An expert guide to spending a short city break in Italy’s most fashionable city
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​​Lying at the foot of the Alps, Milan is Italy’s financial hub and economic driver, home to the country’s Stock Exchange. It is also Italy’s most cosmopolitan city, with a modern central district dominated by skyscrapers and a pretty historical quarter lined with palazzi (palaces) – each harbouring wonderful hidden courtyards.
Leader of Italy’s fashion and design industry, Milan is replete with snazzy boutiques, haute couture stores and showrooms displaying the latest in Italian design. It’s also a historic city – home to the magnificent Duomo and scores of wonderful art galleries, museums and churches.
Its dining and nightlife scenes rank among the country’s most vibrant. Bars line the city’s famous Navigli canals – said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci, who called the city his home for a number of years. When the work day’s over, Milanesi congregate at bars throughout the city for aperitivo – drinks and small bites – before heading home for their evening meal.
For more Milan inspiration, see our guides to the city’s best hotels, things to do, restaurants, bars and nightlife, and shopping.
Start the day at Milan’s vast Gothic-style Duomo, which stands majestically in Piazza Duomo. Catch the lift to the rooftop terraces and see elaborate spires and statues up close as you enjoy 360-degree views of the city. Once you’re back on terra firma, stroll through the sumptuous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping centre that is today an architectural marvel, with its impressive dome and gleaming marble floors.
Visit the Gallerie d’Italia and admire 19th- and 20th-century works, making sure you take a stroll round the leafy interior courtyard, which once belonged to writer Alessandro Manzoni. If contemporary art is more your thing, don’t miss the excellent Museo del Novecento on Piazza Duomo.
Next, stroll the artistic quarter of Brera, stopping to browse independent boutiques, art galleries and quirky stores. For lunch, tuck into Italian favourites at Casa Fiori Chiari, a sophisticated neighbourhood restaurant giving onto a pretty pedestrianised street, or try Trattoria del Ciumbia on the same stretch, which serves Milanese favourites in a 1960s-style trattoria setting.
Pop into the Orto Botanico di Brera for a post-prandial walk and to admire botanical collections. Next, visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, the city’s most prestigious art gallery housing an impressive collection of Renaissance works. The neighbouring Palazzo Citterio is also worth visiting, where you can see the Pinacoteca’s collection of 20th-century art.
Make your way to the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
Don’t miss the nearby Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, adorned with spectacular frescoes by Bernardino Luini and the Lombard School.
Head to Milan’s bustling Navigli, and sit back and enjoy an aperitivo al fresco at MAG Café – a lively little spot that brims with character. Or head to nearby Rita, one of the city’s best spots to enjoy a tipple and some top-notch bar snacks. Order a Gin Zen, a refreshing drink made with gin, fresh ginger, lime and soda.
For dinner, try Frangente, a bustling restaurant where menus are driven by seasonal ingredients – take a seat at the counter and watch the chefs at work as you savour a cotoletta alla Milanese (breaded veal cutlet). Alternatively, head to Veramente, a lively spot serving hearty portions of Italian fare in a sophisticated, convivial setting.
For a post-prandial snifter, make your way to the lively district of Porta Venezia and settle into Bicerìn, a cosy wine bar with an excellent selection of wines sourced from small independent producers. If cocktails are more your thing, head to Moebius Milano, an industrial inspired space serving up great cocktails and finger food (it doubles as a bistro and restaurant too).
Soak up the atmosphere of Villa Necchi Campiglio, an authentic art deco mansion with gorgeous interiors displaying original furnishings and details that exude all the comfort and luxury of a lavish 1930s bourgeois home.
Next, refuel at Pavè with a coffee and homemade pastries, ready to hit the high-street shops of Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. If you’re after luxury boutiques and haute couture stores, stroll the quiet cobbled streets of the Quadrilatero della Moda. For lunch, sit back in the leafy garden of Paper Moon Giardino and enjoy an al fresco meal of Italian and Milanese favourites.
