MILAN IN 3 DAYS: THE BEST ITINERARY

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Is Milan guide in 3 days It is designed so that you do not miss anything interesting about this important Italian city, making the most of your time and enjoying what is known as the fashion capital.
During the first two days you will have visited the most prominent places of the city such as the Duomo, the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, the Monumental Cemetery, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie as well as the neighborhoods of Brera and Navigli. On this third day, we propose an excursion to some of the wonders that are close to the city, such as Lake Como, the Swiss Alps or Cinque Terre.

This practical guide to Milan in three days is based on the experience of our trips to Milan and Bergamo in 4 days, to Lake Como and to Cinque Terre. We start!

Useful tips for Milan

Following this list of practical tips will help you prepare your trip to Milan:

Our recommended accommodation in the city is the Andreola Central Hotel located 200 meters from Milan Central Station and one of the best value for money in the city.
To get to your Milan hotel from Malpensa and Bergamo airports, you have several means of transport: train, bus, taxi or book the direct transfer to the hotel. For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Milan airport to downtown.
The Milanocard card allows you to use public transport and discounts at the main attractions of the city for 6.5 euros.
A very good alternative to know the history and anecdotes of the most interesting places in the city is to book this free tour of Milan Free! With guide in Spanish, one of the best free tours in Milan.
Booking the one-day tour bus will save you time in transfers to the different points of interest in Milan.
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lotYou can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

For more recommendations you can consult this post of tips to travel to Milan essential.

(Expanded transportation information and tips here)

First day in Milan

The itinerary of the first day of Milan in 3 days Start early arriving at Piazza del Duomo to visit the Cathedral and the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery. In the Duomo, in addition to visiting its interior, we recommend you go up to its magnificent terrace, from where you can enjoy unique views of the city.
After the first visit, crossing the beautiful Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery you will arrive at La Scala Theater, one of the most famous theaters in the world in which a good option, if you want to visit the theater and do not want to buy the entrance to any show, it is Booking this visit with a guide in Spanish.

The next stop of Milan in three days It is the Quadrilatero d'Oro, the most luxurious area of the city formed by four streets full of shops and historical buildings, for which you can not miss a walk to continue walking to the Sforzesco Castle, another of the places to visit in Milan essential.

Sforzesco Castle

Being in this area and when lunch time approaches, we recommend you buy a panini at the Squadre Calcio Chiosco or Il Politico, to taste it in the nearby Sempione Park and then take a walk to the Arco della Pace where you can climb to the Branca Tower with good views of the city.

In the afternoon you will arrive at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where one of Leonardo da Vinci's great masterpieces, The Last Supper, is located. Keep in mind that to see the fresco you have to book a guided tour in advance or book this offer that also includes a guided tour of the most prominent places in the city with a guide in Spanish.
To end the first day of Milan in 3 days, nothing better than taking a nice walk to Piazza Mercanti where you will find numerous important buildings, which we advise you not to miss.
In addition, in this area of the center there are several places where you can dine a good pizza like Un'Altra Pasta or in Piz and complete it by tasting an ice cream from Ciacco or Venchi, while taking a night walk through Piazza del Duomo.

(Extended information of the first day in Milan here)

Map of the first day in Milan

Second day in Milan

The second day of Milan in three days starts at the Monumental Cemetery, an open-air museum where you can see impressive mausoleums and tombs. A short distance from the cemetery is Piazza Gae Aulenti, a square 6 meters above the street, where the Unicredit Tower is located, a great viewpoint of the city.
After these visits and walking in the direction of the center you will reach Brera, the most charming neighborhood in Milan, full of shops, cafes and art galleries, in which in addition to strolling through streets such as Brera, Pontaccio, Corso Garibaldi and Corso Como, we recommend entering the Palazzo Brera, to explore its famous Pinoteca.

Visit the Brera Pinoteca in Milan in 3 days

One of the best things to do in Milan is in this neighborhood and it is none other than entering Corso Como 10, a space for fashion designers, which has a nice terrace and a book store, which we recommend you not to miss.
And as we know that it will be time to eat, taking advantage of the fact that you are in the Brera neighborhood, do not miss the Taglieri e Bicchieri or the Nabucco, two of the most recommended restaurants in the city, which we are sure, you will love.

