My husband and I will be taking the RS Best of Italy tour in Sept/Oct 2023. Since we fly into Milan, we decided to stay an extra couple of days to acclimate. We'd love to take a walking tour that includes, the Milan Cathedral and Rooftop Terrace, the Last Supper, La Scala, along with any museums in the city. The choices seem endless AND overwhelming. Has anyone here taken a walking tour that includes those attractions? Do you have a recommendation for a tour guide or company for a reasonable price ($150+/- pp), or can you point me in a direction? Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Irving
3256 posts
Download Rick Steves app and take his Milan’s Duomo Neighborhood stroll. This month Rick Steves 5th edition Milan & The Italian Lakes guidebook came out that also includes the walk plus self-guided tours of the Duomo and other sights. Your trip is only as good as your guidebook is.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2414 posts
hey hey sheilaann
a few sights i have bookmarked for a later trip for milan:
gpsmycity.com/ milan
a few walking tours that you decide
tripsavvy.com/ milan travel guide and galleria vittorio emmanuelle II
theculturetrip.com/ top things to do in milan
mercatocentrale.com
in the central train station in milan with artisan shops & restaurants
milanoarte.net/ navigli district
canals with lively bars, restaurants, walkways. try the osso buco and risotto
many dishes have risotto since this area has many rice fields
bbc.com/ travel/ lost city of canals
veloleo.com/ visit milan
different tours within milan, email them for more info
museoalfaromero.com
car museum near milan, take the train if interested (about 10 miles away)
worldoffoodanddrink.com/ milan food and drink guide 10 things to try in milan
cenacolo.it/ the last supper
online booking site for tickets. order early
just a "few" things to check out, gives you many options. have fun and enjoy
aloha
Posted by
Florida, USA
250 posts
We took the 3-hour City Wonders tour with the Best of Milan. Our primary reason for taking the tour was to visit the Last Supper. We had been unable to purchase tickets on our own. The company runs a number of different tour itineraries. You can check them out on-line.
Be sure to have lunch or dinner at Ristorante Valentino on Via Agnello (near the Duomo) and have their Saffron Risotto. It is maybe the best dish I have ever had.
Enjoy.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16593 posts
Sheila, I think you'd have a bit of a time finding a tour which covers the L.S. the Duomo + rooftop, La Scala, and additional museums for the desired price but a search of the RS forum turned one recent reco that might work, although no duomo rooftop.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/milan-city-tour-c7e66bdc-8ca3-453b-8d1c-1ab5f4400000
http://www.walkingtourmilan.it
The 4-hour private "Welcome to Milan" tour for 2 (do note that entrance fees are not included in the price) is an option? If willing to spend more for more to see, look at the 6-hour "History and Art" tour. You could also see what it might cost for the guide to add the duomo roof to the tour. In other words, customize it.
As well, "Walks of Italy" is a commonly suggested/favorably reviewed tour resource on the Italy forums, and has a group tour of Milan on select days:
https://www.walksofitaly.com/milan-tours/
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14794 posts
I am often a person who does walking tours in new cities, however for my 2 nights in Milan before the Best of Italy in Sept, I did both the Last Supper and Duomo (Rooftop, Duomo, excavation) on my own. For the Last Supper I booked and English tour thru the official website. The tour guide was excellent and more than worth the 8E extra over the admission ticket.
For the Duomo I purchased a ticket to enter everything including the museum and the fast track lift to the roof. I did not get to the museum (pooped out, lol!!) but enjoyed the rest of it in spite of my fear of heights. I'd downloaded the Duomo app which is NOT free. The audio guide was not very good and sucked my battery dry at an alarming rate. I'd get the official audio guide for the Duomo that they have on-site.
I also went to the Pinocateca Ambrosiana which has the cartoon (preliminary drawing) Raphael did for his School of Athens fresco that you will see in the Vatican Museum as well as the Codex Atlanticus which is the combined drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.
Have you chosen a place to stay in Milan? I have twice stayed at Hotel Gran Duca di York which is 5 minutes from the Duomo. Using the CityMapper app it was about a 25 minute walk from there to the Last Supper. I really like this hotel! Staff is welcoming and breakfast is quite good.
This has nothing to do with your original question but in case it's helpful, here is a link to my TR from my Sept/Oct trip. Definitely have a waterproof rain jacket with hood and be sure to take it with you in to Venice and Monterosso-al-Mare even if you leave your suitcase on board the bus.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/best-of-italy-sept-30-october-16-2022
I also suggest that when this tour stops for a lunch and sightseeing stop that you grab a pannini or something you can take away so you can spend your time seeing some sights instead of sitting and waiting on lunch. This would be for Verona (where we stopped between Varenna and Castelrotto), Bolzano (where we stopped for the Otzi the Iceman museum and lunch between Castelrotto and Venice), Pisa (on the way to the CT) and Assisi.
Also, include stairs or hills in your fitness plan. Siena is very hilly as is Rome. And Assisi. lol!!