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Few things are more glamorous than going shopping in Milan, am I right? The world’s fashion capital is an open-air shopping mall, so navigating it can be tricky. That’s why I’ll show you around the finest shopping streets in Milan.
Milan is filled with options for every taste and pocket size, from the exclusive boutiques of the Quadrilateral of Fashion to the incredible deals along Corso Buenos Aires. It’s just impossible to fly back home empty-handed!
Table of Contents
Top shopping streets in Milan
1. Via Monte Napoleone
Let’s start off with the no. 1 symbol of luxury shopping in Milan. Via Monta Napoleone forms the southern edge of the city’s high-end shopping quarter, aka the Quadrilateral of Fashion.
All of the big names in the couture have set up flagship boutiques on the street, from Italian classics like Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Fendi, Ferragamo, Zegna, Bottega Veneta, and Moncler to international legends such as Hermès, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent
If you’re willing to splurge on rocks instead, Via Monte Napoleone has got you covered too: jewelers and watchmakers Rolex, Chopard, Montblanc, and Damiani each have a branch here.
2. Corso Buenos Aires
We’ll now head toward the very opposite of Via Monte Napoleone. As the main shopping street in Milan, Corso Buenos Aires is locals’ go-to shopping destination year-round.
Here, you can buy outerwear at Decathlon, sneakers at Nike, makeup at Sephora, watches at Swatch, flip-flops at Havaianas, lingerie at Intimissimi, and all of that at department stores such as Upim.
I could keep going forever, as the mile-long avenue leads to Piazzale Loreto, another major Milanese shopping hub.
Given fast-food chains and popular gelato shops like Grom and Venchi have locations on Corso Buenos Aires as well, you can easily lose track of time and end up spending an entire day on it.
3. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria, affectionately called Milan’s living room, is where locals have been going to see and be seen since its opening in 1877.
This early shopping mall isn’t really a street, but a cross-shaped arcade linking Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. Still, for its unrivaled status as the main shopping spot citywide, it just had to be included in our list.
Besides top brands like Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, the Galleria is also home to historic businesses like Marchesi, a 200-year-old pastry shop, Ristorante Galleria, and cocktail bar Camparino in Galleria.
4. Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is quite possibly the most famous shopping street in Milan, thanks to its proximity to Milan Cathedral.
Because it connects the hectic Piazza del Duomo to the classy Quadrilateral of Fashion, this busy pedestrian promenade has both upscale boutiques like Armani Exchange, Max Mara, and Michael Kors and budget-friendly stores like Bershka, Mango, and Urban Outfitters.
When you’re walking down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, don’t forget to enter the galleries that line its eastern half to browse the shops within them. The enormous Basilica di San Carlo al Corso is worth a quick stop too.
5. Via della Spiga
The extreme narrowness of Via della Spiga seems almost ironic when you think of how luxurious it is. This legendary Milan fashion street, which runs parallel to Via Monte Napoleone,
Here you’ll find the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Vilebrequin, Chloé, Moschino, Michael Kors, and Ralph Lauren. Though overall less pricey than Montenapo, Via della Spiga is definitely more charming.
When touring the area, check out the alleys that run between Via della Spiga and Via Monte Napoleone, namely Via Borgospesso, Via Santo Spirito, Via Gesù, and Via Sant’Andrea, which are jam-packed with prestigious boutiques too.
6. Corso Garibaldi
Corso Garibaldi is the link between Milan’s old town and the northern part of the city, which has been partly repurposed as a ritzy business district over the past decade.
Partly car-free, it’s better known for its top-notch restaurants than for its shops, yet it does boast a great assortment of businesses catering to all of your shopping cravings along its 3,600 feet of extension.
7. Corso Como
Corso Como is the coolest address within Porta Nuova, Milan’s sleek skyscraper district. It’s the natural extension of Corso Garibaldi, but has a more inviting environment because cars have been completely banned from it.
The promenade displays the perfect mix of laidback eateries, cozy cocktail bars, and trendy boutiques. A handful of showrooms and concept stores like 10 Corso Como give it a quirky vibe that is rather rare in Milan.
Corso Como leads to the shiny Piazza Gae Aulenti and the edgy Biblioteca degli Alberi park, both of which became instant Milan must-sees when they opened about a decade ago.
8. Ripa di Porta Ticinese
Naviglio Grande is one of a couple of remaining canals of a waterway system that once encircled Milan’s old town. Ripa di Porta Ticinese runs along its south bank and is one of the city’s most bohemian corners.
Cocktails and restaurants abound along the waterfront, yet shops are few and far between. Why I am listing it here, then? Well, Ripa di Porta Ticinese hosts the two largest flea markets in town: Fiera di Sinigaglia, which takes place every Saturday, and the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato every last Sunday of the month.
You can come here to scavenge for high-quality, furniture, china, decor items, records, books, coats, and almost anything else you may think of.
9. Via Torino
Via Torino is sort of the poor cousin of Corso Buenos Aires in that it has something for every taste but on a smaller scale.
