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Best Things to do in Milan (2026)

Some of the best experiences in Milan are about neighbourhoods rather than monuments. The Navigli Canal District, south-west of the centre, is the place for an evening walk along the Naviglio Grande, an aperitivo by the water or the antiques market held along the canal on the last Sunday of most months. Brera, the old artists' quarter, is ideal for an unhurried stroll through cobbled lanes of galleries, design shops and cafés, and it fills with installations during Milan Design Week in April.

For green space, Parco Sempione stretches from the Castello Sforzesco to the Arco della Pace, with the Torre Branca viewpoint and the Triennale design museum on its edge. Porta Nuova, around Piazza Gae Aulenti and the Bosco Verticale, shows the modern city of glass towers and public parks, and it is easy to combine with the bars and restaurants of Isola. Football fans should make time for the San Siro Stadium Museum and Tour, home of AC Milan and Inter, but check the calendar first, as tours are limited on match and event days and the clubs are planning a new stadium next door. Most of these experiences are free, and they fit well around the timed visits needed for the major museums, filling late afternoons and evenings when the galleries have closed.

5 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Milan

  1. Navigli Canal District Canal-side neighbourhood walk, NavigliMilan's medieval canal quarter around the Naviglio Grande and the Darsena, known for its waterside walks, aperitivo bars and monthly antiques market.
  2. Brera District Historic neighbourhood walk, BreraMilan's old artists' quarter of cobbled lanes around the Pinacoteca di Brera, filled with galleries, design shops, cafés and restaurants.
  3. Parco Sempione and the Arco della Pace City park walk, SempioneMilan's central park behind the Castello Sforzesco, laid out in the 1890s and stretching to Napoleon's triumphal Arco della Pace.

Thing to do

2. Brera District

Historic neighbourhood walkBrera

Milan's old artists' quarter of cobbled lanes around the Pinacoteca di Brera, filled with galleries, design shops, cafés and restaurants.

View details — Brera District