What to do in and around Milan as a visiting tourist

Visit the immersive exhibition all dedicated to the master Vincent Van Gogh

The Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is not to be missed. If you want to experience something unique drop by. Tickets are running out fast because it really is something incredible. If you want to “dive” inside a painting you must go. Thanks to 360-degree projections, the famous painter’s most famous works will be all around you and you will find yourself completely immersed in sunflower fields, starry nights, almond blossoms and other wonders. Give it a thought. Plus it is also cool inside. It would be a good compromise. A cultural visit away from the mugginess that plagues Milan in summer.

A walk on the terraces of the Duomo

Among the things to do in Milan, whether you are a tourist or not, it is essential to go up to the terraces of the Duomo and admire the spectacle of the view that opens before you. There is a unique view and from here you can also peek through the spires of the Church and find a boxer fighting for example. Beautiful, beautiful. It would be worth going up there every day to see an unforgettable Milan from above.

Organize a trip to Lake Como

Milan has the advantage of being in a location from which one can reach delightful destinations. Lake Como is one of them. Perfect for spending time in the midst of Nature and by the lake admiring one of the most exclusive places in Northern Italy. The Lake is a destination every year for celebrities and big names on the international scene, remember George Clooney’s house or Dua Lipa’s celebrations, then the Ferragnez and many others. Lake Como then is very versatile, allowing you to go for walks, relax in the sun on the beach, take the ferry and visit the surroundings which are enchanting, Varenna, Bellagio are some villages not to be missed. Taste excellent local food and admire unique views. In short, for an out-of-town or day trip, Lake Como is perfect.

So are also ideal Lake Maggiore or Lake Garda; in short, around Milan there are easily accessible locations that allow you to spend perfect days. All you have to do is to choose, whatever your decision you will certainly not go wrong.

Have a nice ice cream cone in the city

Among the things to do as a tourist in Milan in summer, you cannot miss a nice ice cream in the city. Milan has sublime gelaterias to go to for fantastic delights.

Stroll around the city, camera in one hand or cell phone in the other and a nice ice cream cone in the other!

Dive into the natural pools

If you arrive in Milan by car, you might consider taking a trip to visit the natural pools that dot Lombardy. Real oases where you can find peace, nature and relaxation, as well as crystal clear water in which to cool off. They are absolutely worth a tour.

Sip a drink at a jazz concert

A show that embodies all the vintage and underground soul of Milan, The Jazz Room show is a true tribute to jazz and its greatest exponents. Soul, hot jazz and the unforgettable melodies of Sinatra and Armstrong, in a historic Milanese location, just a few steps from the city center, a jazz band will play the sparkling and melancholy rhythms of the genre. Spectators will be able to treat themselves to a drink (not included) to sip during the performance. A slightly different evening that shows another side of the metropolis, one that is nostalgic and attached to vintage Milan.

Where: Auditorium San Fedele, Via Ulrico Hoepli, 3/b, Milan, 20121

Attending a Candlelight concert

Among the unmissable things to do are Candlelight concerts. These are classical music concerts with a sometimes pop or rock feel. In fact, in addition to paying tribute to music greats such as Mozart or Beethoven, Candlelights also offer tributes to personalities such as Vasco Rossi, rock bands such as Queen or Nirvana, musicians such as Coldplay, and then Jovanotti, Cremonini, Pino Daniele, composers of the caliber of Morricone or Einaudi. In short, the choice is very wide and finds everyone agreeing a bit. Their particularity? To take place in beautiful locations lit by thousands of candles for an indescribable magic. Find the one that suits you best and enjoy an evening different from the usual.

Discover Leonardo da Vinci’s trail through the city.

Leonardo da Vinci was an important presence in Milan, and there are numerous places to discover his traces: museums dedicated to him, places where it is said he used to laze around and be inspired, or works of his own, such as the Last Supper or the Atlantic Codex. In short, there are many places in Milan to learn about the story of a genius, not only a painter but also a sculptor, engineer, scientist and inventor. A truly brilliant character, Italian pride. Following his footsteps will also allow you to walk around Milan and see the city.

Attending an art exhibition in the city

Any self-respecting tourist makes a trip to the museum, always. Milan is dotted with excellent realities all waiting to be discovered. Between the Gallery of Modern Art, the MUDEC, Palazzo Reale, the Castello Sforzesco, the Museo del Novecento, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum. And then that of Natural History, the Triennale dedicated to contemporary art, Alda Merini’s house museum, the Bagatti-Valsecchi Museum, the famous Brera Art Gallery, the Museum of Science and Technology, the Gallerie d’Italia… and many more. There is no shortage of choice, and between permanent installations or temporary exhibitions in Milan every day there is something to get lost in. The choice is yours.

