Cruising the Navigli is one of the most authentic and appropriate ways to get to know the real Milan.
Also known as Leonardo’s Navigli, due to the work Leonardo Da Vinci dedicated to them by designing the lock system.
The tour begins on the Naviglio Grande where you’ll see the typical houses that historically made up Milan’s working-class neighborhoods, the “Ringhiera houses”.
The navigation will continue towards one of the oldest churches in the city: the Church of San Cristoforo, whose construction began in the 13th century and is now the preferred church for wedding celebrations in the city.
Continuing by boat along the Naviglio Grande, you’ll encounter the historic headquarters of Canottieri Milano Olona, the city’s first rowing team, and the famous Vicolo dei Lavandai, an architectural gem named after the Washermen’s Brotherhood.
Crossing the Scodellino bridge, you reach the modern and famous Darsena, a leisure and entertainment area on the water, characterized by the presence of bars, restaurants, and clubs – still one of the main centers of Milan’s nightlife today.
Leaving the Darsena, continuing along the Naviglio Pavese canal and crossing the Trofeo bridge, you can see the cheesemakers’ alley where the delicious Mascarpone cheese was reportedly invented. Finally, you reach the Conchetta, the first of 14 navigation basins connecting Milan and Pavia, designed by Leonardo da Vinci and still operational five centuries after its construction.
The Tour Includes:
Boat Tour
Drinks

photo by Yorick39 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10691469