1. Home
2. Lombardy
3. Milan

18 Things to Do in Milan

Not sure what you can do in Milan? Here are several activity ideas suitable for everyone - from art, architecture, sports, or shopping enthusiasts to those who want to discover the city's secret and less touristy places. Our recommendation is to combine these activities with visits to the top tourist attractions in Milan.

1. See Milan from Above

The first thing we advise you to do in Milan is to climb to the roof of the Duomo. Not only will you see the city from above, but you will also be able to admire up close the wealth of Gothic spires, adorned with statues and stone lacework, making the Milan Cathedral one of the most impressive buildings in Europe.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

In Milan, there are other buildings where you can climb to get a high perspective of the city. In Piazza del Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a covered passage with famous restaurants and shops. Recently, a route called Highline Galleria has been set up on its roof, which you can walk along.

In Sempione Park, near the Sforza Castle, there is a metal tower built in the 1930s. It is called Torre Branca and was among the first modern towers in Milan. Due to a law that prohibited the construction of buildings taller than the Duomo, its height was limited to 108.6 meters. Today, Torre Branca has an elevator that takes you to the top of the tower, from where you can admire the city's view.

Book ticket

If you want to go even higher, try Palazzo Lombardia, located in the modern area of the city. However, the period during which you are on a city break in Milan must coincide with one of the days when it is allowed to take the elevator to the panoramic terrace. At the same time, keep in mind that you will need to make a reservation at least one day in advance. The building that houses the government of the Lombardy region was for a long time the tallest in the city, at 161.3 meters. The panoramic terrace from which you can admire the surroundings is located on the 39th floor, at a height of 150 meters. Climbing Palazzo Lombardia is one of the things you can do for free in Milan.

2. Look for the Lucky Bull in the Gallery

One of the things most tourists do when they arrive in Milan is to look for the image of the bull on the beautiful floor of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. The mosaic, which actually represents the coat of arms of the city of Turin, is at the center of a superstition: it is said that if you spin three times counterclockwise, pressing with your heel on the "delicate" parts of the bull, you will have good luck.

3. Take a Boat Ride on Milan’s Canals

In the Middle Ages, Milan was crossed by an entire network of canals used for commercial activities. At the end of the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci himself worked on their arrangement, managing to connect Milan to Lake Como (in the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology, you can see the old lock gates). Over time, most of the canals were covered, but two of them have been preserved in the Navigli district (whose name translates to "canals"): Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese. The canals are navigable, so you can take a boat ride to see a different aspect of the city of Milan.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

4. Go Shopping

For many, shopping is one of the must-do activities in Milan. From luxury stores in the Quadrilatero della Moda (where it's worth taking a walk even if you're just window shopping) to stores for all budgets on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Via Torino, or Corso Buenos Aires, and the outlets around (like Serravalle), Milan has something for everyone.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

5. Visit an Art Exhibition

Milan also means art. Besides classic attractions like Leonardo da Vinci's famous "The Last Supper" or the Pinacoteca di Brera Museum, the city has plenty of art exhibitions, permanent or temporary, for all tastes - from classic painters to contemporary art. Some of the places where exhibitions are held include the Royal Palace, Palazzo della Triennale, Pirelli HangarBicocca, Museo del Novecento, or Gallerie d'Italia.

6. Take a Tour with a Historic Tram

Many trams in Milan date back to the interwar period but have been refurbished and today give the city a special charm. A tram ride can be a way to discover the city, especially since many trams pass through the center or other areas of tourist interest. A ticket costs €2.2 and is valid for 90 minutes, including on the metro and buses (see also the article on public transport in Milan).

7. Dine in a Tram

Did you know that in Milan you can dine in a tram? The two restaurant trams are named ATMosfera and were built in 1929. They offer a culinary experience in a historic vehicle while you can admire the city's panorama through the window. Dinner costs €90, and lunch (only on Sundays) is priced at €75. Reservations must be made in advance, as there are few available spots: each tram has only 4 tables for 4 people and 4 tables for 2 people.

8. Attend an Opera Show

Teatro alla Scala is one of the city's symbols, and watching an opera show is one of the must-do activities in Milan, especially for music lovers. To have more options, try to buy tickets in advance - their prices start from a few tens of euros and go up to several hundred, depending on the visibility to the stage.

9. Watch a Football Match

The city is highly interesting for football fans. San Siro is the most famous football stadium in Italy, so if you are passionate, add the experience of attending a match on your list of things to do in Milan.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your booking on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

10. Take a Photo with… the Middle Finger

In Milan, in front of the Stock Exchange Palace (Palazzo Mezzanotte) in Piazza degli Affari, there is a rather peculiar artwork representing a hand with the middle finger raised. The sculpture was created in 2010 and is named L.O.V.E., but everyone calls it il Dito ("The Finger"). L.O.V.E. is an acronym for Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità ("Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity"). The sculptor Maurizio Cattelan has never spoken about the meaning of the work, but the most common interpretation is that it represents a protest against financial institutions.

11. Discover Liberty Architecture (and More) in Milan

Some of the most interesting buildings in Milan, built in the Liberty style (the equivalent of Art Nouveau in Italy), are found in the Porta Venezia district, and the most beautiful of these is probably Casa Galimberti. Built between 1903-1905, at the request of the Galimberti brothers, the building has a facade entirely decorated with ceramic tiles and balconies with wrought iron railings.

A few minutes' walk away are two other Liberty-style buildings: Casa Guazzoni and Biblioteca Venezia. The latter, built in 1910, was one of the first buildings in Italy specifically designed to house a cinema: Cinema Dumont.

