Day Trips From Milan

The first eleven spots are easy to reach by public transport. The last four are best done by car. Every spot is within about 2 to 2½ hours of Milan.

Monza

Monza sits just north of Milan, close enough to feel like a suburb but with the grandeur of a royal city. It’s best known for its Formula 1 racetrack, but it also has a splendid royal villa, one of the largest walled parks in Europe, and a cathedral holding a legendary medieval crown.

Three to four hours is plenty. Tour the Villa Reale and its gardens, walk or bike through the huge Monza Park, and see the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the cathedral’s frescoed Theodelinda Chapel. Try risotto alla monzese, a saffron risotto made with local luganega sausage.

Getting there: Trains from Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi reach Monza in about 15 to 20 minutes. The center is a short walk from the station, and the villa and park are a little farther, about 20 minutes on foot or a quick bus ride.

Bergamo

Bergamo is really two towns, a modern lower city and a stunning hilltop old town, Città Alta, wrapped in Venetian walls that are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Up top, it feels like a small, perfectly preserved medieval and Renaissance village.

Plan on 4 to 5 hours. Ride the funicular up to Città Alta, wander Piazza Vecchia, and see the ornate Colleoni Chapel next to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Stracciatella gelato was invented here at La Marianna in 1961, so get a scoop where it started, and order casoncelli, a stuffed pasta with butter, sage, and pancetta.

Getting there: Trains from Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi reach Bergamo in about 50 minutes to an hour. From the station, take a bus or walk up to the funicular, which climbs to the old town in a few minutes.

Como and Brunate

Como is the elegant little city at the southern tip of Lake Como, with a beautiful cathedral, a lively lakefront, and mountains rising straight out of the water. It’s the easiest way to see the lake on a short day.

Three to four hours is enough. Walk the lakefront promenade to the Volta Temple, a museum to Como’s own Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery, then ride the funicular up to the village of Brunate for a sweeping view of the lake and the Alps. Order risotto with lake perch, the classic Lake Como dish.

Getting there: Trains from Milano Centrale reach Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes to an hour, and trains from Milano Cadorna reach Como Nord Lago, right on the lake, in about an hour. The Brunate funicular is a short walk from the lakefront.

Varenna and Bellagio

Varenna and Bellagio are two of the most beautiful villages on Lake Como, facing each other across the water in the middle of the lake. Pastel houses, steep stone lanes, and grand villa gardens make this the Lake Como most people dream about.

Make it a full day. In Varenna, walk the lakeside path and visit the gardens of Villa Monastero, then take the short ferry to Bellagio, the “pearl of the lake,” to stroll its lanes and the gardens of Villa Melzi. Have lunch by the water with risotto and lake perch, and finish with a gelato on the waterfront.

Getting there: Regional trains from Milano Centrale reach Varenna-Esino in about an hour to an hour and a quarter. From Varenna, the ferry to Bellagio takes about 15 minutes.

Stresa and the Borromean Islands

Stresa is a grand old resort town on the shore of Lake Maggiore, lined with Belle Époque hotels and looking out at the three Borromean Islands. The islands are the main event, each with its own character, from a baroque palace to a tiny fishing village.

Make it a full day. Take a boat to Isola Bella for the Borromeo Palace and its terraced gardens with white peacocks, then to Isola dei Pescatori, the fishermen’s island, for a lakeside lunch of fresh lake fish. If you have time, Isola Madre has a lush botanical garden. Pick up Margheritine di Stresa, delicate butter cookies made in the town.

Getting there: Trains from Milano Centrale reach Stresa in about an hour to an hour and a half. Boats to the islands leave from the lakefront, a short walk from the station.

Lugano

Lugano is in Switzerland, but it feels thoroughly Italian, with Italian spoken everywhere, a palm-lined lakefront, and mountains all around. It’s a polished, peaceful city that makes for an easy and unusual day trip into another country.

Plan on 4 to 5 hours. Walk along the lake to Parco Ciani, browse the arcaded Via Nassa, and ride the funicular up Monte San Salvatore or Monte Brè for the view. Eat at a grotto, a rustic Ticino tavern, with polenta and a glass of local merlot. Bring your passport, and note that Switzerland uses Swiss francs.

Getting there: Direct trains from Milano Centrale reach Lugano in about an hour and a quarter. A funicular runs from the station down to the old town and the lake.

Pavia and the Certosa di Pavia

Pavia is an old university town on the Ticino River, once the capital of the Lombard kings, and close by is the Certosa di Pavia, one of the most lavish monasteries in Italy. Together they make a rich and easy day out of Milan.

Plan on 4 to 5 hours for both. See the Certosa’s dazzling marble facade and cloisters (it’s closed on Mondays), then in Pavia walk across the Covered Bridge, visit the Visconti Castle, and see the Basilica of San Michele, where Frederick Barbarossa was crowned King of Italy. Order zuppa alla pavese, a broth with toasted bread and a poached egg.

Getting there: Regional trains from Milan reach Certosa di Pavia station in about 25 minutes, then it’s about a 15-minute walk to the monastery. Pavia is one stop farther, and its center is a short walk from the station.

