15 Jul Milan Travel Guide – What to See in the City and the Best Day Trips
I’ve been to Milan a few times. Four or five times, I think.
And each time I had more fun, saw more things, went on more day trips and discovered new places in this lovely city.
You see, many people think Milan is just a simple city that you could see in half a day.
In this article I will try to cover as much as I can from my trips: things to see, itineraries, places to eat and more, so you can see for yourself that Milan deserves to be on your travel list. Both as a destination and as a travel hub to other locations in Italy.
For me Milan means more than just a city. It means AC Milan-Inter, it means AC Milan-Roma (where I got the chance to see Francesco Totti live), it means Cirque du Soleil, it means many trips (Italian lakes, Genoa, Verona, Padua, Pisa and more), it means great food, it means discovering Navigli (a lovely area in Milan often overlooked by tourists and guides), it means beautiful architecture and more.
So what I will do in this article is structure it in two parts. The first part will cover Milan and the second will focus on the day trips I took from Milan. Of course you could see even more places, but I will only tell you about the things I tried and tested myself.
So without further introduction, let us start!
Milan
Even though Milan boasts beautiful buildings, amazing art, beautiful parks and great shopping streets, if there is one thing I urge you to try and do, it is…
Watch a football game
Yes, I’ve said it. I am a huge fan of churches, art and books, but really, you need to see a match in Milan. If you’re lucky enough to catch the Derby della Madonnina, then you will be one step closer to understanding Italy.
People of all ages and backgrounds move together towards the stadium. Both Milan and Inter fans. Constantly chanting, cheering for their team. And when you think it couldn’t get better, just wait.
Wait for the first big chance, the first goal. And then you’ll understand what Latin blood means. Ladies wearing dresses, men in suits and boys in jeans all screaming, moving fast, chanting, cursing, laughing or crying for their team.
I’ve been lucky enough to catch important matches like Milan-Atletico in the Champions League, Milan-Inter or Milan-Roma and the atmosphere was amazing each time. Each time the stadium was packed.
Tickets for AC Milan can be bought online or from branches of Banca Popolare di Milano. There are other options for purchasing tickets, but these two are the only ones I tested.
Now, the second thing I think you should do is…
Visit the Duomo
And when I say visit the Duomo I mean both the church and the roof. Don’t sell yourself short. Pay that extra sum and either walk the stairs or take the elevator to the top for a great view of Milan’s center. As a matter of fact, you can buy tickets from here. It saves a lot of hassle and I always enjoyed skipping the lines and not waiting for hours just to buy a ticket.
As you can see from the link above, there are many types of tickets available and what I can tell you is that I bought a Duomo Pass by lift, priced at 16.50 euro, when I climbed to the roof of the church.
I know you must have heard this many times before, but take your time and enjoy the Duomo. Don’t just rush in and then climb to the top to take a few pictures. Look at that architecture. It is amazing. For me the Duomo beats Notre Dame in Paris.
Take a walk in Brera
Yes, once again I put this on the list before other attractions. But it is so worth it. Brera means art. Brera means young people. Brera means many lovely restaurants. Brera means shopping.
Now I’m not advising you to go on an all-out museum tour and visit Accademia di Belle Arti, the Pinacoteca, the Museo Astronomico, though you could, but rather take your time and walk. This is a different kind of Milan and I’m sure you will love it.
Also Chiesa Santa Maria del Carmine, one of Milano’s oldest churches, is situated very close to the Pinacoteca and if you enjoy history and monuments you will surely like this place.
In regard to food, I have tested a few places in Brera and if you’re a fan of crepes you can definitely check this place out. Caffe Vecchia Brera, that’s the name of the place, and I’m pretty sure you will easily find something you like from the big menu available.
Next on my list of must-dos in Milan would be…
Leonardo’s Last Supper
The Cenacolo Vinciano is one of the most famous paintings in the world. I won’t bore you with details of when, how or how much, but there are some things you should be aware of.
You need a reservation to see it. This is the most important part. You need to buy your ticket online, select a date and an hour and be there 20 minutes earlier.
There are many sites on the internet that sell tickets to this place but, from what I remember, I got my tickets from here.
I know what you’re thinking, but let me assure you, it is totally worth it.
The painting is located in its original place in the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie and I urge you to locate it well on your map or GPS because this is the only place where I had the surprise of asking people for directions and not getting clear indications.
As a little bonus, after visiting the church and seeing the painting, you can come back here and tell me if the size of the painting surprised you.
Now, to move on, I must ask one simple question. What is a town without a castle?
Castello Sforzesco
When finishing your tour of the Duomo you can start walking on Via dei Mercanti, then on Via Dante, and you will reach the castle.
The place is big and, to make it even more interesting, behind the Castle you can find, walk and admire Parco Sempione.
Tickets to the Castello can be bought from here and at 10 euro they are well worth it.
If you venture into Sempione and manage to walk all the way to the arch and feel hungry, there is a small pizzeria that has an OK pizza a few meters from the Arch.
Since Milan is a city of arts, you just couldn’t miss….
Teatro alla Scala
Or, simpler said, Milan’s opera.
Yes, that famous opera house that you can easily reach from the Duomo passing through the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery. A gallery I am pretty sure you will stop and admire on your way to the opera.
I must confess that while on the outside La Scala is not as impressive as the MET Opera, let’s say, the real magic happens inside.
Even if you’re not an opera fan, you will surely appreciate this building which was inaugurated in August 1778. Yes, 240 years ago.
Love a city that has canals and water? Then here is the place you should visit…
Navigli
Not many people know that Milan has canals. And more than canals, it has little restaurants, pubs and terraces on both sides of them. And they are always filled with young people enjoying a glass of Aperol or some Prosecco.
Here the bars stay open late and you can always find a little party going on.
If you’re hungry there is a wide array of restaurants available so you can choose with ease.
This covers my list of sights to see in Milano.
In time I will add more links and places (restaurants) I tried but didn’t have time to review until now.
In my opinion Milano remains one of my favorite cities. The beautiful streets, the sights, the people, the food, all add up to a great experience.
Now that we covered some of Milan’s bests, it is time to move to…
Day trips from Milan.
Before going further I must tell you that I did not add the Central Station of Milan to your list of things to see for one reason. If you choose Milan as a hub and go on day trips from there, you will see this amazing building quite often.
For all my trips from Milan I used the train. Trains, at least in the North, are fast, clean and affordable. Yes, you will pay a lot for a ticket with the Frecciarossa 1000, but not if you buy it in time. And this is what I advise you to do. Buy your tickets in advance.
On one of my trips to Italy I wanted to travel with the Frecciarossa 1000, the new train that everybody kept talking about. And I managed to secure a killer deal from Milan to Bologna and return for about 19 eur/way. If you were to buy that same ticket on the day of travel it could have cost you about 60-80 euro/way.
So if you want to book at discounted prices, look ahead and you will find great, great deals.
In this part of the article I will mention the places I visited from Milan and write a bit about each.
So from Milan I took day trips to Verona, Genoa, Parma, Padua, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Bologna, Cremona and Bergamo.
I really hope I’m not forgetting a place, but I will double check once I am done and look through the pictures and the photo albums just to be sure.
Before we start I must tell you that trains to and from these places are often frequent, especially for big cities like Bologna or Verona, so you can almost have hourly trains. Depending on your preferences, you can buy only one-way tickets and spend a bit more on the return but visit the cities at your own pace and rhythm.
I can’t be of much use here since I walk differently, take different breaks or stop at different things, so for example my 5 hours in a city could be too much for you or just the opposite.
So let us start with…
Verona
I still remember my first day trip from Milan. Early morning, February, the weather kind of cold and I had my tickets already booked for Verona.
To reach Verona Porta Nuova from Central Station in Milan you will need between 1:13 hours with a fast train and 2:00 hours using the Regionale. Yes, ticket prices vary, but spending 90 more minutes on the train is a no-deal for me so I chose the faster train, the Frecciarossa.
From Porta Nuova, the train station, you can walk to the city (1.5 kilometers) or you can catch a taxi.
Verona is not huge and the main attractions are pretty grouped, so you’ll be able to visit it in peace, on your own time.
What you can do is simply walk through the historic center and your steps (and the signs) will take you to all the important sights.
As a starting point you can always begin your route in Piazza Bra, which is right next to the Arena of Verona. You can enjoy both a day tour, but you can also take part in an event held in this Arena. I don’t know if events are held all year round, but when they are, tickets can be bought from here and, as you can see, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Simple tickets just for visiting are 10 euro but I haven’t found an online site from where to buy them.
Next up on our list… Torre dei Lamberti.
As in many places you have two options here. Take the elevator or take the stairs. The tickets are 8 euro and if you visit on Mondays the price is only 5 euro.
