Things to do in Milan

This guide groups Milan’s sights by area and says what to reserve and what to leave open. Prices, opening hours and availability change, so they are left to each operator’s official page, linked under Sources.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is in the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie 2, beside the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The museum’s official site says a reservation is required for everyone and for every type of ticket, including free ones; that you get 15 minutes in front of the painting; and that you must arrive 30 minutes before your booked time or lose your admission. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays.

• Reservations are released in batches several months ahead, and the museum publishes the schedule on its site. If your dates look sold out, check again: the site says availability updates daily and extra tickets go on sale online every Wednesday at noon for the following week.
• Check availability before you fix your Milan dates, fit the trip around the slot you get, and keep Monday out of the plan.
• Bags, bulky luggage, food and drink are not allowed inside; free lockers at the ticket office are limited to the duration of the visit (maximum 60 minutes).
• Buy through the museum’s official channels, or check who operates any tour you buy.
• The nearest metro stops are Cadorna (M1 and M2) and Conciliazione (M1). Tram and bus routes can change, so check the current routes on ATM’s official site before you go.

The Duomo di Milano is the city’s cathedral and its centre of gravity. The cathedral’s official ticket site sells three kinds of ticket: the cathedral and museum; the terraces; and a combined ticket for the cathedral, terraces and museum, which is listed as taking at least two hours. It also lists guided tours. Choose by the time you have, and check what each ticket includes.

Plan your clothes and your bag. The cathedral’s access regulations (official site, July 2025 edition) set a security check at the gates that can extend to bags; sleeveless or low-cut clothing, shorts, miniskirts and hats are not allowed inside the cathedral; luggage, large bags or rucksacks, helmets and glass objects may not be taken in, so carry only a small bag (the ticket site lists a luggage storage service); and food and drink are not allowed, except water. For the terraces, wear comfortable shoes: the lift reaches only the first level, the upper level and the way down are by stairs, and the cathedral may suspend rooftop visits in bad weather.

From the cathedral square the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the 19th-century glass-roofed arcade, leads to Piazza della Scala and the opera house. This is an easy walk and needs no booking to see from outside.

From the Duomo, the Sforza Castle is a straight walk through the centre. The castle courtyards are free to enter every day, while the museums inside are open Tuesday to Sunday on one ticket and closed on Mondays; the Sala delle Asse, the room Leonardo painted, is closed for restoration. Behind the castle lies Sempione Park, useful as a break. The Brera district, with its small streets and the Pinacoteca di Brera, lies north-east of the castle, so it fits on the way back toward the Duomo. The gallery is closed on Mondays and requires a reservation on its booking site; the gallery’s site also lists free admission with a reservation on the first Sunday of each month.

The Navigli is the canal district in the south-west, known for evening walks and restaurants. It pairs well with the Last Supper area on a second day, since both lie to the west and south-west of the centre.

• Art: the Last Supper, then the Pinacoteca di Brera.
• Architecture: the Duomo, the Galleria and the Sforza Castle.
• Shopping and fashion: the area around the Duomo and the Galleria; check shop hours locally.
• Short stay or layover: the Duomo, the Galleria and the castle courtyards on foot.
• Evenings: Navigli or Brera.
• On a Monday: the Last Supper, the Brera gallery and the castle museums are closed, so spend it on the Duomo, the Galleria, the castle courtyards, Sempione Park and the Navigli.

Milan’s centre can be walked, and public transport is run by ATM. ATM’s official site lists five metro lines, M1 to M5, says you can pay for your journey by tapping a contactless bank card, and says online passes are ready to use half an hour after purchase. Fares are on ATM’s separate fares site; check them there.

Our transport pages cover arrival: Malpensa and Linate airports to Milan, Bergamo airport, and the intercity routes. ATM announces late-evening service changes, for example works on the M2, on its own site and links a night network map, so check ATM before a late trip.

• Reserve: the Last Supper, and the Pinacoteca di Brera if you add it.
• Buy officially: the Duomo ticket through its own site.
• Check: castle museum days, terraces in bad weather and any special event.
• Leave open: walking the centre, the castle courtyards, Brera and the Navigli.

• Fixing flights and hotels without first checking Last Supper availability.
• Planning the Last Supper, the Brera gallery or the castle museums for a Monday.
• Arriving at the Last Supper less than 30 minutes before your booked time.
• Assuming the Duomo, the roof and the museum are one ticket; check what each ticket includes.
• Treating Milan only as an airport stop; the centre rewards one full day.
• Not checking the last metro or night bus when dining at the Navigli.