Having an aperitif in the “living room of Milan”

The Salotto di Milano is none other than the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, considered Milan’s salon because Milan’s high society, artists, intellectuals, philosophers used to gather there to discuss a variety of topics. In fact with all the historic cafes present, it really feels like being in a large living room at home. Opulence, luxury and elegance, the Galleria never leaves one indifferent. Having a drink in one of these establishments is an activity to be included among the things to do in Milan as a tourist to savor the Milanese way of life. At Camparino, Savini or Marchesi ‘s to feel like a true Milanese.

Stroll through the Navigli

You cannot fail to include a trip to the Navigli if you do any tourism in Milan. The Navigli are the heart of Milanese nightlife. With waterways running through the streets, it doesn’ t even feel like you’re in Milan. Bars, restaurants, pubs, but also very special little stores where you can find perfect gifts or alternative souvenirs, the Navigli are versatile and offer everything. You can even take the boat and go on a mini-boat trip.

Visiting the churches of Milan

Milan’s religious heritage is something unique. Some of its churches are absolutely must-see destinations. First and foremost, the Duomo, a masterpiece on a European level, the largest church in Italy and 4th in the world, but also the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, Santa Maria delle Grazie, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore which is nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of Milan and then the Certosa di Garegnano (a bit less central but sublime), Santa Maria presso San Satiro with Bramante’s play of perspective in the apse. And then again, the twin churches namely the Church of Santa Maria Incoronata, the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, Santa Maria alla Fontana with its legend of the miraculous spring, the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, the Church of San Fedele, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Miracoli near San Celso, the list would be endless. Each building has its own beauty and history that deserves to be known and discovered. Whether you are a believer or not does not matter. These are historic monuments of great artistic, cultural and historical value that should be visited as World Heritage Sites, regardless of belief.

Walk through Chinatown

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If we have recommended the Navigli for a pleasant walk, also unavoidable is Chinatown, the city’s eastern district. Here you will feel as if you are entering another hemisphere where dumplings, sinograms and chimaonos rule the day. If you are looking for something special you will find it here. Supermarkets with only Chinese products, malls with anything in them, Chinese restaurants. Raviolerias that have made history and so much more. Chinatown will bewitch you.

Discover modern Milan

Milan is not only historical monuments but is also the city of the future. Among the various areas to discover is Citylife with its towers: Hadid tower, Isozaki tower and Libeskind tower also known as the crooked, the straight and the curved respectively. Porta Nuova and the Isola neighborhood are also worth a tour. Between the Bosco Verticale, Piazza Gae Aulenti with Italy’s tallest skyscraper and many other gems to discover, the day will really pass you by in the blink of an eye. Among the things to do as a tourist in Milan is a visit to Isola, a neighborhood where time seems to stand still. Despite the advancing progress here you can still find the old-fashioned stores that are slowly disappearing elsewhere: the haberdashery, the hardware store that sells everything, the shoemaker, the neighborhood baker, there is the local market twice a week. Although it is one of the areas most frequented by young people for the sizzling nightlife, it still retains its neighborhood feel as it once was.

Taking a selfie at the Arch of Peace

One of the places to see if you are a tourist in Milan is the Sempione area and its Arco della Pace. An example of some of the most beautiful architecture in the city. A triumphal arch somewhat like the one in Paris located in one of the nice and characteristic areas of Milan. It is dedicated to the peace among European nations achieved in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna. The foundation stone was laid in 1807. The entire structure is made of marble in full neoclassical style. Its grandeur and elegance will amaze you. From the central arch you can enjoy a sensational view directly over Castello Sforzesco and all around Simplon Park. Is it worth a tour or not?

Visiting the Monumental Cemetery

Among the symbols of the Milanese is the Monumental Cemetery. A fascinating place rich in history. It deserves to be included among the things to do as a tourist in Milan not only because there are buried there personalities who have made the history of Italy (Alessandro Manzoni, Filippo Turati, Salvatore Quasimodo, Arturo Toscanini, Giorgio Gaber and Franca Rame, just to name a few) but also because this huge space of more than 250,000 square meters, offers multiple architectural cues. The statues in certain tombs are splendid, almost Louvre-like.

Do not think of the cemetery as something macabre; the Monumental is an open-air museum.

Taste traditional dishes

Among the things to do in Milan as a tourist, but also as a local actually, is to taste the delights of Milanese cuisine. Forget Mc Donald’s or those somewhat cheesy tourist places. Commit to finding less central, but great little places that will give your taste buds some thrills. Between the Milanese schnitzel, saffron risotto with ossobuco, mondeghili and other delicacies, you won’t be able to go without. Perhaps dishes not exactly suited for summer, but the offerings are very wide-ranging all the same, and you will find what’s right for you even if the sun is setting the city on fire outside. Between typical trattorias such as Mirta, Al Matarel or the Casottel, somewhat peculiar restaurants such as Immorale or Superficiale or elegant and chic establishments of the caliber of Giacomo, Aalto or La Gioia along with many other places worthy of praise, Milan offers a respectable gastronomic variety.