23 May 2024
Sunny days are finally back and more than ever you want to get out of the house and start travelling again.
You don’t have to go so far away to enjoy the pleasure of discovery and to have real experiences.
Whether it’s a weekend break, or a day or an afternoon to spend as a couple, with family or friends, the art cities like Milan and the surroundings are destinations that offer many activities and tours to spend quality time with the people we love. You can enjoy walks in the open air in contact with the local culture and nature.
Milan is a city that explored by foot offers the best of itself and reveals hidden corners and picturesque views. To appreciate it in all its variations and not miss the most fascinating places and the strangest stories about it, why not treat yourself to a pleasant walk in the company of a local expert? The guided tours only for your family or for your small group of friends are more affordable than you think and are a chance to discover Milan safely and privately. With the advantage of having a professional guide just for you and being able to organize the tour when you want, choosing the day and the time!
The itineraries range from the symbolic monuments of the city, such as the Castello Sforzesco and the Cimitero Monumentale, to the most iconic parts of Milan like Brera and the Navigli; from the art nouveau buildings in Porta Venezia to the skyscrapers of the futuristic Porta Nuova and CityLife; from the green areas of Parco Sempione and Parco delle Basiliche to the walls covered by Street Art. And even the thematic routes dedicated to the great women of Milan and the legends and traditions of the city.
Here are 12 private tours to discover Milan, walking with family and friends
1. The Cimitero Monumentale: the most fascinating open-air museum in Milan
To really get to know the city, a visit to the Cimitero Monumentale is a must! All the historic figures who have made the city of Milan famous and great rest there. Just to mention some: Alessandro Manzoni, Franca Rame, Enzo Iannacci, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Arturo Toscanini and Alda Merini.
Cloaked in a mysterious and evocative atmosphere, we pass the majestic Famedio (Mausoleum) with our guide and stroll in the shade of the cypresses of the Cimitero Monumentale; here, amidst the sculptures, the mausoleums and the priceless works of art of this real “open-air museum”, we will meet the most illustrious figures who made Milan the great city it is today.
2. Art Nouveau Milan in Porta Venezia
A guided tour through the silent streets and far from the traffic of Porta Venezia, to discover a Milan in Art Nouveau style, where everything is possible! It is here that we will find interphones in the shape of an ear, wrought iron cats and even a garden full of pink flamingos.
In the early 20th century, the Art Nouveau style of architecture transformed many Milanese dwellings into real works of art: fairy tale-like buildings behind Art Nouveau doors, hidden courtyards, friezes with floral and animal decorations, multi-coloured mosaics… On our stroll we will discover the finest buildings in the Art Nouveau style in Milan, such as Palazzo Castiglioni, the Berri-Meregalli house, the Dumont Cinema and the Galimberti House.
3. On the Navigli, between courtyards and the old Milanese houses
Her we rediscover the greenest side of the old “Milan, city of water” through a guided walking tour in the Navigli part of the city, from one courtyard to another.
The area preserves the charm of Old Milan, showing us places where time seems suspended: we will walk through the most picturesque courtyards of the Milanese Navigli, even prettier when the flowers are in bloom, telling the story of the Navigli; we will hear the poetic lines of Alda Merini along the Darsena, the former port; we will admire picturesque corners and secret courtyards hidden between the old typical Milanese houses built around courtyards, full of flower-decked balconies and lush vegetation.
At the end we make a brief visit to one of the most surprising corners of the Alzaia Naviglio Grande: the Engraving Centre, with its presses and inks.
4. Brera: the artistic soul of Milan (and more)
Brera is unquestionably one of the most famous and best loved parts of Milan, fullof history, art and picturesque corners, and can’t miss guided tours to spend an afternoon with family of friends. An open-air gem to enjoy with its splendid atmosphere, away from the frenetic pace of the rest of the city.
Starting from the edge of the Parco Sempione and going down the typical cobbled lanes, together with our guide we will rediscover the many facets of this part of the city; the greenest soul of the Botanical Gardens in the Pinacoteca of Brera; the art supplies’ shops and antique dealers; the Milanese baroque of Palazzo Citterio and Palazzo Cusani; the art nouveau of the Corriere della Sera building, the sacred face of the Churches of San Marco, Santa Maria del Carmine and San Simpliciano; the vocation for creativity of the boutiques of artistic fragrances and the design showrooms.
5. Castello Sforzesco: a stroll through the towers and courtyards of the Milanese fortress
Let’s relive fascinating life at court, from the time of the Viscontis to the glorious era of the Sforzas, gothic legends and architecture of crenelated towers and drawbridges, strolling in the grounds outside the Castello Sforzesco in Milan.
