Things to do in Milan

Choosing between the two Milan City passes | Milan Pass & Milano Card

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Leonardo Da Vinci and Gucci both find reverence in the magnificent city of Milan. This 2,600 year old city is leading the world as the power house of fashion and design. The chic and modern city is however rooted in its glorious past of art and architecture. The impressive Gothic cathedral ‘Duomo’ and Da Vinci’s phenomenal ‘Last Supper’ are but exemplary pieces of this rich history preserved carefully in its many museums and churches.

Agora of Athens
Milan - Pegasus Gallery Statue

But Milan is not all just art and history; it is a vibrant modern city with the best culinary experiences and entertainment venues. It also hosts two of the world’s most famous football teams ‘AC Milan’ and ‘Inter Milan’. The home of the biggest Fashion Houses in the world- Versace, Prada, Valentino and more, Milan is the ideal mix of the old and new. The best way to explore this large city is through travel passes.

The Milan Pass and the Milano Card are two great travel passes that will help you save on time and money as you explore Milan. The travel cards offer free tickets to attractions, free public transport, free hop-on hop-off bus tours and discounts on tickets and experiences. All these benefits help you save up to 30% on your travel costs in Milan.

These passes have been designed to help you keep the expenses down while you explore and experience Milan with ease. In this post, we will go through the details of each card, outline the difference between the cards and offer tips on how you can purchase these cards and get the most value for money.

Milan Pass vs Milano Card


The Milan Pass is available for 48 hours. In the two days, visitors can choose to visit any of the ten landmarks in the city for free. These include important attractions like Duomo and La Scala Museum. There are also free tours including in the pass like the wine tasting tours and exclusive shopping tours. It also includes transport options of a Hop-on Hop-off Bus tour or Public transport with a chance to combine both with an upgrade. The Milan travel can be purchased online and exchanged for a physical pass. The pass is valid for 200 days from the date of purchase.

The Milano Card is available in three variants – 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. Visitors have access to free public transport throughout their pass period. They also can save anywhere up to 100% on their attraction tickets and also includes free attractions and tour tickets. The Card will also include discounts to shopping and recreation outlets and free medical assistance. The Milano Card can be purchased online and activated via a smartphone or an app. There is no need to exchange it for a physical pass. The pass is valid for a month from the date of purchase.

Milan PassMilano Card
Milan Pass
from €79
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Milano Card
from €19.5
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About
  • Seamless access to over 20 attractions in Milan.
  • Visit as many attractions as you like in 48 hours - activated on first usage.
  • The pass is valid for 200 days from the date of purchase.
Learn More
  • Visit as many as 20 major attractions in Milan.
  • Choose from 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs options.
  • The card is valid for 7 days from the date of first usage.
  • Learn More
Attractions

Duomo Cathedral & Rooftop, La Scala Museum and Theatre, Museum of Science and Technology, Triennale Design Museum, San Siro Stadium, Casa Milan and more.

Check out the full list of attractions below.

Free public transport in Milan and free access to Duomo Rooftop, The Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci, Highline Galleria, Official Museum of AC Milan, and more.

Check out the full list of attractions below.

Validity

The pass is valid for 200 days from the date of purchase.

The card is valid for 1 month from the date of first use.

What is the Milan Pass?


Agora of Athens
City of Milan

Ancient churches and haute couture fashion houses find space next to each other in the sprawling two millennia old city of Milan. The historical city has seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms and revolutions that have left their mark on the monuments in the city. The Milan Pass offers free tickets to the most striking of these monuments as well as discounted tickets to the best experiences in Milan. It is a favorite of world tourists with more than 6 million visiting Milan each year.

The Milan Pass is a two-day pass that can be purchased online and exchanged for a physical pass at the Milan Visitor Centre. The Milan Pass includes free entry to ten popular attractions in the city and access to seven free exciting tour experiences. It also includes free transport on the Milan Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour or unlimited free travel on the public transport. You can also avail both the transport options with an upgrade. To access the best of the city, you also get discounts worth 250€ on dining, tours and shopping.

Milan Pass Attractions

What is the Milano Card?


Agora of Athens
Milan - Tramway

Fashion, football, cuisine, music and more enrich the cultural tapestry of Milan. One of the most vibrant cities in Europe, there is always something to do and see in the city. It is also the largest city in Italy and spread across more than 180 sq km. The Milano Card is the perfect pass to help you access the most happening events and attractions in the city with free transport and discounted tariffs.

The Milano Card can be purchased online and used directly via a smartphone or the Milano Card App. It is available in three variants – 24h, 48h and 72h and includes free public transport across the city and some of the top attractions. It also includes a free ride with a personal driver and free guidebook and map of Milan city. The Milano Card also provides discounts on other facilities and attractions. You can save anywhere between 20%-50% on your tour costs with the Milano Card.

Milano Card Attractions

What Convenience Factors do these Milan City Passes bring?


A lot of planning and budgeting goes into any travel plan. Every traveler wants the best value for their money and to ensure that they have seen everything that a destination has to offer. One of the best ways to do this is by using a travel card. The travel cards in Milan – Milan Pass and Milano Card – will help you plan better and offer great convenience. Here is how they do it:

Big Savings
You can save up to 20%-50% of your tour costs with both the Milan Pass and Milano Card. A major chunk of any travel goes towards local transport. Both the cards offer free public transport and the Milan Pass even offers a HOHO Bus tour making sure you save big time on transport. You also get free and discounted tickets to attractions with the passes. Milan is the perfect place for recreation and the cards also have discount vouchers for shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Better Planning
You will avail free resources like a guide book and map to help you plan your trip better. You can also check out your free attractions and allocate time and money to the other attractions accordingly. With the Hop-on Hop-off Bus tour option in the Milan Pass you don’t even have to plan, just follow the bus itinerary and you are good to go!