Not far away is Piazza Eleonora Duse, surrounded by palaces built in the first half of the 20th century. From here begins an area called Quadrilatero del Silenzio ("Quadrilateral of Silence"), bordered by Via Serbelloni, Via Mozart, Via Vivaio, and Via Cappuccini. These streets have lots of elegant buildings with decorated entrance halls and gardens, where the great industrialists of the early 20th century lived.

Don't pass by Palazzo Berri Meregalli without looking at the entrance hall. The palace was built between 1911-1913 and was one of the three houses the Milanese family owned in this area (the other two are in Via Mozart 21 and Via Barozzi 7). The building is an example of eclectic architecture: on the facade, Liberty-style mosaics blend with Romanesque arches and Gothic-influenced gargoyles. The palace is a private residence, but you can enter the hall to admire the brightly colored floor, the ceiling frescoes, the mosaics, the wrought iron decorations, and the sculpture "Winged Victory", created in 1918-1919 by the sculptor Adolfo Wildt to celebrate the end of World War I.

Nearby is the most famous building in the Quadrilatero del Silenzio, Villa Necchi Campiglio, which belonged to the family that owned a famous sewing machine factory. The villa, built in 1935, had a large garden, a tennis court, and a private swimming pool (among the first in Milan). In 2001, the Necchi Campiglio family donated the property to FAI (Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano), and today you can visit it. In 2009, it was the main location for the filming of Io sono l'amore.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

On the same street can be seen Palazzo Fidia, one of the strangest buildings in Milan, built in 1932. Its bold mix of eclecticism and art déco has led it to be described as "architectural jazz" or "a resounding slap for all the bigots of tradition". In front of the house, director Michelangelo Antonioni filmed some scenes from Cronaca di un amore.

Next to it, Villa Mozart, built in 1926, greets you with walls entirely covered in ivy.

12. Whisper a Wish into Bronze Ear

We stay in the Quadrilatero del Silenzio, for another interesting building. It is Palazzo Sola Busca, also known as Ca' de l'Oreggia ("House with the Ear"). The reason is the bronze ear-shaped intercom, sculpted in the 1930s by Adolfo Wildt. At that time, it was one of the first intercoms in the city. Visitors used it to communicate with the porter, who would then notify the residents. Today, the intercom is no longer functional, but it has gained a "touristic" value: it is believed that wishes whispered into the bronze ear will come true.

13. Spy on the Flamingos

The Quadrilatero del Silenzio hides another curiosity: the presence of a colony of flamingos in the garden of Villa Invernizzi. The birds were brought in the 1970s from Africa and South America by the villa's owner, Romeo Invernizzi, known for his cheese factory.

The villa cannot be visited, but you can see the flamingos by peeking through the fence on Via Cappuccini.

14. Take a Walk Through the Chinese Quarter

For a more unusual experience, take a walk through Chinatown, Milan's Chinese quarter. In the past, the place was called Borgo degli Ortolani because there were many vegetable gardens in the area. The first Chinese migrants arrived here in the 1920s to work in the silk industry and later in the clothing and leather industries. Another massive wave of migration followed towards the end of the 1990s.

The center of Milan's Chinese quarter is Via Paolo Sarpi, a pedestrian street full of small shops and Chinese street food.

15. SPA Relaxation

Want a relaxing break? Try a few hours at the SPA. In Milan, right in the center, in a Liberty-style complex with an area of over 3000 square meters, there is one of the QC Terme facilities. The SPA center is open every day, from morning until late in the evening, and offers wellness services, massages, and treatments. You can try the world's first bio-sauna built in a tram or the Underwater Museum, a pool with crystal walls, arranged around archaeological remains.

Book ticket

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.

Another brand-new SPA center, which opened on April 1, 2025, is De Montel. It is also located in a historic place, on the premises of the old stables built by a wealthy family in the 1920s, in the same Liberty style. The center is relying on the water from a thermal spring, discovered in Milan a few years ago, at about 400 meters deep. On an area of 16,000 square meters (6000 indoors and 10,000 outdoors), there are 10 pools, 4 saunas, a tepidarium, a steam bath, a hammam, 9 relaxation rooms, 15 massage rooms, restaurants, and a large park.

Book ticket

Attention! Access for children under 14 years old (or 16 years old in the case of De Montel Terme) is not allowed in these SPA centers (but you can see activities and water parks suitable for them in the article about what you can do with children in Milan).

16. Discover Street Art in Milan

Are you a street art enthusiast? Milan has a lot to offer. For example, in the Ortica district, an open-air museum has been created in 2017. OR.Me (Ortica Memoria) includes over 20 urban art works that depict characters and episodes from the 20th century.

Another place you can go in search of street art (as well as trendy bars and cafes like Frida) is the Isola district.

In some cases, such as Giardino delle Culture, street art has saved the urban landscape. The area, previously degraded and abandoned, has been returned to the residents, being transformed into a space for cultural and recreational activities.

You can find a map of murals in Milan here.

17. See the Igloo Houses in the Maggiolina District

Those who want to discover Milan outside the city center and away from the tourist hustle can take a walk in the Maggiolina district, where there are some houses with a special architecture. They resemble an igloo, and the Milanese call them "smurf houses". They were designed after World War II to provide temporary housing for those who lost their homes in the bombings. Many were demolished in the 1960s, and the remaining ones are located on Via Lepanto and are still inhabited.

18. Take a Walk Through the… ”Burano of Milan”

Another quiet and less touristy place in Milan is the small street Via Lincoln. Born to be a working-class neighborhood at the end of the 19th century, the street is now known as the "rainbow district" or the "garden district". Due to the brightly painted facades, most people compare it to the island of Burano. The 40 two-story villas have private gardens with flowers and palm trees.

Use the CIAO5 code before completing your reservation on Tiqets and you will have a 5% discount.