Milan in 3 days: itinerary, where to eat and what it costs
The Duomo, the Last Supper and aperitivo on the Navigli in three days, with the right way to get a ticket for Leonardo and checked 2026 prices.
In short. In three days you can see the Duomo and the Galleria on the first, the Last Supper, the Castello Sforzesco and Porta Nuova on the second, and Brera and the Navigli on the third. Excluding flights and hotel, budget around €95 per person per day, with a cappuccino that costs less than in Lisbon (October 2026 prices).
- Leonardo’s Last Supper, by reservation only, and it sells out
- €15
- 90-minute metro, tram and bus ticket
- €2.20
- per person per day, excluding flights and hotel (example)
- €95
Milan doesn’t give itself away at first sight the way Rome or Florence do. It’s a city of work, fashion and design that keeps its best behind closed doors: courtyards hidden behind gates, the Last Supper on the wall of a refectory, a marble roof where you stroll among Gothic spires.
The Last Supper is the test of a good planner. Tickets go on sale quarter by quarter and sell out, and without a reservation nobody gets in, not even children. If your trip is already booked, this is the first ticket to buy. The rest of the city is generous: the early-evening aperitivo brings snacks with your drink, and coffee at the bar costs less than in Lisbon.
Where should you stay in Milan on a first visit?
Near a station on the M1 or M3 lines, which cross at the Duomo. Milan is flat and the centre is easy to walk.
Duomo and Brera
The centre, and the cobbled neighbourhood of galleries and restaurants. Expensive and very central.
Navigli
The canals in the south of the city, with bars and restaurants at the water’s edge. Lively at night.
Porta Nuova and Isola
Modern Milan, with its skyscrapers and the Bosco Verticale, new hotels and good metro links.
Central Station
Handy for trains to the airports and Lake Como, but less pleasant at night.
How do you get from the airport to the centre?
Milan has three airports, and low-cost airlines mostly use Bergamo and Malpensa. Check which one is yours before planning your arrival.
| Airport | How | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linate (about 7 km) | Metro M4 to the centre (San Babila), on the standard ticket | no changes | €2.20 |
| Malpensa (about 50 km) | Malpensa Express to Cadorna or Milano Centrale | 40 to 50 min | €15 |
| Bergamo (about 50 km) | Direct coaches to Central Station (Orio Shuttle and Terravision) | depends on traffic | see website |
The standard €2.20 ticket is valid along the whole of line M4, all the way to Linate airport.
What can you do in Milan in 3 days?
Buy the Last Supper first, then the Duomo rooftop. Everything else fits around those two booked slots.
Morning
The Duomo rooftop
The cathedral took almost six centuries to finish, and the roof is the best part. The lift takes you to the first level; from there you climb on foot, among marble spires and statues, to the very top, with the golden Madonnina above you. On a clear day, you can see the Alps.
Practical. Rooftop by lift: €18. Combined with the cathedral, the museum and San Gottardo: €26.
Afternoon
The Galleria and La Scala
Walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the iron-and-glass arcade completed in 1877, and keep up the tradition: spin on your heel on the mosaic bull in the floor, which is said to bring luck. On the far side stands the Teatro alla Scala.
Evening
Aperitivo in Brera
At around 6.30pm, aperitivo begins: order a spritz or a Negroni sbagliato and the snacks arrive with your drink. Brera, ten minutes from the Duomo, is a good place to start, and to stay on for dinner.
Morning
The Last Supper
In the former refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Leonardo painted the Last Supper at the end of the 15th century. The visit is short, in small groups and at a booked time, to protect the painting, and it’s worth every minute of planning.
Practical. €15 (€2 for ages 18 to 25; free under 18). Booking compulsory for everyone.
Afternoon
Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione
A quarter of an hour’s walk away, the Castello Sforzesco holds Michelangelo’s last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, which he left unfinished. Behind the castle, Parco Sempione leads to the Arco della Pace.
Evening
Porta Nuova and Isola
Head up to Piazza Gae Aulenti, the raised square among the Porta Nuova skyscrapers, and have dinner in Isola, the neighbourhood next door, home to the two tree-covered towers of the Bosco Verticale.
Morning
The Pinacoteca di Brera
One of the great collections of Italian painting, with Mantegna’s Dead Christ, seen from the feet in a foreshortened perspective that still astonishes, and Hayez’s The Kiss.
Afternoon
Sant’Ambrogio and Porta Ticinese
Walk down to the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, Romanesque and built of brick, one of the oldest churches in the city, and carry on along Corso di Porta Ticinese, lined with independent shops, to the Roman columns of San Lorenzo.
Evening
Aperitivo on the Navigli
In the early evening, the Navigli canals fill up for aperitivo. The Naviglio Grande, with its terraces facing the water, is the prettiest at sunset.
Direct flight from Lisbon to Milan: about 2h45. See the flight estimate for your dates.
What if you have one more day?
With a fourth day, Milan has a lake and a medieval city less than an hour away by train.
Lake Como
Train from Central Station or Cadorna to Como in under an hour, then a boat across the lake to Bellagio or Varenna.
Bergamo’s upper town
The Città Alta, ringed by Venetian walls that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 50 minutes by train, with a funicular to the top.
