Grand Tour of Milan

Beschreibung

Discover some of the main sights of Milan with this half-day tour. The highlight of this tour is undoubtedly the visit with which your Milan Grand Tour culminates – Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper (Cenacolo). It is located in the refectory of the 15th century church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and has earned a spot in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Extensive measures have been taken to renovate and protect the Cenacolo. To ensure that the fresco is kept at room temperature, admission has been restricted to a maximum of 25 visitors at any one time since the 1999 reopening. As a participant of the Grand Tour, you'll get priority access!

But there is plenty more to Milan than Leonardo's masterpiece. Your half-day sightseeing tour of Milan also includes a panoramic bus tour and a short walking tour introducing you to Italy’s most stylish city.

You'll start with the panoramic city tour by bus, which will take your from the grandiose Arco della Pace, past Cadorna, past the Churches of Santa Maria delle Grazie and Sant'Ambrogio, along the fashionable Corso Venezia, the Piazza San Babila and the Piazza Fontana.

Then you’ll take a walk through Milan's buzzing city center – you'll visit one of the most famous opera houses, Milan's fabled La Scala theater. Founded in 1778 and still in use, some of the world’s greatest musicians and opera singers have performed here – including Pavarotti and Giuseppe Verdi, whose operas such as Falstaff often premiered in this very theater. Your entrance ticket provides 24 hour admission to the theater and museum so you can return the next day.

After La Scala, you'll take a stroll through the alluring Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping gallery, a 19th century glass-vaulted shopping arcade, and Italy's oldest shopping mall. Brimming with fashionable shops and cafes, it is often called the salotto di Milano or “Milan’s drawing room” for its importance over the years as a common meeting point for the people of Milan.

Your next sight is the splendid Duomo, one of the world's largest, most striking Gothic cathedrals. Some 135 spires and 3,200 statues are crammed onto the roof and facade of the building that is the large and magnificent crown jewel of Milan.

Before transferring to Leonardo's masterpiece, you'll visit the medieval Sforza Castle. A grand medieval Castle and fortress, the Sforzesco was once seat and residence for the ruling family of Milan and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections.