Teatro La Scala in Milan Tickets and Tours

Milan's La Scala Theatre is regarded worldwide as a temple of opera, and attracts thousands of tourists every year to visit it or to enjoy one of its marvellous shows. Its sombre and ancient appearance from the outside does not allow us to accurately imagine the beauty of everything inside, and its particular history.

If you are thinking about what to see and do in Milan on your visit to the city, a tour of the Teatro la Scala should be on your to-do list. The entrance ticket to the Theatre also includes access to an amazing Museum to complete the visit.

The most convenient option

Milan La Scala Theater and Museum Guided Tour

1-hour guided tour of La Scala Theatre in Milan

Join this guided tour of La Scala Theatre and Museum and discover the secrets of one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

From CAD 58 at Hellotickets

The guided tour of the La Scala Theatre in Milan is included in the best tours and excursions in Milan. This one hour activity is a guided tour led by an expert guide where you will visit the different parts of this famous Theatre, the museum and the bookshop.

Don't miss this opportunity to admire paintings and musical instruments dedicated to the great Italian composers as well as the portraits of historical masters, such as Giuseppe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini. Don't forget to book your place in advance as this tour is very popular and sells out weeks in advance on a regular basis.

Recommended if... you are an opera and theatre lover or if you want to learn about the history and curiosities of La Scala Theatre.

The entrance ticket to La Scala Theatre costs about 5 euros and gives you the right to visit the interior of the theatre and access to the Theatre Museum. The visit with this type of ticket is completely free.

Another way to visit the theatre is to go to one of its operas. The prices for this type of show vary greatly according to the location chosen and the type of work. A ticket can range from 20€ to 500€, as in most of the world's prestigious theatres.

The best option

Another way to get to know the Teatro de la Scala first hand and which I recommend to anyone who doesn't want to miss a bit of the history of this symbolic theatre and its museum is by taking a guided tour. With a specialised guide, you will learn its secrets, while discovering the great opera production behind the scenes.

Yes, tickets to the Theatre and Museum can be purchased at the box office but please note that due to the popularity of this Theatre, availability may be very limited or non-existent.

I advise you to buy your tickets in advance through the Theatre's website so as not to miss out on this fantastic visit.

For the plays, the box office is only available for the same day performances, subject to availability. The reality is that almost all the plays are sold out in advance, especially the most famous ones that everyone wants to attend. Plays such as Macbeth or Un ballo in maschera, sell out days after the start of the ticketing season.

Yes, there are guided tours and, in my experience, they are the best way to get to know it. A guided tour of the La Scala Theatre in Milan will allow you to admire the beauty of the interior of the theatre and its halls, but you will also learn about its history and curiosities.

The tours can be conducted in English, but remember to book your place in advance so as not to miss out. The price of these visits start at €30.

If you are lucky enough, it is possible that the visit will coincide with one of the rehearsal performances. This will allow you to get a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for the upcoming performances.

You will also have privileged access to the main portico of the theatre, one of the favourite places in the whole theatre and considered a jewel of this most important musical building in Europe.

Yes, with the Milan Pass you have free access to both the Theatre and its museum, as well as other major attractions and the service of the best sightseeing buses in Milan.

In the case of La Scala Theatre, the regular entrance fee is included for your free visit. But if you want the guided tour you have a discount on the price for having the Milan Pass.

The Theatre and its Museum are open every day of the week, from 9am to 12.30pm and then open again at 1.30pm until 5.30pm. It is closedon Sundays from November 1st to April 30th.

La Scala Theatre is located in Piazza alla Scala in Milan city centre. The closest venues to Piazza della Scala are Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Milan Cathedral and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Therefore, you can use them as reference points or even combine visits in the day to optimise your stay in the city of Milan.

• To reach the Theatre from any point in the city, you can reach it by tram arriving at the Manzoni Scala station, using lines 1 and 2.
• If, on the other hand, you prefer to use the metro, you should opt for lines 1 and 3, which will take you to the Duomo station.
• If you are arriving in Milan by plane, there is a fast train service from Malpensa airport. The Malpensa Express arrives at Cardona station in about 40 minutes from Terminal 1 and will drop you off very close to the Scala Theatre. You can also take the Malpensa Bus Express, a bus that goes from Terminal 1 to Milan Central Station and there you can combine with another means of transport.
• On the other hand, if you want to get to La Scala Theatre by bus, there are plenty of bus services that go from both terminals to Milan Central Bus Station.

Here is a list of the best things to do and places to see during your visit to La Scala Theatre:

• Horseshoe Room: where the performances and plays take place. This is, without a doubt, the star of the visit and the main place that everyone wants to see.
• The Theatre Foyer: It is more like a baroque palace.
• The Auditorium of the Theatre: It is a huge space full of luxuries and details that will leave you speechless. The material of its construction is wood with red velvet, an exquisite combination. As if this were not enough, the decorations in golden tones give the final touch to its elegant and imposing style. Crowning this scene, you will find a huge crystal chandelier made up of 383 light bulbs in the middle of the hall.
• Museum of the Teatro alla Scala: You can find a variety of paintings and costumes related to opera that are truly incredible. In fact, when you take into account their age and state of preservation, they will surprise you even more. They also have a part dedicated to an exhibition of portraits of the most representative artists of Italian opera and a large bookshop.
• La Scala Square: On the outskirts of the theatre you can enjoy the square of the same name. It is worth enjoying its surroundings and taking a picture with the statue of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Guided tours last 1 hour, but you can stay in the vicinity of the Theatre and the Museum for as long as you wish. If you prefer to visit the theatre on your own, I recommend that you spend about 1 hour of your day sightseeing in Milan.

But if you are going to enjoy a play, bear in mind that the theatre usually opens its doors about 3 hours before the performance starts. Plays last an average of 2 hours.

A visit to the La Scala Theatre with the little ones is one of the things to do in Milan with children, among others.

If you do the visit on your own, the tour is totally family-friendly, where they can walk around the Theatre and the Museum without any problems. Besides, children will love to see different corners of this monument, and the costumes and paintings in the Museum will keep them entertained all day long.

If you take the guided tour you don't have to worry either, as it is a very pleasant and short tour.

Regarding the plays, although there is no age restriction, it may be that the formality of the events and the duration of the shows are things to take into account when going with children.

• For the opening performances and shows, women are required to wear dark formal attire and men are required to wear a suit and tie. The rest of the performances can be attended in casual dress. In any case, elegance is appreciated when you enter the venue.
• To attend the Prima della Scala, every 7 December for the opening of the season, it is compulsory for men to wear a tailcoat and for women a long evening dress.
• If you are planning to attend a particular performance, buy your tickets well in advance as they tend to sell out very quickly. Many people from all over the world are waiting for their chance to see one of these shows.
• If you are not a fan of opera or ballet, I recommend that you read up on the show you are going to see beforehand. This way, it will be much easier for you to understand it and you will be able to enjoy it much more.
• But if you don't really feel like this musical genre, you should also bear in mind that going to a show is much more than that. It is an experience in itself. What's more, the acoustics of the theatre are among the best in the world.