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LombardyCulture & history

Our most recommended Lombardy Culture & history

Milan: Milan Cathedral & Terraces Exclusive After-Hours Tour

1. Milan: Milan Cathedral & Terraces Exclusive After-Hours Tour

Discover Milan Cathedral and its terraces on an exclusive guided tour after they have closed to the public. Snap photos of the city in the evening light from the rooftop. Explore over six centuries of history, marvel at the stained-glass windows up close, and watch as the cathedral is closed up. Meet your expert guides, Marilena and Victor, and get a brief introduction to the cathedral. Then, take the elevator up to visit the Milan Duomo Rooftops as everyone else is leaving. Discover a myriad of gargoyles, statues, spires, and more. Admire the stunning city views and the gold Madonnina. Then, walk down the stairs and into the empty cathedral for an exclusive tour without the usual crowds. Take in a Gothic cathedral church that was six centuries in the making — with 34,000 statues, 135 spires, 55 stained glass windows, and 150 gargoyles, you can see why it took so long. Have fun finding your zodiac sign in the marble tiles and learning how this unusual solar calendar works. Be surprised — and perhaps horrified — by the statue of the tortured St Bartholomew. Take photos of statues that have been standing on the columns in the Duomo for over 600 years. Visit the retrochoir to admire the monumental stained glass windows that draw your gaze when in the nave. Marvel at the stories from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocalypse, and learn about the unusual ingredients used to make the bright colors of the paints. While in this area, open your eyes wide to take in the largest musical organ in Italy — the grand organ of Milan Cathedral has 15,800 pipes ranging from a few centimeters to several meters, covered with elaborate doors adorned with scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Get exclusive access to the Feriale Chapel, which visitors don't usually get a chance to visit. See the stained glass windows and intricate carvings of the wooden choir up close. Be moved by the intimate atmosphere of this small chapel, usually used for mass when visitors take over the cathedral. Finally, watch as Milan Cathedral is closed down for the night. Witnessing all the lights that illuminate the whole cathedral be turned off before the doors are closed is a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Milan: Cathedral and Rooftop Ticket

2. Milan: Cathedral and Rooftop Ticket

Discover the iconic symbol of Milan with your access-all-areas ticket to the Duomo and see the 600-year-old cathedral. Learn about the history of St. Ambrose and the cathedral's important role during the evolution of the city both spiritually and culturally.  Admire city panoramas from the Duomo Terraces. Built using Candoglia marble, on bright days, you can see as far as the Alps and the Apennine Mountains. Have the option of taking the elevator (not included). Admire the Duomo's 27 halls and its 14th-century Palazzo Reale's stained glass window, tapestries, and sculptures.

Milan: City Center & Last Supper Walking Tour

3. Milan: City Center & Last Supper Walking Tour

Get acquainted with the most historically significant landmarks of Milan on this 3-hour guided walking tour. Witness the beauty of the city as your guide leads you through the city's history, culture and, traditions during an unforgettable experience. Admire the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the most sought-after masterpieces of all time. Your guide will be sure to make the most of the 15-minutes you have inside the Refectory to bring this mural painting to life for you.  Then, move on to Sforza Castle, a Medieval stronghold surrounded by a beautiful park. Continue your tour by walking to the Scala Opera House, the all Milanese Temple of Music, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Admire the beautiful gothic Duomo from the outside, an architectural wonder and the fifth-largest cathedral in Europe. Select the lunch option to finish off your tour with a traditional Italian meal in a nearby restaurant.

From Milan: Lake Como and Bellagio with Private Boat Cruise

4. From Milan: Lake Como and Bellagio with Private Boat Cruise

Enjoy a memorable full-day trip by luxury bus to Lake Como, world famous for its beautiful villas and gardens. Get a chance to admire the 3 branches of the lake, each with different landscapes. Stop in the town of Como for a walking tour of the city center and a visit to the neoclassical Villa Olmo and its lovely Italian garden. Next, take a relaxing cruise on the lake by private boat, and enjoy the spectacular views. Visit the colorful villages of Bellagio. Take a walk along narrow cobblestoned streets and enjoy the charming surroundings.

From Milan: Lake Como, Bellagio, and Varenna Guided Day Trip

5. From Milan: Lake Como, Bellagio, and Varenna Guided Day Trip

Marvel at the stunning mountain scenery around Lake Como on a guided day tour from Milan. Marvel at the Mediterranean and Alpine scenery on a summer boat cruise to Bellagio Island and Varenna, or ride the steep cogwheel line to the mountainside town of Brunate in winter. Begin your journey by bus and travel directly from Milan to Como. Join your guide on a walking tour to discover Como Cathedral and other historical gems. In summer, hop on a ferry along the lake and listen to a live commentary highlighting top villas, gardens, and other sites. Disembark at Bellagio, regarded as one of the most beautiful and idyllic towns in the region, and enjoy 2 hours of free time. Relax and savor a regional meal at one of the local restaurants. Board another ferry to the colorful Varenna. Stroll through the cobblestone corridors of this picturesque village and feel the charm of its tranquil streets. Finally, board your bus back to Milan where you can sit back and take advantage of the onboard Wi-Fi to share your photos of the day’s unforgettable memories.

Milan: La Scala Museum and Theater Tour

6. Milan: La Scala Museum and Theater Tour

Discover Milan's rich musical history on a guided tour through one of the world's leading opera theaters. La Scala also houses its own museum, which hosts a vast collection of costumes, instruments, and other musical curios, as well as a gallery of busts and paintings portraying some of classical music's greatest artists, including Giussepe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini. Explore the museum and hear fascinating tales and anecdotes about some of the marvelous musicians who have performed on La Scala's famous stage. You'll be immersed in the magic of the theater itself, with views from the boxes of the neoclassical interior and its monumental crystal chandelier. With good timing and a little bit of luck, you may even witness the artists rehearsing.

