If you're in Milan and looking for cool spots to hit up, the Navigli District is certainly interesting. But it's really only worth it if you go at the right time.
What is there to see in Milan's Canal District (Navigli)?
The Canal District is Milan's attempt to reinvent the canals that used to bring water into the city but are no longer in use. I read that they hoped it would look like Venice, and there are definitely similarities. The bridges across the canals make it easy to move from one side of the canal to the other, and the gondola rides down the canals are surely charming.
The streets on either side of the canal are lined with shops, though most of them were closed when we visited. There was also this large docked boat that was outdoor seating for a restaurant that I thought was cool. It's a pretty nice walk and can be a long one too depending on when you decide to turn around.
When is the best time to visit Milan's Canal District?
In my opinion, the Navigli District is really only worth visiting at night. It's full of restaurants, bars, clubs, and other fun nightlife activities. There are some vintage stores and flea market type stalls at the end of the canal that we enjoyed exploring, but it was pretty sleepy during the day. To get the right experience, it's better to go in the evening to watch the sunset, enjoy dinner, and take a stroll along the canal at night.
How to visit Milan's Navigli District
We only ended up here because I felt I had seen almost everything else Milan had to offer, and this was a recommended "hip" neighborhood. It certainly had some charms, but I'm not sure it was worth going out of our way to see. The Canal District isn't hard to get to with Milan's public transportation system of trams, but it is a bit on the outskirts of downtown. The Navigli District is in southwest Milan, about a 30 minute walk from Piazza del Duomo. Then, it's about a 15 minute (1 km) walk down the canal one direction. At least that's as far as we went, just past Parco Baden-Powell before we crossed a bridge and walked back the other way.
Other neighborhoods to explore
If you only have a couple days in Milan, I first recommend a walking tour of Milan's top 7 historic must-see sights in the city. If you've already done that, I recommend a walk around the architecturally diverse neighborhood of Isola.