After going around Paris, Rome and Florence for almost 2 weeks, we headed to the capital of Italy’s Lombardy Region – Milan! We took Flixbus from Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station to Milan San Donato Station and only paid €8.99 per person. We found the travel experience to be comfortable, quick and affordable. We stayed in Milan for 4 full days, enjoyed the city and even took a day trip out to the nearby Lake Como and Lake Lugano. Know more about our adventures in today’s post about the beautiful city of Milan.
Before exploring Milan, we’ve been to other European cities such as Paris, Rome and Florence. Check out our itineraries in these 2 beautiful cities – Paris Part 1, Paris Part 2, Versailles, Rome Part 1, Rome Part 2, Rome Part 3, Florence & Tuscany Region!
Milan
Milan (Italian: Milano) is the capital of the Lombardy Region in the northern part of the country. It is the country’s financial, business and fashion capital. It is the home of the country’s stock exchange – Borsa Italiana. The city is also the home of many headquarters and offices of both national and international companies. The city is one of the world’s fashion capitals with many luxurious brands headquartered in the Italian metropolis; it also hosts the world-famous semi-annual Milan Fashion Week.
Milan is an important Italian city – it is the center of business, trade, finance, fashion and all other aspects.
Accommodation
Milan, like Florence and Rome, is a popular tourist destination to local and international visitors. The city’s profile and popularity led to surging accommodation costs anywhere in the city. The city’s accommodation options are far more expensive than Rome and Florence’s options.
My friend and I were travelling on a budget. We decided to go for a hostel and booked 4 nights at YellowSquare Milan. We stayed in a 4-bedroom mixed dormitory and paid €109.24 each (charged ₱6,644.92 by our local credit card) – the most we paid in an accommodation during our trip to Italy. We had a great stay with YellowSquare.
Going Around Milan
Going around Milan is easy. The main and important parts of the city are connected by an extensive metro and bus network. The city’s main train stations are Milano Centrale and Milan Porta Garibaldi. The city’s main bus stations for intercity travel are Milan Lampugnano Bus Station in the north and Milan San Donato Bus Station in the south.
My friend and I purchased 10 single-journey tickets (carnet) each and used these tickets during our 4-day in Milan. These tickets are sold from €18 to €20 per 10 tickets, depending on the price the tabaccheria has.
Citywalkers Milan Free Tour
You might have noticed that I am a fan of free (tip-based) city walking tours. I consider this as the best way to learn about a city while not spending too much on private guides and tours. During our visit to Milan, my friend and I joined the 10:00am Citywalkers Milan Free Tour in English.
Our tour guide, Marco, shared the history of the city, its landmarks and the stories behind them for almost 3 hours. He literally walked us through the University of Milan, the Duomo Cathedral, the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, the Theatre and Square Alla Scala, the Merchant’s Square and the Business Square.
Lugano & Lake Como Day Tour
My friend and I took advantage of our stay in Milan and decided to go on a day tour to Lugano and Lake Como. We joined Citywonders’ 10.5-hour day tour that explored Lugano (in Switzerland), Bellagio and Como (in Italy) and traversed Lake Como by ferry and local boat. We paid €108.30 (November 2022 rate) each for the guided tour and all modes of transportation – lunch and snacks not included.
Places Visited in Milan
Like any other city, Milan has a long list of places to visit and check out while in the city. However, my friend and I decided to relax during this leg of the trip and just went to the usual ones. We spent a considerable amount of time shopping and looking for stuff to bring home since Milan was the last stop of my friend’s trip. We still visited a few notable places within the city.
Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano) – Duomo di Milano is a cathedral in the center of Milan dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary. It is also the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. The cathedral took 6 centuries to finish and has witnessed different rulers and leaders throughout the period.
Today, this Duomo is the most famous landmark in Milan. Millions of people visit the cathedral every year. The cathedral can be accessed for a fee from its interiors to the rooftop. My friend and I decided not to go inside the Duomo but basically went to the place everyday during our stay in the city.
Cathedral Square (Italian: Piazza del Duomo) – The cathedral square is the largest public square in Milan bounded by the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is also the famous meeting spot / area in Milan.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping arcade and gallery in all of Italy. Named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy, the galleria opened in 1877 and is shaped like a cross covered by glass dome and roofing. The shopping arcade also houses luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and the likes.
Quadrilatero d’Oro – Dubbed as the Golden Rectangle of Fashion in Milan, Quadrilatero d’Oro is Milan’s main shopping district. Think of a worldwide fashion brand and you will certainly find it here. My friend and I walked around the shopping district for days and we still have not been to all shops. Milan is the place to go for shopping.
The Last Supper Museum (Italian: Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano) – One of the most interesting places we went to in Milan is the Last Supper Museum. The museum houses the Last Supper Mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the last 15th century.
People go inside the museum and the mural area by groups. Each group is given around 30 minutes to look at the mural. Tickets to the museum cost €15 per person and are pre-booked online. Tickets usually sell out fast; it is best to book tickets months before your intended visit.
The Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie – Right beside the Last Supper Museum is the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The Last Supper Mural is part of the heritage-listed church complex since the 1400s.
Merchant’s Square (Italian: Piazza Meranti) – The Merchant’s Square is an important hub of commerce and politics in Milan since the Middle Ages. It is the place for trade and business for most locals during that time.
Serravalle Designer Outlet Day Trip
While in Milan, my friend and I decided to check out one of the biggest designer outlets in the country – Serravalle Designer Outlet. Located a little over an hour away from Milan in the commune of Serravalle Scrivia, this village-type outlet has over 180 specialty stores offering designer-branded items at big discounts.
We took the timed Autostradale Viaggi shuttle bus from Milan to the outlet and back for €20 (November 2022 price) per person. We only went to selected stores and did not have the chance to go around everything. We managed to find some good stuff for ourselves and our families back here in the Philippines. It was a successful day at the outlet village.
Missed Places
As mentioned in the start of this blog, we took our time going around the city and focused more on getting stuff to bring back to the Philippines. We had to miss some notable places to visit like Sforzesco Castle, Teatro alla Scala (from the inside), Pinacoteca Di Brera, Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), Cimitero Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery) and Navigli Lombardi. These places are already enough to lure us back to Milan in the future.
Milan may not be everyone’s favorite city but it surely has its own charm. Yes, it is the best shopping destination in Italy but it offers more beyond that image. The city has interesting museums and landmarks that are unique in the world.
Have you been to Milan? How did you find the city? Which places were your favorites and which places did you regret going to? Feel free to share your Milan adventures and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about Milan or anything mentioned above? You may also send it via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Thank you for joining me in today’s run-through of our time in Milan last year. Milan was my friend Leng’s final European city on this trip. We spent most of our time just enjoying the city’s vibe and the cold weather, going around supermarkets for food finds and shopping for our friends and loved ones back home. We will surely go back to Milan to explore more.
In case you missed it, we have also been to Paris, Versailles, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Lugano and Lake Como on this trip. You can find all itineraries and posts about these cities and this trip under the N9 in Europe category. Please look forward to the next one because I am taking you to my last destination on this trip – Barcelona, Spain!
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.