Upgrade opportunities
The Milan travel passes offer free and paid upgrades to an exciting range of attractions, tours and experiences. You may have to spend additional if you purchase tickets separately but with the Milan pass you can upgrade your experiences at negligible costs.

Save Time
Often travelers waste time waiting in queues at attractions, with the Milan pass you just have to show the pass at the free attractions to get in. Even figuring out local transport is a big task in a foreign city, especially where you are not comfortable with the language. However, with the travel guidebook and HOHO tours, you can easily save time on finding the best mode of transport and reach your destination quicker.

Freebies
The Milan Pass and the Milano card offer many freebies. The Milan Pass comes with exciting tours like wine tasting tour and outlet shopping tours as well as a map and guidebook. The Milano Card comes with free tours to AC Milan and others and even includes an audio guide of Milan! Without the card you will have to spend a lot to get these separately.

What is the Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Milan City Passes?


Travel cards are a great way to save on money while traveling in a new city. The Milan Pass and the Milano Card offer free tickets and discounts leading to huge savings. Here is a look at how cost-beneficial these travel cards are for you:

Milan Pass Cost-Savings

Cost of 6 Prime Attractions in Milan
Last Supper with Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour :
€48.75
Skip the Line Duomo di Milano, Rooftop and Museum Tickets :
€15.50
Triennale Design Museum :
€10
San Siro Stadium Inter Milan Museum :
€17
Casa Milan - Mondo Milan Museum :
€15
Leonardo 3 - The World of Leonardo interactive Museum :
€12
Total
€135.25

The Milan Pass will cost you €79 while indiviually buying these attraction tickets will cost you €135.25. This is a net savings of €66.25! And that is not all, there are free tours worth €155 and additional discounts on tours and shopping and dining. All this makes the Milan Pass irresistible and a must-buy on your next visit to Milan!

Milano Card Cost-Savings

Milano Card (2 days) :
€14
Free ride with Personal Driver :
€12
Total
€26

Plus, you get access to free public transport! The cost of one metro ticket is €1.50 and is valid for 90 minutes. Imagine accessing it for two complete days! You will be saving a ton of money just on public transport with the Milano Card. Plus, you also get additional discounts on the attractions in the city.

Which Milan City Pass should I go for?


Ideally, visitors spend at least 2 days in the city and both the Milan Pass and the Milano Card are suitable options for exploring the city. You can choose either of the cards based on your requirements.

  • Budget conscious
    Milan Pass is a complete experience and includes free tickets to all the important attractions and tours and even includes public transport. However, if you want a more basic ticket and want the benefits of public transport plus discounts then the Milano Card is suitable for you.
  • Time conscious
    If you are looking at something that will specifically save time then you should look out for the Milan Pass. The Hop-on Hop-off Bus tour will take you across all the spots in the city in a day’s time and the free tickets to important attractions will help you save time spent in standing in queues.
  • Set your own pace
    If you are in Milan for a few days and want to explore the city at your own pace without a specific agenda, then the Milano Card is ideal for you. It offers free public transport and free tickets to a few attractions plus big discounts on all others. This way you can choose where you want to go.
  • Expansive options
    If you are looking for flexibility and array of options, then both the cards are well suited for the purpose. Both the Milan Pass and Milano Card offer discounts on attraction tickets, tours, experiences as well as shopping and entertainment venues.
  • Kid friendly
    If you are traveling with kids then you should prefer going for the all-inclusive Milan pass. This way you get the free Hop-on Hop-off Bus tour which is ideally suited for kids, you don’t have to walk much and yet get to experience all the spots. 

Where Can I Purchase These Passes?


Both the Milan Pass and Milano Card can be purchased either online, or from various tourist information centers in Milan. Note, even if you purchase the Milan Pass online, you are required to exchange this voucher for a physical pass at Milan Visitor Center in order to start using it.

Milan Pass Offline Pick Up Points

• Milan Visitor Center(Location: Via Cusani, 18,20121, Milan)

Milano Card Offline Pick Up Points

• City centre: Highline Gallery, Via Silvio Pellico 2 (near the Duomo) , 4th floor. Open every day from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
• Milano Centrale railway station: Milan Visitor Center, ground floor, west wing of the Milan Centrale Railway Station. Open every day from 9:00 AM to 2.00 PM and 3.00 PM to 7.00 PM

FAQs


Are the trams free in Milan?

No, they're not free. A single ticket costs 1.50€ and is valid for 90 minutes.

Is Milan a walkable city?

Yes! Milan's top tourist attractions are within walkable distance from each other.

How does the Milano Card work?

MilanoCard includes several services, including a free admission to all kinds of public transport in the city!

How many days do you need in Milan?

At least two days would be ideal if you want to comfortably cover all the top sites the city has to offer!

Does Milan have a metro?

Yep! It's got 4 lines and is famous for being the most extensive metro network in Italy, spanning at 94.5 k.m.