip to Milan and Bergamo in 4 days we have made this practical guide to know the best of Milan in one day. We start!
How to go from the airport to the center of Milan
Although Milan has 3 airports near the city, the two most used are Malpensa Airport and Bergamo Airport or Orio al Serio, both located about 50 kilometers from the center. Low cost companies such as Ryanair land at the Bergamo airport, while large airlines operate at Malpensa International Airport.
The best means of transport to go from these two airports to the center of Milan are:
- Train: From Terminal 1, the Malpensa Express will take you to Piazza Cadorna, near Sforzesco Castle, in half an hour for a price of 13 euros.
This train that has a frequency of 30 minutes and also arrives at the Central Station in 50 minutes for the same price. These two stops are very well connected by subway with the rest of the city. - Bus: From the T1 and T2 of the Malpensa airport, connected by a free bus, the buses of the companies Malpensa Shuttle and Autostradale leave every half hour, which will take you to the Central Station of Milan. The journey time is about 50 minutes and the price is around 10 euros. Keep in mind that there is also a night bus service.
From the airport of Bergamo, there are the Terravision and Orio Shuttle buses that will take you to the Central Station of Milan in an hour for 5 euros. - Cab: The price of a taxi from the two airports to the city center can be close to 100 euros.
- Private transport: With a price a little lower than the taxi, it is the most comfortable alternative, since a driver will wait for you at the airport with a sign with your name, which will take you directly to the hotel in Milan. You can book it here.
For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from the Milan airport to the center.
Accommodation in Milan
Our recommended hotel to make a route through Milan in one day is the Andreola Central Hotel, located 200 meters from the Central Station of Milan. The hotel is well connected to the airport and to the center thanks to the metro and in addition to the location, it has a great value, a good restaurant, quality buffet breakfast, comfortable classic-style rooms and attentive staff.
Tips to save in Milan
Following this list of tips will help you save in Milan:
- A good option to know the history and curiosities of the most important places in the city is to book this free tour of Milan Free! With guide in Spanish, one of the best free tours in Milan.
- The Milanocard card offers you free public transport for 48 hours for 6.5 euros and also includes discounts at the main points of interest in the city, as well as in restaurants, shops, bicycle rentals or guided tours.
- To save time you can book the one-day tourist bus that stops at all tourist points in the city and offers recorded comments in Spanish.
- You can find discounted tickets for the Teatro de la Scala if you go on the same day of the show.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
For more recommendations you can consult this post of tips to travel to Milan essential.
Milan guide in one day
The Milan route in one day It starts arriving early in the Piazza del Duomo, the main square of Milan. This square is located in the historic center and is surrounded by some of the most important buildings in the city such as the Cathedral, the Victor Manuel II Gallery and the Royal Palace.
The Duomo or the Cathedral, which opens at 8 in the morning, is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and one of the places to visit in Milan more essential, which highlights its pink white marble facade, which we are sure, will leave you speechless.
Il Duomo of Milan
Inside, the Renaissance-style marble altar stands out, where a Nail of the Cross of Christ and the Statue of Bartholomew the Apostle are kept in the back, although we have to confess that our favorite place is the terrace, full of towers, Pinnacles and statues, from where you will enjoy magnificent views of the city. You can book here the entrance to the cathedral with access to the terrace without having to queue.
We recommend visiting the Cathedral early in the day, since being the most tourist place in the city, from 10 in the morning it is usually full of people. If you are staying away from the center, you can reach the square by subway by getting off at the Duomo stop.
Next to the cathedral is the magnificent Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, known as the "Milan lounge", where inside you can see, in addition to some mosaics on the floor, luxury shops, historic coffee shops and several restaurants with a terrace, among which we recommend you to have a coffee in the historic Café Biffi of 1867.
After this stop, you will approach the Plaza de La Scala, which you can access from the Plaza del Duomo through the same gallery and which is the next stop for Milan in one day.
