Published: 3/8/2024

The Complete Itinerary for Our Northern Italy and Switzerland Trip

If you’re planning a trip to northern Italy and Switzerland, I’m laying out our entire itinerary in this post.

In November 2023, I flew to Milan, Italy with my sister-in-law. We crafted an epic week in both the Lombardy region of northern Italy and Switzerland’s Ticino canton. Although we never get more than an hour away from Milan Malpensa Airport, our week included everything from big city bustle and culture, leisurely lakeside dining, and hikes through the Swiss Pre-Alps.

This itinerary includes three nights in Italy’s business and fashion capitol, Milan. From there, we’ll hop on a train in Milan Central and pop across the border to Lugano, Switzerland. After two days of soaking up leisure and luxury of Lugano, we return to Italy to round out our week with time on Lake Como.

You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to explore the Italian Lake District by train. Since we’re spending this week in a very concentrated area of Europe, you’ll never be on a train for more than 1.5 hours. This maximizes sightseeing opportunities and allows you to soak up the area’s culture and striking landscapes.

So let’s jump in and start exploring these beautiful and rewarding parts of Italy and Switzerland.

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Day One: Arrive Milan

We took an overnight flight from JFK and arrived at Milan Malpensa Airport in the mid-morning. After a speedy trip through customs, we grabbed our luggage, and headed to the Malpensa Express terminal which connects right to the airport.

One of my favorite things about Milan is how user-friendly it is. Instead of having to faff about with tickets in our jetlagged state, you can just use a tap credit card (or ApplePay) to the board the train. You tap your card again at the turnstiles at your destination so it can properly calculate your fare.

Since we were staying just west of central Milan, we took the Malpensa Express to Milan’s Cadorna station. From there it was about a half mile walk to our Airbnb. If we had taken the train to Milan Central – which I think is most people’s first instinct – we would have added a 20-minute subway ride to our journey.

Our Airbnb host kindly accommodated an early check-in. We did a little jetlagged exploration of our neighborhood on Viale S. Michele del Carso near the Conciliazione subway station. After we’d grabbed lunch and some breakfast supplies, we turned in for a nap before starting our Milan explorations in earnest later that afternoon.

Day One Waypoints

We signed up for a two-hour walking tour of central Milan through Airbnb experiences. This was an excellent introduction to Milan. Since it was just the two of us and our excellent tour guide, Ruth, the tour was extremely tailored to our interests.

Points of interest included most major Milan landmarks including Sforzeco Castle, Brera, La Scala Opera House, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Duomo Cathedral, and Peck grocery store.

Day One Eats

Our Airbnb was located on a bustling neighborhood street. We hit up the nearest bakery – Panificio Pastore – for lunch, where I had the shocking realization that I still can’t speak Italian. Despite the language barrier, I ended up with a very tasty panzerotti.

I figured my lack of fluency in Italian – a language I’ve never studied – must be because I was undercaffeinated. We headed across the street to Franci’s espresso bar. Since it was after 11 a.m., I played it safe and got “un caffe” – that is, an espresso – rather than a cappuccino.

Since our walking tour ended right in the Piazza del Duomo, we hit up Ravizza 1871 for our first-ever aperitivo experience. We were immediate converts.

This is the sort of sightseeing day that I get told is impossible when I write about it. However, I can assure you, we really did see all of these Milan things in one single day. It only took us 14 hours!

If you want to leave your hotel or apartment at 8:30 a.m. and return around 10:30 p.m., you can absolutely replicate this day in Milan! I’m not sure I 100% recommend it – but we did sleep really well this night . . . .

Day Two Waypoints

We started the day off strong with a guided tour of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. From there, we walked to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery where we enjoyed affogatos made with approximately one pint of vanilla ice cream.

We spent about an hour going through the galleries at Pinacoteca di Brera located on the first floor of the Palazzo Brera, then popped into the building’s “back yard” to the Orto Botanico di Brera. From Brera, we made it back to Piazza del Duomo just in time for a tour of Milan’s Duomo cathedral. We toured both the rooftop and the interior.

I popped into Peck, a gourmet delicatessen, to pick up a panettone to bring home for my Christmas celebrations. Jokes on me – I actually ended up with a pandoro, which was amazingly delicious. We then took our first Milan subway ride to Bar Basso, home of the Negroni sbagliato. Our day ended along the Navigli canals.

Day Two Eats

Really busy sightseeing days often go hand-in-hand with slightly disordered eating. Happily, we started off the day strong with breakfast in our apartment. Since we had some time to kill in between checking in for our Last Supper Tour and the actual tour, we popped into nearby Leonardo Bistrot on Corso Magenta for an espresso.

On our way from Palazzo Brera to the Duomo, we popped into Bistrot El Birocc on Via Brera to grab something fast we could eat on the go. While this bistro isn’t well-reviewed, we enjoyed prompt, speedy service as well as tasty sandwiches.

We hit the popular aperitivo (really more of an apericena) spot La Hora Feliz. This was meant to be an appetizer, but we were pretty hungry by this point and the massive buffet was just too tempting.

After spending most of the day in a calorie deficit, we decided to make up for last time and hit up L’Altro Luca & Andrea for some traditional Milanese fare along the Grand Canal in Navigli.

Day Three: Milan Explorations

After visiting basically all of the Milan “must see” attractions the day before, we enjoyed a slower pace today. We still didn’t get home until well after 10:30 p.m. I love the point in a trip where a destination starts to click.

We spent a lot of time on the Milan metro today. Nothing tricks you into thinking you’re a local faster than successfully using the public transportation.

Day Three Waypoints

We had a great experience at a Pasta and Tiramisu making class in the Casoretto neighborhood near Milan Central. After three hours of cooking and dining, we took the subway to central Milan, where we capitalized on the beauty sunshine by wandering through Parco Sempione to Arco de Pace. We also visited the famous bone chapel in Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Osso.

Our night ended at the Teatro alla Scala, attending the Onegin ballet.

Day Three Eats

We of course got to eat the pasta we made during our class with Pietro. For dinner, we went to a charming bistro near our apartment: Larky.

Day Four: Travel to Lugano, Switzerland

All good things must come to an end. After nearly 72 very full hours in Milan, we headed to Milan Central to board a train to Lugano, Switzerland.

Because of its close proximity, Lugano is often included in a tour of northern Italy and the Italian Lake District. You can do Lugano as a Milan day trip, but I think it’s better to spend at least an overnight in Lugano.

Don’t believe folks who tell you that Lugano is the same distance by train from Zurich as it is from Milan. It took us less than 1.5 hours by train to reach Lugano from Milan Central. From Zurich, it takes 3 hours.

One advantage of accessing Lugano from the north is that it’s easier to catch the celebrated Bernina Express, which is itself a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, the Bernina Express doesn’t actually stop in Lugano. Instead, you buy a bus ticket that will take you from Lugano to the Bernina Express’s terminus in Tirano, Italy. We skipped it this go-round.

Day Four Waypoints

We settled in on a Zurich bound train for an hour and 20 minute ride up to Lugano. Upon arrival, we checked into the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola. We immediately started to soak up Lugano’s leisure vibes and enjoyed a laidback afternoon enjoying our room’s balcony and garden view.

After a while, we decided to stroll along the Lake Lugano waterfront, visiting Parco Ciani and Piazza della Riforma along the way.

Day Four Eats

Il Fermento is a brew pub located right along the waterfront in downtown Lugano. It was the perfect spot for today’s aperitivo.

We ended our night with an epic food and wine event at Restaurante Arte de Lago. This Michelin star restaurant is run by Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola although it’s located in a separate building right on the waterfront about a block away from the hotel. The restaurant also hosts an art gallery with rotating exhibits. We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing.

While the entire experience was fun and memorable, at the price point I just can’t in good faith tell you this is a “can’t miss” Lugano thing to do. I’m kind of like Ron Burgundy and teleprompter: I will eat anything you put in front of me. I’m not sure my palette is refined enough to truly appreciate a fine dining experience.

Day Five: Lugano Explorations

I’d been looking forward to exploring Lugano for decades. Yes this is another trip inspired by a novel: Sharon Creech’s Bloomability to be specific.We couldn’t have asked for a better day: it was our fifth mild, sunny day in a row! I’m glad I didn’t put a rain jacket on my Milan packing list!