The view is great from the Tower so the sum of money is not much considering the location and the views.
When descending from the Tower, or before climbing it, you might want to stop in Piazza Delle Erbe. You can admire it from Torre dei Lamberti and look at all the little terraces in the piazza while up in the old tower.
Not far from here (about 180-200 meters) you will reach the famous Juliette’s House.
I usually wake up early and go see places to have fewer people in my pictures but here it doesn’t really matter. This place is always filled with people. Maybe if you arrive at the first hour when it opens you will have better luck. Laughing, climbing on the balcony for a photo, touching the tit of the statue for good luck, people are always present in the courtyard and in the house. And I wasn’t kidding about touching the breast. People line up to do it.
The tickets for the house are priced at 6 euro and more info about them can be found here.
Two more things drew my eye while in Verona and those are two bridges. Two famous bridges, that is. Ponte Pietra and Ponte Scaligero. Both are very beautiful and they offer lots of spots for taking pictures of the Old Town.
Yes, there are more places that can be visited in Verona but, in my opinion, the above list covers the essentials.
Taking into account how much time you have, you can easily sneak in a few more places if that is what you want.
Now that Verona is done, let us move to one of my favorite places in Italy…
Genoa
Are you surprised? Don’t be. Genoa is amazing. The train ride is 1:30 to 2:00 hours each way and, as usual, ticket prices vary due to the hours, number of connections and type of train. However, there are plenty, and I do mean plenty, of direct lines so you’ll have no problem reaching Piazza Principe, Genoa’s railway station.
You see, when booking a train from Milan you will have many options for Genoa but just keep in mind Piazza Principe and you will be OK.
I still remember my visit in Genoa. I was with a good friend, walking, touring, searching for the house of Cristofor Columbus. I remember walking for almost an hour looking for that little thing, because it is little, before stopping outside its doors. It only costs 3 euros and it is worth it if only for the historic importance of this sight.
So yes, you can add this little place to your visit.
The one thing though, the one thing I would urge you to see in Genoa, is via Giuseppe Garibaldi. This street is amazing. Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Tursi and other buildings line up on this beautiful colored street for you to enjoy. I included a link above because most of the buildings here are museums that you could visit if interested. You can easily find prices there so you can decide what you want to see and how much that will cost.
It is really a delight for your eyes so do yourself a favor and see this place.
It is only 1.5 kilometers away from the train station and you’ll be going in that direction anyway because you will want to see the harbor and the old town. Some of you might even want to visit the Aquarium and that’s there too. Tickets to the Aquarium can be found here.
Back to the Old Town, I can say this: small, twisted, a maze that you will love. Take your time and walk through it. Stop and look at the buildings, signs, the little shops and try a few delicious things from the windows if you crave them. And trust me, sweets in Italy are delicious.
Admire the maze of streets, the old buildings, the relics of statues and just take your time.
I remember enjoying a Birra Moretti in the harbor, sitting down with my friend and eating fresh pastries and paninis bought from a little wagon where workers lined up to buy their food.
One sight you should see while in Genoa is the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, a church so old I will let you discover its age on your own.
If for whatever reason Genoa is not to your taste or maybe you walk fast and finish my suggestions, then you will be delighted to know that Genoa is a short distance away from Camogli and Portofino, two jewels of Italy.
I have written about these two places here and from Genoa you can reach Portofino by train or ferry. If you opt for the train ride you will stop at S. Margherita Ligure and from there you will take a bus directly to Portofino.
After finishing with Genoa why not travel to…
Parma
Learn to spell and pronounce prosciutto and parmigiano. You will need it. Parma ham is famous worldwide and everybody loves parmesan.
And if that’s not enough, spell pasta. Barilla Pasta. Because Parma is the birthplace of this company.
Named by UNESCO a Creative City for Gastronomy, Parma does not disappoint in other aspects either. Art, buildings, churches and palaces.
With a direct line that takes 1:30 hours, Parma is accessible from Milan and you can start your tour with Pallazo Della Pilotta, a complex building that will surely take you some time. Easily reached from the train station by foot (about 10 minutes), it is a good place to start exploring Parma.
However, if you feel like visiting the Palazzo takes too much time, my first thing to see in Parma is the Battistero. The price is 8 euro for the entrance and, in my opinion, this place really deserves a visit.
