Are you looking for the best free things to do in Milan, Italy?
Milan is famous for its art, history, and architecture – which are evident in the Duomo, the Sforza Castle, La Scala, and Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy. The capital of the Northern Italian region of Lombardy is also known for its culinary scenes and as a fashion capital of the world.
While Milan is a rather expensive destination, it doesn’t mean there aren’t free or cheap things for backpackers and other travelers on a budget.
There are many best free things to do in Milan, like exploring cultural streets, visiting most of the churches, enjoying Milan’s best parks, visiting some of the city’s best museums, or going for a bike ride along the historical roads.
We have compiled a list of activities and must-see Milan attractions for free to show you that you can enjoy this stunning Italian city even on a budget. Read on to learn more about it.
11 Best Free Things To Do in Milan, Italy
Here are the best free things to do in Milan for the budget-conscious travelers.
1. Visit the Duomo
Any list of Milan attractions must begin with the Duomo, the 600-year-old cathedral in Piazza del Duomo. It is one of the best places to visit in Milan for free.
Admission to the Duomo was free for many years, except for a €2 camera permit. Tourists visiting the Duomo now face a €3 charge. At the same time, devotees can still enter for free but only see a portion of the Cathedral.
The small fee to get inside the Duomo allows you to fully enjoy the world’s fifth largest cathedral. This is one of the best things to do in Milan on a budget that you must not miss!
However, admiring Duomo’s fantastic storybook façade is still free. The spires and doors of Milan’s Cathedral are adorned with hundreds of statues of saints, monsters, and gargoyles.
2. Check out the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The second must-see free Milan attraction is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – the stunning arcade on the left side of the square when standing in front of the Duomo is referred to as “il salotto di Milano.”
Simply walk through the arcade, admiring the beautiful glass roof, luxury boutiques, and historic stores, and stopping in the center to admire the four mosaics depicting the four continents.
You may notice a small crowd standing near the arcade’s center, with people spinning on a bull mosaic depicted on the floor.
This one-of-a-kind Milan tourist attraction is completely free. However, if you want to go shopping, this is the best place to go.
Check out the best brands to buy in Milan here.
3. Visit Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is a short distance from the Duomo and was home to Milan’s leaders in the 15th and 16th centuries. Visiting this historical site is one of the best things to do in Milan for free.
One of the most beautiful castles in Italy, Castello Sforzesco is a stunning sight, standing right in the city’s beating heart and surrounded by moats. It also houses a cute cat colony.
The castle courtyards, moats, and exterior are free to visit. Inside the castle are several civic museums, including one devoted to Egyptian artifacts, another to musical instruments, and another to Michelangelo’s masterpiece Pietà Rondanini.
There’s also an entire room decorated with Leonardo da Vinci frescoes who had lived in the castle for several years.
Enjoy free entry to Castello Sforzesco every Tuesday from 2 pm to closing time, and from Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 pm to closing time.
4. Spend time at Parco Sempione
While Milan does not have the same number of parks as London, it does have some genuinely spectacular green spaces.
Parco Sempione, which extends north from the back of Sforzesco Castle in the center, is one of Milan’s most incredible free places to visit.
Architecture enthusiasts will particularly enjoy the park. Parco Sempione is an open museum of Milan’s architecture, from the Art Nouveau Acquario to the Fascist Palazzo dell’Arte, Torre Branca (Milan’s first stadium), and Castello Sforzesco.
Arco della Pace (“Arch of “Peace”) is one of Milan’s most remarkable places to visit at night.
Admission is always free.
5. Bike along the Navigli
Biking is one of the best things to do in Milan on a budget.
If you want to go for a morning bike ride, there are two great options – both of which involve the Navigli, Milan’s artificial canals. These are among the best free places to visit in Milan both during the day and at night.
One example is the popular bike path along the Naviglio Grande, which runs from the Porta Genova area in the city through some open countryside to the charming villages of Gaggiano and Abbiategrasso. The journey is about 30 kilometers long.
The second route is the Naviglio Martesana cycle path, which runs 40 kilometers from the city’s Gioia district to the Adda River. You’ll see fantastic urban nature, a coypu colony, and locks designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
6. Admire Porta Nuova skyscrapers
Porta Nuova can’t be missed. It’s that the new steel-and-glass “district” near Garibaldi station.
Porta Nuova is the centerpiece of the Expo 2015 development and one of the best new things to do in Milan.
Siting in the beautiful Piazza Gae Aulenti and looking up at the spire of the UniCredit Tower – which is the tallest in the city – are among the best free activities in Milan.
Walk around the corner to see the Egg artwork, which has brass pipes where you can hear the sounds of the city, and follow the path to Bosco Verticale, a high-rise apartment building with trees and bushes on each terrace.
7. See L.O.V.E. at the Piazza Affari
L.O.V.E. at the Piazza Affari is one of the most interesting and funny things to see in Milan, and it’s also free!
When Italy was in the middle of a recession in 2010, a sculpture of a hand giving the “middle finger” was put in Piazza Affari in front of Milan’s stock market.
The sculpture is called L.O.V.E., an acronym for “Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità” – or “Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity” in English. Most people call it “Il Dito” or “the finger.”
L.O.V.E. was made by Maurizio Cattelan, who has never talked about what his work means in public.
8. See Leonardo’s horse at the Hippodrome
When Leonardo da Vinci was living at the court of Ludovico il Moro in Sforzesco Castle, the ruler challenged him to build the giant equestrian statue ever made in honor of his nephew. The statue was never finished, and the clay model, sketches, and casts were all lost over time.
The sketches were discovered in 1965. The statue was found 500 years later, thanks to an art enthusiast who commissioned it to a Japanese artist.
It is located in front of the Hippodrome, not far from the San Siro stadium. The area is also worth a visit because it contains Milan’s longest street art wall.
This is also very unusual, so add it to your list of things to do in Milan to avoid crowds.
9. Drop by Milan’s last medieval square
Piazza dei Mercanti, the most charming square in town, is just around the corner from the Duomo and one of our favorite Milan attractions.
In Medieval times, Piazza dei Mercanti was the heart of the city, and it is still one of the places where you can see medieval buildings. The most striking is Palazzo della Ragione, a 13th-century red brick building that once housed the courts of justice and the daily market beneath its arches.
There’s also the Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, once Milan’s most popular school, the statue-adorned Loggia degli Osii, and the Casa dei Panigarola, one of the city’s best-preserved Gothic structures.
10. Stop by Milan’s creepiest church
Here’s a creepy and cool place to visit in Milan for free! It’s San Bernardino alle Ossa, a chapel whose name refers to its bone decorations.
The church was built on a former hospital and cemetery site, which had become so overcrowded with bodies for a century that an ossuary was added to collect the bones and skeletons of those who couldn’t afford a grave.
The ossuary was full when San Bernardino alle Ossa was built in 1269, so some bones – especially skulls and femurs – were used to decorate a side chapel. There’s a massive skull cross, piles of skulls on top of one another behind grates, and even beheaded criminals’ skulls on display on shelves.
Visiting San Bernardino alle Ossa is a must-see free Milan attraction. However, please note that photography is strictly prohibited.
11. Visit Milan’s Sistine Chapel
The San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore Church is known as Milan’s Sistine Chapel because of the awesome frescoes by Bernardino Luini and his sons that cover every inch of the walls and ceiling.
Because a monastery used to be nearby, the church is divided into two sections. The “regular” church is accessible through the front door, while the Hall of the Nuns, just behind the altar, is connected to the monastery and reserved for nuns.