I traveled from Bern (Switzerland) to Milan via Domodossola, an Italian city in the Piemonte region next to the Swiss border. The railway route departing from Bern I did with the Swiss company SBB for about 2 hours. From Domodossola, I took the train to Milan with the Italian company Trenitalia, also for about 2 hours. On the website of both companies, you can search for routes and departure times to buy your ticket. An alternative is buying online directly on Omio.

My aim in this article is far way from writing a complete travel guide about Milan, since this city has much more than the places visited by most tourists. If you’re planning to stay a few days in Milan, here are some places to visit, based on my short trip. 

Where to stay in Milan? 

During my stay in Milan, I stayed at the hostel Ostello Bello, located a few squares away from Piazza del Duomo, within walking distance. I confess that I went without any previous booking, but as Milan receives a great number of tourists even outside the high season, there’s a risk of not finding a room. Before Ostello Bello, I had passed by two other hostels that were fully booked. To visit the main attractions in Milan by walking, Piazza San Duomo is a great location.

How long to visit Milan?

The ideal time to explore Milan is 3 or 4 days to visit the main landmarks in the city and gain some time to visit places out of the touristy bubble, as much of daily life in Milan happens in the underground scene. If you stay for only 1 or 2 days, focus straight on the places you want to visit. I stayed 4 days in Milan and took the chance to do a day trip to Padua. 

What places to visit in Milan?

Thinking about an itinerary for those traveling to Milan during a Eurotrip, or just departing from the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore, or other parts of the world, here we go with a suggestion of a basic itinerary that every traveler must visit. This itinerary includes visiting the Duomo di Milano, stopping at the iconic Luini Caffè, walking by Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and touring San Siro Stadium. 

For nightlife, the main areas in Milan where you can search for bars, clubs, and concerts are Navigli, Isola, Brera, Corso Sempione, Porta Romana, Lambrate, and Colonne di San Lorenzo.

Visit the Cathedral and Walk through Duomo Piazza

One of the icons of Milan, Duomo Piazza, locally known as Duomo, is probably the most renowned landmark of this city. Its construction started in 1386 and even nowadays draws attention for its unique Gothic architecture using Candoglia marble with numerous statues. Using this marble instead of Lombardine brick made it necessary to hire architects, engineers, sculptors, and professionals from all over Europe, to the point of not having an authorial trace. 

From the terrace of the Duomo Cathedral (Le Terrazze del Duomo), you find the best panoramic view of Milan and have the opportunity to see the details of its Gothic construction in Candoglia marble. I went up the stairs until I reached the terrace at 45 meters above the ground, but there is the option to go by elevator.

To enter the Duomo di Milano, you need to buy a ticket with options including entry to the cathedral, the museum and the terrace, as well as entry only to one of these parts and a guided tour.

Taste the panzerotti at Luini Caffè

Next to the Duomo, Luini Caffè has been a famous bakery in Milan since 1949 for its hot and fresh panzerotti, a recipe originally from the southern region of Puglia that arrived with its founder’s recipe, Giuseppina Luini. Their most popular panzerotti is prepared with mozzarella and tomato, but there are options prepared with fruits, nuts, and chocolate.  Across generations, the panzerotti has become part of daily life in Milan at the coffee breaks and on the way back home.

Address: Via Santa Radegonda, 16

Walk through Vittorio Emanuele Gallery

Vittorio Emanuele Gallery is another icon of Milan, especially for fashionistas, and gathers world-renowned brands such as Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. At the gallery, Cafè Biffi from 1867 and Libreria d’arte Bocca from 1930 are among the iconic places in the Milanese scene.

Located near Duomo di Milano and Scala Theater, one of the most visited areas in Milan. Even though you’re not into fashion and shopping, as is my case, it’s impossible not to appreciate its architecture, marked by a glass ceiling and an octagonal format.

San Siro Stadium Tour for Football Fans

For football fans, a place that must be in your itinerary is Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, known as San Siro. If possible, take the chance to watch a match there of A.C. Milan or Inter Milan. A possible option is touring San Siro, which is open every day for tours and buying official products at the San Siro Store. As detailed in this article, there are guided tours in several languages, including English.

Milan has a large variety of interesting places to visit, including museums, restaurants, bars, cafes, events and everything else that you can imagine. If you’re exploring the city beyond the tourist bubbles, I recommend looking at the website YesMilano, a complete travel guide in English organized by the Milanese comune.