Things to do in Milan
Art, aperitivo and honest food, the way Milanese actually spend their days.
This is Milan without the fashion-week posturing: neighbourhood cafés, ancient basilicas you can actually breathe in, and dinners that cost what they should. It suits anyone who wants to move between Brera, the Navigli and Porta Venezia at a human pace, eating and drinking well without needing to justify the bill.
Day 1: Brera, Sempione and a proper dinner
The day opens in one of Milan's oldest artist cafés, drifts through Romanesque lanes and a vast park, and ends with a trattoria dinner and a glass in a Brera wine cellar.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Basilica di San Simpliciano
Early-Romanesque gem tucked in the Brera lanes, beautiful courtyard, no crowds at this hour.
Map - 12:30 PM
La Libera
Trusted local favourite in Porta Garibaldi, solid Italian at $$ prices, exactly the casual mid-range lunch this day calls for.
Map - 2:30 PM
Parco Sempione
Milan's great green lung behind Castello, a proper afternoon wander without spending a euro.
Map - 7:30 PM
Osteria Brunello
The one splurge: a classic Italian trattoria in Porta Garibaldi with a loyal local following, the memorable dinner the trip deserves.
Map - 9:30 PM
N'Ombra de Vin
A Brera wine bar in an old cellar; a glass of something Italian at a fair price to end the day.
Map
Day 2: Navigli columns, brutalism and pizza
Roman columns, a brutalist tower that photographs can't do justice, and an evening of serious pizza and cantina wine in the neighbourhood that earned them, the most architecturally varied day of the three.
- 9:30 AM
NOWHERE FUTURE COFFEE ROASTERS
Specialty roaster beloved by locals, solid espresso or filter to start the day right.
Map - 10:15 AM
Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore
One of Milan's oldest basilicas with striking Roman columns still standing out front, free and genuinely impressive.
Map - 12:30 PM
Panini De Santis - Milano
Much-loved sandwich spot in Cerchia dei Navigli, casual, cheap, exactly what locals grab for lunch.
Map - 2:00 PM
Torre Velasca
Torre Velasca is Milan's brutalist icon, walk around it and up close it's far more dramatic than any photo suggests.
Map - 7:30 PM
CONFINE - PIZZA E CANTINA
CONFINE is the neighbourhood's most talked-about pizza, great wine list and proper cantina atmosphere for a memorable dinner.
Map - 9:30 PM
Colibrì
A neighbourhood cocktail bar near the Statale university, an easy last drink after Carrobbio.
Map
Day 3: Porta Venezia, gardens and a slow finish
A gentle morning in Milan's grandest public gardens gives way to a neighbourhood trattoria lunch, a landmark gate and a low-key final evening that lets the city settle in properly.
- 9:30 AM
Pavé
Bakery café near Porta Venezia known for its brioche; a cappuccino and a pastry before the walk.
Map - 10:15 AM
Giardini pubblici Indro Montanelli
Milan's beloved public gardens, a relaxed morning stroll before the day heats up.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
- 7:30 PM
Bites
Small international plates near Corso Buenos Aires; share a few and pair them with a glass of wine.
Map - 9:30 PM
Osteria Alla Concorrenza
A small osteria and wine bar a few minutes from dinner for one last glass.
Map
Where to stay
Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan
Casa Brera sits right in the Brera district, putting Day 1 on your doorstep and the Navigli within an easy tram ride.
Senato Hotel Milano
A calm design hotel on Via Senato by the public gardens, walkable to Brera and Porta Venezia; not cheap.
Make Milan your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Duomo di Milano: weeks ahead
- Cenacolo Vinciano: months ahead
- Pinacoteca di Brera: a few days ahead
- Teatro alla Scala: weeks ahead
- Stadio Giuseppe Meazza: weeks ahead
- Lake Como: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Eating or drinking seated on Piazza del Duomo or in the Galleria at terrace prices for mediocre food.
- Any restaurant with a tout, laminated photo menus and a tourist menu in six languages.
- Aperitivo buffets chosen for size rather than drink quality.
- Como coach tours giving one rushed hour in Bellagio in August; go self guided to Varenna instead.
The full Milan travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around