Milan is the most modern city in Italy. It still has the European charm that Rome and Florance have, but with a more metropolitan vibe.
The shopping is AMAIZNG! The restaurants are delicious and there is historical sites to tour like the Duomo di Milano. This cathedral has a special energy to it and is a definite must! Make sure to purchase tour tickets not just for the interior of the cathedral, but for the rooftop (additional fee) which has the most spectacular view of Milan and up close look at the intricate details of the architecture of the cathedral.
Next to cathedral is a shopping area and all the streets surrounding it.
Milan Hotels
VIU is a modern / clean hotel, that isn’t as expensive as other options. The only thing is, it’s somewhat off the beaten path of the heart of Milan but still a brief taxi drive away
Excelsior Hotel Gallia
Four Seasons
Milan Restaurants
Paper Moon Giardino is one of my favorite restaurants in Milan. It has a lovely outdoor hidden patio that is covered in the event of rain but still cozy and surrounded by plants. There is indoor seating as well but if you can sit outside, it’s preferred.
Activities -
The last supper by Leonardo da Vinci
Duomo di Milano
Starbucks Reserve - one of the most beautiful Starbucks that allows you to see their process of coffee making through glass
Day trip to Lake Como (1 hour and 30 mins drive) to Como and then additional time as you go up either side of the lake
Day trip to Portofino (2 hours and 30 mins) or stay overnight
PORTOFINO
A day trip to Portofino would be worth it since it’s a very small area you can easily explore in a day, but I recommend if possible, stay 1-2 nights. You can stay more if you are the type of person who doesn’t bore easily and can sit by a pool for hours or rent a boat for the day.
You can also day trip to CINQUE TERRE from Portofino. It’s a 1 hour and 15 mins drive to the first part of it.
The best hotel in Portofino with its picturesque view and close proximity to the shops is, Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel. This hotel is part of the Splendido, A Belmond Hotel. The different between the two are, the “Mare” is down by the marina and shops where as the main hotel with the restaurants and pool are perched up on a cliff. The “mare” is newer so their rooms are more modern, but you will have to walk 15 mins to the main hotel or wait for a shuttle that is a 5 mins drive.
It was raining the 2 days I was there so my photos aren’t as vibrant as they should be. Nonetheless, we loved our stay.
We had a very unforgettable experience at our dinner, due to an extremely rare heavy rainstorm. The rain was pouring down on the property and all of a sudden we heard a loud noise close proximity to us and we looked over to see the ceiling gave in. (You can see the photo below) and the servers and host of the hotel were very professional and played it cool and tried to continue the dinner service as if nothing happened. The ceiling fell twice and they ended up comping our entire dinner but to be honest, it was a memorable moment and it didn’t take away from our dinner. We laughed about it.
CINQUE TERRE
Cinque Terre Consists of 5 villages:
Monterosso al Mare
Vernazza
Corniglia
Manarola
Riomaggiore
Trains run every 15–20 minutes and stop at each of the five villages. Each village is 5-10 mins distance from the next village. Tickets cost between €5–10 per journey. It was very clean and modern.
It was very simple to get to each village as the are small, walkable and close to the train station to easily access it and travel to the next village.
I only explored the first two and found them to be adorable. There is mostly tourist gifts to purchase and some clothes, but nothing fancy. There are many restaurants to choose from for lunch or dinner.
They do have a nice beach at Monterosso al Mare that you can rent chairs.
Vernazza
Vernazza was okay. Very small and tourist consumed. Not one I would say is “worth” visiting. If you are in the area and have time you might as well, but nothing you need to go out of your way to see it.
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