Starting from the Torre del Filarete, we explore the quadrilateral of the fortress: from the first courtyard with the Piazza delle Armi and its turrets, to the Rocchetta with its high windowless walls in the parts exposed to possible attack, to the Torre Castellana which holds the Treasure Room decorated with the great fresco of Argo by Bramantino; to the Ducal Courtyard on which the Portico of the Elephant looks and the looming Falcon Tower, once home to hunting falcons. On the ground floor of the tower there is still the splendid Sala delle Asse, decorated by Leonardo da Vinci.
6. The Branca Tower and the treasures of Parco Sempione
Away from the city traffic, Parco Sempione is Milan’s green lung, the city’s largest and most famous park. A walk through Parco Sempione accompanied by an art historian is restorative for the body and spirit! Then climb to the top of Torre Branca, a 98 meters high tower, and enjoy the view from up there! With the evening lights and the city bursting with life in the atmosphere that is increasingly tinged with shimmering reflections… But that’s not all! The climb to the top is made even more special by a sweet break: a sparkling aperitif!
7. The Wrong Visit: la Visita Sbagliata
Fun outdoor quizzes around the city, stories, secrets and anecdotes packed into a new activity under the banner of originality and entertainment. A perfect opportunity to have fun with family or friends, challenging each other to see who knows the city of Milan best.
Could you tell a genuine anecdote from a fake one? The Wrong Visit is an experience that will let you discover the secrets of the Milanese city center while having fun and challenging yourself!
8. Navigating the Navigli
We tell the story of the beautiful Old Milan, a water city, first with a guided walking tour of the Darsena, now hub of the nightlife, and then by embarking on a boat tour of the Navigli. In this way you can discover picturesque corners such as the Vicolo dei Lavandai, the 14th-century Church of San Cristoforo, the “Scodellino” bridge and the typical railing houses.
9. Red light drama-tour Brera, among the streets of the “Contrada di Tett”
A stroll among the old closed houses of Via Madonnina and Via Fiori Chiari, the churches of San Simpliciano and San Carpoforo, the Accademia, the Botanical Garden and Bar Jamaica. Peasants, chimney sweeps, politicians, clergymen all come alive in the stories.
Reposed cobblestones, repainted walls, art galleries and social aperitifs.
Today’s Brera is a business card, a wrapped gift, while yesterday’s Brera is a daughter you would never let leave the house dressed like that.
10. The legends and traditions of Milan
A particular and enjoyable itinerary, to discover the centre of Milan and the many legends around it, curious to know the thousand years of, at times enigmatic, history of the city. The Biscione (snake) and many other symbols of the medieval past, ghosts, superstitions, anecdotes and culinary traditions, habits, customs and trades of Old Milan.
This and much more in a fascinating guided tour which will reveal the oldest soul of some iconic places in the city (such as the Castello Sforzesco, Parco Sempione, Piazza Mercanti and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), to entertain everyone, the eldest and the youngest, to do with the family or with the friends in the guided tours in the footsteps of the traces of a past which is still very much alive in today’s Milan.
11. The great women of Milan
The story of Milan can also be told through the lives of the women who have lived here! Against the background of the programme “The talents of women” organized by the Milan City Council, we pay tribute to the women who have contributed to making Milan great, through a route on foot that winds through the Castello Sforzesco, Via Rovello, Piazza della Scala and the surroundings.
Starting from the Visconti-Sforza period, we will meet Beatrice d’Este and Cecilia Gallerani. In the time of the Risorgimento we will meet female figures such as Clara Maffei and the Manzonian women, including Marianna de Leyva, the 17th century Milan woman who inspired the figure of the Nun of Monza. Without forgetting the women linked to the world of the theatre, towering above them all the unforgettable Maria Callas and the great ladies of the world of museums and collections, like Fernanda Wittgens, the first female director of the Pinacoteca of Brera.
12. Street Art Tours: the city in colour
Itineraries hunting for art. Not the art in museums but the art that passes by everyone’s eyes, for those who know how to observe, in the streets of Milan, on doors and walls. It is an art that knows no rules and that is taking people by surprise more and more, in Milan as well, and is spreading like wildfire, especially in some parts of the city: Ticinese and Navigli, Ortica, Isola, Martesana and Centrale.
With a dedicated guide, we will unearth the most curious, interesting and irreverent works of the Street Artists, who are contributing the redesigning and shaping the urban spaces.