Wander north west towards the redbrick Castello Sforzesco and enjoy a walk around leafy Parco Sempione. Visit the Triennale Milano and check out the best in Italian design objects, admiring pieces by renowned designers including Gio Ponti and Achille Castiglioni. It features over 1,600 pieces, dating from 1923 to the present day.
Sit back in the museum’s garden café – if you’re visiting with children, this is a great spot for them to run around and let off some steam. If the sun is beginning to set, pop up to the top floor of the building and enjoy an aperitivo at Terrazza Triennale, which offers lovely views of the park and Milan’s financial district beyond.
Start your evening with an aperitivo at Milan’s most iconic bar, Camparino in Galleria, and join milanesi as they unwind and loosen up their ties with a campari seltz. If you’re visiting in summer, enjoy an al fresco aperitivo at the exclusive Il Bar of Bvlgari Hotel Milano, immersed in a wonderful leafy garden in the heart of the city.
Order a Signature Bvlgari cocktail – a refreshing summer drink made with gin, Aperol, lime, pineapple and orange juice – and take your pick from small bites including culatello ham, and sardines with bread and butter.
For dinner, savour Chef Natalini’s culinary creations at Autem, prepared with fresh produce handpicked by the chef himself at the market. If you’d rather sample Milan’s international dining scene, make for the elegant Ba, one of the city’s best Cantonese restaurants combining Chinese culinary traditions with Italian ingredients.
Alternatively, try Altatto, a superb vegetarian restaurant in northern Milan serving creatively presented dishes guaranteed to wow even the most die-hard meat eaters. End your Milanese stay in style at Ceresio 7, one of Milan’s most fashionable nightlife venues where you can sip cocktails around a stylish rooftop swimming pool.
As Italy’s financial centre, fashion capital, and a major hub for exhibitions and trade shows, Milan is a city that is constantly on the go, attracting visitors throughout the year. If you can, try and visit outside of the swelteringly hot months of July and August. The days around Ferragosto, a national holiday on August 15, are particularly quiet, with many shops and restaurants closing as milanesi make for the coast or mountains to cool off from the heat.
Hotel rates in Milan are generally expensive, with prices soaring during Milan’s April Furniture Fair (Salone del Mobile) and Women’s Fashion Week in February and September.
Casa Cipriani Milano is private members’ club with butler-serviced rooms exuding elegance and glamour, with intimate spaces in handsome lacquered woods and fabrics in deep, rich hues. Members gather with like-minded souls over a convivial bite or at regular themed evenings, sipping bellinis until late. There’s a lovely spa, too.
Read our full review here.
Locanda Pandenus is a stylish locanda (inn) that feels more like a tiny boutique hotel, with four beautifully styled rooms exuding art deco chic (think couture-inspired fabrics; velvet curtains; globe lamps). It’s sophisticated, fashionable and located above a bustling café and bistro, all of which echoes the creative vibe of Milan’s Brera district.
Read our full review here.
LaFavia Milano is a family-run B&B beautifully done up in a hotchpotch of design styles, where art deco furnishings and 1970s wallpaper meet antiques and objets d’art. There’s a delightful leafy terrace (complete with two pet turtles) shaded by wisteria, jasmine and fruit trees – a perfect setting to while away the afternoons.
Doubles from €130 (£111).
Read our full review here.
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Where to stay?
The city is served by three airports: Milano Linate is the closest to the centre, lying just five miles east of the Duomo, conveniently served by the M4 metro line that zips into town in just 12 minutes. Milano Malpensa, 29 miles north west of the city, is Italy’s second busiest airport, connected to Milano Cadorna (37 minutes) and Milano Centrale (51 minutes) via the Malpensa Express train. Milano Bergamo lies 33 miles north east, with regular buses serving the city.
The centre of Milan is easily walkable, with good public transport links connecting all corners of the city. The main railway station is Milano Centrale, with high-speed trains serving both national and international destinations.
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“I was raised bilingually in northern Italy, and I can often be found strolling the cobbled streets of Brera while sussing out the latest spots in the city for a top-notch aperitivo.”

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