Explore the many cultural and architectural highlights of Milan, and learn about its long and varied history from a humble village in the 6th century BC to an important Renaissance stronghold, to the modern financial and fashion centre of Italy today.
On your private full-day tour, you will:
Experience the vibrant atmosphere, stunning architecture, palaces, museums, mansions, churches, modern shopping galleries, and the beautiful parks at the heart of Milan, Italy’s most fashionable city on this full-day tour of the city highlights.
Milan began as a humble 6th-century Celtic village and grew into one of Italy’s most prosperous cities. While it is a large city, the highlights are easily navigable on foot, on this full-day walking tour with your private guide. Experience both modern Milan, with its financial district, and fashionable shopping in the dazzling Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - home to the major fashion houses like Gucci and Versace, Armani and Ferragamo, as well as its venerable history, from castles to churches and old market squares.
Stop outside the Duomo for some holiday snaps – the famous centre point of the city with its Gothic-style spires, and an astonishing cathedral that took over 600 years to complete.
Visit the historic Piazza Mercanti – the medieval hub of the city where swords and suits of armour could be bought and sold. It is surrounded by several grand old buildings which your guide will introduce you to Palazzo della Ragione, Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, Casa dei Panigarola & Loggia degli Osii.
End your tour with a private guided tour of the iconic Sforzesco Castle including the courtyards and the Museum. Admire the last incomplete work by Michelangelo, the Pietà and other renowned artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci.
Please note that some rooms at Sforzesco Castle might be closed due to restorations.
Explore the artistic wonders of the Italian Renaissance on this immersive private tour of Milan, a city famous for its fashion, art and architecture with visits to some of its pre-eminent museums, churches, palaces and quarters of the city.
On your private tour, you will:
Milan is a vast, affluent modern city in the north of Italy – a central hub of Italian finance and industry. It is also famous for its fashion, its Renaissance architecture – and of course its art collections. Your tour takes you to some lesser-known gems, ‘museum houses’ to discover the artistic heart of this vibrant city.
On your private walking tour, you will discover these artistic treasure troves in the Poldi Pezzoli and Bagatti Valsecchi Museums, and learn about the magnificent Castello Sforzesco, and the beautiful church of San Maurizio.
The Poldi Pezzoli has variously been described as a casket of wonders, a shrine of art and precious things, and was the life-passion of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, an Italian count and voracious art collector in the 19th century. The museum is his private house, filled with gems from the Italian Renaissance by artists such as Botticelli, Canaletto, Bellini and Piero Della Francesco among others. It contains a vast, eclectic collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, armoury, jewellery, clocks and watches, porcelain and pottery, glass and textiles. Truly Aladdin’s Cave of Wonders.
Next, explore another historic ‘house museum’ the fabulous and eccentric Museo Bagatti Valsecchi with a stunning collection of sculptures and paintings from the Renaissance. Founded by two brothers, Barons Giuseppe and Fausto Bagatti Valsecchi at the end of the 19th century, it is filled with art, pottery, scientific instruments and of course Renaissance masterpieces. Of particular note is Bellini’s Saint Justine. As Giuseppe described it:
“The intention was not to create a museum or a collection, but to reconstruct a lordly mansion of the mid-16th century in which were very disparate objects of the 15th and 16th centuries: paintings; tapestries; rugs; furniture; arms; ceramics; items of bronze, glass and iron; jewellery, and domestic utensils of every kind, all collected with careful study and returned to their original use.”
Very close by, enjoy a stroll through Milan’s famous fashion district, the Quadrilatero d'Or, the world's most famous upmarket shopping district including Chanel, Versace, Gucci and all the major houses!
Lastly, visit the quietly majestic Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, a royal chapel built in the 16th Century, often missed by tourists, with stunning frescos and a peaceful atmosphere.
Experience the vibrant atmosphere, stunning architecture, ancient ruins, modern galleries, beautiful parks and the heart of fashionable Milan, the financial and fashion hub of Italy with an expert private guide.
On your private walking tour, you will:
A 6th-century Celtic village that grew into one of Italy’s most prosperous cities, the centre of Milan is easily navigable on foot. Famous historical attractions, like the Duomo Cathedral and La Scala Opera House, are easily reached as is the temple of Italian designer brands, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Milan is famous as the financial and fashionista hub of Italy. Looking good or ‘La Bella figura’ is an art form in the city and people-watching the oh-so-stylish Milanese is a lesson in panache. Milan is also Europe’s wealthiest non-capital city. Its cuisine is Italian of course but peppered with exotic influences, from border nations and globe-trotting chefs to migrant kitchens. Full of Michelin restaurants, but also out-of-the-way tavernas, local trattorias, and unpretentious cafes down cobbled side streets, Milan has it all.
Enjoying a private, guided tour with a local guide will help you discover the treasures hidden in plain sight throughout the city. As you snap pictures of the Piazza del Duomo and tiny squares accessed through pedestrian archways, hear how Milan became one of the most important financial and fashion centres in Europe.
Enjoy an immersive walking tour through Milan’s highlights and its world-renowned shopping streets.
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