Boat tour on the Navigli canals in Milan

TIMETABLE FROM 3rd APRIL TO 3rd NOVEMBER 2025

*Navigation with possibility of an aperitif on board

Starting from the Naviglio Grande, one can immediately observe the typical Milanese “case di ringhiera” (tenement houses), which represent old Milan.

Leaving the Darsena behind, looking to the right, one can admire the famous “vicolo dei lavandai” (washerwomen’s alley), an architectural gem named after the residents who used to wash their laundry there. A little further on, looking to the left, at number 47 of Ripa di Porta Ticinese, one can see the commemorative plaque marking the last home of the poetess Alda Merini: the canal here is crossed by the bridge dedicated to her.

Proceeding towards the rowing clubs, on the right and left hydraulic sides (the hydraulic right and left are determined by leaving the source behind: since the canal flows towards the Darsena, the Church of San Cristoforo is located on the left hydraulic side), after a few minutes, one encounters one of the oldest churches in the city: the Church of San Cristoforo, whose construction began in the 13th century. Continuing along the Naviglio Grande, one will pass the historic homes of the Canottieri San Cristoforo and Milano Olona rowing clubs.

After turning around at this point, you head back towards Milan; crossing the Scodellino bridge, you reach the famous Darsena, which has been considered a leisure and entertainment area for centuries, characterized by bars, restaurants, and nightclubs – it is still the center of Milan’s nightlife.

Leaving the Darsena, you take the first stretch of the Naviglio Pavese where, passing the Trofeo bridge, you can glimpse the Borgo dei Formaggiai (where it is said the delicious Mascarpone cheese was invented), and in the distance to the south, you can see the Conchetta, the first of the 14 navigation locks that connects Milan and Pavia.

The navigation on the Navigli lasts 50 minutes and ends at the departure pier on the Naviglio Grande.

There are several interesting facts about the Navigli; here are a few:

1. The Naviglio Grande was used to transport the marble that still decorates Milan’s Duomo, coming from the quarries of Candoglia on Lake Maggiore.

2. In 1805, Napoleon completed the construction of the Naviglio Pavese to connect “Milan with the sea.”

3. Navigation on the canals was an excellent means of transport, abandoned only from the first half of the 19th century due to competition from the railways.

4. Alda Merini, one of the greatest women of the 20th century, was born and lived on the Navigli, so connected to the canals that she couldn’t do without them to write her verses.