Get inspired by my Milan itinerary!
48 hours in Milan Itinerary
Italy is one of my favourite countries to visit in Europe. When brainstorming vacation ideas to go on in-between assignments each year I always put Italy on the list!
This year my husband and I decided to make a trip to attend the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco. Instead of flying into France, we decided to connect through Italy and decided on Milan!
With so little time in the area, I debated making a day trip to Venice (2.5h train ride away) or Bologna (1.15-hour train ride). But opted to stay in Milan and came together with this 48 hours in Milan Itinerary!
Where to Stay
We love travelling on points and miles; this trip was no exception. We were deciding between The Westin Palace with Marriott Bonvoy points and the Galleria Vik Milano with our Hyatt points. They were both great redemptions on points, but we opted for the Galleria Vik Milano.
Galleria Vik Milano
The location is hard to beat, right in the heart of Milan and inside the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade. You are just minutes from many significant landmarks like the Duomo di Milano, Palazzo Reale, and Teatro alla Scala. This place is a splurge but worth the luxury experience.
Two nights cost us 25 000 Hyatt points per night or the cash rates starting at $350-450 CAD per night.
We asked to stay in two different rooms at check-in to experience both views they offer. We stayed in a bigger deluxe room on the first night overlooking the street.
On the second night, we stayed in a smaller room with stunning views of the Galleria. We actually preferred the smaller room simply for the opportunity to sip coffee and people watch this historic building!
Breakfast was included with our Hyatt benefits but can also be purchased if not included in your rate.
Other Luxury Stay Options
Great Budget-Friendly Hotels
B&B Hotel Milano Sant’Ambrogio
Hostel
Milan Day 1
Milan has two airports, Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) and Linate Airport (LIN). Both connect by public transit through buses or trains.
Our flight got us into Milan into MXP at around 8 am from Toronto (YYZ), and we got to our hotel at around 10 am, dropped our bags, and headed out to grab a bite.
If you start your day 1 Milan itinerary by flying in the night before, I would suggest grabbing a cappuccino and croissant and walking around the city to admire the art, churches and various ruins.
All-Antico Vinaio
All-Antico Vinaio is a famous panini shop that opened in Florence in 1991 and now has locations all across Italy and even in New York City and Los Angeles.
I was dying to try their mortadella and pistachio pesto sandwich, and it did not disappoint. We sat on some church steps nearby and enjoyed our sandwiches with the other restaurant patrons following suite.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
After lunch, we headed back to visit the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Since our hotel is inside this beautiful place, I did some major shopping! You could easily spend the whole afternoon shopping in the Galleria and the surrounding area. There are many restaurants and cafe’s inside as well to relax and enjoy.
The Prada located here is the very first location ever opened and the employees are so excited to talk about the history and show you around the iconic store. I ended up going home with their Galleria bag which was named after this store! The tax-refund process makes it so worth buying a luxury bag in Italy!
After returning to our hotel, we freshened up and headed to our next location, where we spent the remainder of the afternoon.
Castello Sforzesco
We walked past The Duomo from Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and continued a leisure stroll to Castello Sforzesco, which took us about 15 minutes.
Castello Sforzesco is a medieval fortification built in the 15th century. It is beautiful to stroll through the grounds and outer gardens and reach the Arco della Pace at the end.
There are multiple museums inside, a surprising six different ones! Each one depicts the history and culture of Milan and the Lombardy region. Some of these museums are the Musei d’Arte Antica (Museum of Ancient Art), Museo dei Mobile (Museum of Furniture), and Pinacoteca (Art Gallery).
You can easily spend 2-3 hours here and learn the history of the fortification and be impressed by how well the structure has been maintained.
Walks of Italy has a new tour to walk you through the grounds and give you historical context.
After spending the late afternoon here we headed back to our hotel and got ready for dinner.
Cantina Della Vetra
Cantina Della Vetra serves traditional Milanese dishes.
We ordered the Selection of Cold Cuts and Gnocco Fritto to start, and we shared a Milanese Tradition Risotto with saffron and a Veal Cutlet, “Alla Milanese.” Everything was delicious, the ambience was wonderful and the service was quick and friendly.
We enjoyed some lovely views of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Duomo at night on our walk back to the hotel and had an early morning in to get ready for our next day!
Day One Milan Itinerary
- Land in Milan MXP or LIN and make your way to your accomodations
- Lunch at All-Antico Vinaio
- Explore and shop at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- Explore Castello Sforzesco
- Dinner for traditional Milanese Dishes at Cantina Della Vetra
Day 2 in Milan
On the second day of this Milan itinerary, I wanted to visit The Duomo di Milano and see Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. We enjoyed breakfast at our hotel overlooking the Galleria and headed to our meeting point for our tour!
I booked our tour through the company Walks of Italy. I love using Walks of Italy for European tours and have used them in Italy, France and Spain. The best part of joining these tours is guaranteed skip-the-line access. I hate wasting my time waiting in line during precious vacation hours. I also value learning the history behind some of these fantastic attractions and have always enjoyed the expertise of the tour guides.
The tour lasts from 8:45 am-12:00pm and maxes out at 15 people. You can find more information of the details of the tour here.
The Last Supper by Leonardo di Vinci
Our tour guide was terrific as she was very knowledgable having studied history and art in her undergraduate studies. Our first stop was to see The Last Supper. It is located at our meeting point, The Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After learning some of the church’s history and some background of the events and people living at the time when Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper, we headed to our scheduled viewing.
I expected the painting to be smaller than it was, and it was truly magnificent to see the art in person and learn about all the restorations and preservation that have gone into it over the years.
It was also amazing to learn how the monks had built a door on this art piece to connect this room to their kitchen directly.
After our viewing the guide then walked us across the city and teaching us about relevant buildings, ruins and art pieces in the financial district of Milan. We made our way to The Duomo di Milano.
The Duomo di Milano
The Duomo is the largest cathedral in Italy and took about six centuries to complete, with construction starting in 1386. It was completed in the Gothic Style of architecture, and after spending some time talking about the outside, our guide walked us in, and we spent the rest of our tour inside.
After the tour, you can continue to spend time in the cathedral and even visit the roof, where you can see amazing views of Milan and further appreciate the architecture of the Duomo. You can view more information on tickets and prices here.
Marchesi 1824
After our tour finished, we were ready for a snack! We returned to Milan’s financial district to try some of the best panettone in the city at Marchesi 1824.
Marchesi 1824 is a historic pastry shop with multiple locations around the city. The one on Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11A street is the first location that opened. In 2014 The Prada Group acquired the Pasticceria Marchesi, and there is a stunning location right above the Prada store at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
We enjoyed a slice of panettone and some espresso for a quick snack as we were saving our appetite for the food tour I booked in the evening.
History of Aperitivo and Navigli District
The Navigli District is about 20 minutes south of central Duomo Square by metro. We opted to walk to see more of the city, and with the evening temperatures cooler, made the walk enjoyable.
The Navigli District is a romantic canal district filled with boutique restaurants, eateries, and many quirky bars with a vibrant nightlife. Milan is the champions of aperitivo, the custom of having a pre-dinner drink in the early evening before your late dinner.
The streets fill with people having a cocktail with a pre-dinner snack that includes salty things such as nuts, popcorn, or even more substantial snacks. Aperitivo snacks usually don’t replace your dinner meal, but they can.
The food style in aperitivo is served either buffet-style or ordering items from a menu. We enjoyed salty snacks during our tour and ordered one thing from each restaurant/bar.
Aperitivo Food Tour
We booked a tour from Viator for a local guide to walk us through the Navigli District and grab some fantastic drinks and food!
We had five stops on this tour, and here are all the locations we hit up!
Iter
Iter is a cocktail bar with one of the most unique concepts I have ever heard of. Every six months, the staff travel to a different place in the world and reinvent their menu and decorations to match the culture. During our visit, the bar was Mexican-themed, and at the time of writing this, their menu is inspired by Estonia.
We enjoyed a cocktail each and some popcorn, olives, and nuts.
This place was filled with locals and their dogs on the patio.
Enocentrico
Enocentrico was our second stop and is a wine bar. We enjoyed a glass of wine and a charcuterie board of cheeses, meats and Italian crackers. We met the lovely owners who told us about each wine and their selection.
Poormanger
Our third stop was Poormanger, where we enjoyed another glass of wine (I had two) and gourmet baked potatoes with unique twists! They had flavors such as carbonara, cacio e pepe, burrata, mortadella and many more!
They were very filling and my husband and I each got a different flavour to try. I really didn’t expect myself to be having baked potatoes on this trip but they were delicious!
Trapizzino
Trapizzino is a Roman street food with locations even in New York City! The restaurant’s name is inspired by “pizza” and an Italian sandwich called “tramezzino,” which is a crustless triangle shape. They bake fluffy pizza dough, cut into triangles and fill them with a variety of fillings such as fish, meatballs and many vegetarian options.
Gelateria Orso Bianca
The last stop was some delicious ice cream! We were so stuffed I didn’t even take a picture!
We ended our evening enjoying the sunset as we walked around the canals of Navigli, enjoying them ambience and appreciating the beautiful little streets.
Day Two Milan Itinerary
- The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie Church
- The Duomo di Milano
- Marchesi 1824
- Navigli District Food Tour
Conclusion
So here is my 48 hours in Milan Itinerary! I wanted these two days to not feel so rushed and more relaxed as they were the first leg of our trip where we continued to France. My husband and I are revisiting Milan on another stopover in January 2024, so I’ll be excited to go again and eat and see some things I missed out on!
Milan is a beautiful city filled with fantastic architecture and food. I hope you enjoy my Milan itinerary and get some inspiration on what to do for your next trip!
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My name is Marta, I’m a pediatric emergency room nurse from Toronto travelling in the US. I have taken assignments most recently in Boston and Denver. I travel with my husband who is a travel points enthusiast and manages to find amazing deals using points to fulfill all of our travel bucket-list goals. Join us on our next adventure after 13 weeks!