The 8 Best Milan Bike Tours

Bicycle tours of Milan are becoming increasingly popular among tourists. These tours allow you to visit the city's most notable sights. You will also learn about the history of the monuments, parks and buildings while enjoying outdoor exercise.

If you are only going to be in Milan for a few days, you will have to make the most of every minute to explore the city. Therefore, a good recommendation is to join one of the popular bike tours to Lake Navigli. This way, you will save time by not having to use a map, as you will be cycling alongside a professional tour guide.

During the tour, you will enjoy the most striking view of Lake Navigli from the canals. This is possible thanks to the warmth and brightness projected by the artificial lights that surround the place. In addition, the guides usually stop for a drink or snack at a picnic by the lake.

And if you do this cycling tour on the last Sunday of any month, you'll find a colourful bazaar with hundreds of antiques. Don't think twice and add this activity to your list of things to do in Milan at night.

Practical information

• Duration: from 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours
• Price: €40
• Advantages of this option: You will enjoy the night-time scenery of the Navigli canals and you can have an aperitif or buy a souvenir.

Visiting Milan isn't just about climbing up to the Duomo Terrace or exploring the exterior and interior of the Gothic cathedral. You can also escape the city traffic and join an electric bike tour to discover Boscoincittà, **** known as Milan's hidden** urban forests**.

For this tour, you'll leave Navigli on an electric bike via Novara, which is where the Boscoincittà Botanical Park is located . There, you can explore more than 110 hectares of trails, special picnic areas, ponds, rice fields, an apiary, farms and much more.

As you cycle, you will be dazzled by the natural beauty that surrounds this region. In addition, your mind will be cleared and you will relax as you breathe in the fresh country air and feel the sun's rays on your skin.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3 hours.
• Price: The average price of this tour is £115 per person.
• Advantages of this option: With this tour, you will discover some of Milan's natural beauty without having to travel far from the city.

Perhaps you don't know what to see and do in Milan in two days, as it's not enough time to visit all its historical sites, enjoy the architectural beauty of the city and learn about its evolution over the years.

If this is the case, you could take part in an electric or traditional bike tour of central Milan. This way, you can explore the main sites of interest. All this, accompanied by a local guide, who will tell you the history of the streets, monuments and buildings. This will help you understand the cultural and architectural importance of the city.

These tours usually offer two options:

• A tour with historical information, in which you will pass by iconic sites in Milan such as the Opera House, La Scala theatre and the Duomo. You will also have the opportunity to cycle around the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle, a shopping arcade built in the 19th century, with food shops, jewellers, fashion houses and more.
• Tour with architectural information. Here, you will observe the medieval and Renaissance beauty of buildings such as the Sforza Castle in the historic centre, and then contrast this style with the modern architecture found in the Porta Nuova district.

Practical information

• Duration: 3.5 hours (approx.)
• Price: The average price starts at £45 per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will explore the city and learn about the history behind the main monuments and buildings. You can also learn about the architectural evolution that Milan has undergone over the years.

To explore Milan, you don't necessarily have to hop on one of the best tourist buses or join a guided tour. You also have the option of cycling at your own pace using Milan's bike-sharing system.

You'll be able to get around the streets of Milan with ease, as the city is flat, small and has bike lanes for added safety. What's more, when you stop at each attraction , you'll find a special parking area, as cycling is very common among Milanese residents.

All you have to do is find an intercity service with stations near you. This is the case with RideMovi, BikeMi, or any other service. Next, you will need to download their app to unlock the bicycle. You can pay for weekly or hourly rental, whichever suits you best.

The best thing is that you will find traditional bicycles, electric bicycles and bicycles with special seats for carrying the little ones along for the ride. Therefore, you can add this type of activity to the things to do in Milan with children.

Practical Information

• Duration: You can enjoy the bike-sharing service for 30 minutes to a week.
• Price: The average price for bike hire is from £2 per hour.
• Advantages of this option: You can explore Milan at your own pace without any time restrictions, as you can stop at any attraction whenever you wish.

If you are interested in learning more about Milan's modern architectural style, you should visit the Gae Aulenti area by bicycle.

