Milan in 3 days starting from NoLo: an itinerary with the metro at hand

Milan is a great city to see in three days, as long as you organise yourself by area and use the metro properly. This itinerary sets off each morning from NoLo, the neighbourhood north of Piazzale Loreto where you'll find us: the reference stop is Pasteur (M1, the red line), less than 5 minutes' walk from our place, with Rovereto as an equivalent alternative. The Duomo is under 10 minutes away by metro, with no changes.

A couple of practical notes before you start:

• ATM tickets can be bought at the machines or simply by tapping your contactless card at the turnstiles — the easiest option for visitors;
• Leonardo's Last Supper (Il Cenacolo) and the Duomo Terraces must be booked online in advance, the former often weeks ahead;
• The itinerary is designed for average walkers: each day covers one area, with no pointless zigzagging.

Day 1 — The centre: Duomo, the Galleria and Brera

Morning: the Duomo and around

From Pasteur take the M1 towards the centre and get off at Duomo: you'll step out of the metro with the cathedral right in front of you — one of the finest grand entrances in Europe. Spend the morning on:

• the Duomo, inside and especially up on the terraces, walking among the spires (book your slot online);
• the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan's "drawing room", complete with the ritual spin on the mosaic bull;
• Piazza della Scala and, if you love opera, the Teatro alla Scala museum.

For lunch, walk a couple of streets away from the square: five minutes on foot is enough to find fairer-priced spots.

Afternoon: Brera

From Piazza della Scala you walk straight into Brera, the artists' quarter: cobbled streets, workshops, galleries. The must-see is the Pinacoteca di Brera — Mantegna, Raphael, Caravaggio, Hayez (yes, The Kiss is here). Round it off with a stroll through the Brera Botanical Garden, a hidden garden few tourists know about.

Evening

Aperitivo in Brera, or head back to NoLo to have dinner in the neighbourhood: after a day in the centre, returning to an area where you eat well at local prices is a real luxury (here's what NoLo has to offer). From Duomo or Lanza you're home in a quarter of an hour.

Day 2 — The Castle, the Last Supper and the Navigli

Morning: Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione

M1 from Pasteur to Cadorna or Cairoli: in front of you stands the Castello Sforzesco, the fortress of the Dukes of Milan. Its museums deserve time — above all the Rondanini Pietà, Michelangelo's last sculpture. Behind the castle opens Parco Sempione: cross it as far as the Arco della Pace, with a detour to the Torre Branca or the Triennale if you're into design.

Afternoon: the Last Supper (if you booked) and Sant'Ambrogio

A fifteen-minute walk from the castle is Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to Leonardo's Last Supper. Places are very limited: if you didn't book in good time, fall back — with no regrets — on the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, the city's Romanesque masterpiece, and the nearby Museum of Science and Technology, itself dedicated to Leonardo.

Evening: the Navigli

From Sant'Ambrogio a short walk (or one M2 stop from Cadorna) takes you to the Navigli area. The right time is sunset: the Naviglio Grande with the lights coming on over the water is the aperitivo spot by definition. Have dinner along the canal or in the Darsena, then take the M2 to Loreto and you're home.

Day 3 — Porta Venezia, shopping and vertical Milan

Morning: Porta Venezia and the gardens

Today no metro, at least to begin with: from NoLo walk down Corso Buenos Aires, one of the longest shopping streets in Europe, which starts right at Piazzale Loreto. At the end you'll find Porta Venezia with its Liberty buildings and the Indro Montanelli Gardens, perfect for a break; inside the park are the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium, ideal with children.

Afternoon: two options

• Vertical Milan: M3 to Repubblica or a walk to Porta Nuova: Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Bosco Verticale and the Isola neighbourhood, the postcard version of contemporary Milan.
• Contemporary art Milan: M1 to Duomo, then M3 towards San Donato as far as Lodi T.I.B.B. for the Fondazione Prada, one of Europe's most important art institutions.

Evening: closing in NoLo

For your last evening, stay in the neighbourhood: a film at Cinema Beltrade if something interesting is showing, a beer in Piazza Morbegno, an ethnic dinner along Via Padova. It's the Milan that three tourist days usually don't reveal — and you've got it on your doorstep.

Quick itinerary overview

Why starting from NoLo works

Three days this packed only work if logistics don't steal your time. Staying in NoLo means: M1 with no changes to Duomo, Cadorna and San Babila, Central Station a 15–20 minute walk away for arriving and leaving (all the routes from the airports), and evenings in a real neighbourhood, where prices aren't those of the tourist streets. If you'd like to know the area better, read our neighbourhood page or the guide to the neighbourhoods near Centrale.

Looking for a base in NoLo? Nolo75 is a design apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen, less than 5 minutes from the M1 at Pasteur: the itinerary you've just read starts on the doorstep. Book direct for the best price. **Check the dates and book →**