Since you’re there, you will notice just a few meters away the Cathedral of Parma, the whole space surrounded by buildings being named Piazza Duomo.
It is a place to admire, to relax and just enjoy the works of Correggio in a beautiful town of Italy.
If you have time left, why not head up to Parco Ducale for a small walk in nature, relaxing after a day full of art and food?
Next stop ….
Padova
Two hours by train and you will reach Padova, a town famous for its University founded in 1222. The same university where Galileo Galilei was a lecturer.
A lovely city, filled with young people, Padova left me beautiful memories of Prato della Valle. The largest square in Italy, filled with amazing statues and water, it is a place that appears on many postcards from Italy.
Take your time, sit down, grab something to eat and just enjoy the monumental work that was poured into building this place.
You might not like churches, but the Scrovegni Chapel holds the best preserved frescoes painted by Giotto. Here is the link from where you can buy the tickets but for Padova I would suggest looking at the Padova Card. The card can be bought from here and as you can see, for a small 16 euro price, you will gain access to a lot of interesting places.
Italian Lakes
Next on my day trips from Milan come my lovely days spent on the Italian lakes. The first day was spent in Lazise and Garda on Lake Garda, the second day I traveled to Bellagio and Como on Lake Como and on my third day I reached Stresa and the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore.
Before reading further or thinking of a trip to these places, I advise you to look on the internet for the things you would most want to see and then look for transport between the little towns. Usually you can reach these places by bus or boat, but you always need to take into account the distance between them and how much time you will end up spending in each place.
The first stop, as I mentioned before, was Lake Garda, where I visited…
In about 2 hours from Milano you can reach Peschiera del Garda train station where you will get off the train and go outside the station to wait for bus 164 (double check the number again before going). As a word of advice, look carefully at the buses because from the train station there is also a bus that takes people to Gardaland, Italy’s biggest amusement park.
15-20 minutes on the bus will leave you in front of Lazise and from there you can start exploring. The place is not big and you can finish it in two hours at a relaxed pace.
The old walls, the little maze of streets, the small harbor, the promenade where you can enjoy a drink while watching the lake, tiny shops everywhere, the feeling of no rush and of calm that sets in as soon as you enter the town all make for a great experience.
Unfortunately I have just a few pictures from this beautiful place, but the Italian lakes are the kind of trip anybody should take once in their life so I’m pretty sure that, if you haven’t visited until now, you will do it in the near future.
The Italian lakes should not be hurried. Yes, there are quite a few places that deserve a visit, but keep in mind that sometimes you need to slow down to enjoy things.
A glass of wine while watching the seagulls on the lake, a stroll through the streets, not needing a map, not needing to run from one sight to the next, bring a calm that everybody needs from time to time.
A boat ride away came….
From Lazise you have two options. Go back to the station and wait for the bus or take a ferry. I attached here some info about the prices, timetables and length of the trip, but I advise you to take the boat ride. Garda is Italy’s biggest lake and I’m pretty sure you will enjoy the short ride between the two towns.
Garda is bigger than Lazise and more visited. The harbor is larger and the town has a bigger promenade. Plenty of restaurants and terraces where you can enjoy a drink or grab a bite to eat while enjoying the lake view.
If you want, you can visit the Palazzo dei Capitani or Villa Canossa but you can also just walk and admire the streets and nature.
Regardless of what you choose, Garda will have something for you.
From Garda to Peschiera train station you can get the bus and I would go with that option due to the lower price.
As a little heads up, I do plan to return to Lake Garda to visit Sirmione, Limone, Tremosine and Malcesine, so check those places too when planning a trip.
The next day came Lake Como and I first stopped in…
- Bellagio
Well, technically I stopped first in Varenna, a little charming place where you can spend an hour or two while waiting for the ferry to Bellagio.
Many people skip Varenna and that is a shame. It is really worth a small visit and I am sure you will enjoy it.
About one hour from Milano you can reach it easily by direct train line and, after checking the ferry schedule to Bellagio, you can give Varenna a chance.
Don’t take the taxi from the train station to the ferry. You can walk for about 10 minutes and reach the small harbor from where the ferries depart.
After the short trip from Varenna, soak in Bellagio.
A small jewel of a town in which you must do two things.
First, the town itself. From where the ferry leaves you, go left until you start smiling when you see how the streets get smaller and smaller, stairs appear and people multiply.
Bellagio is one of the places I regret not reaching in the very first hours of the day because it offers amazing photo opportunities for amateur and professional photographers alike.