The next stop of Milan in 3 days It is the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore with frescoes from the 16th century and an interior room divided in two by a wall, which is a real wonder. After this visit, you can approach the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, very close to the church, a museum that impresses with its old Ambrosiana Library from 1609.
A little further away is the Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa, which has a macabre decoration based on human bones, although if you go just in time you can skip this visit and follow the itinerary arriving at the Basilica of San Ambrose to see the Sarcophagus from Stilicho.

Basilica of St. Ambrose

The Milan in three days Continue with the visit to the Church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, the oldest and one of the most beautiful in the city, and then go to the nearby Columns of San Lorenzo, which were brought from an ancient Roman city.
The last stop of this second day is the Navigli neighborhood, which stands out for its two channels and its lively nightlife. If you have time you can also visit the Chiesa di San Cristóforo, the Callejón de las lavaderos, the Ticino Arch and the Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio.

To end the second day of Milan in 3 daysWe recommend tapas with good wines from Il Vinaccio or traditional food from El Barbapedana.

(Extended information of the second day in Milan here)

Map of the second day in Milan

What to see in Milan in 3 days

On this third day to see in Milan in 3 days We suggest you do some of the best excursions from Milan, among which are Lake Como, the Alps and Cinque Terre.

In our case, if we had to opt for one, the first option would be Lake Como, considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and one of the incredible places to see in Italy.
Located an hour and a half by car or bus and less than an hour by train, Lake Como can be visited perfectly in a day or two from Milan. This lake of glacial origin impresses by the beautiful old villages and dream villas that were built on the shore and is also surrounded by mountains and vegetation, which gives it a special charm to spend some ideal holiday days.
The entry point to this area is the city of Como, from where the boats that travel through all the towns and places to see on Lake Como depart.
In addition, keep in mind that this small city is also a good option to stay a few days and make routes by car or boat to better know this corner of northern Italy, a very suitable option if you have more days.

Among the most beautiful villages of Lake Como, we would highlight Bellagio, Varenna, Nesso, Tremezzo and Menaggio in addition to the luxurious villas of Balbianello and Carlota, all of them essential in this area of the country.
If you have a car, you can stop in villages and viewpoints while you surround the lake, although you have to take into account that the roads are narrow and in high season you will often find large traffic jams.

To go from Milan to Lake Como by public transport the best option is to take the train at Cadorna station that will take you in one hour to Como Nord Lago station, located in the center of Como. The frequency is half an hour and the Total price does not exceed 5 euros.
Another more comfortable alternative is to book this bus tour with a guide in Spanish which includes a boat trip to the beautiful town of Bellagio.

Lake Como

The following proposal for this last day of Milan in three days It is an excursion to the Swiss Alps. Milan, being located in northern Italy, has the border with Switzerland and the spectacular Alps mountain range very close, so this is another great option to get to know the surroundings of the city.
The best option to get to this area, if you have a day, is to take a regional train or car to Tirano and there take the Bernina Express. This panoramic train of more than 100 years old makes one of the most beautiful train routes in the world through alpine landscapes, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, until reaching the Swiss town of Sankt Moritz. The journey takes just over 2 hours and has 21 intermediate stops where you can get off being one of the most famous stops Ospizio Bernina, located more than 2000 meters high and where the Black and White alpine lakes are located.

Although this itinerary can also be done by regional train, we consider that to enjoy the fullness of the Alpine landscapes, the Bernina Express is much better, with panoramic windows.
Berlin tickets must be booked in advance on this official website. Another more comfortable option is to book this Swiss Alps excursion on the Bernina Express train with a guide in Spanish, which includes bus transportation to Tirano and the train ticket.

Take the Bernina Express in Milan in three days

The last excursion we would recommend for the Milan in 3 days It is the visit to the beautiful coastal towns of Cinque Terre. Although this area is one of the prettiest we have known in the world, being located more than 3 hours from Milan places it as a last option.
To travel the distance between Milan Central Station and La Spezia, the entrance to Cinque Terre, we recommend taking the Intercity train. Once you have arrived in La Spezia, from its station you can take any of the frequent trains that stop in the 5 villages of Cinque Terre, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Riomaggiore and Manarola.
Another option to visit Cinque Terre is to take a bus from La Spezia to Portovenere and there take a boat to see the villages from another perspective, which is impressive.

If you have more time, in addition to visiting all these picturesque villages hanging from the cliffs, we recommend you take a walking route between Monterosso and Vernazza, one of the most recommended walks in the area.
A more comfortable way to visit Cinque Terre in one day is to book this bus tour to Portovenere which includes a cruise to Monterosso, the train to visit Vernazza and a Spanish guide.