Top Sights to See in Milan in Italy

The top sights to see in Milan in Lombardy in Northern Italy include the Duomo (Cathedral), the Last Supper fresco painting, Sforza Castle, excellent museums, galleries, shopping, and Leonardo da Vinci sites.

The Last Supper in Milan Da Vinci is among the top sights to see when in Milano

Milano is one of the most popular destinations to visit in Italy making it sensible to plan ahead and buy timeslot reservation tickets for the top sights to see in Italy’s fashion city. Although advance reservations are officially only essential to see Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper fresco painting, it is very sensible to book timeslot admissions for all sights offering such skip-the-line tickets, including the Duomo and especially to visit the popular rooftop terraces of the cathedral. Sitting in a cafe, in a church pew, in the shade of the cathedral, or even staying longer in bed is a better choice than queuing at a ticket window for an admission that was available online — even short ticket queues move frustratingly slow.

Sights in Milan Requiring Advance Reservation Tickets – The Last Supper

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Last Supper in Milan

Seeing The Last Supper fresco that Leonardo da Vinci painted on the wall of the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a highlight of Milan for many art and culture-loving travelers. This is the only top sight in Milano for which advance timeslot reservation tickets are absolutely essential. Tickets are not sold at the Last Supper Museum and cannot be bought online on the actual day of the visit.

During the high season, which is increasingly long and includes any school holidays, Easter, summer, and the Christmas period, it is sensible to buy tickets as soon as they are released for the planned period of visit. The cheapest tickets for The Last Supper are fairly easy to buy if booked a few months in advance. Otherwise, guided tours are an alternative but even tours sell out on busy days.

See What to Expect when Visiting The Last Supper Museum in Milan — all visitors get only 15 minutes with one of the most famous artworks in the world.

Buy Online Tickets for Duomo di Milano Sights

Although timeslot-reservation tickets are not essential for sights at Milan Cathedral, buying in advance and online is eminently sensible. Except for early morning in the low season, the queues at the Duomo are usually long. Even with timeslot tickets, moving past the security checkpoints is slow at busy times.

All sites associated with the Duomo di Milano require tickets — visitors have to pay even for the main church. (Religious services are usually in a smaller side chapel.) The cathedral is filled with art — although many prefer the Renaissance works in Tuscany (Pisa, Siena, many churches in Florence). The magnificent Gothic exterior of Milan Cathedral with hundreds of statues is free and open at all times.

Going up to the roof terraces of the Duomo di Milano makes a visit to this cathedral really special. Access is via wide staircases like in a modern building or by elevator (extra charge). Some tours use a special no-queue elevator with the added advantage of entering the church directly immediately afterward without having to queue at security again.

More Leonardo da Vinci Sights in Milan

Leonardo da Vinci sights are among the top attractions for visitors to Milan. The Last Supper is of course one of the most famous artworks in the world but tickets are relatively expensive and not that easy to secure in busy periods.

Leonardo Da Vinci Portrait of a Musician painting in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan

The only other artwork by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan is his painting Portrait of a Musician in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. This lovely small art museum displays many other works by famous artists including the original cartoon for Raphael’s famous School of Athens fresco in the Vatican Museums. The museum also exhibits some of Leonardo’s original designs and drawings from the Codex Atlanticus. Except for the high season, tickets for the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana are easily bought at the museum itself although online tickets allow for immediate entry at all times.

Leonardo da Vinci is of course also famous for his copious notes, drawings, and designs for futuristic machines — his original job application in Milan was for a military engineer, not as a painter. For visitors keen on seeing models built to his designs, Milan has two fantastic exhibitions:

The more academic approach is in the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, which has the added advantage of including the largest and one of the most interesting technology museums in all of Italy. Tickets are usually easily bought onsite but advance purchases always go in directly without delays.
The Leonardo3 — the World of Leonardo Da Vinci is a more modern commercial approach. It includes around 200 models of his designs as well as more interactive displays and more modern digital presentations. This exhibition is conveniently located at the rear of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II across the piazza from La Scala. The exhibition is busy for most of the day but early morning slots are usually available if not buying tickets online in advance.

Other Top Sights to See in Milan

Parts of the formidable Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) may be seen for free but the museums inside charge admission. Locate the central ticket office if not buying tickets online, as the museums are spread over several buildings with tickets not available at every entrance. The museums cover a wide spectrum: fine art, decorative arts, historical objects from various periods, and a good collection of musical instruments.

Museo del Novecento in Milan exhibits 20th-century and has fine views of the Duomo from the upper floors.

Two further top art museums in Milan are:

The Brera Art Gallery has an excellent collection of Italian paintings from the 13th to 20th century — sure, it is not the Uffizi but it similarly may be visited without crowds.
The Museo del Novecento exhibits 20th-century and has fine views of the Duomo from the upper floors.

La Scala is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. Securing performance tickets is not easy, especially at short notice but it is usually possible to book a guided tour of La Scala without too much planning or visit the small museum, which includes a peak into the theater (but access is limited when preparing for performances).

Football is almost a religion to many Italians and Milan is home to two important clubs: Internazionale and AC Milan. A visit to San Siro stadium covers the home ground of both teams, while the Casa Milan is the official museum of AC Milan.

Free Sights in Milan

Interior of the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio in Milan

Except for the Duomo, admission to most churches in Milan is free. Although the art in churches in Tuscany and Rome is often better, many churches in Milan are also interesting to see. Top choices include the Basicila di Sant’Ambrogio, the art-filled Church of San Maurizio, which claims to be the Sistine Chapel of Milan (at least admission is free and easy), and Santa Maria della Grazie (shorter opening hours than the Last Supper Museum). As is so often the case in Italy, peeking into any small church along the way may be rewarding and a respite from busy streets.

The streets, piazza, and parks of Milan are always free and a joy to explore. Milan has the finest boutiques in Italy and many shops worth exploring. Bargain hunters also visit nearby factory outlet malls for shopping but for larger sizes, and a huge selection of top brands, many travel as far as Switzerland to visit Foxtown in Ticino near Lugano.