3 days in Milan

Pinacoteca di Brera

The main picture gallery of Milan, set in an old palace with a quiet courtyard. The route runs through rooms of Italian painting from the 13th to the 20th century.

2 h visitOpen 8:30 am–7:15 pm · last entry 6:00 pmAdult ticket €20

Take an early slot and start with the Raphael and the Caravaggio before the school groups arrive. Then walk the Brera streets for coffee.

Reservations are required and are made on the official booking site or by phone. Book a day and a time slot, and book earlier for weekends and for the free first Sunday.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 19:15, last entry at 18:00. Closed on Mondays, 1 May, 25 December and 1 January. Free admission with reservation on the first Sunday of the month. On selected autumn evenings the museum stays open until 23:20 with last entry at 22:00.

Source: Pinacoteca di Brera, checked October 5, 2026

Duomo di Milano

The cathedral is a Gothic building in white marble with a forest of spires. The standard ticket covers the interior and a climb to the roof terraces, where you walk among the statues and pinnacles above the square.

3 h 30 visitOpen 9:00 am–7:00 pm · last entry 6:00 pmAdult ticket €22

Go up to the terraces in the first slots of the morning, when the marble is cool and the light on the spires is soft. Cover shoulders and knees, and leave large bags at the luggage storage.

Buy a dated ticket online and skip the ticket office queue. The stairs ticket is the standard one, a lift ticket costs more, and a fast-track pass adds the museum, the archaeological area and the crypt.

Cathedral and terraces: every day from 9:00 to 19:00, last entry at 18:00. The Duomo Museum opens at 10:00 and is closed on Wednesdays. The official site posts notices on days when services or events change the opening times.

Source: Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, checked October 5, 2026

Museo del Novecento

The city's museum of 20th century Italian art, in the Arengario on the Duomo square. A long ramp leads up through the Futurist rooms, and the windows frame the cathedral.

1 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–7:30 pm · last entry 6:30 pmAdult ticket €10

Come on a Thursday evening for the late hours, or in the late afternoon for the view of the Duomo from the upper floor. A free audio guide is available.

Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:30, and on Thursdays until 22:30. Closed on Mondays. Last entry is one hour before closing. Free on the first Sunday of the month.

Source: Museo del Novecento, Comune di Milano, checked October 5, 2026

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

A cross-shaped shopping arcade under a glass and iron roof, linking the Duomo square to La Scala. It is free, covered and open all hours, so it works at any time of day.

40 min visitAlways open

Go early in the morning or after dark, when the crowds thin and the lamps are lit. Look up at the dome over the octagon.

The arcade is a public passage and is open at all hours. The shops keep their own hours.

Source: YesMilano (Comune di Milano), checked October 5, 2026

Leonardo's Last Supper

Leonardo's wall painting fills one end of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Visits are limited to groups of about 40 people for 15 minutes, so the booked time is the whole point of the trip.

1 h visit (official site suggests 15 min)Open 8:15 am–7:00 pm · last entry 6:45 pmAdult ticket €15

Arrive with time to spare and leave bags in the free lockers by the ticket office, because bags, food and drink are not allowed inside. The ticket office is on Via Ruffini.

Reservation is compulsory for every ticket, including free ones and children. Tickets are released in quarterly batches, with extra tickets put on sale each Wednesday at noon for the following week. Check the official site first and book as soon as your dates are open.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 19:00, with last admission at 18:45. Closed on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December. On some days there are special evening openings, listed on the official site.

Source: Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, checked October 5, 2026

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

A small Renaissance church, covered inside with frescoes and often called the Sistine Chapel of Milan. Entry is free and the visit is short.

30 min visitOpen 10:00 am–5:30 pm · last entry 5:00 pm

Walk in through the church portal and leave through the Archaeological Museum on Corso Magenta, because the route runs one way. Groups must reserve in advance.

Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30, last entry at 17:00. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December and from 11 to 21 August. Volunteers keep the church open, so it can close at short notice.

Source: Museo Archeologico di Milano (Comune di Milano), checked October 5, 2026

La Scala Museum

A small museum beside the opera house, with portraits, costumes and instruments from the history of the theatre. When there is no rehearsal, the ticket lets you look into the auditorium from the boxes.

