Milan in 3 Days: The Lucalvry Itinerary
By Alex Marlowe · Updated 2026-05-17 · 13 min read
An hour-by-hour itinerary for three days in Milan — the Last Supper at opening, the Duomo rooftop, the Quadrilatero crawl, the aperitivo on the canal and the Como day trip.
Day 1
Duomo, Galleria, La Scala, Cracco
- 8:30am — Coffee at Marchesi 1824 (Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11A)
The Prada-owned 1824 pastry counter five minutes from the Duomo
The Prada-owned 1824 pastry counter five minutes from the Duomo. A cappuccino and a brioche standing at the counter — €5 — and the most photographed espresso machine in the city behind you.
- 9:30am — Duomo of Milan rooftop
Pre-book the Fast-Track Rooftop ticket (€20) for the 9:30am slot
Pre-book the Fast-Track Rooftop ticket (€20) for the 9:30am slot. The 165 terrace marble statues are the set-piece; allow 75 minutes including the cathedral interior. The best photograph of the Madonnina is from the western end of the upper terrace.
- 11:30am — Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Cross the square into the Galleria; the bull-mosaic-spin is the tourist ritual but the…
Cross the square into the Galleria; the bull-mosaic-spin is the tourist ritual but the genuine photograph is the iron-and-glass roof from the central octagon at noon.
- 12:30pm — Lunch at Salumaio di Montenapoleone (Via Santo Spirito 10)
Walk through the Quadrilatero — Via Montenapoleone, Via Sant'Andrea, Via della Spiga —…
Walk through the Quadrilatero — Via Montenapoleone, Via Sant'Andrea, Via della Spiga — to the courtyard restaurant for the cotoletta alla milanese and a glass of Franciacorta. Reservation a week ahead.
- 3:00pm — La Scala Museum and theatre tour
Pre-book the museum ticket (€12)
Pre-book the museum ticket (€12). The historical instruments, the Verdi manuscripts, and (when not in rehearsal) the brief view of the auditorium itself are the set-pieces. Allow ninety minutes.
- 5:00pm — Aperitivo at Camparino in Galleria (Piazza del Duomo 21)
The 1915 historical bar where the Campari soda was institutionalised
The 1915 historical bar where the Campari soda was institutionalised. Order it short, with an olive, standing at the counter.
- 8:30pm — Dinner at Cracco (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)
Carlo Cracco's two-Michelin-star flagship, with the dining room overlooking the Galleria
Carlo Cracco's two-Michelin-star flagship, with the dining room overlooking the Galleria. The 'My Milan' tasting (€220) is the right call. Three weeks ahead in shoulder season.
Day 2
Last Supper, Brera, Sforza Castle, Seta
- 8:15am — Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie
Pre-booked timed entry, the earliest available slot
Pre-booked timed entry, the earliest available slot. Fifteen minutes of viewing time, no exceptions; the security airlock makes this feel longer than it is. The fresco's restoration is genuinely transformative — go in expecting reverence, leave with it.
- 9:30am — Walk to Brera
Twenty minutes east through Via Fatebenefratelli
Twenty minutes east through Via Fatebenefratelli. The neighbourhood is at its quietest in the morning hours; coffee and a brioche at Marchesi alla Scala (the second of the Prada Marchesi locations).
- 10:30am — Pinacoteca di Brera
The Raphael Marriage of the Virgin, the Mantegna Dead Christ, the Piero della Francesca…
The Raphael Marriage of the Virgin, the Mantegna Dead Christ, the Piero della Francesca Madonna with Egg — the three set-pieces. Allow ninety minutes; the rest of the collection is a return visit.
- 12:30pm — Lunch at N'Ombra de Vin (Via San Marco 2)
The Brera wine bar in a former Augustinian refectory — the cured-meat boards and the fo…
The Brera wine bar in a former Augustinian refectory — the cured-meat boards and the focaccia are the orders, paired with whatever the sommelier is pouring by the glass.
- 3:00pm — Sforza Castle and Pietà Rondanini
The unfinished Michelangelo Pietà in the Sala degli Scarlioni is the single most import…
The unfinished Michelangelo Pietà in the Sala degli Scarlioni is the single most important sculpture in the castle complex. Allow forty-five minutes for the Pietà and another forty-five for the museum sweep.
- 4:30pm — Walk through Parco Sempione to the Arco della Pace
Twenty minutes; the city's best architectural axis from castle to triumphal arch
Twenty minutes; the city's best architectural axis from castle to triumphal arch.
- 6:30pm — Aperitivo at the Bulgari Hotel garden bar
Walk back through Brera to the Bulgari's secret garden — the most architecturally serio…
Walk back through Brera to the Bulgari's secret garden — the most architecturally serious aperitivo room in the city, with a Negroni and a small plate of risotto al salto.
- 8:30pm — Dinner at Seta (Mandarin Oriental, Via Andegari 9)
Two Michelin stars, Antonio Guida, the city's most consistent serious tasting
Two Michelin stars, Antonio Guida, the city's most consistent serious tasting. The eight-course (€225) with the European wine flight; reserve three weeks ahead.
Day 3
Como morning, Navigli evening, Trippa farewell
- 8:00am — Train to Como from Milano Centrale
Forty minutes
Forty minutes. The 8:10 regional from binario 1 puts you at Como San Giovanni by 9am with the lake mist still on the water.
- 9:30am — Funicular to Brunate
Six minutes' walk from the station
Six minutes' walk from the station. The funicular runs every fifteen minutes and the upper terrace at Brunate is the postcard view of Como — the lake, the mountains, the villas. Coffee at the upper-station bar.
- 11:00am — Lake Como ferry: Como to Bellagio
Two hours, slow ferry
Two hours, slow ferry. The route hugs the western shore past Cernobbio, Moltrasio and Tremezzina; arrive at Bellagio in time for lunch on the promenade.
- 1:00pm — Lunch at Ittiturismo Mella (Bellagio promenade)
Lake-fish room with a terrace view across to Varenna
Lake-fish room with a terrace view across to Varenna. The pesce in carpione is the order; reserve a week ahead in summer.
- 3:30pm — Ferry back to Como, train back to Milan
You're at Centrale by 6pm
You're at Centrale by 6pm.
- 7:00pm — Aperitivo on the Naviglio Grande
Walk the towpath from Porta Genova metro to Mag Café (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 43) for th…
Walk the towpath from Porta Genova metro to Mag Café (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 43) for the best cocktail on the canal. The crowd builds from 7pm onwards.
- 9:00pm — Dinner at Trippa (Via Vasari 1)
Diego Rossi's offal-heavy room of the moment, twenty minutes' walk south of the canal
Diego Rossi's offal-heavy room of the moment, twenty minutes' walk south of the canal. The vitello tonnato, the trippa alla parmigiana and the mondeghili are the orders. Reservation a fortnight ahead — this is one of the hardest tables in the city.
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Editor-in-Chief
Alex MarloweAlex Marlowe is Lucalvry's Editor-in-Chief. Twelve years covering hotels and travel for Condé Nast Traveller, Monocle, and Wallpaper. Based between London and Lisbon.
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