Milan in 2 days: day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 5 of 11 free; 6 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 2 days, 9:30 to 18:26 each day
- Start and finish
- The Last Supper → Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
- On foot
- ≈ 1 h 18 min in total
- Transport
- 2 rides, ≈ 40 min
- Lunch
- around 12:15
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- Spring and autumn. Most museums close on Mondays, so keep Monday for walking.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Milan09:30–18:26 · 6 places · 9 h
The Last Supper
· 30 min · Paid, booking only
- 15 min on foot
Sforza Castle
· 2 h · Courtyards free, museums paid
- Lunch · 1 h
- 14 min on foot
La Scala
· 1 h · Paid
- 4 min on foot
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
· 30 min · Free
- 3 min on foot
Milan Cathedral
· 1 h 30 min · Paid
- 20 min · transport or taxi
Navigli
· 1 h 30 min · Free
Day 2 · Milan09:30–16:57 · 5 places · 7 h 30 min
Bosco Verticale
· 30 min · Free
- 20 min · transport or taxi
Pinacoteca di Brera
· 2 h · Paid
- Lunch · 1 h
- 12 min on foot
Via Monte Napoleone
· 45 min · Free
- 16 min on foot
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
· 1 h 30 min · Paid
- 14 min on foot
Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
· 40 min · Free
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
5 of 11 are free; 6 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 1 | The Last Supper | 72 | 30 min | Paid, booking only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sforza Castle | 48 | 2 h | Courtyards free, museums paid |
| 3 | La Scala | 51 | 1 h | Paid |
| 5 | Milan Cathedral | 63 | 1 h 30 min | Paid |
| 8 | Pinacoteca di Brera | 37 | 2 h | Paid |
| 10 | Pinacoteca Ambrosiana | 37 | 1 h 30 min | Paid |
| Other 5 places | 4 h | Free | ||
| Total | 12 h 30 min | 5 of 11 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
The Last Supper. Leonardo's Last Supper: 15 minutes in a small group, timed booking only. Book weeks ahead; closed Mondays.
- 2
Sforza Castle. The Sforza dukes' castle: courtyards free, museums with Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà and Leonardo's Sala delle Asse. Museums close on Mondays.
- 3
La Scala. The famous opera house: the museum lets you peek into the auditorium from a box when there's no rehearsal. Performance tickets on the theatre's site.
- 4
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The glass-domed arcade between the Duomo and La Scala. Free; spin on your heel on the mosaic bull for luck.
- 5
Milan Cathedral. Milan's Duomo: cathedral and rooftop tickets are separate or combined; climb or take the lift to walk among the spires.
- 6
Navigli. The canals in the south of the city: aperitivo bars along the water and an antiques market on the last Sunday of the month. Free.
Day 2
- 7
Bosco Verticale. Two residential towers with trees on every balcony. Seen from outside only; Piazza Gae Aulenti is next door.
- 8
Pinacoteca di Brera. Milan's great picture gallery: Raphael, Caravaggio, Mantegna and Hayez's The Kiss. Closed Mondays.
- 9
Via Monte Napoleone. The fashion houses' street in the Quadrilatero: windows, palazzo courtyards and cafés. Free.
- 10
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Leonardo, Caravaggio and Raphael's cartoon for the School of Athens in one of Europe's oldest museums. Closed Mondays.
- 11
Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. The basilica of Milan's patron saint: atrium, golden altar and 5th-century mosaics. Free entry, with a midday break.
Who this route is for
- A weekend in Milan
- Lovers of painting and architecture
- Shopping plus museums
- Lake Como: a separate day
- Football at San Siro: depends on fixtures
Spring and autumn. Most museums close on Mondays, so keep Monday for walking.
What to see in Milan in 2 days
Day one follows the one-day route: the Duomo, Galleria, La Scala, the castle and the Last Supper, with the evening by the canals. Day two is for painting and modern Milan. The Brera sits in a bohemian quarter of narrow streets and cafés, the Ambrosiana is by the Duomo, and Sant'Ambrogio is next to the Catholic University.
On the evening of day two, stroll the fashion Quadrilatero, Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant'Andrea, then head up to Porta Nuova, where the Bosco Verticale and Piazza Gae Aulenti look their best lit up at night.
Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, add something nearby, and the timings update.
Day two: the Brera and the Ambrosiana
The Brera is a former Jesuit college that now houses a picture gallery, the Academy of Fine Arts and a botanical garden. Don't miss Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus, Mantegna's Dead Christ and Hayez's The Kiss. Allow about two hours.
The Ambrosiana holds Leonardo's Portrait of a Musician, Caravaggio's Basket of Fruit and Raphael's huge cartoon for the School of Athens. Sant'Ambrogio is one of the city's oldest churches, with an atrium, a golden altar and 5th-century mosaics.
More to see
With a third day, take the train to Lake Como, about an hour away, tour the San Siro stadium, or walk Parco Sempione and climb the Branca Tower.
How to do it right
- Book the Last Supper ahead and avoid museums on Mondays.
- State museums are often free on the first Sunday of the month, but busier.
- Churches require covered shoulders and knees, and large backpacks are often refused.
- Italy uses the euro. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for cafés and markets. Buy museum tickets ahead on official sites, where closing days are listed too.
- See the Bosco Verticale in the evening, when it's lit.
Questions
What should I see in Milan in 2 days?
Day one: the Duomo, Galleria, La Scala, Sforza Castle and Last Supper. Day two: the Brera, the Ambrosiana, Sant'Ambrogio, Monte Napoleone and the Bosco Verticale.
Are 2 days enough for Milan?
Yes, for the city; a third day suits Lake Como.
Which Milan museums are worth it?
The Pinacoteca di Brera, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and the Sforza Castle museums.
When are Milan's museums closed?
Most close on Mondays, including the Last Supper.
How do I get from Milan to Lake Como?
By train in about an hour to Como, then by boat on the lake.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- UNESCO: Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with The Last Supper (no. 93)
