The short version
Take the metro. Three stations are close to the castle: Cairoli on the red M1 line, Lanza on the green M2 line, and Cadorna, where the two lines meet. Cadorna also has a railway station, which is where the Malpensa Express arrives. From the Duomo, ride two stops on M1 or walk along Via Dante, a pedestrian street.
ATM, Milan’s public transport company, runs the metro, trams and buses. Its GiroMilano journey planner plans routes across the network, and its app is the quickest way to check live times on the day. Once you arrive, our visiting guide covers the castle itself, and tickets and tours explains what to book.
Metro stations near the castle
| Station | Line | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cairoli | M1 (red) | Cordusio is the stop before it, towards Sesto 1º Maggio. Cadorna is the stop after it, towards Rho Fiera or Bisceglie. |
| Lanza | M2 (green) | Also the stop for the Brera district. Cadorna is next towards Assago or Abbiategrasso. Moscova is the other way. |
| Cadorna | M1 and M2 | A metro interchange, with the Cadorna railway station beside it. |
All three are described as close to the castle. We have no sourced walking time, so check your map app. Pick the station that suits your route. From the Duomo area, Cairoli is the easy choice. From Milano Centrale, the M2 to Lanza keeps you on one line. From Malpensa, you arrive at Cadorna.
Tickets and contactless
ATM’s fares were as follows when we checked in October 2026:
- Single ticket: €2.20, valid for 90 minutes.
- Daily ticket: €7.60, valid for 24 hours.
- 3-day ticket: €15.50, valid for 3 consecutive days from first use.
- 10-trip carnet: €19.50.
These tickets cover the metro, buses, trams, trolleybuses and the Trenord S lines (suburban trains). Each ticket can be used by only one person at a time, so a group needs one each. You can buy them from machines in metro stations, from authorised resellers or in the ATM app.
You can also tap a contactless bank card, phone or smartwatch to enter the metro and board buses, trams and trolleybuses. The system charges the cheapest fare for you, and after 4 journeys in the same day the daily fare applies. Contactless is accepted only on ATM services. When you change lines, ATM says you touch out at the first line’s gates and touch in at the next, using the same card or device both times.
If you plan to see the castle, the Duomo and more, the YesMilano City Pass includes 3 days of public transport. The City of Milan lists the Standard version at €60 and the All Inclusive version at €90 (checked October 2026; see the castle’s passes page). Compare that with the €15.50 3-day ATM ticket before you buy, and work out which attractions you will really use.
Walking from the Duomo
Via Dante is the natural route. It has been fully pedestrian since 1996, and it links Piazzale Cordusio with Largo Cairoli and leads on to the castle. The street is flanked by palaces that Wikipedia says were mainly built in the 18th and 19th centuries, so allow extra time if you stop to look. See our Duomo guide and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II for what to see before you set off.
If it is hot, wet or you are short of time, ride M1 from Duomo towards Rho Fiera or Bisceglie. Cordusio is the first stop and Cairoli the second.
From Milano Centrale
Centrale is the main railway station, a terminus at the northern end of central Milan. It is served by the M2 and M3 metro lines. Take M2 towards Assago or Abbiategrasso and get off at Lanza. If you stay on one more stop you reach Cadorna. We have no sourced figure for the journey time, so check the ATM app.
From Malpensa Airport
The Malpensa Express is a Trenord train that runs from the airport into Milan, and it serves both Cadorna and Centrale. Wikipedia lists about two trains an hour to Cadorna and one or two to Centrale. It gives 43 minutes from Cadorna to Terminal 2 and 57 minutes from Centrale. Those figures come from a 2019 timetable source, so treat them as approximate and check the current times and fare with Trenord.
For the castle, Cadorna is the better choice. It sits close to the castle and has the M1 and M2 lines on the spot. Centrale works too, but you need to change to M2.
From Linate Airport
Linate is the easy one. The M4 metro line runs from the airport, and ATM says it takes you from the centre to the airport in 12 minutes. M4 runs every day from early morning until about half past midnight, and night buses replace it between Linate, San Cristoforo and Molinetto di Lorenteggio.
Change to the red M1 line at San Babila. You touch out of M4 and touch in again on M1, using the same ticket, card or phone. San Babila is the stop before Duomo on M1, so ride towards Rho Fiera or Bisceglie. Duomo, Cordusio and Cairoli follow, which makes Cairoli the third stop after San Babila.
From Bergamo Airport
Bergamo’s airport sits outside Milan. Several coach companies, among them Orioshuttle, Terravision, Flibco and Autostradale, run to central Milan. Check where your operator’s coach stops. If it ends at Milano Centrale, follow the Centrale directions above. We have left out journey times and fares because they vary by operator and season, so look at the operator’s own timetable.
Once you arrive
The courtyards are free to enter every day from 07:00 to 19:30, so you can walk through whenever the metro drops you off. The museums are closed on Mondays, and the ticket office closes at 16:30 (checked October 2026). Our best time to visit guide has the closure days and free days, and if you are building a base, see where to stay. Next to the castle, Parco Sempione is an easy place to stretch your legs after a long journey.