Day Five Waypoints

We took the funicular to the top of Monte Bre, where we enjoyed stunning views of Lugano, Lake Lugano, surrounding foothills, and the Swiss Alps. Once we’d drunk in the view, we started a long descent down Monte Bre on a well-signed path to the medieval town of Gandria.

To return to Lugano, we caught a passenger ferry boat at the Gandria dock. After a little souvenir shopping in Lugano, we return to our hotel for some well-earned soak time in the pool and sauna.

Day Five Eats

After a few days of Airbnb apartment living, I was really looking forward to an impressive European breakfast spread. The Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola didn’t disappoint with an array of hot breakfast foods, pastries, cakes, yogurt, cereals, juices, and more. Most notable was a tray of honeycomb!

After our hike and boat ride, we popped into the elegant Grand Café al Porto in downtown Lugano for a late lunch. Because our lunch was so late, we settled on a light supper at our favorite Lugano haunt, Il Fermento.

Day Six: Travel to Lake Como, Italy

All too soon, it was time to say good-bye to lovely Lugano. But don’t worry – we’re not leaving the Italian Lake District just yet!

Day Six Waypoints

After breakfast we wandered back into downtown Lugano for a little souvenir shopping. Since it was Tuesday, we stumbled upon the Lugano Farmer’s Market. Ashley also found the perfect Switzerland souvenir: Swiss Army knives!

Eventually we made our way to the train station and took a 30-minute ride to Como City on Lake Como in Italy.

The reason we decided to include Como City on this trip was because they were the only city in the Milan area that had their Christmas market up and running in late November. (If we hadn’t been concerned about the Christmas market, we probably would have ended up in a more celebrated Lake Como destination like Bellagio.)

We spent a fair amount of time exploring the Christmas market – including spending an hour skating on the rink in Piazza Cavour. We also toured the Como Cathedral.

Day Six Eats

We arrived in Como just in time to hit Osteria de Gallo for a late lunch. This was very fortuitous timing since the busy restaurant usually requires reservations unless you come after lunch or dinner rushes. Their homestyle regional menu changes daily.

We hit up Hemingway Bar for aperitivo which doubled as a light supper. Their champagne cocktails are one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

We tried multiple times to find a good gelateria on this trip, but because we were traveling in the off-season, we found them all closed by early evening. We settled on gelato at our hotel’s restaurant. While it wasn’t the same experience, it wasn’t any less tasty.

Day Seven: Como City Explorations

I will admit, I was not particularly excited about Como City when we planned our travels. However, as is so often the case with destinations I’m reticent about, I ended up loving it. I’m not sure if it was because we’d firmly settled into our travel pace by the time we arrived or because we left while we were still having fun, but Como ended up being my favorite place on this trip.

While we didn’t doing any popular Lake Como excursions like take a boat to Varenna, we found more than enough to fill a day right in Como City.

Day Seven Waypoints

Let’s be honest, when you visit Switzerland and Italy, one cable car ride isn’t enough. We started our day off with a funicular to the small town of Brunate located about halfway up Monte Boletto. This mountain flanks Como City’s eastern side.

From the funicular station, we continued our upward climb: hiking about 25 minutes to the viewpoint at Faro Voltiano, a memorial lighthouse celebrating Como inventory Alessandro Volta. 

After taking the funicular back to town, we did a little souvenir shopping at the Christmas market and in the Como Old Town area. Sadly, the day ended with a train ride to Milan Malpensa, where we checked into an airport hotel and prepared for our journey back to the States the next morning.

Day Seven Eats

We loved Osteria de Gallo so much that we returned again for lunch a second day. While my pork shank and polenta wasn’t as much to my tastes as the meatloaf I’d had the day before, it was an excellent example of regional cuisine. Ashley tried their red table wine, which was very nice.

About This Itinerary

If you read through this and thought, “wow, there’s a lot of northern Italy and Switzerland you didn’t cover,” you’re right. While I didn’t realize until the end of our trip that we never got more than an hour away from Milan Malpensa Airport, we intentionally kept our travel scope pretty small.

