Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace) Tours
The Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace), located at the entrance to Parco Sempione in Milan, is a neoclassical arch begun by Napoleon during the early 19th century to honor his military victories. Made of marble from the Swiss Alps, the triumphal arch marks the beginning of the road that connects Milan and Paris.
The Basics
Arco della Pace stands in the largest green space in the city, Parco Sempione, where Milanese families come to relax, walk their dogs, and picnic. A favorite meeting spot by day, especially in summer, the area is also bustling with life when the sun goes down. Many city tours—including tours by bike, hop-on hop-off bus, Segway, and rickshaw—typically pass by the arch as well as the park and nearby Castello Sforzesco.
Things to Know Before You Go
How to Get There
The Arch of Peace is located at Piazza Sempione, in the heart of Milan, a 10-minute walk from Castello Sforzesco. To get there by public transit, take tram 1 or 10 to Arco della Pace. The metro will drop you within a 15-minute walk of the arch; take the M5 to Domodossola, the M1 to Cadorna, or the M2 to Lanza.
When to Get There
The arch is open all year round and is busiest during the summer months. Get there early in the morning for pictures without crowds, or come in the evening and enjoy the area’s vibrant nightlife scene after your visit.
The Design of the Arch of Peace
The Arch of Peace was originally built as part of a larger project—a replica of the Roman Forum—to commemorate Napoleon’s victories. After the dictator’s abdication in 1814, the Forum idea was scrapped and the Hapsburgs renamed the arch to honor peace in post-Napoleonic Europe. The neoclassical monument, based on the Arch of Septimius Severus at the Forum in Rome, features Corinthian columns and various bronze sculptures and reliefs depicting events in Italian history.
The Basics
Arco della Pace stands in the largest green space in the city, Parco Sempione, where Milanese families come to relax, walk their dogs, and picnic. A favorite meeting spot by day, especially in summer, the area is also bustling with life when the sun goes down. Many city tours—including tours by bike, hop-on hop-off bus, Segway, and rickshaw—typically pass by the arch as well as the park and nearby Castello Sforzesco.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The Arch of Peace is a must for architecture lovers and history buffs.
- The arch is located in a piazza with little shade, so wear a hat or apply sunscreen during your outing.
- Wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking on uneven surfaces.
How to Get There
The Arch of Peace is located at Piazza Sempione, in the heart of Milan, a 10-minute walk from Castello Sforzesco. To get there by public transit, take tram 1 or 10 to Arco della Pace. The metro will drop you within a 15-minute walk of the arch; take the M5 to Domodossola, the M1 to Cadorna, or the M2 to Lanza.
When to Get There
The arch is open all year round and is busiest during the summer months. Get there early in the morning for pictures without crowds, or come in the evening and enjoy the area’s vibrant nightlife scene after your visit.
The Design of the Arch of Peace
The Arch of Peace was originally built as part of a larger project—a replica of the Roman Forum—to commemorate Napoleon’s victories. After the dictator’s abdication in 1814, the Forum idea was scrapped and the Hapsburgs renamed the arch to honor peace in post-Napoleonic Europe. The neoclassical monument, based on the Arch of Septimius Severus at the Forum in Rome, features Corinthian columns and various bronze sculptures and reliefs depicting events in Italian history.
Address: Piazza Sempione, Milan, Lombardy 20154, Italy
14 Tours and Activities to Experience Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace)
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Best of Milan Experience Including Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' or Vineyard and Milan Duomo Tour
Explore Milan’s top attractions on a walking tour. Led by a guide, visit the Duomo di Milano, Italy’s largest church, and enjoy your choice between skip-the-line entry to ‘The Last Supper’ or a tour of Leonardo da Vinci's Vineyard. Discover the city’s famous plazas, stroll through the fashion district, and check out popular spots with the locals. Numbers are limited to keep the experience as intimate as possible.
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From
$131.88
From
$131.88
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Milan Segway Tour
Cruise through the streets of Milan on this Segway tour of one of Italy’s most popular cities. Once you’ve mastered the self-balancing, 2-wheeled machine, take off and explore the landmarks of this fashion and commerce capital. Your guide takes you past the Sforzesco Castle, Piazza del Duomo, and La Scala opera house. And you even have a chance to scope out the top street for shopping as you make your way down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. With a cap of eight people, this Segway tour is guaranteed to offer a personalized experience to travelers who want to explore Milan.
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From
$72.91
From
$72.91
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
3 Hours Bike Tour in Milan
Cycle your way around Milan's main attractions with a 3-hour bike tour. Ride past the Sforza Castle, Parco Sempione, La Scala opera house, the Galleria, Santa Maria delle Grazie church, the Duomo and even Milan's canals. Pause regularly throughout the tour to snap photos and learn more about what you're seeing from your knowledgeable guide. Choose a morning or afternoon tour to suit your schedule.
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From
$44.22
From
$44.22
Blubell Bike Tour
Blubell are pedal tours around Milano with a digital tour guide (free App in different languages to download on your smartphone), with a Tour Leader always with you.
Are you curious? Let's bike with us in a different way! You ride your bike, and we take care of everything else.
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From
$55.61
From
$55.61
Parco Sempione and its "Milanese Tour Eiffel" with a panoramic aperitif
"Behind every great city there's a garden", stated Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi in the Seventies. Milan, the most European of Italian cities, does not make an exception: Parco Sempione lies at the North-Wester edge of the historical centre as a precious green lung, being a focal point for Milanese leisure.
