The ten must-see things in Milan
The ten, in order of the route
The Duomo, and above the Duomo the terraces among the spires. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a passage between the square and La Scala. La Scala, which is sober from the outside. The Castello Sforzesco, with its free courtyards and museums with a single ticket. Leonardo’s Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie, which must be booked well in advance. Brera, with the Pinacoteca. The Quadrilatero della Moda, for window shopping. The Monumental Cemetery, with free entry. The Navigli in the evening. Porta Nuova with Piazza Gae Aulenti, for the new Milan.
The castle, within the list
It’s the fourth entry and the easiest to get wrong. You don’t visit it, you walk through it: from Torre del Filarete to Piazza d’Armi, to Corte Ducale, to Rocchetta, all the way to Parco Sempione, every day from 7:00 to 19:30, no ticket required. A ticket is needed for the museums, Tuesday to Sunday, and the reason to get one is the Pietà Rondanini by Michelangelo. There’s no Leonardo to see: the Sala delle Asse is under restoration. Whether it’s worth it, and for whom.
The Last Supper and the castle are a quarter of an hour apart and are often sold together: the tour that combines them enters the Last Supper and walks through the castle’s courtyards, without the museums. It’s fine, as long as you know that.
How many days
With one day you can cover the first six on foot, including the Last Supper if booked. With two days, you can add the Monumental Cemetery and the Navigli at a leisurely pace, and at the castle, the Pinacoteca with the Mantegna and the Armory. With three, Porta Nuova and the house museums, which are not on this list only because the list is limited to ten. The one-day itinerary, hour by hour.
Small group · 5 languagesMilan: Castello Sforzesco and Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini tour
Courtyards only, not the museumsMilan: guided tour of the Last Supper and Castello Sforzesco
The fourth option, with a guide
A 90-minute small-group tour, from the Pietà Rondanini to the Corte Ducale, the Rocchetta, and the Torre del Filarete, with museum admission included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important thing to see in Milan?
The Duomo for the city, The Last Supper for Leonardo, the Pietà Rondanini at the castle for Michelangelo. The Pietà.
Is Castello Sforzesco a must-see?
Yes, and the part everyone photographs is free. What’s free.
How many of these are free?
The castle courtyards, the Duomo façade, the Galleria, the Monumentale, the Navigli and Porta Nuova. Milan for free and on a budget.