This option is for those with an extended layover at Milan Malpensa Airport. You enjoy a driving tour to see Milan's top sites, with free time built in if you wish to go inside a site, grab lunch, or do some shopping. Sites seen include the Duomo di Milano, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala Opera House, and Sforza Castle.
After meeting your English speaking driver at the airport, you drive about an hour into the historical heart of Milan, where the major sites are located. Your first stop is the Duomo di Milano, construction of which began in 1386 and remains one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. If you would like, you can enter the cathedral or take the elevator to the rooftop terraces for views over the city and a close up look at the gothic statues and spires.
Nearby you have the chance to walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Its foundation stone was laid in 1865, and the glass covered arcade opened in 1877, making it one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world. Milan stands shoulder to shoulder with Paris as the undisputed capital of fashion, and there are also cafes and restaurants nearby for a coffee or dessert.
Next you see La Scala Opera House. The theater opened on August 3, 1778, and remains one of Italy's most important opera houses.
Your last stop is Milan's castle, known as the Castello Sforzesco. Its origins date to a Visconti-era fortress from roughly 1358 to 1370, later rebuilt into the castle seen today by Francesco Sforza in the 1450s. The castle sits right in the city center, and its courtyards form one of the city's public parks, free for you to walk through. Several museums inside the castle are also worth a visit if time allows.
Your driver brings you back to Malpensa Airport at the end of your tour.