Milan: La Scala Theater and Museum Tour with Entry Tickets

7. Milan: La Scala Theater and Museum Tour with Entry Tickets

If you can’t wait to visit the Milanese temple of music, look no further: this guided tour is for you! It will lead you through the 240-years-old history of Teatro alla Scala. The tour is entirely dedicated to the visit of the world-renowned Teatro alla Scala. Our guide will lead you through its museum galleries and will tell you secrets and details about its most distinguished performances and extravagant protagonists. The museum displays a rich collection of costumes and musical instruments, as well as a gallery of portraits and busts representing the great musicians of history. The guide will also tell you curiosities about the life of the artists who have performed on this important stage, such as Verdi, Toscanini, Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti or Carla Fracci. Finally, you’ll also be able to have a sneak peak inside the theater! As you tour the theater and museum, you'll discover behind-the-scenes insights into opera productions that, for over 200 years, have featured some of the best singers in the world.

Fast Track Ticket to Duomo Terraces & Optional Duomo Entry

8. Fast Track Ticket to Duomo Terraces & Optional Duomo Entry

Skip the long lines to one of the most magnificent monuments in Milan with a fast track entrance ticket to the Milan Duomo terraces. With an optional upgrade you can also enter the cathedral through an exclusive group doorway, and enjoy access to all areas of the cathedral to see masterpieces of art and architecture. Marvel at beautiful adornments and stained glass windows, and discover the former chapel of the ducal palace at the Church of St. Gottardo in Corte in the archaeological area. Learn more about the sacred monument at the fascinating museum, and ride the dedicated elevator to get panoramic views from the amazing terraces. Get a free cape-kimono required to enter the cathedral as an added bonus, and use your ticket to enjoy a 10% discount on selected merchandise at the gift shop.

Milan Cathedral: Rooftop Terraces Ticket (No Church Access)

9. Milan Cathedral: Rooftop Terraces Ticket (No Church Access)

Avoid the hassle of buying an entrance ticket to the Milan Duomo on the day by picking one up in advance. By far the most unique feature of the cathedral is its vast rooftop, granting a panoramic viewpoint over Milan and a birds-eye perspective on the church itself. With options to challenge yourself by mounting the 250 stairs up to the rooftop, or to take a ride on the convenient elevator, the rooftop is accessible to all with a desire to see this iconic sight. Once you’re on the rooftop, peer out over the city from over 150 feet above street level while taking in the characteristic rows of white marble spires. An enduring symbol of Milan, the cathedral broke ground in 1386, only to be finished in 1965. Built of stunning marble quarried from the Candoglia region, there are few better examples of Italian Gothic architecture in existence.

Milan: Last Supper Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket & Guided Tour

10. Milan: Last Supper Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket & Guided Tour

Admire one of the most famous paintings in the world. The timeless masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vinci, the Last Supper. Join a professional guided tour, learning about its fascinating history from a professional guide with a license in English language. The painting was commissioned in 1495 and completed in 1497 on the dining room wall of this former Dominican monastery. The representation by Leonardo da Vinci depicted the moment immediately after Christ said, “One of you will betray me”. It is an enormous painting, 4,6mt high and 8,8mt long, realized with tempera and oil on a chalk preparation, different from the technique used at the time. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is only in 20 minutes walking distance from Piazza Duomo. A licensed local guide will show you this masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci, revealing many surprising facts about the the composition, perspective and the technique used, as well as the history of the site. The Last Supper is undisputedly one of the world’s masterpieces of painting. Its unique value, which over the centuries has had immense influence in the field of figurative art, is inseparable from the architectural complex in which it was created. This work has highly influenced not only the development of one iconographic theme, but also the entire development of painting. Heydenreich wrote about the “superdimension” of its painted bodies in relation to space. It is one of the first classic paintings that focuses on a precise and very short moment of time, instead of a long one. After five centuries, the Last Supper is one of most reproduced and copied paintings, and its creation in 1495-1497 is considered to have heralded a new phase in the history of art. Despite the damages that occurred during the Second World War, the complex has preserved both its original architectural structure and the internal relation between its components, including the famous fresco. The site was badly damaged by bombing in 1943, but subsequently completely restored and renovated. The Last Supper, which miraculously survived the Allied bombing, suffers from other conservation problems which are due, above all, to Leonardo’s experimental technique, and which have long been evident. There are records of restoration works from the eighteenth century up to the present day, which bear witness to the continuing concern regarding the conservation of this artistic heritage. One of the most important and difficult aspects of the conservation of the fresco is related to the pollution caused by the great number of visitors. Continual monitoring is performed to guarantee optimum atmospheric conditions inside the refectory and thus avoid the danger posed by air pollution and elevated visitor numbers. A sophisticated monitoring device ensures that the air composition and the light and humidity levels remain within the established limits. A limited number of visitors are admitted at any one time. UNESCO World Heritage since 1980.

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Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 11,690 reviews

It is a modest cryptorium replete with details to examine close-up, such as the move from two-dimensional representation s to the more "humanist" frescoes of the Renaissance. Plus, its link to the original temple for Moneta, making Milan a money center all the way back to the 4th century. After visiting, go upstairs to the church where you will see 15th/16th century terracotta statues or remarkable realism.

massimo was a great tour guide! thoroughly enjoyed his comments and history and made us appreciate and enjoy the great city of milan!

Fantastic guide, covering so much history, made the tour such a pleasure even though it was raining.

Great guided tour. Guide was pleasant and efficient. Well worth the time and ticket price.

Amazing views and absolutely stunning architecture