If you want to immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas, the Village of Wonders is the perfect destination for you.
Sparkling decorations, merry-go-rounds, exciting shows, a skating rink and a meeting with Father Christmas and Mother Christmas will immediately get you into the Christmas spirit.
Not to mention the delicacies prepared at the street food stalls, which permeate the air with irresistible aromas!
All this and much more awaits you at the Village of Wonders in Milan, whose useful information we are going to describe in order to plan your visit.
Village of Wonders Milan: dates 2025
The updated dates for the Village of Wonders 2025 are 15 November – 6 January 2026.
The Village is hosted inside the Indro Montanelli Gardens in Porta Venezia. Admission is free while the various attractions are chargeable. Let’s see them in detail.
Village of Wonders attractions
Rides
Inside the Village, strolling among the little houses prettily decorated in a Christmas theme, you will also find amusing rides for children.
Some (the crazy flying sleighs, for example) are reserved for children over 3 years old, others are suitable for children of all ages.
In any case, if your child is under 6 years old, you will have to accompany him/her. The price of a ride is €4.00.
Rides opening hours
- Weekdays: 15-19:30
- Weekends and from 22/12 to 6/01: 10-20
- 24 December 10-19, 25 December 15-20, 31 December 10-19.
Christmas Shows
Always very engaging for children, are the Christmas shows! They last about fifteen minutes and are free of charge.
The shows (Elf Circus, Baby Dance and the Puppets) run from 3 to 6.30 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2.30 to 6.30 p.m. at weekends and from 23/12 to 6/01.
You can find them near the ice rink. Also this year, directly from Topazia, comes the mouse most loved by children and youngsters: we are of course talking about Geronimo Stilton!
Below is the calendar of performances:
- Monday to Friday: 3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sunday, 8 December and from 22 December to 6 January: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Ice rink
The ice rink is suitable for both children and adults and is partly outdoors and partly covered and heated.
The Baby (covered), is reserved for children up to 8 years of age and beginners up to 10 years of age accompanied by their parents.
At the cash desk, skates and penguins can be hired for the little ones.
Opening hours
- Daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- 24 and 31 December 10am-7pm.
- 25 December 15-21.
Admission to the rink is valid for one hour. For those with their own skates, however, there is no time limit. You can buy a skip-the-line ticket here (12 euros adult, 10 euros child).
Santa Christmas, Mother Christmas and the Epiphany
And here comes the moment the children have been waiting for: meeting Father and Mother Christmas and the chance to take a souvenir photo together and post their letters!
On Epiphany, however, remember to bring your stocking so that the Befana can fill it with lots of goodies!
Important – Reservations for Santa’s House are compulsory at this link and do not entitle you to skip the line.
With the reservation, you will have to pay a small donation (1 euro, only for adults and children over 12 years of age) which will be donated to Save The Children.
Dates and times of Santa’s House
- Weekdays 15:00-18:30
- Weekends, 8 December and from 22 December to 24 December: 10:00 – 12:30 and 14:30 – 18:30
- 25 December 15-18:30
Mother Christmas House hours
- 26 December to 3 January: 10-12:30 and 14:30-18:30.
Dates and times of the Epiphany
- 6 January: 10-12:30 and 14:30-18:30.
Elves’ Market and Street Food
It’s not Christmas without the classic markets where you can find wonderful gift ideas, including handicrafts and food and wine products.
And then there is the street food (there is also a heated area with tables) with many delicacies to taste.
You can choose from sandwiches, polenta, hot dogs, churros with hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts… and for the children, the inevitable candy floss!
The street food stalls are open from 12 noon to 8 p.m. (weekdays) and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (public holidays).
How to get to the Village of Wonders in Milan
The Village of Wonders is housed inside the Indro Montanelli Gardens in Porta Venezia. Getting to Porta Venezia is easy:
- From Genoa – Take the A7 to Milan and take the exit towards Aeroporto Linate/Viale Giovanni da Cermenate. Continue on Via Aicardo, towards Porta Monforte, and take Viale Bianca Maria to Porta Venezia (140 km).
- From Turin – Take the A4 and exit at the viale Certosa motorway junction. Continue along viale De Gasperi towards Porta Garibaldi and Porta Nuova. Take Piazza della Repubblica until you reach Porta Venezia (142 km).
- From Milan – Stop at M1 (metro) Porta Venezia; bus line 61 – 94, train: railway passante stop Porta Venezia.
▶ Need to rent a car? With Discovercars you can find the best available rate – click here.
The Village of Wonders in Milan: Useful information
Village of Wonders is accessible to pushchairs and 4-legged friends.
The Montanelli Gardens do not have an internal car park so, if you arrive by car, you can leave it in the pay car parks (ZTL zone) located along the Bastioni di Porta Venezia.
You can check the timetable and the updated programme on the official website.
Village of Wonders Milan: conclusions
During the Christmas period, the Porta Venezia Gardens are transformed into an enchanted place in which to savour the true magic of Christmas. Since 2008, in fact, the Village of Wonders has fascinated young and old with unique attractions and exciting shows, renewing itself every year with many novelties!
Read on:
