2-Day Milan Itinerary: A Solo Trip for My 22-Year-Old Self

Also Italy's third-largest city, following Rome and Florence in January 2024, this is my third trip to Italy: Milan. Because my graduate program in Barcelona is really busy, with classes 5-6 days a week, I could only spare one Sunday (Saturday had a half-day seminar) plus half a day on Monday (class starts again at 6 PM Monday) for a special forces-style trip. I always feel a strange connection with Italy’s rainy weather; Florence gave me overcast skies, and Milan left me with rain as well. It only cleared up when I boarded my return flight. ✈️ Flight tickets p5 BCN-MXP round trip with Vueling 67.98€ For European budget airline warriors traveling with just a backpack and no checked luggage, this is a tight squeeze! 🏨 Hotel p6 Joy 124 Hotel one night 452.85 RMB + 7€ tax Following 🍠’s itinerary, about a 15-minute walk from the central station. The xc rating isn’t very high, but my own stay was really good—the room was large with windows that could be opened for ventilation, and the front desk was very friendly. Of course, the biggest advantage is the low price!!! The only downside is you need to bring your own slippers and toothbrush/toothpaste. 🗺️ Citywalk route Hotel 🚇 Milan Cathedral 🚶 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 🚶 La Scala Opera House 🚶 Sforza Castle 🚌 Chinatown 🚶 Milan Monumental Cemetery 🚇 Hotel One day is more than enough for citywalking. Since I had only a day and a half, I bought a 24-hour public transport card for 7.6€. I didn’t enter any attractions this time (interiors of churches, climbing to the top, and castles are quite common in Europe and a bit visually tiring; also, you can’t get tickets for The Last Supper without booking way in advance), so I just walked around with an umbrella, spending about 3 hours total. Milan Cathedral is still stunning. Although many shops were closed on Sunday, walking the streets of this city was very atmospheric and quite different from Barcelona’s architectural style. 🍜 Food p7 I usually eat only one meal a day. 🌟 For lunch, I ate at Mo in Chinatown—roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) + liangpi (cold noodles) for 12€. Many Italians were in line, maybe because they hadn’t had it for a long time. I thought it was delicious and worth trying, though I’m not from Shaanxi, so this is just my personal taste. 💣 Milan’s Tea Baidao: I only found out after returning to Barcelona that Milan’s version is a knockoff. I ordered soy milk rice mochi, but the staff heard it as soy milk jade qilin and made that instead. When I got it, I was stunned—they are completely different drinks, and what I got was just a brown sugar pearl milk tea… medium size 5.5€. 📷 How to get great shots on a solo trip Don’t hesitate to try hiring a photographer! This was my first solo trip in Europe and also my first time booking a photo shoot. I found a super nice photographer friend on 🍠 who communicated carefully about the style I wanted, took me to many beautiful spots near the cathedral, and also captured candid shots while I was walking (I really love the one on p3). This was my first time choosing a photographer, and it was a great experience that I recommend to everyone! Although it was a cloudy day, it matched well with Milan Cathedral, giving me a different style of Milan.