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi is the old town’s main street, but from it several alleys sprout, alleys filled with shops, restaurants and stairs.
There are plenty of stairs in Bellagio, so better wear something comfortable when visiting.
The second thing you must do while in Bellagio is visit the Villa Melzi Gardens. While the Villa is closed to the public, the gardens are amazing.
You can easily spend an hour in this beautiful place, just walking, admiring all the beautiful trees and flowers or relaxing on a bench while watching the ferries on the lake.
The ticket is only 6.5 eur and trust me, that’s 6.5 eur well spent. The villa is to the right of the harbor and it is not as crowded as the old town, so if you’re looking for calm and unwinding, this is the place.
Give yourself one hour to just walk and admire the gardens and then go back to town and buy your bus tickets.
While ferry is an option from Bellagio to Como, buses are faster and cheaper so I chose this option to reach the last stop of the day…
Como is something different. The streets are wider, there are more people, designer outlets and more expensive prices.
So different from Varenna or Bellagio.
I can’t say I was impressed by Como. Yes, many people enjoy it and flock there because of its fame, but for me it was nothing special.
From Como you can take the funicular up to Brunate for a great view of Como and the harbor. The return ticket was 5.50 and while the funicular moves pretty fast, I spent quite some time in the queue so I don’t think I’d stay in line a second time.
From Como you will take an hour train ride up to Milano Cadorna (not Centrale, Cadorna). I always selected Cadorna when arriving from the airport with the Malpensa Express because it was closer to my accommodation than Centrale.
As a tip: I always suggest checking trains from both Centrale and Cadorna. You can reach some places (like Como) faster from Cadorna, while others are better from Centrale. If you’re visiting smaller towns you can also check on Trenitalia trains from Cadorna.
The third and final day spent on the lakes brought me to Lake Maggiore where I visited…
- Stresa and the Borromean islands.
One hour away from Milano by train, Stresa is a small town from where you can reach the Borromean Islands.
I won’t insist much on Stresa, even though it is a pretty little village, but rather focus on the islands.
There are three islands. Two big ones, Isola Bella and Isola Madre, and the third smaller one, Isola dei Pescatori.
While the first two are large and have big, luxurious residences on them, the third smaller one still keeps its traditional way of life.
There are a few companies that offer transport from Stresa to the islands by boat, so you can choose freely among them. It is a hop-on hop-off system so you only need to know when your next boat comes. Usually, if I remember correctly, you can only board boats from the company you paid, but I managed to board a different boat between islands. You can check some prices here, but rest assured you can manage everything right there on the spot.
When I boarded the first boat I did not know the itinerary, but in the end I think it was the best route possible.
I started with Isola Madre, which is the largest of the islands. Isola Madre boasts an amazing garden filled with trees and superb flowers. Also, peacocks roam free here, so I think this is the island that will appeal most to nature lovers.
This is truly a “green” island, the only colors coming from the many species of flowers present on it.
The next stop was Isola dei Pescatori. The smallest island, but the one most alive. It is a pleasure to walk the tiny streets and look at the stores and houses. I loved this place and I am sure you will love it too. It is the only island left to its traditional ways and the island where you can get a bite to eat.
The last stop you should reserve for Isola Bella. This island is the most famous of the three and once you step on it, you will understand why. The palace is amazing, a sight, a construction unlike anything else.
It is one of the most photographed places in Italy and rightly so because it is an amazing work of art. Even more, the Palace has terraces filled with plants so the whole atmosphere feels out of a fairy tale.
Take your time and admire it from all angles because the construction is truly a work of art.
A small tip here: Isola dei Pescatori is the only one with a longer visiting schedule. The big islands have a tighter one, so check that and take it into account when planning your visit.
The more I write, the more I feel like I forgot something, but I’m pretty sure it will come to me by the end of the article, so let us move toward the next day trip you can take from Milan and that is…
Bologna
If you’re looking for a young city, a city of art, a city with a famous university and even more famous food, look no further. Bologna delivers.
You can reach Bologna by train in two ways. Use a regular train and get there in 2:20 hours or book ahead the Frecciarossa 1000 and get there in one hour. That is right. Just one hour. And if you book in advance with one month (I calculated for the 2nd of August 2018), you can get a 30 euro/way price which might seem high but really, it is just one hour and you’ll have a full day to explore.
Bologna is great. And you don’t have to take my word for it.