You will be amazed by its innovative buildings and modern skyscrapers, while the elegance of each of its squares will capture your attention.

The guide will take you through the buildings of the Vertical Forest, considered one of the biggest attractions in Gae Aulenti. These are a pair of towers with residential apartments, whose exteriors have been covered with more than 2,000 species of plants.

Similarly, in this district of Milan, characterised by its modern architectural style, you will find the Unicredit Tower. This is an amazing 231-metre-high building, considered the tallest skyscraper in Italy.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3.5 hours.
• Price: The average price of the tour is 50 euros per person.
• Advantages of this option: You can contrast the old and the new in Milanese architecture, as the Gae Aulenti area has innovative buildings and elegant squares.

If you only have a few days to spend in Milan but want to see the main historical sites and visit Da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan without wasting time queuing, you should join a guided cycling tour, as the guide will take you directly to each point of interest.

In just three hours, you'll ride through the streets of Milan on a comfortable bicycle. As you pedal along with a local guide, you'll enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and learn about the history of each building and monument you see.

You will see the Duomo di Milano, the Palazzo Marino, the Opera House, Napoleon's Triumphal Arch and the Town Hall.

In addition, the tour includes admission to the Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you will have approximately 15 minutes to appreciate and photograph Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. This work has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Practical Information

• Duration: 4 hours.
• Price: The average price does not exceed £100 per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will get to know the historic centre of Milan and have the opportunity to stop and admire Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.

If you don't know what to see and do in Milan in 3 days, during your stay you should consider taking a personalised bike tour of the city.

This is a very popular tourist activity, which you can do in small groups, i.e. only with your travel companions and an assigned professional guide.

There are several routes used for personalised tours, one of which starts at Porta Nuova, specifically at the amazing Bosco Verticale buildings. The tour continues along the vibrant Corso Como street until it reaches Milan's popular and bustling Chinatown, which borders the historic centre.

There is also a tour along the long canals of the Navigli River or the Centro Storico route, which runs from San Babila to Cadorna. The latter is a route that requires you to cycle a few kilometres and offers a clear path to enjoy.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3 hours.
• Price: The average price does not exceed £50 per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will tour the city with the help of a guide and in the company of a small group of three to five people.

Very close to Milan Cathedral is Sempione Park, considered one of the main natural lungs of the Italian city. It is a tourist area covering 380,000 square metres, featuring paths, ponds and bridges.

This green space serves as a meeting point for nature lovers who, like you, want to get to know Milan and go cycling during their stay in the city.

On this guided tour, you can get off your bike to visit the Parco Sempione Library, located in the north-eastern part of the park. If you head to the western part, you will find the imposing Torre Branca. Climb to the top of this building for a beautiful panoramic view of Sempione Park.

If you prefer, you can take the tour at your own pace. To do so, you can rent a bicycle at the park entrance.

Practical Information

• Duration: 2 to 3 hours.
• Price: The average price is £30 per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will explore Sempione Park and admire the beauty of one of Milan's natural green spaces.

If you are in Milan and have booked a bike tour, you will need to bring some personal items with you. You will need a small rucksack so that you can keep your hands free on the handlebars. You will also need to choose clothing and footwear that are suitable for cycling comfortably.

You can keep your keys, wallet and ID in your rucksack. This will prevent them from falling out of your pocket and getting lost. Also, bring sunscreen for your face and some tissues or a face towel. You will need them to wipe away excess sweat.

Also, keep a bottle of water handy, either in your backpack or in the bottle holder on your bicycle. The important thing is to stay hydrated throughout the tour to combat the feeling of heat.

If you join a bike tour during your stay in Milan, you should be careful when riding on public roads and follow some basic recommendations. For example:

• Check the bicycle you have rented and make sure that the brake system is in good condition.
• If the tour is at night, check that the bicycle has front and rear lights. This way, you will not go unnoticed on the road.
• Whenever possible, cycle on bike lanes.

Remember that Milan is a city that supports the use of sustainable transport. Therefore, most streets have cycle lanes. However, there are areas that do not have them, so you must be careful to ensure the safety of pedestrians and yourself as a cyclist.