We are flying into Milan in mid May. We will have two full days there. We want to see the highlights (Last Supper, Cathedral etc) should we hire a personal guide that can get us into these highlights? Purchase a 3 hr walking tour with TickItaly or something else here at home before we leave? Any other suggestions?
The next day is a day trip to Lake Como, do we rent a car, take train or bus?
Thanks
Posted by
Atlanta
2476 posts
I was there for two days in October and used the Walks of Italy for a four hour walking tour that included tickets to The Last Supper and ended with a roof top climb to the top of the Duomo. The guide took us to other historic churches and places of interest, very worth the time and money. I gained a broader appreciation of Milan. I also went on the Walks of Italy tour of the Brera Art Gallery, containing wonderful paintings by the old masters including Caravaggio. The neighborhood around the Brera is fun to wander through, with sidewalk cafes and shops, vibrant area.
The next day I toured La Scala on my own. Milan has a more modern busy vibe than other Italian cities but when you look for the old places of significance you don't have to look that far.
Also, go to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the glass-domed arcade next to the Piazza Duomo, a wonderful shopping mecca filled with amazing high-end shops and cafes. Great people watching here.
I bought my two tours with the Walks of Italy online before I left home.
I took the train from Milano Centrale station to Varenna. I was meeting a Rick Steves tour there.
Judy B
Posted by
Winooski, VT
285 posts
I spent a day in Milan, which was plenty IMO. Unless you like shopping and fashion I really didn't care for it. The Duomo is spectacular, my favorite in all of Italy thus far. Going to the roof is amazing. Views are incredible. We also did the Last Supper, booked both on our own. I'm not sure what else they would show you on a tour. Gucci? Prada?
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4051 posts
I was in Milan during June and saw no particular line-up to visit the roof of the Duomo (a very unusual experience). Nearby, La Scala should be of some interest even to non-opera fans just to see what such a famous old opera house looks like. However the times it opens vary depending on performance schedules. That day the lights in the grand auditorium were turned on only
briefly; no tour, just part of a balcony was open. The side reception rooms, with a small museum dedicated to the formidable singers, are worth a glance. The city has a couple of small art museums and plenty of chi-chi boutiques.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Milano has many things to see and do. The tickets for Leonardo's Last Supper can be bought from the official site (difficult because they sell out fast) or from a broker (markup but you can buy tickets for the Last Supper only, not necessarily a tour) or a half-day tour which will include the Last Supper. I think Tickitaly sells non-tour tickets, not sure though.
Additionally, there is the Brera Gallery, the Castello Sforzesco with castle, museum and gardens, the church of Sant'Ambrogio (one of the oldest Christian churches in the city), window-shopping on Via Montenapoleone, La Scala Opera House, the Galleria across the street from the Duomo, the Naviglio district. Il Rinascente department store has a rooftop bar/caffe where you can get an overpriced drink and look across at the Duomo roof (if you prefer not to step out onto the roof itself via elevator or stairs).
I am not sure what a tour would involve, but you can easily visit some or all of these sights on your own.
Milano has some very good restaurants, and a well-established happy hour (could easily be a light dinner).