If you're looking to see all the best sights Milan has to offer, you'll be glad to know you can do it all in one day! This walk is about 3 km/2 miles, but you can pace yourself and stop for an espresso, lunch, or gelato along the way! It can take less than an hour without stopping, or you can have the perfect day in Milan catching all the best sights and stopping to shop or enjoy some of the attractions along the way.
Stop 1: Piazza della Scala
Start at the famous Teatro alla Scala and statue of Leonardo DaVinci in Piazza della Scala. The Teatro alla Scala was founded in 1778, and it's one of the most famous opera houses in the world. You'll need a ticket if you want to tour the inside, and unfortunately it's not too exciting to look at from outside, even less so when covered in scaffolding. But add in the statue of Leonardo DaVinci in the Piazza della Scala, and you've got yourself a good first historic sight on your walking tour.
Stop 2: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The best reason to start with Milan's famous theater is because the Piazza della Scala is one of the entrances to the Galleria, which is one of the most beautiful features of Milan. The Galleria is a stunning piece of architecture, and it's one of Milan's must do activities. There are a few restaurants and cafes if you want to grab a bite or an espresso and plenty of stores for shopping, too.
Stop 3: Piazza del Duomo
Walking straight through the Galleria (though you should detour to see all four corridors), you'll exit directly into Piazza del Duomo. Bring some sunglasses because the gorgeous Milan Cathedral will be blindingly white if the sun is out! And don't forget to walk around the whole thing. The stained glass windows in the back of the Cathedral are the most intricate and really worth a look.
Stop 4: Via Dante
After you've finished admiring the Milan Cathedral and navigating what will surely be major crowds, head up the main street leading off the Piazza del Duomo. It starts as Via dei Mercanti and meets up with Via Dante a few blocks down.
While there's no single place I recommend stopping, you'll certainly find one or two places along the way. There's an FAO Schwartz, a Sephora, and also a Starbucks Reserve Roastery (pictured below, left), which is a museum of sorts of the coffee roasting process. There are only seven currently in the world, and at 25,000 square feet, this one is Europe's largest Starbucks. You can wait in line as a walk up, or reserve tickets up to two days in advance to get in.
This is a great walk down one of Milan's most famous streets, where you can window shop some major brands. You will get a great feel for some of Milan's best traditional architecture, and you'll also find about four gelato places you can stop for a refresher if it's hot out.
Stop 5: Castello Sforzesco
At the end of the street, you'll pass a large statue in a traffic circle. This is also conveniently the Cairoli metro stop on the red line, if you're interested in hopping on public transit after your visit.
Keep going and you'll come to Filarete Tower, which is the very impressive entrance to the Sforzesco Castle. It also marks the beginning of Milan's largest downtown park, Parco Sempione, which houses the ancient Sforzesco Castle at one end and through the park, the famous Peace Arch and Sempione Gate at the other.
The Castello Sforzesco was built in the 15th century by the then Duke of Milan, and it was later renovated and enlarged again and again until it was one of Europe's largest citadels. It's free to just walk through the castle here, but you can also pay to get to see inside. Today, Milan's Sforzesco Castle houses a bunch of museums - art, musical instruments, tapestries, antique furniture, and more.
Stop 6: Parco Sempione
The rest of Parco Sempione is similarly stacked with attractions. Between the Sforzesco Castle and the surrounding park, you could easily spend all day walking around and sightseeing here.
There's a design-oriented museum called Triennale di Milano, a civic center you can tour called the Palazzina Appiani, and a 357-ft tall tower called Torre Branca you can climb for panoramic views of Milan. Finally, there's a small aquarium, which is definitely worth the 5€ entrance fee.
The park was really nice to walk through. Thanks to multiple designated dog park areas, there were a lot of people walking dogs, hanging out, and enjoying the weather. There's also a little stream, and the bridge to cross it is called the Bridge of the Little Mermaids or Ponte delle Sirenette. The little statues are so charming!
Stop 7: Arco della Pace
On the far end of the park, Milan's Peace Arch is spectacular. The arch opened in 1838, and it's set in a large courtyard, Piazza Sempione. It had a wide ring of seating along the edges where people were eating lunch, chatting, reading. And it was a great place to sit and admire the awesome Peace Arch.
Getting Back
On the other side of Piazza Sempione is the busy street, which is convenient because the tram stops here. You can jump on this charming street car and get a ride back to where you started.
Final Thoughts
Milan has been rated as one of the worst Olympic cities for tourists, based on factors like traffic, cost, safety, and (for the purposes of this blog) number of attractions. While this large city is a bustling fashion hub and the regional capital of Lombardy, I have to agree that there really aren't that many tourist attractions... While that may be a detractor in some circumstances, it can also be a good thing that it is possible to see most of Milan's best attractions in one day: If you only have a couple days to see Milan, a walking tour from the Galleria and the Cathedral to the Sforzesco Castle and the Peace Arch will leave you feeling like you got the most out of your visit. Don't forget to have an espresso, a gelato, and maybe a plate of Milan's famous saffron risotto, and you'll be set.