In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Navigli are Milan’s canals, the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, meeting at the Darsena basin. Walking them costs nothing. The antiques market runs on listed Sundays, the next on 29 November and 20 December, along the Naviglio Grande. The 50-minute boat trip is from €19.80 and rated 3.7 stars from 280 reviews, on a route you can walk; the Sunset Navigli food and drinks tour is rated 4.7. Metro M2 to Porta Genova or Sant’Agostino reaches the Darsena. The bars along the water serve aperitivo. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Sunset Navigli Food and Drinks Tourad is from €81.18 and the guided bike tourad from €39 (GetYourGuide).
What the Navigli are
The Naviglio Grande is the first Milanese and Lombard hydraulic work, dating to the 12th century, according to the association that represents the people and businesses along it. It was dug for irrigation and then carried barges of goods from the Ticino into Milan, towed along the Alzaia, the towpath, by horses and men. The association says Leonardo da Vinci improved it for navigation. The Naviglio Pavese runs south from the Darsena, the basin where the canals meet. Today the banks hold bars, restaurants and the old working-class houses with shared balconies, the case di ringhiera.
The Naviglio Grande at sunset. Photo: Marco Montagna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Walking the Navigli
Free · always open · Alzaia Naviglio Grande and the Darsena
The walk is the main thing, and it costs nothing. The Navigli and Ticinese walk puts the stops in order, from the Colonne di San Lorenzo to Porta Genova, with what is open each day. The route on the boat listing’s own itinerary is a fair guide to the sights on foot: the Vicolo dei Lavandai, an old washing place, the Canottieri Olona rowing club (1894), the church of San Cristoforo sul Naviglio, whose construction the listing dates to the 13th century, Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio, and the Darsena. Best churches in Milan has the hours for the churches.
The Vicolo dei Lavandai and its old washing place on the Naviglio Grande. Photo: Air fans, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
The antiques market
Sundays on the association’s calendar: 29 November and 20 December 2026 · Naviglio Grande, from Viale Gorizia to the bridge at Via Valenza
The Mercatone dell’Antiquariato is run by the Associazione del Naviglio Grande and stretches along nearly two kilometres of the canal. It runs on the Sundays on the association’s calendar, which for 2026 ends with 29 November and 20 December, and has more than 380 stalls. The association also holds flower-and-food days and an art show on the canal, and lists them on its site.
Aperitivo
An aperitivo is a priced package of a drink with food, and the bars of the Navigli serve it along the water. Aperitivo in Milan has the places and the prices. The food tours page compares the guided versions.
Tours worth paying for
The walk and the aperitivo need no booking. The tours below add a guide or a route. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Sunset Navigli food and drinks tour
From €81.18 · 3 to 3.5 hours · 4.7 stars from 451 reviews
Milan: Sunset Navigli Food and Drinks Tour with a Localad is run by Do Eat Better Experience. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Eating Europe runs a Navigli food and drinks tour of its own, from €97 on its site against €103.50 on GetYourGuide, with five stops and at most 12 guests.
Guided bike tour
From €39 · 3 hours · 4.8 stars from 1,725 reviews
Milan: Hidden Gems Guided Bike Tour ENG and NLad is run by Velocipedi. It is a guided bike tour of the city. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The boat trip
From €19.80 · 50 minutes · 3.7 stars from 280 reviews
Milan: Navigli Canal Boat Experience with Aperitivo Optionad is run by Z V SRL and is the best-reviewed boat listing. It leaves from Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4, sails the Naviglio Grande past the Vicolo dei Lavandai and San Cristoforo to the Darsena, and returns. The aperitivo option adds a drink with snacks. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. A reviewer says the same route can be walked, and that the audio guide plays on your own phone.
What to see
- The Darsena. The basin where the canals meet; the hub of the district.
- The Naviglio Grande’s Alzaia. The towpath, with the case di ringhiera and the bars along the water.
- The Vicolo dei Lavandai. The old washing place on the Naviglio Grande.
- San Cristoforo sul Naviglio. A church on the canal.
- The Naviglio Pavese. The second canal, running south from the Darsena.
The Darsena, where the Navigli meet. Photo: Nelson Pérez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The order that works: walk the Naviglio Grande by day from the Darsena, come back for an aperitivo as the bars fill. What to skip: the boat, unless you want to be on the water; the walk covers the same ground.
Getting there
- By metro: the M2 to Porta Genova or Sant’Agostino. Milan public transport has the fares.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: arriving for the market on a Sunday that is not on the association’s calendar, or expecting a quiet canal on a busy evening.
What to book in Milan has the closed days for every sight. The Navigli and Ticinese walk walks the canals from the Colonne di San Lorenzo to Porta Genova. Free things to do in Milan covers the Sforza courtyards and the Galleria. Milan with kids has the family options. Milan walking tours sets the guided walks and bike tours side by side. 3 days in Milan puts the canals on an evening. Where to stay in Milan compares the areas, the Navigli among them, and where to eat in Milan lists the restaurants.
Common questions
What are the Navigli in Milan?
The Navigli are Milan's canals. The Naviglio Grande, the first Milanese hydraulic work, dates to the 12th century, and the Naviglio Pavese runs south from the Darsena basin. The streets beside them hold bars and restaurants.
Is the Navigli boat tour worth it?
The best-reviewed boat trip is a 50-minute cruise from €19.80, rated 3.7 stars from 280 reviews on GetYourGuide. It sails the Naviglio Grande past San Cristoforo to the Darsena, a route you can also walk on the towpath. The Navigli food and drinks walk is rated 4.7.
When is the Navigli antiques market?
The Mercatone dell'Antiquariato runs on the Sundays on the Associazione del Naviglio Grande's calendar, mostly the last of the month, along the Naviglio Grande from Viale Gorizia to the bridge at Via Valenza, nearly two kilometres. The dates left in 2026 are 29 November and 20 December.
How do I get to the Navigli by metro?
Take the green M2 line to Porta Genova or Sant'Agostino. The Darsena is the hub between them.
Is the Navigli the place for aperitivo?
It is one of the places. Aperitivo is a priced package of a drink with food, and the Navigli bars sit along the canals. The aperitivo guide has the places and the prices.
Can I take the Navigli food tour?
Yes. The Sunset Navigli Food and Drinks Tour is from €81.18, three to three and a half hours, rated 4.7 from 451 reviews. Eating Europe's own Navigli food and drinks tour is from €97 on its site, with five stops and at most 12 guests.
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