Milan tours and excursions

Milan tours

Bus tours

The only way visitors to Milan can see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper without having advance reservations is to take the three-hour Autostradale bus tour. The tour departs from Piazza del Duomo at 0930, lasts three hours and includes the cathedral, Sforza Castle and entrances to Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan (where The Last Supper is hanged), the Brera National Gallery and the Scala Museum.

Telephone: 02 8058 1354.

Website: www.autostradale.it

Walking tours

Autostradale runs a one-and-a-half-hour walking tour that takes in Milan's city centre, including Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and La Scala, and includes entrance to La Scala. It departs daily at 1000 and 1130 from the Piazza del Duomo. Other private guided tours can be booked from the Centro Guide Turistiche di Milano, Via Marconi 1.

Telephone: 02 8058 1354 ; 02 8645 0433.

Website: www.autostradale.it; www.centroguidemilano.net.

Excursions from Milan

Bellagio

The picturesque mountain and lake setting of Bellagio is an obvious tonic for the city weary. Bellagio is located some 50km (31 miles) north of Milan, so visitors must have a car or take a train to Como and then catch one of the boats from Piazza Cavour quay. Bellagio enjoys fantastic views and a temperate microclimate - hence the luxury villas nestling around its narrow streets. The Villa Serbelloni has wonderful terraced gardens, while the neo-classical Villa Melzi boasts beautiful landscaped gardens.

For further information, visit Bellagio Lake Como Tourist Office, Piazza della Chiesa 14, Bellagio.

Website: www.bellagiolakecomo.com

Bergamo

Only 43km (27 miles) from Milan, the walled hilltop town of Bergamo is an enchanting place with a wealth of medieval, Renaissance and baroque architecture. Highlights include the Piazza Vecchia in the heart of the upper town (Bergamo Alta), with the Palazzo della Ragione and the Torre della Civica. In the nearby Piazetta del Duomo, the cathedral is overshadowed by the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which includes a 19th-century memorial to the native composer, Gaetano Donizetti.

The best views are from the Castello on the summit of San Vigilio. The Accademia Carrara, at the bottom of the plateau on the eastern side, is one of Italy's finest art galleries, featuring important art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Trains run from Milan's Porto Garibaldi or Lambrate stations.

For further information, visit Bergamo Tourist Office, Torre del Gombito, Via Gombito 13 (Bergamo Alta).

Website: http://turismo.provincia.bergamo.it

Certosa di Pavia

The Carthusian Monastery of Pavia is a living museum, an architectural treasure box containing prized artworks and run by the monks who produce excellent Chartreuse liqueurs. Located 140km (87 miles) south of Milan, in an idyllic setting, the monastery is reachable by bus or train. The Certosa di Pavia is a 15-minute walk (skirting the Certosa walls) from the station. Duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti ordered the monastery's construction in 1396, the same year as Milan's cathedral, as a monument to the Visconti dynasty. The Cistercian monks conduct tours, showing the cloisters, cells and beautiful frescoes by Pietro Perugino and Bergognone. The ornate marble facade by Amadeo is a masterpiece, famous throughout Italy.

Website: www.comune.pv.it/certosadipavia

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