How to spend a fabulous day in Milan, Italy

We stopped in Milan after our incredible First Class flight on Emirates Airbus A380 for a 9 hour layover as part of our epic journey from Baltimore to the Maldives. We spent a good part of that day discovering the magnificent Duomo di Milano. Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Supper is another top Milan attraction that cannot be missed! Throw in some delicious pizza and gelato, and you have the makings for a perfect day in Milan. Check out our tips for how to spend a day in Milan, Italy.

We really enjoyed having a rental car to be able to cruise through the city, stopping on every whim for a photo opportunity of the gorgeous architecture of houses, churches, shops and restaurants. We were able to discover the city at our pace, on our own agenda, with flexibility to stop anywhere we wanted whenever we wanted, which was perfect for us. We discovered so much beauty!

One of our must-sees, second to the Duomo di Milan0, was Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper at the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Luckily Bertaut had done his research in advance and made a reservation. Otherwise we would not have been able to see it, since it was sold out for the day. Unfortunately though, he made the reservation 30 minutes after the English tour, so we didn’t understand a word of the guided tour. We would have been able to listen to the audio guide in English but we were running a few minutes late and they wouldn’t let us get it after the tour started since each part of the monastery is sealed off by glass doors that protect the precious art from the elements.There was an enchanting street performer outside the monastery playing an instrument that we’ve never seen. It seemed magical since his hands didn’t touch it, yet it played beautiful music that captivated an entire audience of young teenagers waiting to get inside the monastery.Once inside the monastery and through a series of timed glass doors, we saw The Last Supper and read some information about it. Leonardo Da Vinci arrived in Milan in 1482 and held many positions in the ducal court, including architect, engineer, sculptor, and set designer. He was asked to paint The Last Supper inside the monastery’s huge Refectory by the duke himself. According to tradition, the initial and final episodes of The Passion of Christ are represented in the Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The Last Supper occupies the north wall, and was pained between 1494 and 1498. The Crucifixion occupies the south wall, and was painted by Lombard painter Giovanni da Montorfano in 1495.

At the other end of the Refectory was The Crucifixion, a fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfono from 1495.The monastery also has a small gift shop with a nice selection of souvenirs with Da Vinci’s works to please any art-lover.Next on our agenda while in Italy was to get some delicious Italian food. We wanted something both quick and tasty since we had an ambitious plan for our 9 hour layover. We decided to get pizza, since that’s sort of a must-do while in Italy. We had a good laugh when we asked a local for a recommendation for a good pizzeria. First of all, he responded completely in Italian, so we only understood the gist of what he was saying with his emphatic gestures. Language barrier or not, we understood that he was telling us that we were in Milan, so every pizzeria was good. He did give us directions to one he recommended, but again this was in Italian, which we do not speak, so we didn’t quite follow. So we hopped into our rental car and stopped at the first pizzeria we saw on our way to the Duomo di Milano. We opted for a veggie piece with zucchini and white sauce, as well as a slice with delicious prosciutto, which was my favorite. We also got lost on our way but discovered more of the city with each wrong turn. Bertaut even got flipped off Italian-style while driving around the city. At some points I felt like we were in the movie The Italian Job or one of the Jason Bourne films cruising through the small Italian streets with my husband who drives aggressively (and somewhat crazy).

We couldn’t leave Italy without getting gelato, which is one of my all-time favorite desserts. My most important travel tip for Italy: get gelato, preferable every day of your visit. 😉 It is divine. I highly recommend the Nutella flavor, which is unbelievably mouthwatering. We saw some other treats that looked wonderful, so if you have a sweet tooth, you will be on cloud nine. This great little gelateria was in Piazze del Duomo and we made a quick dash inside just before zooming back to the airport to catch our flight to Dubai. We left Milan on a very happy note. Bertaut has very fond memories of his first visit to Italy, and I had a great experience with my first visit to Milan.

In summary, our recommendations for a day in Milan are to visit the Duomo di Milano first, giving yourself plenty of time to see the entire cathedral, terraces, museum, graveyard, and archaeological site (read our article on the Duomo di Milano for more information). Allow yourself time to explore the Piazza del Duomo with its fabulous shopping, restaurants, and people-watching. Stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and make your way to Milan’s opera house Teatro alla Scala. If you are there for the evening, stay for a performance. Discovering Piazza del Duomo and Duomo di Milano will take most of a day, but don’t miss Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie. Remember to make a reservation well in advance or you will likely not be able to get inside, as it sells out quickly. While in town, get a rental car and explore the city’s beautiful architecture, both modern and historic, snapping photos of your favorite sights. Foodies, find yourself a pizzeria and gelateria for some must-have Italian favorites, and sit down to a nice meal at one of the many fantastic restaurants. I couldn’t help but think of the movie Eat, Pray, Love while in Milan and wished we had more time here to enjoy the fantastic Italian cuisine.

What is your favorite attraction and restaurant in Milan? How would you recommend spending a day there, or even better, a week there? If you’re wanting to see more of Italy, check out the best places to visit in Italy  and Venice. If you liked this post and want to get our tips to travel like a millionaire, please sign up for our email newsletter and RSS feed.