How to make new friends in Milan: 15 activities to meet like-minded people

On Run Club Milano Vittorio Emanuele is the classic “after-work” activity that makes you feel good about yourself and others. Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., we meet at the On flagship store in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, warm up together, and then set off on a 5-8 km loop around the city, suitable for all levels. You can try out new shoes, chat while running, and finish with refreshments in the store.

Adidas Runners Milano is the ultimate upgrade to your solo runs. Structured workouts, focus on technique, strength, and endurance, and an international community that meets regularly. Meet people who have the same goals ( or the same excuses) as you and turn running into a regular social event.

Here are some other running clubs we really like.

If you love the mountains but your friends are “just aperitif” people, Trekking Milano is your plot twist. Every weekend, they organize excursions with dozens of people, from easy trails to more challenging outings. You leave Milan and return tired but recharged after hours of chatting along the way and lunches in mountain huts. Perfect if you want to meet practical, down-to-earth people with their heads in the open air.

Drali Amatori is a community of enthusiasts that has formed around the well-known bike brand. It’s ideal for those who don’t see cycling as just a hobby, but as a lifestyle. Weekly road trips, an old-school atmosphere linked to a historic Milanese brand, chatting about gear ratios, frames, and climbs. You’ll find yourself with people who understand why you wake up early to ride. You come home with tired legs and a slightly fuller phone address book.

At Gyru Cycling, you go in to “spin,” and you come out feeling like you’ve been to a mini concert. Lights, loud music, charismatic coaches, and 45 minutes where you forget about your day. The classes become a regular fixture, you start to recognize faces and exchange a few words before and after. It’s the ideal place if you want to sweat, have fun, and expand your circle of acquaintances beyond the office.

If you love reading but are tired of doing it only on the sofa, Libellula Book Club is the perfect excuse to get out. Once a month, we get together around books that talk about gender, rights, and education. The best part? You don’t need to be an “expert”: what counts are opinions, personal experiences, and the desire to discuss. You’ll come away with new ideas and often with the desire to learn more.

Do you like the idea of book clubs? Here are 12 more must-see book clubs in Milan.

Cantina Urbana is the place for you if wine is much more than just a random glass. Guided tastings, stories of urban production, shared platters, and small groups that encourage conversation. You learn something, taste something good, and always have a reason to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. Perfect if you want to “socialize in style” without ending up in the usual bar.

Cooking classes are perfect if you want to turn dinner into a social experience instead of resorting to yet another delivery. Not only do you eat, but you learn new recipes, cook in a group, laugh at your mistakes, and then sit down at the table with people you’ve just met. The atmosphere is informal, with toasts, advice, and contact information exchanged. Ideal if you love food, but even more so if you love the idea of sharing the evening.

Here are 11 unmissable cooking classes in Milan.

PhotoClub Meetup is perfect if you love photography but, more than the settings, you’re interested in talking about it with other people who live it like you do. It’s not a technical course: it’s an informal space for sharing, discussion, and inspiration. We start with a little photography game to break the ice, then we chat over tea about what photography means today, the photographers who have influenced us, and upcoming exhibitions to see, perhaps together, in Milan and the surrounding area.

At the Accademia Scacchi Milano, you’ll find much more than a chessboard: basic courses, tournaments, game analysis, and free games that allow you to meet people with whom you can share a very specific passion. You don’t need to be a champion: all you need is the desire to learn, sit down at the table, and exchange a few words between moves.

If you’re bored of the usual places, pubs with board games are the answer. You sit down, choose a game, the staff explain the rules, and the rest is up to the dice, cards, and unexpected events. You don’t need to go with a group of friends: you can go alone and join in where a player is missing, you’ll always be welcome! In a few minutes, you’ll be laughing (or plotting) with the other players at the table. It’s the most natural setting for breaking the ice, even if you consider yourself “chronically shy.”

Perfect if you want to improve your language skills and, at the same time, find new friends in Milan with an open mind. There are many places in the city where you can do language exchanges and meet new people . Usually, each table is dedicated to a language. You sit down, talk, and change seats if you want to expand your network. No lectures, no exam pressure: just chatting about travel, work, and life in the city. You’ll leave feeling more confident… and often with new international contacts.

Acting classes are a powerful knowledge accelerator: improvisation games, couple scenes, trust exercises. Break the ice in five minutes, without awkward small talk. Everyone here is out of their comfort zone, so the atmosphere is particularly welcoming. Perfect if you want to work on expressiveness and confidence, surrounded by curious and open-minded people.

Here, friendships are forged among hoes, seedlings, and dirt under your fingernails. You cultivate alongside other nature lovers, learn, chat while tending the garden, and participate in small events and workshops. The atmosphere is relaxed, down-to-earth, no pretensions. Perfect if you want to meet people who are sensitive to environmental and social issues, but you’re not interested in doing so at theoretical conferences: here, you get your hands dirty, literally.

Here are two communities you can join: Libero Orto del Giardino degli Aromi (Parco Paolo Pini) and OrtoComune Niguarda nel Parco Nord.

Hey! VINA is the app designed to make new female friends in a less awkward way than traditional blind dates. It works a bit like a dating app, but only for friends: fill out your profile, choose your interests, swipe and match with women who live near you and have similar tastes. Perfect if you’re new to Milan, have changed your life or simply want to expand your circle beyond colleagues and former university classmates.