A good option if you have little time and want to know better the history of the city is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish that covers the main points of interest of the city.
Visit the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan in one day
In the center of the square is a monument to Leonardo da Vinci and on one of the sides, the La Scala Theater, from the 18th century and one of the most famous in the world, for which the greatest opera singers of the history like María Callas, Pavarotti or Plácido Domingo.
To visit the theater you can buy a ticket for one of its shows that are shown on its official website or book this guided tour in Spanish.
Scala Theater
Walking a few meters further, you will reach the Quadrilatero d'Oro which is formed by four streets: Corso Venecia, Vía della Spiga, Vía Alessandro Manzoni and Vía Monte Napoleone, where the most luxurious shops of the best known Italian fashion brands are located and even if you do not enter any store, it is worth taking a short walk to see the historical buildings and know why Milan is known as the city of fashion.
After the route through these 4 streets, you will take the Sforzesco Castle, a fortress of 1368, although before entering the castle we recommend you to have a snack at Chiosco Squadre Calcio or Il Politico, two of the most recommended in the city.
After regaining strength, you can enter this fortress of the Sforza family that was destroyed by Napoleon and rebuilt a century later, in which you cannot miss the Sala delle Asse, decorated in fresco by Leonardo da Vinci. Inside the castle there are also several museums, although none essential taking into account that you will only be one day in the city.
Sforzesco Castle
Next to the Sforzesco Castle is the Sempione Park, a perfect place to take a walk between trees and nature and continue the Milan in one day. Inside the park is the huge Arco della Pace that commemorated the victories of Napoleon and the Brancha Tower and which also highlights a 108-meter viewpoint. The climb to the top of the tower is done by elevator and in addition to enjoying the panoramic views of Milan, you will have the possibility, on clear days, to see even the Alps.
The route of Milan in one day continues with the visit to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, one of the best things to do in Milan, which stands out for housing in an old dining room wall, one of the masterpieces of history, The fresco of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. This painting highlights the figure that is to the right of Christ, which according to some experts and the novel of The Da Vinci Code it could be Mary Magdalene, the one they say, who was the wife of Jesus.
The Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci
This visit is one of our favorites in the city although the daily number of visits is quite limited due to the fragile state of the work, so if you want to enjoy it, it is advisable to book the guided tour in Spanish to learn about the history of painting or This offer also includes a guided tour of the city in Spanish.
When leaving the church you can return to the old town by Corso Magenta, although before reaching Piazza del Duomo, we recommend you to go through Piazza Mercanti, a square surrounded by elegant historical buildings, among which the Palazzo della Ragione , the Loggia degli Osii, the Water Well of the 11th century, the Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, the Casa dei Panigarola and the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti.
Piazza dei Mercanti
Arrived at this point of Milan in one day, you have to regain strength and nothing better than with an ice cream. Near this square and the Duomo you have several recommended ice cream parlors such as Ciacco or Venchi, where you can try some of the best artisan ice cream, which we are sure, will not disappoint you.
And for dinner, either before or after ice cream, in the center you can opt for a pizza at Un'Altra Pasta or at Piz, two of the most recommended places in the city.
After charging energy and to finish Milan in one day, we recommend you approach the Duomo and the Víctor Manuel II Gallery to see them with night lighting. In the gallery near the mosaic of the Torino bull, in which you will see a small hole in the drawing, do not forget to put your foot inside and take three turns, since the legend says that it will bring you very good luck and that is never over, right ?.
If you have more time you can follow this guide from Milan in two days.
Map of the route of Milan in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Milan?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Milan here
The best hotels at the best prices in Milan here
Milan guide in two days
Book the best tours and excursions in / from Milan in Spanish here
Book your Airport⇆Milán transfer here
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Milan here
The best hotels at the best prices in Milan here
Milan guide in two days
Book the best tours and excursions in / from Milan in Spanish here
Book your Airport⇆Milán transfer here
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here** All photos without a watermark have been provided by Shutterstock.
