Milan Extension: The Milan Experience

Arrive in Milan and check in to your hotel.
Milan is Italy's business capital, home to the country's stock exchange as well as its renowned fashion and design industries. But while people work hard, they play hard too. Whether you're up for eating or drinking, football or shopping, Milan excels at recreation. The city is home to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie & The Last Supper). Arguably the artist's finest achievement, it was miraculously spared from Second World War bombing as the building around it fell. The city's charms can also be understated: there are pleasures in its dusty churches, on the narrow streets of the Brera district, and in courtyards glimpsed through wrought-iron gates.
Depending on when you arrive, you may have time to begin your exploration of this incredible city!

In the morning meet your personal shopper and spend the day in one of the most famous shopping districts in the world! The so-called “Quadrilatero d'Oro” (“Golden quadrilateral”), is the place to come for designer shopping. Just north east of the Duomo, bounded by Via Montenapoleone to the west, Via della Spiga to the east, Manzoni to the north, and Sant’Andrea to the south, this network of pretty streets offers the best of designer clothing and jewelry.  Among the more than 150 top-name designer stores you’ll find Gucci, Prada, YSL, TOD’S, Burberry, Armani, Moschino, Valentino, Chanel, Dior, Versace, Cartier, and just about every Milanese and European couturier just waiting to tempt you!  There is also a sprinkling of jewelers including Bulgari, Chopard, and Cartier, as well as upscale cafès. The fashion boutiques here are works of art in themselves – housed in charming palazzos inhabited in the 18th century by Milan’s aristocracy, their interiors have been designed by leading architects, echoing with minimalist chic.
While the wealth of choices can feel overwhelming, your personal shopper will guide you through the bounty of options, making sure you find exactly the treasures you have your heart set on! Milan is equally famous for quality furniture and home furnishings, housewares, and linens design. There are showrooms dotted around the central area, but a higher concentration of shops can be found around San Babila if you want to wander and browse. Products to look for include lighting, home furnishings, silver, glass, and mosaics. Of course this is not the only shopping area in the city – Milan is the fashion capital of Italy, after all! There is also excellent shopping along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Aires, Via Torino, and Corso di Porta Ticinese.  And of course, if you like to hunt for deals, there are incredible outlets just outside the city center.  Milan is equally famous for quality furniture and home furnishings, housewares, and linens design. There are showrooms dotted around the central area, but a higher concentration of shops can be found around the San Babila area if you want to wander and browse. Products to look for include lighting, home furnishings, silver, glass, and mosaics.
Option: Performance at Teatro alla Scala. Teatro alla Scala, or La Scala Theatre is a world-renowned opera house. Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala during the past 200 years since its inception, including Maria Callas and Pavarotti. Today, the theatre is still recognized as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world, and is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet, and La Scala Theatre Orchestra.

Milan is not just a shopping city – it also a very lively cultural destination! There are many ways to get a taste of culture here, and below are just a few of our favorites:
The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco the “Last Supper” is one of the most famous paintings of the Renaissance. In its monumental simplicity, the composition of the scene is masterful; the power of its effect comes from the striking contrast in the attitudes of the 12 disciples as counterpoised to Christ. This mural-sized painting is located in the former refectory of the Dominican church and convent Santa Maria delle Grazie ("Holy Mary of Grace"), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Castello Sforzesco – Sforzesco Castle is one of the most famous monuments in Milan, the former residence of the ruling Visconti and Sforza families of Milan in the 15th and early 16th centuries, and the Austrian governor's residence in the 17th century.
Pinacoteca di Brera and Palazzo di Brera – The Pinacoteca di Brera, housed in the Palazzo di Brera, is one of the largest art galleries in Italy, houses one of Italy's most important art collections, and one of the foremost collections of Italian paintings, including "the Kiss" by Francesco Hayez, the "Lamentation of Christ" by Mantegna, the "Supper at Emmaus" by Caravaggio, “Virgin and Saints” by Piero della Francesca and the "Marriage of the Virgin" by Raphael. More a museum than a gallery, the importance of this world-class establishment to the art world is comparable with Madrid's El Prado and the Louvre in Paris.
The Duomo, Museo del Duomo, and Piazza del Duomo – The Duomo is Milan's primary cathedral – a massive late Gothic church made of white marble, with a well-known façade, and hundreds of spires and thousands of statues on its exterior. Milan’s Duomo is the fifth largest cathedral in the world, and the second largest in Italy (the largest being St. Peter’s in Vatican City). While construction began in 1386, the cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete! Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) is the grandest square in Milan, and the cultural and social heart of the city. 
Stadio San Siro & Museum – San Siro Stadium, also known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, for one of the greatest Italian players in the world, is one of the most popular soccer arenas in the world. It has earned the nickname “The Temple of Soccer.” In 1990 the opening game of the World Cup was played here, when Italy hosted. You can tour the stadiumand its museum, where you will get to visit exclusive areas including the two teams' locker rooms, the interview area, pass through the famous tunnel entrance to the field, and on to the actual field where the teams play their matches!
Branca Distillery – Founded in 1845, the Branca Distillery is world renown for the invention of Fernet. Cinque Vie Historical District – The most ancient part of Milan, the Cinque Vie Historical District is the best preserved in the city. This is where Milan was settled in the original Roman Imperial era, and you'll find lots of Roman archeological sites here.

Breakfast and departure on your own (private transfer available on request).