Is Milan's Navigli District Worth a Visit?

If you're in Milan and looking for cool spots to hit up, the Navigli District is certainly interesting. It came up on my search for ~hip~ neighborhoods to visit during my four-day trip to Italy's fashion capital. But in my opinion, I didn't go at the best time to get the most I could have out of my visit. Before you take a trip, I would say that the Navigli District is really only worth it if you go at the right time.

What is there to see in Milan's Canal District (Navigli)?

The Canal District is Milan's attempt to reinvent the canals that used to bring water into the city but are no longer in use. I read that they hoped it would look like Venice, and there are definitely similarities. The bridges across the canals make it easy to move from one side of the canal to the other, and the gondola rides down the canals are surely charming.

The streets on either side of the canal are lined with shops, though most of them were closed when we visited. There was also this large docked boat that was outdoor seating for a restaurant that I thought was cool. It's a pretty nice walk and can be a long one too depending on when you decide to turn around.

When is the best time to visit Milan's Canal District?

In my opinion, the Navigli District is really only worth visiting if you go at night. It's full of restaurants, bars, clubs, and other fun nightlife activities. There are some vintage stores and flea market-type stalls at the end of the canal that we enjoyed exploring, but it was pretty sleepy during the day. A lot of places were closed, and there weren't many people out and about. To get the right feel for the neighborhood and have the best experience, I think it's better to go in the evening to watch the sunset, enjoy a nice meal, and take a stroll along the canal under the stars.

How to visit Milan's Navigli District

We only ended up here because I felt I had seen almost everything else Milan had to offer, and this was a recommended "hip" neighborhood. It certainly had some charms, but I'm not sure it was worth going out of our way to see. Again, I think it would have been had we gone at the correct time of day, but as for our visit, it didn't feel like it was worth the trip.

The Canal District isn't hard to get to with Milan's public transportation system of trams, but it is a bit on the outskirts of downtown. The Navigli District is in southwest Milan, about a 30-minute walk from Piazza del Duomo. Then, it's about a 15-minute (1 km) walk down the canal in one direction. At least that's as far as we went, just past Parco Baden-Powell before we crossed a bridge and walked back via the other side of the canal.

Other neighborhoods in Milan to explore

If you only have a couple of days in Milan, I first recommend a walking tour of Milan's top 7 historic must-see sights in the city. If you've already done that, I recommend a walk around the architecturally diverse neighborhood of Isola.