How to Make the Most of Milan During the 2026 Winter Olympics
Renaissance art, designer shopping, Milanese cuisine, and more.
In 2026, Italy is giving travelers yet another reason to put the country at the top of their lists: Milan will co-host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games alongside Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites. It may be the first time the city welcomes the Games, but the country’s second-largest metropolis is no stranger to high-profile events – it’s hosted the FIFA World Cup and World Expo, and sees thousands of visitors descend on Fiera Milano every September and February for Milan Fashion Week.
From February 6 to 22, 2026, the Olympic Games’ ice events – figure skating, hockey, and speed skating – will take over Milan’s indoor athletic venues. Before, after, or in between spectating sessions, travelers have the opportunity to see how the city’s main attractions earn their own spots on the podium.
From the Duomo and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper to designer boutiques and Michelin-starred restaurants, there’s plenty to explore in Europe’s design and fashion hub. Plus, with an efficient public transportation system and lavish hotels in prime locations throughout the city, spending extra time in Milan pre- or post-Olympics is easy. Here, a few must-sees to add to your itinerary.
See the Duomo, La Scala, and More of Milan’s Architectural Highlights
Milan has a centuries-long history as a trading hub, Renaissance-era producer of luxury goods, and most recently, Europe’s capital of modern fashion and design, bringing prosperity – plus historical treasures, architectural achievements, and revered artwork – to the city.
Virtuoso travel advisors can work with one of Virtuoso’s on-site tour connections in Italy to arrange behind-the-scenes access to Milan’s most noteworthy sites, including La Scala opera house, the twentieth-century Pirelli Tower, and the 630-year-old Duomo, Italy’s largest church. On a guided two-hour tour of the Duomo, visitors admire its majestic marble facade, surrounding piazza, and main-level interior before ascending to the rooftop terrace to see the cathedral’s forest of spires, pinnacles, and flying buttresses up close. To experience the cathedral in rare silence, the 58-room Bvlgari Hotel Milano offers guests exclusive evening access to the Duomo without the crowds.
A 15-minute walk northeast of the Duomo, the fifteenth-century medieval fortress Castello Sforzesco houses Renaissance works from Michelangelo, Mantegna, Bellini, and da Vinci. But da Vinci’s most famous painting, The Last Supper, can be found a 15-minute walk west in the former dining hall inside the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Instead of jostling for a crowd-free photo during the day, guests of the 104-room Mandarin Oriental, Milan, can join an after-hours excursion to the site with an art historian who explains the story, symbolism, and significance of the world’s most famous mural.
Make Shopping in Milan Its Own Olympic Sport
In the twentieth century, Italian designers Giorgio Armani, Mario Prada, and Gianni Versace made Milan their home base for creating ready-to-wear couture, helping establish the city as a fashion stronghold. Their heralded fashion houses are still headquartered here, as well as flagships from Valentino, Bottega Veneta, and scores of other high-end brands.
Virtuoso advisors can arrange couture tours and personal shopping sessions, helping travelers track down the perfect pair of Italian leather boots from family-owned Turci Calzature Milano, securing a ceramic espresso cup from Alessi, or navigating the four-story, 160-year-old Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Hotels throughout the city take their guests beyond window shopping with a suite of exclusive and bespoke fashion experiences: At the 95-room Armani Hotel Milano, for example, guests can order personalized pieces from the Giorgio Armani collection. From the 118-room Four Seasons Hotel Milano, an Italian stylist leads guests on a walking tour to storied designer boutiques, vintage couture shops, and hidden perfumeries in the Quadrilatero, Milan’s luxury fashion district. And at the 73-room Portrait Milano in Quadrilatero, guests don’t even need to set foot outside to find high couture – the hotel has two on-site boutiques, featuring popular brands alongside emerging designers such as Jacquemus and Marine Serre.
Find the City’s Most Authentic Milanese Flavors
Milan’s sense of good taste extends to the palate too, with traditional Milanese dishes highlighting rich and hearty ingredients such as saffron, butter, and cream. Regional specialties such as delicate, saffron-flavored risotto alla Milanese, osso buco, and mondeghili (Milanese fried meatballs) are best enjoyed at a cozy trattoria, such as family-owned Trattoria Masuelli San Marco in the Calvairate neighborhood or Trattoria Madonnina in the former working-class Ticinese neighborhood.
For haute modern cuisine, head to Pellico 3, chef Guido Paternollo’s innovative restaurant at the 108-room Park Hyatt Milan, or two-Michelin-starred Seta at the Mandarin Oriental, Milan, where chef Antonio Guida showcases modern flair and seasonal ingredients in classic Milanese plates. His winter menu might include favorites such as cinnamon-flavored veal sweetbreads with carrots in a passion-fruit sauce, and risotto with raspberries and herb cream. To take a slice of Milanese culinary knowledge back home, Virtuoso advisors can arrange private cooking classes, winetastings, or cocktail master classes at the 235-room Excelsior Hotel Gallia. Read Full Reference Article. Please contact us to discuss and arrange bespoke, tailor-made itineraries designed specifically to meet your unique travel desires and preferences.