Where can you eat well and cheaply in Milan?
Milan cooks with rice and butter where the rest of Italy uses pasta and olive oil. Risotto alla milanese, yellow with saffron, and the breaded veal cutlet are the house specialities, and ossobuco joins them on cold days. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around €20.
Aperitivo is the cheapest meal in the city: between 6.30pm and 9pm, your drink comes with snacks, and in many bars with a whole buffet. Coffee at the bar costs less on average than in Lisbon.
- Risotto alla milanese
- Creamy rice with saffron and bone marrow. It often comes with ossobuco.
- Cotoletta alla milanese
- A bone-in veal chop, breaded and fried in butter. Thick and enormous.
- Ossobuco
- A braised cross-cut slice of veal shank, with the marrow in the centre of the bone.
- Panzerotti
- Fried pizza-dough turnovers filled with tomato and mozzarella, sold a few metres from the Duomo for decades.
- Panettone
- The Christmas cake was born in Milan. In December it’s in every shop window.
- Negroni sbagliato
- The ‘mistaken’ Negroni, made with sparkling wine instead of gin, was invented in a Milan bar.
How much does a trip to Milan cost?
Milan is expensive for a sit-down meal and cheap for coffee and public transport. The entry fees that matter are moderate, but they need booking.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||
| 90-minute ticket (metro, tram, bus) | €2.20 | ATM |
| Day ticket | €7.60 | ATM |
| Ten 90-minute tickets | €19.50 | ATM |
| Malpensa Express, to any Milan station | €15 | Trenord |
| Entry fees | ||
| Last Supper, from age 25 | €15 | Cenacolo Vinciano |
| Last Supper, ages 18 to 25 | €2 | Cenacolo Vinciano |
| Duomo rooftop, by lift | €18 | Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo |
| Duomo, rooftop by lift, museum and San Gottardo | €26 | Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo |
| Eating and drinking (averages) | ||
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €20 | Numbeo |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant, no drinks | €80 | Numbeo |
| Cappuccino | €1.87 | Numbeo |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €6 | Numbeo |
Milan next to Lisbon
| What | Milan | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | €1.87 | €2.70 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €6 | €3 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €20 | €15 |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant | €80 | €55 |
A day in Milan, per person
| Public transport day ticket | €7.60 |
|---|---|
| Cappuccino at the bar | €1.87 |
| Lunch at an inexpensive restaurant | €20 |
| Dinner (half of a dinner for two) | €40 |
| One entry ticket (Duomo, rooftop and museum) | €26 |
| Total per person | €95.47 |
Example for one adult, using the prices in the table. Excludes flights, hotel, tourist tax and shopping.
What if the Last Supper is sold out?
There are guided tours that include entry, at a higher price. Buy only on the official website or from authorised agencies, and be wary of resellers charging inflated prices.
What mistakes should you avoid in Milan?
- Counting on seeing the Last Supper without a reservation: there are no tickets at the door.
- Going into the Duomo in shorts or with bare shoulders.
- Forgetting to validate your ticket as you enter the metro or board the tram.
- Ordering a cappuccino after dinner and wondering about the look you get: in Italy it’s a morning drink.
- Expecting dinner at 7pm. Milan dines later, after aperitivo.
- Sitting down at a café in the Galleria without checking the prices: at a table, the same coffee can cost several times what it does at the bar.
When is the best time to visit Milan?
April to June, and September and October. In August the city empties and many restaurants close; in July the heat is humid.
In April, Design Week fills the city with installations, and hotels get full and expensive. December brings the Christmas shop windows and panettone in every pastry shop.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you get tickets for the Last Supper?
- Only by reservation, on the official website. Sales open quarter by quarter and sell out fast: buy as soon as they open for your dates. It costs €15 (€2 for ages 18 to 25, free under 18).
- Which Milan airport is closest to the centre?
- Linate, about 7 km away, linked to the centre by metro line M4 on the standard €2.20 ticket. Malpensa and Bergamo are both about 50 km out.
- Is it worth going up to the Duomo rooftop?
- Yes: it’s one of the few cathedrals where you can walk on the roof, among the spires. The lift costs €18 and only goes to the first level; the rest you climb on foot.
- Is Milan more expensive than Lisbon?
- For a sit-down meal, yes: €20 against €15 for a simple meal. A cappuccino is cheaper, €1.87 against €2.70.
Sources and price dates
All prices were checked on 2 October 2026 on the pages below. Restaurant and café averages come from Numbeo, which collects prices submitted by people who live and travel there.
- Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano: useful information
- Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano: September to December 2026 ticket sales
- Duomo di Milano: rooftop terraces
- ATM: tickets for Milan
- Malpensa Express: prices
- Bergamo Airport: buses
- Numbeo: prices in Milan (updated 2 October 2026)
- Numbeo: prices in Lisbon (updated 2 October 2026)
Lisbon → Milan, return flight with hotel.
If you don’t have a flight or hotel yet, ask for a quote for your dates. It arrives on WhatsApp within minutes.
Direct flight estimate based on recent market searches. The final price, with hotel, is confirmed by the consultant.