Cremona

Cremona is the world capital of violin making, the hometown of Antonio Stradivari, and there are still well over a hundred violin workshops in town. It’s a calm, handsome city with one of the loveliest cathedral squares in Lombardy.

Plan on 3 to 4 hours. Visit the Museo del Violino, where historic instruments are still played for visitors, then climb the Torrazzo, one of the tallest brick bell towers in Europe. Cremona is famous for torrone, a honey and almond nougat, and for mostarda, candied fruit in a spicy mustard syrup.

Getting there: Regional trains from Milan reach Cremona in about an hour to an hour and a quarter. The center is about a 15-minute walk from the station.

Sirmione

Sirmione sits on a narrow peninsula reaching into the southern end of Lake Garda, with a moated castle at its entrance and Roman ruins at its tip. Its warm thermal springs have drawn visitors since ancient times.

Plan on 4 to 5 hours. Walk past the Scaligero Castle, which rises straight out of the water, explore the old town, and head to the Grottoes of Catullus, the ruins of a huge Roman villa at the tip of the peninsula. Book a soak at the thermal spa, and order a glass of Lugana, the local white wine.

Getting there: Trains from Milano Centrale reach Desenzano del Garda in about 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter. From there, a bus or ferry takes you to Sirmione in about 20 minutes.

Verona

Verona is a romantic city of pink marble, Roman ruins, and medieval squares, best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. It’s compact enough that you can see the highlights comfortably in a single day.

Plan on 5 to 6 hours. See the Roman Arena, still used for summer opera, Juliet’s House and its famous balcony, and the market square of Piazza delle Erbe, then walk across the Ponte Pietra at sunset. Order risotto all’Amarone, made with the region’s rich red wine, and look for pandoro, the star-shaped sweet bread that was born in Verona.

Getting there: High-speed trains from Milano Centrale reach Verona Porta Nuova in about an hour and a quarter. The Arena is about a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride from the station.

Mantua

Mantua is surrounded on three sides by lakes, and for centuries it was the glittering court of the Gonzaga family. Its palaces are packed with Renaissance art, and the whole town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Plan on 4 to 5 hours. See the Ducal Palace and Mantegna’s painted Bridal Chamber, the Camera degli Sposi, then walk to Palazzo Te, a pleasure palace covered in wild frescoes. Order tortelli di zucca, pasta stuffed with pumpkin and amaretti, and finish with sbrisolona, a crumbly almond cake.

Getting there: Regional trains from Milan reach Mantua in about 2 hours. The historic center is a 10 to 15-minute walk from the station.

Lake Orta

Lake Orta is a small, quiet lake just west of Lake Maggiore, often called the most romantic of the Italian lakes. Its main village, Orta San Giulio, faces a tiny island covered almost entirely by a monastery and basilica.

Plan on 3 to 4 hours. Wander the cobbled lanes and main square of Orta San Giulio, take the short boat ride to Isola San Giulio and walk its single quiet lane, then climb to the Sacro Monte di Orta, a UNESCO-listed hillside of chapels. Have lunch in the square facing the island.

Getting there (by car): Orta San Giulio is about an hour and a quarter northwest of Milan. Park in one of the lots above the village and walk or take the little tourist train down.

Franciacorta and Lake Iseo

Franciacorta is Italy’s top sparkling wine region, rolling hills of vineyards and stately wineries between Brescia and Lake Iseo. Right beside it, Lake Iseo is a lovely and lesser-known lake with a car-free island in the middle.

Make it a full day. Book a tasting at one or two Franciacorta wineries in the morning, with a designated driver, then drive to the lakeshore and take the short ferry to Monte Isola, one of the largest inhabited lake islands in Europe. Have lunch there with grilled lake fish.

Getting there (by car): Franciacorta is about an hour east of Milan on the A4 motorway, and the lakeside town of Iseo is a few minutes farther. Ferries to Monte Isola leave from Sulzano and other towns on the eastern shore.

Bobbio

Bobbio is a medieval village in the green Trebbia Valley, set around a long, crooked stone bridge and a historic abbey founded by the Irish monk Saint Columbanus in 614. It’s peaceful, rural, and far off the usual tourist trail.

Two to three hours is enough in the village, so leave time to enjoy the drive through the valley. Walk across the Ponte Gobbo, the “hunchback bridge” known locally as the Devil’s Bridge, and visit the Abbey of San Colombano and the castle. Try coppa piacentina, the local cured pork, with a glass of Gutturnio red from the nearby hills.

Getting there (by car): Bobbio is about an hour and a half south of Milan, via Piacenza and the scenic road up the Trebbia Valley. Park outside the old center and walk in.

The Langhe

The Langhe are the rolling vineyard hills of Piedmont, home to Barolo and Barbaresco wines and to Alba, the capital of the white truffle. The whole landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s one of the great food and wine regions of Italy.

Make it a full day, with an hour or two in each village. Visit Barolo and its wine museum, take in the view from La Morra, and finish in Alba, especially in the fall during its famous white truffle fair. Book a winery tasting with a designated driver, and order tajarin, thin egg pasta, with butter or truffles.

Getting there (by car): Alba is about two hours southwest of Milan by motorway. Barolo and La Morra are 20 to 30 minutes from Alba.