You can start exploring the little streets, stop at the shops, look at the food carts and I can assure you, you will look a lot.
Bologna is famous for food. I am sure a quick search on the internet will list you tens of things to try in Bologna so you can get overwhelmed pretty fast, I’m sure.
To help you a bit I would suggest you try tortellino, tagliatelle or the green lasagna. I will leave you here two articles that detail many dishes you can try. Link one here and link two here. And I’m pretty sure your mouth is watering by now.
I had a lovely experience with a restaurant in Bologna and I will try to finish a review and post it on the site as fast as I can.
Apart from amazing food (and trust me, Bologna is famous even in Italy for food), Bologna has many things to offer tourists.
Nicknamed the red city due to the color of the roofs of the houses, Bologna is home to Piazza Maggiore, Basilica San Petronio (check the link for hours and prices), the beautiful Fountain of Neptune, Basilica di Santo Stefano and let us not forget Le due Torri (the two towers) with the famous Torre degli Asinelli (check the link for info and buying tickets) open to the public.
Adding to the mix Palazzo Comunale and Palazzo Poggi, you can start to understand why Bologna is a top destination for many tourists in Italy.
You can rest assured I could have written at least as many other things, but I think that if you are pressed for time or just want to see the most important things, you should stick to the ones above.
As a final bonus I’m giving you this: Bologna’s canals. Unknown to many people, Bologna has canals. Not like Venice, ok, but it has them and they are worth looking at. Grab a cone of gelato and enjoy the sound of water running through the old canals of Bologna.
Having left Bologna, my next day trip was to…
Cremona
Have you ever heard of Amati, Rugeri or Guarneri?
Chances are if you don’t enjoy classical music and violins you never heard of them. But I’m pretty sure you heard of Stradivari, mainly because of the famous Stradivarius violins.
Cremona is not big, it is not hectic and it is often overlooked by tourists. But when it comes to music, Cremona ranks high. Especially for opera lovers.
With direct trains ranging from one to two hours, Cremona is an accessible destination from Milan. It is a peaceful town, a quiet one, perfectly suited for classical music.
I think that if you want to spend half a day there, you would walk its old town streets and stop in two places: Torazzo of Cremona and the Cremona Cathedral.
Of course you can always check the Baptistery and Palazzo Fodri because they are also beautiful pieces of art.
But what I enjoyed most was the Tower. It is old, very old, being constructed around 1267, and it offers a great view of the city.
At almost 113 meters tall it is said to be the third tallest brickwork bell tower in the world. As a little bonus, inside the Torazzo lies the world’s largest astronomical clock.
The climb is steep and the space is tight but if you think you can do it, then climb it. You won’t be disappointed.
Cremona is great if you are looking for peace and quiet. A simple day just walking without aim, looking around the city and maybe climbing its famous tower.
Next stop, and maybe one of the trips that everybody does, is…
Bergamo
45 minutes away from Milan lies a little gem. Bergamo. Now the city is split into two parts. Upper Bergamo and Lower Bergamo.
The train will stop in Lower Bergamo and from there you can walk (about 2 kilometers), catch a cab to the funicular and climb to Citta Alta.
Here you can just walk and not worry about missing a thing. Sooner or later you will reach or see all the sights. All in your own time.
The walls surrounding the city, the little streets winding and seeming to always go up, the shops, the wooden doors… watch them all as you eat a slice of pizza or enjoy a gelato while exploring the city.
You can start your trip in Piazza Vecchia, looking at the medieval buildings, and you can climb the Campanone Bell Tower (I did it by stairs but I think an elevator is available too). Be sure not to miss the Duomo and the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica since they are impressive.
Here you can find the Bergamo bus schedule and lines, and also the funicular hours and prices, so you can plan your trip ahead.
In the end
And this, my dear friends, pretty much covers it.
5875 words later, I hope I managed to convince you that Milan is both a city worth spending time in and also a great hub for exploring a beautiful part of Italy.
Of course there are also many other places you can reach from Milan. You can reach Torino, you can reach Mantova, you can reach Monza and others.
For me Milan has been an amazing experience and in due time I will write more articles about places I enjoyed in Milan and include links in this article.
I can’t help you with any advice for accommodation because on all my journeys I stayed with a good friend of mine who lived in Milan.
All I can say is that Milan deserves a whole lot more attention. Not just for football or fashion, but as a place where you can spend beautiful days and also set off to explore Northern Italy.