1 h visitOpen 9:30 am–5:30 pm · last entry 5:00 pmAdult ticket €12

Check the box view first: it is only open when there is no rehearsal, performance or event in the theatre. Weekday mornings are the quietest.

Open every day from 9:30 to 17:30, last admission at 17:00. Closed on 7, 25 and 26 December, 1 January, Easter, 1 May and 15 August. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 15:00.

Source: Museo Teatrale alla Scala, checked October 5, 2026

Quadrilatero della Moda

The fashion district around Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia. The streets are free to walk, and the courtyards and house museums inside the district are worth a detour.

1 h 30 visitAlways open

Walk Via della Spiga to Via Sant'Andrea, then turn into the courtyard off Corso Venezia that is now open to the public.

The streets are open all day. Shops keep their own hours, and traffic is restricted in the zone for cars.

Source: YesMilano (Comune di Milano), checked October 5, 2026

Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

The old church of Milan's patron saint, a Romanesque basilica with a calm atrium. Entry to the basilica is free, and a separate treasury museum sits beside it.

1 h visitOpen 3:00 pm–5:00 pm

Check the visiting hours first, because the church closes at midday and again for services. The treasury has its own entrance on the square.

Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 18:00, Sunday from 15:00 to 17:00. The church is closed to visitors during services. The parish site posts summer closures and holiday timetables. The treasury museum is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00, and Sunday from 14:30 to 17:00.

Source: Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, checked October 5, 2026

Navigli and the Darsena

A district of canals and low houses to the south-west of the centre, made around the old river port. It is a place to walk, browse and have an aperitivo rather than tick off sights.

3 h visitAlways open

Arrive an hour before sunset, walk the Naviglio Grande towpath, and stay for the evening when the bars fill. Weekend evenings are the busiest.

Open at all hours. On the last Sunday of every month the Naviglio Grande hosts a large antiques market along the bank.

Source: YesMilano (Comune di Milano), checked October 5, 2026

Cimitero Monumentale

A cemetery of the 19th and 20th centuries, filled with sculpted tombs and family chapels. It works as an open-air sculpture museum and entry is free.

1 h 30 visitOpen 8:00 am–6:00 pm · last entry 5:30 pm

Ask at the info point for a route map and keep to the marked paths. A mid-morning visit leaves time to continue to Porta Nuova afterwards.

Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed on Mondays that are not public holidays. On public holidays it closes at 13:00.

Source: Cimitero Monumentale, Comune di Milano, checked October 5, 2026

Sforza Castle

A brick fortress built by the Visconti and rebuilt by the Sforza, now home to the city's civic museums. The courtyards are free to walk through, and one ticket opens all the museums for the day.

3 h visitOpen 10:00 am–5:30 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €10

Walk in through the courtyards in the morning, do the museums while the light is flat, and finish in the park behind the castle. Under 18s enter the museums free.

Museums: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30, last entry at 16:30. Courtyards: every day from 7:00 to 19:30 and free. Museums are closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Leonardo's Sala delle Asse is closed for restoration.

Source: Castello Sforzesco, Comune di Milano, checked October 5, 2026

Parco Sempione

The city's main park, an English-style garden behind the Sforza Castle with lawns, ponds and a long path to the Arch of Peace. It is a good place to rest between museums.

1 h visitOpen 6:00 am–10:00 pm

Cut through from the castle to the Arch of Peace and back along the other side. The Branca Tower in the park has a viewing platform, so check its opening on the day.

From October to March the park is open from 6:00 to 22:00. From April to September it stays open from 6:00 to midnight.

Source: Comune di Milano, checked October 5, 2026

Porta Nuova and Piazza Gae Aulenti

The modern Milan skyline around a raised circular square with fountains and glass towers. It is a free walk at any hour and good after dark.

1 h 15 visitAlways open

Walk the square at dusk, when the fountains light up, then continue through the park and the tree-covered towers nearby.

Open at all hours. The Bosco Verticale towers are private residences and cannot be entered.

Source: YesMilano (Comune di Milano), checked October 5, 2026