I’m a Hungarian girl who lives abroad and loves to travel. Nearly every month, I feel the urge to go somewhere new. I prefer quick trips over long holidays.
Last month, I had coffee with a friend and in just one hour we decided to visit Milan, Italy. We bought the tickets on the spot and booked a hotel a few days later.
There’s so much to see and do in Milan. If you’re like me and visiting the city just for a day, here’s what you shouldn’t miss, where you should stay, and other tips for visiting Milan.
Getting to Milan, accommodation, and transport
We arrived at Orio al Serio International Airport in Bergamo, a city close to Milan. The easiest way to get to Milan from there is by bus. Going out of the airport, you will see many bus stops, operated by different companies. You can buy a ticket online or from a ticket machine there. The buses leave every 20 minutes and it takes them about 50 minutes to reach the Central Station in Milan.
The Central Station area is a great place to book a hotel, bed and breakfast, or another accommodation at a good price. What’s more, there are many metro stations around there and you can easily reach the main sights in 15 minutes. All metro stations have ticket machines that can be used across all metro lines. Just try not to lose your ticket, because you need it to exit the stations, too. If you’re worried about keeping a physical ticket on you, you can buy a digital one on the Civitatis Milan mobile app.
Visiting the must-see places in a day
I found that it’s best to start your sightseeing tour at the Dome of Milan. You’ll want to get there early, around 9 a.m. There aren’t many people there at that time, so the lines are shorter and you can take great photos without hundreds of tourists behind you.
Keep in mind that there are two lines at the Dome—one to go to the rooftop and one to go inside the cathedral. I recommend you first go to the rooftop because the view is unbelievable. Take my advice and use the stairs, as there aren’t that many steps and it’s cheaper than taking the lift. After that, you need to go back down and wait in the other line for the Dome. It’s incredibly huge and beautifully decorated, so it’s worth the wait.
Next to the Dome is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a widely popular and busy shopping center. Don’t expect to take a photo of yourself without other people in the background there! The place is very crowded during the day, but you have to see it. The gallery connects the past with the future, as the newest fashion trends show up in the shops inside this old, beautiful building. A lot of designer shops can be found here, such as Giorgio Armani, Prada, Versace, and more.
On the other side of the Dome is Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Ossa. The walls of the chapel are decorated with bones and skulls and there’s a legend saying that there wasn’t enough space in the city cemetery, so people decided to use the church.
Make sure you stop at Piazza dei Mercanti for a photo on your way to the San Bernardino chapel like we did. The square looks like a scene from a Romeo-and-Juliet play, as it has the romantic feel of old time Italy.
We used our metro card from the chapel to get to the Sforzesco Castle and the Sempione park right next to it. There are many museums in the castle, but if you’re not that interested in history or archeology, the building itself is beautiful enough to have a walk around.
Hopping on the metro again, we went to see the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio. This impressive Romanesque church is one of the oldest in Milan and its courtyard is unmissable. The exterior is kind of simple, but the interior is nicely decorated with mosaics.
Close to the basilica is the Santa Maria delle Grazie Galleri church, housing the famous “The Last Supper” fresco by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting gained even more popularity after appearing in Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code. It shows Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples having their last meal together. If you wish to see the fresco, make sure to book a date and a time and buy a ticket online at least two months before your trip. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that and couldn’t see “The Last Supper” because the waitlist was very long—everyone visiting Milan wanted to see it!
Our last stop was the Porta Garibaldi on the way back to our hotel. This modern district has shopping malls, modernly designed buildings, bars, and restaurants, some of which still have old-timey charm.
Eating out and enjoying a drink
In the small streets around the Dome, there are hundreds of bars and restaurants. Try the authentic Italian pizza at Piz—you can’t compare the tomato sauce to anything! I had the best ice cream of my life at the Cioccolatitaliani.
People in Milan observe the siesta, so most restaurants and bars close at 3 p.m. and open again at 7 p.m. At the end of the day, it’s time for some Aperol Spritz cocktails at the Terrazza Aperol. It’s a great place to enjoy a night view of the Dome, while having a nice drink and some tasty appetizers.
Have you ever been on a one-day trip? Tell us about it in the comments below.