There’s so much to see in Milan and the Italian Lake District, that we wanted to spend as much time as possible with our boots on the ground actively sightseeing. If you use this itinerary, in total, you’ll spend less than three hours in transit during this entire week – and that’s factoring in the commute from Milan Malpensa to central Milan on the Malpensa Express.

So while you won’t see northern Italy highlights like Venice, the Dolomites, or Turin, I really do think this itinerary offers a great immersion into the Lombardy region of Italy and the small Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. If you must cover more ground on this trip, I’d shave off a day in Milan and turn your Lugano experience into a day trip.

However, since you’ll often find discounted tickets to Milan Malpensa Airport, this trip makes a great introduction to the Lombardy and Ticino regions of Italy and Switzerland. You’ll have all sorts of amazing northern Italy and Switzerland destinations to explore on your next Italian/Swiss adventure!

Getting Around

We traveled from town to town in northern Italy and Switzerland by train. I booked our tickets online about 2 months ahead of time and they worked perfectly.

• For train journeys originating in Italy, book your tickets through Italia Rail.
• For train journeys originating in Switzerland, book your tickets through SBB CFF FFS.

We had assigned seats for our trip from Milan to Lugano. The rest of the time, we used regional trains to get around. These tickets were actually valid for four hours around the boarding time I’d booked them for. We really appreciated this flexibility, but the trains were definitely more crowded with fewer places for our luggage.

From a souvenir standpoint, bringing my large roller bag was a great decision. But it was definitely a pain on our commutes. Several of the trains didn’t have large luggage racks and we ended up sitting in seats with the bags wedged in front of our knees. Next time I’ll forego bringing home a full-sized pandoro and just use my carry-on bag.

When we were at our destination, we used a mix of public transportation – including subway, bus, and taxi – to get around. However, all our destinations were very walkable, so we mostly depended on our feet.

Where To Stay

Milan Lodging

We stayed in this Airbnb in the San Vittore neighborhood near the Santa Maria delle Grazie and The Last Supper. Our street was filled with shops, restaurants, espresso bars, and bakeries. We loved pretending we were locals. I definitely gained an understanding of why so many people love living in Milan after three days based here.

If this apartment doesn’t work for you and your group, there’s no shortage of other lodging options in Milan.

Lugano Lodging

I embraced Lugano’s luxury and leisure vibes and booked two nights at the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola. Although it’s not centrally located, its position on the far east end of town right at the base of Monte Bre actually worked out perfectly for us.

The hotel offers a gym, salon, pool and sauna area, three restaurants (one in a separate building near the waterfront), meeting rooms, libraries, and garden. We ended up with a fantastic view of both Lake Lugano and the gardens. If you want a five-star property, the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola is definitely worth the splurge. Otherwise, check out these other Lugano hotels.

Como City Lodging

We spent one very pleasant night at the Albergo Terminus Hotel. This four-star hotel conveniently located right on the waterfront offers a spa, restaurant, and boutique as well as a variety of rooms ranging from single rooms to deluxe suites.

While the shared spaces in the hotel felt a little dark and cramped (the building was originally built as a spa), we had a beautiful suite with a massive bathroom, comfortable sitting area, and a great view overlooking Piazza Cavour. The best part of our stay was the gorgeous breakfast spread. Seriously, don’t miss it.

You can also check out other Como City lodging.

Conclusion: 7 Days in Northern Italy and Switzerland

To be honest, a week will never be enough time in Italy and Switzerland. However, if you want to maximize your time in the Milan and Italian Lake District, this 7-day itinerary gets you to all the best sites in Lombardy and Ticino.

I designed this trip to be a truly immersive experience with the perfect balance of sightseeing, outdoor adventure, and delicious food.

You really don’t have to cover much ground to fill your week with Milan masterpieces like Da Vinci’s Last Supper and the Milan Duomo cathedral, beautiful views of the Swiss Alps from the foothills in Lugano, or amazing regional cuisine beside Lake Como.

With ample public transportation options, it’s easy to travel around northern Italy and Switzerland without a guide. You can opt to either stay in the lap of luxury at a five-star hotel or find a cozy apartment that will accommodate any budget.

I hope this post inspires you to book tickets to Milan, Italy so you can experience this beautiful corner of Europe yourself!

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