Best Bike Tours in Milan

Bicycle tours in Milan are becoming more and more popular among tourists. Through this kind of tours you can visit the highlights of the city. In addition, you will learn about the history of the monuments, parks and buildings, while doing an outdoor sporting activity.

There are several options when it comes to cycle touring. You can join a large group of tourists to cycle through the streets of the Italian city or, if you prefer, opt for a personalised tour. There are also routes that, depending on the terrain and duration, offer mountain bikes or electric bikes. Here are some recommended tours so you don't have to worry about what to see and do in Milan during your stay.

If you're only in Milan for a few days, you'll need to make the most of every minute to explore the city. Therefore, a good recommendation is to join one of the popular night-time bike tours to Lake Navigli. This way, you'll save time by not having to use a map, since you'll be cycling with 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 make a stop for a drink or a snack in one of the surrounding restaurants and bars.

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 hesitate and add this activity to your selection of things to do in Milan at night.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3 hours
• Price: The average price of this tour does not exceed 100 euros per person.
• The advantages of this option: You will be able to enjoy a night view of the canals of Navigli and have an aperitif or buy some souvenirs.

Visiting Milan is not just about climbing 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 will leave Navigli on an electric bike via Novara, which is where the Boscoincittà Botanical Park is located. There, you will be able to move along more than 110 hectares, composed of trails, special picnic areas, ponds, rice paddies, an apiary, farms and much more.

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

Practical Info

• Duration: 3 hours.
• Price: The average price of this tour is 115 euros per person.
• Advantages of this option: With this tour you will get to know part of the natural beauty of Milan without having to go far from the city.

To get around Milan you don't necessarily have to hop on one of the top tourist buses, or join a guided tour. Alternatively, you have the option of embarking on a cycle touring route at your own pace using the bike sharing system in Milan.

You'll be able to get around the streets of Milan without any hassle, as the city is flat, small and has bike lanes for safety. Also, when you stop at each attraction you will find a special parking area, as the use of bicycles is very common for the Milanese.

Just find an intercity service with stations near you. Such is the case of RideMovi, BikeMi or any other. Then download their app to unlock the bike. You can pay for a weekly or hourly rental, whichever suits you best.

The best thing is that you'll find traditional bikes, electric bikes and bikes with special seats to take the little ones along for the ride. So you can incorporate this type of activity into your things to do in Milan with kids.

Practical Information

• Duration: You can enjoy the bike sharing service from 30 minutes and up to a week.
• Price: The average price for bike hire is from 2 euros per hour.
• Advantages of this option: You can get to know Milan at your own pace without any time limitation, as you can stop at any attraction whenever you want.

Perhaps you don't know what to see and do in Milan in 2 days, as this is too little time to visit all its historical sites, enjoy the architectural beauty of the city and learn about its evolution through the years.

If this is the case, you could take part in an electric or traditional bike tour through the centre of Milan. This way, you will be able to explore the main sites of interest. All this, together with a native guide, who will tell you the history of the streets, monuments and buildings. This way, you will understand the cultural and architectural importance of the city.

These tours usually offer two options:

• A tour with historical information, where you will pass by iconic sites of Milan such as the Opera House, La Scala theatre and the Duomo. In addition, you will have the opportunity to cycle around the outskirts of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle, which is a shopping arcade built in the 19th century, with food shops, jewellers, fashion houses, among others.
• Tour with architectural information. There, you will observe the medieval and renaissance beauty of buildings such as the Sforzesc Castle in the historic centre, and then contrast this style with the modern architecture present in the Porta Nuova district.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3,5 hours (approx.)
• Price: The average price is from 50 euros per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will explore the city and learn about the history hidden in the main monuments and buildings. Also, you can learn about the architectural evolution that Milan has experienced over the years.

If you are interested in the modern architectural style of Milan, you should visit the Gae Aulenti area by bike.

You'll marvel at its innovative buildings and modern skyscrapers, while the elegance of each of its squares will capture your attention.

The guide in charge will take you through the buildings of the Vertical Forest, considered to be one of the major attractions in Gae Aulenti. It is a pair of towers with habitable flats, whose exteriors have been covered with more than 2000 species of plants.

Similarly, in this district of Milan, characterised by its modern architectural style, you will find the Unicredit Tower. This is an astonishing 231-metre high building, considered to be 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 will be able to contrast ancient and modern Milanese architecture, as the Gae Aulenti area has innovative buildings and elegant piazzas.

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

In just three hours you will ride through the streets of Milan on a comfortable bicycle. As you pedal along in the company of a native guide, you will delight in the beauty of the surroundings and learn about the history of each building and monument observed.

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 the entrance to the Dominican Convent Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you will have approximately 15 minutes to appreciate and photograph Dan Vince's Last Supper. A work declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Practical Information

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

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

This is a popular sightseeing activity that you can do in small groups, i.e. only with your fellow travellers and an assigned professional guide.

There are several routes used for customised tours, one of which starts at Porta Nuova, specifically at the amazing Vertical Forest buildings. The tour continues along the vibrant street of Corso Como until you reach Milan's popular and busy Chinatown, which runs along the edge of the Centro Storico.

There is also the route 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 for which you will need to cycle only a few kilometres and where you will enjoy a clear path.

Practical Information

• Duration: 3 hours.
• Price: The average price does not exceed 50 dollars 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's Duomo is the Sempione Park, considered one of the main natural lungs of the Italian city. It is a tourist area with an extension of 380,000 square metres, with paths, lagoons 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, which is located in the north-eastern part of the park. Also, if you head to the western part, you will get the imposing Torre Branca. Climbing up this building, you will get a beautiful overview of the Sempione Park.

Moreover, if you wish, you can do the tour at your own pace. To do so, you have the option of renting a bicycle at the park entrance.

Practical Information

• Duration: 2 to 3 hours.
• Price: The average price is 30 euros per person.
• Advantages of this option: You will walk through Sempione Park and contemplate the beauty of one of Milan's natural lungs.

If you are in Milan and you have booked a bike tour, you will need to take some personal items with you. For this, you will need a small backpack so that your hands are free on the handlebars. You will also need to select suitable clothing and footwear for comfortable cycling.

Inside the backpack you can store your keys, wallet and identification credentials. This will prevent them from falling out of your pocket and getting lost. Also, carry sunscreen for your face and some tissues or a face towel. You'll need them to wipe away excess sweat.

Also, keep a bottle of water handy, either in your rucksack or in the water bottle holder on your bike. The important thing is that you stay hydrated throughout the ride and combat the feeling of being overheated.

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

• Check the bike you have rented and make sure the brake system is in good condition.
• If the tour is at night, check that the bike has front and rear lights. This way, you won't go unnoticed on the road.
• Always cycle in the cycle lanes if you can.

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