How we spent three days in Milan
We spent three days in Milan, Italy which was the perfect amount of time to explore the city and still fit in a trip to Lake Garda. Though Milan is best known as the fashion and finance capital of Italy, the city isn’t all business. It’s full of history and some beautiful sites. In this blog, I’ll cover what you need to know about planning a trip to Milan including the best things to see and do, where to eat and drink, and more.
How to get to Milan
You can easily get to Milan from most UK airports, with tickets as cheap as £20. We were already in Italy, and got the train to Milan from Naples, which took about four hours. Trains between cities in Italy are cheap (and are also part of the Interrail pass, though we chose not to do that – find out why here) so if you’re already in the country this is often far easier and more affordable than flying.
The best things to do in Milan
These were our favourite things to see and do in Milan.
Visit the Duomo
Wander through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and see the famous bull mosaic
Sit at Piazza della Scala with a view of Teatro alla Scala
Go shopping
Explore Brera
Wander the Navigli canals
See Porta Nuova and Bosco Verticale
Visit Orto botanico
Take a day trip to Lake Como and/or Lake Garda
Find out more about how we spent two days in Lake Garda here.
Where to eat and drink in Milan
As with almost all cities in Italy, Milan is home to thousands of amazing places to eat and drink. We could only visit a limited amount in our three day trip, but these were our favourites:
Camparino in Galleria
Fico Naviglo
'O Fiore Mio Pizze di Strada
Bar Brera
Caffe Cucchi
Grom
Bar Ostello Bello Milano Duomo
Where to stay in Milan
We stayed at Ostello Bello Milano Duomo, which was perfectly located about 10 minutes walk from Duomo and the Galleria. It was a perfect base for us to get around the city easily on foot, and the hostels offer free pizza nights and pasta, veggies, and sauces in the communal kitchen. The bar here also has a great vibe and we had a fun night at one of the social events.
Is Milan expensive?
Milan isn’t the cheapest city to visit, and we definitely found it more expensive than Naples, but cheaper than Lake Como or Lake Garda. If you’re eating out every day the costs can add up, but overall you can find affordable places to eat and drink outside of the main tourist centres like Duomo or on the canalside in Navigli.
We also didn’t need to use cash at all in Milan and were able to use our card for everything including public transport.
Is Milan safe?
We found Milan to be perfectly safe but, like any major city, crime does happen and tourists are more likely to be the targets of theft. So keep an eye on your belongings at all times and don’t engage with street vendors or performers who might turn out to be scammers.
How to get around Milan
We used the Metro to get around Milan, which is very easy as you can tap in and out using your bank card or ApplePay, like on the London Underground. As we were based in the Duomo area, we also found that Milan was very easy to explore on foot.
What to pack for a long weekend in Milan
We were lucky with the weather during our trip to Milan, and the weather was warm and mild. We did have one hour of light rain and the evenings were cooler in early May, so I did need layers. Here is my packing list for Milan in May.
A white vest top
A white t-shirt
A striped shirt
A light jumper
A pair of wide-leg trousers
A pair of straight-leg jeans
A pair of Converse trainers
Enough underwear for the length of the trip
A shoulder bag
A water bottle
EU plug adapters
Passport
For more Italy packing inspiration, check out my Rome packing list here.