What to see in Milan in 2 days

What to see in Milan in 2 days

If you don't have much time, lots of motivation and you don't know what to see in Milan in two days, in this article, I'm going to tell you how to get the most out of your visit to Milan in only a couple of days, so don't worry about it and keep reading. Also, you'll find a lot of options here for all kinds of trips, things to do on a trip to Milan with your friends, as well as with kids. This article will tell you loads of things to see during a weekend in Milan and it could even been useful if you don't know what to do in Milan at Christmas or if you're wondering what to do in Milan in December.

The First Day: the Duomo, the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery, Castello Sforzesco and much more

The best way to start is with the basics, at the beginning. I think that means starting at the Duomo di Milano. I think that means starting at the Duomo di Milano. It's in a Square of the same name (Piazza del Duomo), it's one of the main tourist attractions and it's right in the centre of the city, so it's an ideal place to start our weekend in Milan. The best thing is to visit it early in the morning, because it gets busier and busier as the day goes on. You can buy your ticket at the Duomo itself or in advance and, of course, you mustn't miss its terrace; from there you can see pretty much the whole of Milan, as well as the cathedral's gargoyles and towers. You can get up there by lift as well as by stairs, but the stairs are cheaper and quicker.

The best thing about this place is that after you've gone up and down the stairs, you can relax and go for an aperitivo at one of the many terraces on the cathedral square. If you'd prefer a view from higher up, the La Rinascente shopping centre is so close to the cathedral that you can see the whole of the cathedral's facade from the terraces of its bars; although the views from there have a price (and it's not exactly cheap), but it's definitely worth seeing and is there anything better than having a drink and some aperitivos?

So we won't waste a second of our time, the next stop on the list is the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery. It's just next to the cathedral square and it stands out for its paintings and the details of its walls and its glass roof, but the part that normally attracts people is the amount of luxury shops there (Gucci, Prada, Versace, etc. ). There are also a lot of restaurants and cafeterias where you can sit for a while and relax; but you definitely can't leave without stepping on the bull's testicles. Yes, it sounds strange, but there's a picture of a bull on the floor of the gallery and they say that, if you put the heel of your foot on its testicles and you spin around on it 3 times, you'll have good luck.

Following the same route, on the other side of the gallery is the Teatro alla Scala. From the museum, which is on the third floor, sometimes, you can get to see its most famous works; it's not exactly a front row seat, but it's much more affordable. After that, you'll surely be wanting to sit down to try some Italian delicacy. I'd recommend Luini Panzerotti, and even more so if you want to try the best panzerottis in Milan, a lot of people will recommend you this place. It's just next to the cathedral and the gallery and its dishes are very well-known and loved by the whole city. However, no meal is complete without dessert and what better Italian dessert is there than ice cream? I'd recommend that you visit the Gelateria della Musica but, obviously, you won't have to go far to find good ice cream parlours in Milan, because they're everywhere!

Now that you have a full stomach, we can continue with our tour and the next stop is the Sforzesco Castle, which is the best option if you're looking to relax after all of the hustle and bustle and the urban landscape. Entry to the castle's patio is free, you can also visit some of the castle's rooms and its museum, but you'll have to buy a ticket for that. Some other options at your disposition are to go on the first Sunday of every month, since it's free to get into all of the museums that day, or to look for discounts in Milan; this would be very useful if you don't know what to see in Milan and the surrounding areas. The castle patio also gives you acces to the Parco Sempione; also known as "the green lung of Milan", it's the biggest open area of the city. The park has a lake in the centre and there are lots of paths throughout to walk along and to cycle through. From there you can see the Arco della Pace, an historic monument in Milan.

The best way we'd recommend finishing this first day in Milan is to walk along the Via Dante. You'll find all different kinds of restaurants in all areas of the city, but it's the area that I'd most recommend. You can look at the Sforzesco Castle while you relax there.

Day Two: the cemetery, San Ambrosio, Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Fashion Rectangle

To start with the biggest thing, I'd recommend you visit the spectacular cemetery. Although it might not seem like a typical tourist attraction, the architecture of its tombs makes the cemetery almost like an open air museum. You can get there by tram, on the lines 7, 12 and 14, as well as by bus and metro.

The next stop is the San Ambrosio basilica. It's one of the oldest churches in Milan, it was built in the 11th century. After it was constructed, it became a model for all churches built after that. The exterior looks pretty standard and on the inside is the Sarcophagus of Stilicho, a work of art from the 14th century with religious prominence. In the cript there are also some skeletons of several saintson display.

You mustn't miss the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which is the next stop on our list. The church was built in 1463 as part of a Dominican convent. The church in itself doesn't stand out from the others, so the only thing of interest to tourists that you can find there is the object that's kept there. The main attraction this place has and something that you can look at on one of the walls of its dinning rooms is "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. To get to see the painting, you'll need to reserve your tickets quite far in advance. The visit happens in small groups and you are not allowed to take photographs.

An ideal place to relax is Spontini. If you're looking for a Milanese pizza, this place is your best option. Milanese pizza is special, because its dough isn't like other pizza dough.

No trip would be complete without a bit of time dedicated to shopping; I'd recommend you take a stroll through the Fashion Rectangle, if only to have a look. This is where you'll find the most prestigious boutiques in the entire city. The main streets are Via Montenapoleone, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Torino.

To end with, after all of the excitement of shopping and walking around, I'd recommend walking through Navigli. It's the Italian word for "canal" and, in fact, this neighbourhood is right next to the canal. The bars in this area are known for their great atmosphere. You can relax on one of their terraces, it's the best way to end an intense trip.

This is just our suggestion of an itinerary for a trip through Milan and its surrounding areas, however, you can develop your own route through Milan its surrounding areas yourself once you get there. Besides, all of these things are only a bit of what you could find in Milan, so, if at any moment you want to spend more time exploring this beautiful city, this article could help you! Erasmusu has hundreds of options to choose from, rooms, studios, student residences y apartments throughout Milan, so you can find your perfect home online, even before you get to the city.

If you like this article, don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Photo gallery