A private guided tour will lead you across the park, discovering the artistic and architectural beauties hidden among the trees. Finally, you will gain a breathtaking view of the whole skyline, reaching the top of Branca tower: who even knew that Milan had its own Eiffel tower?
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From
$393.53
Price varies by group size
From
$393.53
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
3-Hour-And-a-Half Milan Segway Tour - Morning
Cruise around Italy’s fashion capital during this 3.5-hour Segway tour. Discover the city’s main highlights such as the Sforzesco Castle, the Arch of Peace, the Duomo Cathedral, the Navigli and Ticinese districts, and more. Learn about the history of the city from your informative guide as you cruise through the streets with ease. This tour is great for first-time visitors to Milan who want a comprehensive overview of the city.
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From
$94.20
From
$94.20
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
One Hour Sightseeing Tour in Rickshaw in Milan
We take you where others can't. Do you want to visit the historical monuments of Milan comfortably seated? Get on our rickshaw and you will see Milan from a truly unique point of view. What are you waiting for, book your tour!
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From
$37.08
From
$37.08
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Two Hours Sightseeing Tour in Rickshaw in Milan
We take you where others can't. Do you want to visit the historical monuments of Milan comfortably seated? Get on our rickshaw and you will see Milan from a truly unique point of view. What are you waiting for, book your tour!
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From
$74.15
From
$74.15
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Discover Milan - Full Sightseeing in Three Hours
This is a Top Tour! Do you want to visit the historical monuments and the modern side of Milan comfortably seated? Get on our rickshaws and you will see Milan from a truly unique point of view.
You will see Milano Duomo Cathedral, Sforza Castle, Arch of Peace, Sempione Park, Mercanti Square, Financial District with Cattelan Finger (L.O.V.E.), La Scala Opera House Square, Sant’Ambrogio Basilica and the cloister of Catholic University
Brera District. And moreover, discover the other side of Milan. The main city of northern Italy is the most important laboratory of modern and contemporary architecture in Italy. You will see the major urban regeneration projects, Porta Nuova and CityLife: the famous vertical forest, Gae Aulenti place, the skyscrapers by Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind. What are you waiting for?
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From
$105.05
From
$105.05
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Milan Highlights Tour with a local
Follow your local experts guide along the streets of the most dynamic city in Italy. Visit the Duomo Cathedral and admire the city from another point of view. Enjoy Milan highlights learning curiosities.
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From
$213.80
Price varies by group size
From
$213.80
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
3-Hour Milan E-Bike Tour through Past and Recent History
In three hours you will discover the secrets of Milan.
By eBike you will experience the beautys of the city.
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From
$49.43
From
$49.43
Milan Highlights E-Bike Grand Tour
Milan is a unique city brimming with life and opportunities that boasts incredible tourist attractions. The beauties of the old town show both the glorious past of the city and its breath-taking modernity, that characterized the development of Milan during the 21th century especially. It is here where tradition and modernization merge together to create the city structure that amazes tourists from all over the world. Going from the Milan Stock Exchange, to the Dome, the Sforzesco Palace, through the luxuriant Sempione Park, the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery and the increasingly modern neighbourhoods, this tour will show you the city from a completely new perspective. Discover the most elegant squares, the picturesque Navigli neighbourhood where the local aperitif rules, and the new city districts including Gae Aulenti, the Vertical Wood building and the world-famous CityLife, house to many VIPs and international stars.
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From
$48.20
From
$48.20
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
MILAN PRIVATE WALKING TOUR BY NIGHT: AMAZING MILAN - 2 h
Spend 2 enjoyable hours with a professional tour guide who will show you the main monuments in the city known around the world. The tour starts from Piazza della Scala, where you will admire one of the most famous Opera Houses in the world. Walk along Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery with its shops and Cafés until Duomo Square where you can view its Cathedral, the undisputed symbol of Milan.
The tour guide will carry you through Piazza dei Mercanti and Cordusio area until the Sforza Castle, the extraordinary fortress of Milan with several magnificent inner courtyards. The guided tour will be prolonged through Sempione Park, the largest green area in the city situated behind the Sforza Castle.
The itinerary has been rigorously selected with the help of certified guides in order to show you more than just the great masterpieces everyone knows. You are guaranteed a professional and an enjoyable experience. Prepare yourself for an exciting journey of discovering the city of Milan by night.
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From
$123.58
Price varies by group size
From
$123.58
Price varies by group size
Milan: Neoclassical Milan Private Walking Tour
The tour starts from Piazza del Duomo and will take you to discover the elegant neoclassical buildings built by the Austrians and the French during their domination of Milan. Visit the royal palace, the arch of peace, brera and the Teatro alla Scala.
Listen to the stories of Napoleon and Maria Theresa of Austria in Milan on this 3-hour private tour.
In Milan, the old buildings are not imposing and opulent like ones in Rome. Milan has a discreet elegance that almost whispers.
Milan is not a city on the grand scale, like Paris or London, but if you go beyond the narrow streets, and past the house facades, you discover fantastic interiors, small intricate gardens and intimate refined settings. When you really know milan you think at something exclusive and private. Milan always insisted upon rigorous simplicity, no stand exhibitionism. Milan is a secret city and you need a guide to understand why this city is imposing itself as a world capital of economic, elegance and sweet life.
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From
$111.23
Price varies by group size
From
$111.23
Price varies by group size
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