Things to do in Milan, splurging
Brera and the Duomo, Joia's vegetarian lunch, a Campari at Camparino, dinner at Masuelli.
This is Milan for people who read the menu before they book the flight. Three days move through Brera, the centro storico and Porta Venezia, with a fine-dining lunch, a roster of high-rated Italian tables and enough design retail to do real damage. It suits anyone who wants the city to feel earned rather than touristic, and who considers a good Negroni a non-negotiable end to the evening.
Day 1: Brera, art and a long evening
The day opens with coffee at Jamaica, moves through the Pinacoteca and a Brera lunch, then ends with a glass in a Brera wine cellar.
- 9:30 AM
Jamaica
Legendary Brera café, a Milan institution for a proper morning coffee among artists and locals.
Map - 10:15 AM
Palazzo di Brera
Stroll the courtyard and Pinacoteca di Brera, one of Italy's great art collections, steps from the café.
Map - 12:30 PM
Vesta Fiori Chiari
Seasonal Italian cooking on a Brera side street; ask for a table outside on Via Fiori Chiari.
Map - 2:30 PM
Orto Botanico di Brera
The hidden botanical garden tucked inside the Brera academy, a quiet, beautiful post-lunch wander.
Map - 7:30 PM
Veramente
Modern Italian in the quiet San Marco streets behind Brera, an easy dinner a few minutes' walk from the gallery.
Map - 9:30 PM
N'Ombra de Vin
A Brera wine bar in an old cellar, open late; pick a bottle from the shop shelves and drink it there.
Map
Day 2: Duomo, old churches, late pizza
Marchesi sets the tone at nine-thirty, the Gothic rooftop puts the city in perspective, and the night closes at Campari's own historic bar inside the Galleria.
- 9:30 AM
Marchesi 1824
The historic pastry house's room above the Galleria; a cappuccino and a brioche looking down on the arcade.
Map - 10:30 AM
Duomo di Milano
Milan's unmissable Gothic cathedral, climb the rooftop terraces for the full view over the city.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore
One of the oldest churches in Milan with stunning 4th-century mosaics, a genuine cultural detour.
Map - 7:30 PM
CONFINE - PIZZA E CANTINA
Long-fermented pizza and a deep cantina wine list in Carrobbio; order a bottle to go with it.
Map - 9:30 PM
Camparino in Galleria
Campari's own historic bar inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the city's most iconic after-dinner cocktail.
Map
Day 3: Porta Venezia, fine-dining lunch, the Quadrilatero
The San Carlo al Lazzaretto chapel, Pietro Leemann's vegetarian lunch at Joia, the Quadrilatero boutiques, dinner at Masuelli and a late drink at Moebius.
- 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
Chiesa di San Carlo al Lazzaretto
An octagonal 1580s church that once stood open in the middle of the plague lazaretto; quiet and small.
Map - 12:30 PM
Joia
Haute vegetarian cooking from Leemann's longtime chefs; the weekday three-plate lunch is the way in.
Map - 2:30 PM
Quadrilatero d'Oro
Milan's legendary golden rectangle of flagship design boutiques, exactly what the splurge traveller is here for.
Map - 7:30 PM
Trattoria Masuelli San Marco
A Milanese trattoria run by the same family for a century; order the cotoletta or the risotto alla milanese.
Map - 9:30 PM
Moebius Milano
Cocktails and a lively bar room in a converted warehouse near Centrale; sit at the counter.
Map
Where to stay
Armani Hotel Milano
Armani's own hotel sits right between Brera and the Quadrilatero: the address does the talking before you say a word.
Grand Hotel et de Milan
Grand Hotel et de Milan has been the city's most storied address since 1863, steps from La Scala and every day on this plan.
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