Travel itineraries can be a tad bit overwhelming considering the plethora of places to explore at a destination. Especially in a city like Milan, where culture meets architecture meets good food meets shopping *wink wink*. It’s hard to pick what to do & where to go. But when you get it from an Italian local, then that’s a completely different ball game. Then you don’t have to deal with looking or feeling touristy.
Hey guys! I’m Sai, I’m the owner and founder of Toscani Fashion House, a fashion company offering personal shopping concierge services. I am based right here in Italy, so… to say that I know a lot of nooks and crannies of the country would be an understatement.
If you’ve been meaning to travel to Milan since some time now, let me be your personal concierge and guide you along an elevated itinerary. I’ll be covering everything from staying, relaxing (they are 2 different things *wink wink*), cozy lunch spots and if you’re a travelling worker like me, a place to sit & focus + the coveted shopping places.
A lot of, and when I say a lot, I mean most, itineraries are not shopper friendly. Meaning you get barely any time to go be in the streets, discover a few things here & there, and get a GOOD souvenir for your loved ones.
Plus, it’s Italy, you’re going to get handcrafted items, high quality pieces & designer goods for way less. So, if you’re not going shopping when you come here, you’re basically missing out. And we can’t have that happening now can we 😉
First let’s start off with your safe space AKA where you’ll be putting your bags and working your beauty sleep. Your hotel or Airbnb. The Portrait Hotel at the Corso Venezia Street is a no-brainer option for getting that luxe authentic Milanese experience because it nestles right in the heart of the city and is owned by the Ferragamo Family, so you can be quite assured of your elevated experience. Apart from that, even if you plan to not go out it’s a perfect place for lunch and chilling since the Hotel has a large Piazza, giving an urban oasis vibe to it making it ideal for relaxing.
Now if you plan on going outside and having fun, which I highly recommend, only a few steps away is DG Martini, owned by the brand Dolce & Gabbana. Grab a quick drink, preferably a Martini, with some infamous D&G logo fries. The place is also known for their Sicilian inspired food.
Having had a couple bites to eat and a few sips to drink, you would be very ready for some shopping! The notorious Serravalle outlet is just an hour away from the Central Station making it very easy to reach. Or if you don’t want to leave the city, the best option would be to head to Via Monte Napoleone which also happens to be a 10 min walk from DG Martini. Featuring all the cream brands like Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Prada, Gucci, Etro and so many more, it’s the ideal place to bag some luxury souvenirs.
Let me tell you, shopping is an event here! It’s not just ‘a stroll on the street’ it’s a lot of heavy lifting too 😉 So you’ll be quite hungry after. And the chicest place for you to end your shopping spree and grab a quick bite or sip is at The Bar at Ralph Lauren.
However, if you find yourself quite hungry and tired and do not want to go far from the street, there is a very cute local cafe on the Via Monte Napoleone Street itself, Cova. It’s quite notorious among the locals so if you know about Cova then you can take the Italian stamp off of your passport because you’re basically a local there 😉
After having a quick energy boost from the coffee you can choose to put away your souvenirs at the hotel, stroll for a little or I highly recommend you get a super relaxing facial or massage at the Longevity Spa at the Portrait Hotel itself. I opted for their Cryofacial session and let me tell you it’s a 100 out of 10!!! It’s super relaxing and gives you that instant glow, which is perfect after a long day of shopping.
If you ever find yourself in Milan, and you have lots on your plate or if there is one place you can take away from this whole itinerary, I want you to take away Panzerotti Luini. It’s the oldest delicacies place in Milan, they offer both sweet and savory tidbits, and it’s a local’s fav. Be prepared to wait in a cue for minimum 15 mins, which is the only downside to this place, however the food is hands down delicious! I recommend you try out their deep fried Calzone with mozzarella and pomodoro filling or if you like eggplants then the pomodoro eggplant filling option is great as well.
Milan can be a lot. It’s better to take a few days to really explore the city, but if you can’t that’s totally alright as well, you only need an organized guide to follow along with. And I’m here to help you with just that! You can choose to save this blog with a bookmark on the browser OR download the free PDF listed below to get access to an easily follow-able itinerary with all the locations mentioned above and a couple others.
Which city shall I do next? Let me know in the comments!
Until then!