Having said that, what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty — gorgeous churches like Santa Maria presso San Satiro, San Sebastiano, and San Giorgio al Palazzo are located on Via Torino.
Aside from instantly recognizable brands like Sephora, Levi’s, and Foot Locker, and fast-fashion giants like Primark, Zara, and Mango, the street features department stores like Muji.
Here you’ll also find popular Italian chains such as OVS and Alcott, as well as dozens of tiny shops selling everything from eyewear to cosmetics and from jewels to perfumes.
Pro tip: turn right on Via Spadari, on Via Torino’s first block leaving Piazza Duomo, to savor all the treats of Peck, Milan’s finest deli.
10. Corso di Porta Ticinese
Corso di Porta Ticinese links Via Torino to the Navigli area and with, the Columns of San Lorenzo as its centerpiece, is Milan’s underground shopping street par excellence.
Shops around here are almost all obscure and would rather remain so. They sell chiefly streetwear and vintage items. Even if that’s not your style, window shopping on Corso di Porta Ticinese is trippy and fun.
As of now, the only household name on the street is Vans, which blends in seamlessly with the rest of the businesses.
11. Via Dante
Via Dante is one of my favorite streets in the city for its quintessentially Milanese ambiance, made up of a row of ornate 19th-century buildings on both sides, the view of the Sforza Castle tower at a distance, and Piazza Cordusio, historically Milan’s financial hub, on the southern end.
Despite being less than 1,000 feet long, Via Dante is jam-packed with stars of the retail world, among which Sephora, MAC, Swarovski, Lacoste, and Moleskine, as well as the local branch of Hard Rock Cafe and a couple of Italian brands such as Geox and Massimo Dutti.
Totally car-free and served by one subway station on each end, the street makes for a pleasant stroll within Milan’s Cerchia dei Navigli, or old town.
12. Corso Venezia
Apart from forming the eastern side of the Quadrilateral of Fashion, Corso Venezia is likely the most monumental street in all of Milan.
18th-century Palazzo Morando, which showcases a permanent exhibition on the history of Milanese fashion.
Like the street itself, stores here tend to be bigger. You have, for example, a Dolce & Gabbana furniture shop, a Zara Home location, and DG Martini, a unique collab between Dolce & Gabbana and Martini.
Yet there’s also room for small gift shops like Thun fashion outlets like Matia’s, and historic boutiques like Borbonese.
Keep walking toward the Porta Venezia gates to reach Corso Buenos Aires on the other side. Before you get there, however, turn right on Via Tommaso Salvini to discover the so-called Quadrilateral of Silence, a quiet and stunning neighborhood nestled within the city’s hustle and bustle.
13. Via Manzoni
Connecting the majestic Piazza della Scala and Milan’s world-famous opera house to 12th-century Porta Nuova and the southern end of the Public Gardens, Via Manzoni is probably the least-known side of the Quadrilateral of Fashion.
That’s pretty unfair, in my opinion. Lined with elegant palazzos, the cobblestone street is dotted with historic leather shops like Pineider, homeware retailers such as Poltrona Frau and Casa Gessi, several lingerie shops, and less obvious fashion brands like Patrizia Pepe.
More importantly, Via Manzoni houses a three-story Armani concept store which includes a stellar restaurant, the exclusive Armani/Prive nightclub, five-star Armani Hotel.
On top of that, you can visit art galleries like Bottegantica and Farsettiarte and house museums like Museo Poldi Pezzoli as you walk down the street.
14. Via Paolo Sarpi
Via Paolo Sarpi is the main axis of an underrated but delightful shopping district in Milan: its Chinatown. Squeezed between Parco Sempione and the Cimitero Monumentale, the city’s most imposing cemetery, the district serves as a gathering point for Milan’s 30,000 Chinese residents.
Though not as busy or characteristic as San Francisco’s or New York’s enclaves, Via Paolo Sarpi and its surroundings are filled with boutiques, gift shops, authentic restaurants, and grocery stores selling Chinese vegetables, snacks, beverages, and more.
Via Paolo Sarpi also plays host to the local Chinese New Year’s parade, at which time the whole borough is decorated with lovely paper lanterns.
15. Via Brera
With its mystical aura and small-town feel, Brera is one of Milan’s quaintest neighborhoods. Via di Brera runs north-south through the district and is home to Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan’s most prestigious painting museum.
The street and the adjacent alleys feature historic stationery shops like Pettinaroli, and beloved sandwich bars like Panini Durini, as well as an assortment of boutiques, cocktail bars, and cozy bistros.
While strolling through the area, don’t miss other suggestive streets like Via Madonnina and plazas such as Piazza del Carmine. Besides shopping and art gazing, Brera is a prime destination for fine dining or for a delicious food tour.
Wrap-up
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to dig into your life savings to go shopping in Milan. The city is peppered with roads where locals flock to buy anything from clothes to decor items like Corso Buenos Aires and Via Torino.
On the other hand, there are of course a bunch of fancy shopping streets in Milan, such as Via della Spiga and the iconic Via Monte Napoleone, where the elaborate displays make even a window-shopping stroll worthwhile.
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