Milan has a reputation as an expensive city, but many of its best experiences cost nothing at all. Its finest arcade, its castle courtyards, several of its most beautiful churches and a remarkable open-air sculpture museum are all free, and the civic museums open their doors without charge on set days each month. Here is how to enjoy the city without spending a cent on entry.

Free landmarks and streets

  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The 19th-century glass-domed arcade between the Duomo and La Scala is a public street, open at all hours. Look for the mosaic bull and join the tradition of spinning on it for luck.
  • Piazza del Duomo. The cathedral’s facade, with its forest of spires and statues, is best appreciated from the square. Entry to the cathedral itself needs a ticket.
  • Castello Sforzesco courtyards. The vast courtyards of the Sforza fortress are free every day from 7am to 7.30pm, including Mondays.
  • Parco Sempione and the Arco della Pace. Milan’s main park stretches behind the castle to a triumphal arch begun for Napoleon.
  • Piazza dei Mercanti. The medieval heart of the city, with the arcaded Palazzo della Ragione, a minute from the Duomo.

Free churches with great art

Several of Milan’s churches are works of art in themselves. San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore on Corso Magenta, often called the Sistine Chapel of Milan, is covered from floor to vault in 16th-century frescoes and is free from Tuesday to Sunday. The Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, founded by the city’s patron saint in the 4th century, is free to enter and holds a golden 9th-century altar; only its mosaic chapel and museum charge a small fee.

Near the Duomo, Santa Maria presso San Satiro hides Bramante’s famous false perspective, a flat wall painted to look like a deep apse. Further south, the Basilica of San Lorenzo stands behind a row of Roman columns, the Colonne di San Lorenzo, a popular evening meeting point.

Free museum days

Milan’s civic museums, including the Castello Sforzesco museums and the Museo del Novecento, are free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month, without online booking, and free for visitors up to 25 on the second Tuesday of the month. State museums join in on the first Sunday too: the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Last Supper are both free that day, but both require a reservation, and Last Supper tickets are released online at noon on the Wednesday before and go in minutes.

The Duomo Museum is also free on the last Sunday of the month. Arrive early on free days, when queues can be long.

The Cimitero Monumentale

The Monumentale is one of Milan’s great surprises: a 19th-century cemetery that doubles as an open-air museum of sculpture and architecture, from Neo-Gothic chapels to modernist tombs. It is free from Tuesday to Sunday, and the city runs free guided tours on set dates.

Modern Milan and the canals

The Porta Nuova district shows the city’s 21st-century face. Piazza Gae Aulenti, ringed by glass towers, is a lively public square, and nearby Stefano Boeri’s Bosco Verticale, two residential towers planted with hundreds of trees, can be admired from the Biblioteca degli Alberi park at their feet.

In the south-west, the Navigli canals are free to wander, with towpaths, footbridges and the restored Darsena basin. On the last Sunday of each month an antiques market lines the Naviglio Grande. Walk down Vicolo dei Lavandai to see the old covered washing place.

Free views and evenings

For a free view of the Duomo’s spires, walk past the windows of the shops and galleries around the square, or climb the steps of the Arengario beside the Museo del Novecento. In the evening, join the Milanese for the passeggiata along Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Dante, both pedestrianised, and watch the street performers in front of the Castello.

Money-saving tips

  • Walk: the historic centre is compact, and most sights are within 20 minutes of the Duomo.
  • Drink coffee standing at the bar, where it costs much less than at a table.
  • Make a light supper of aperitivo, when a drink often comes with generous snacks.
  • Carry a refillable bottle: the city’s green drinking fountains provide free water.
  • For several paid sights, compare the Tourist Museum Card for civic museums, €20 for three days.