Last Supper: Tickets and Tours

Located in the Dominican monastery, Santa Maria Delle Grazie, the Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings in the world and arguably the most influential work of art ever made.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterwork remains a symbol of Italian Renaissance art and is a must-see while visiting Milan.

Here’s all you need to know about Last Supper Milan Tours, one of the most important attractions in Milan.

Last Supper ticket & tour prices

Last Supper tickets cost €15 per person, while Last Supper tours start at the price of €50.

Discounted tickets for EU citizens from 18 to 25 years old cost €2.

Tickets must be bought online in advance as access is limited to 35 people at a time and only 1,300 people a day.

Last Supper tickets and tours give each group of visitors only 15 minutes to appreciate the painting at a scheduled time on a specific day.

You can purchase your tickets from the official website. However, due to limited availability, Last Supper tickets sell out fast.

The sooner you book your Last Supper tickets, the better. If tickets are sold out on the official website, don’t give up! There might still be last-minute tickets available, especially if you book a tour.

Are Last Supper tours worth it?

Yes. Last Supper tours are definitely worth it. Your tickets will be booked by your agent, and everything will be ready to go. All you have to do is show up at the church, or even just go down to the hotel lobby, depending on the type of tour.

When Last Supper tickets are sold out due to the limited capacity of the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, the only way to see the Last Supper painting is by booking a tour.

Moreover, you will have a local tour guide with you to answer any questions you may have. This provides vital historical and cultural context to fully appreciate da Vinci's mastery as you stand before his timeless work of art.

Many guided tours include other attractions in Milan, so you can visit several must-see locations while saving time and money.

Last Supper combo tours

There are combined tours to bundle a visit to the Last Supper with other Milan attractions, such as Duomo Cathedral, Sforza Castle or La Scala Theater.

Take advantage of these combo tours to save on some of Milan's most popular attractions!

Last Supper Tour and Duomo Cathedral

Start your tour in Milan's city center to visit one of the most impressive gothic cathedrals in the world — the Duomo of Milan. Step inside the cathedral and climb to its rooftop.

Afterward, continue to Santa Maria Delle Grazie church to admire the Last Supper.

Last Supper Tour, Duomo Cathedral and La Scala Theater

Enjoy a walking tour through downtown Milan to visit two emblematic sights of the city, the Duomo Cathedral and La Scala Theater — the most famous opera house in Italy.

Last Supper Tour, Duomo Cathedral and Sforza Castle

Spend a day in the life of Leonardo Da Vinci by exploring the medieval Sforza Castle and seeing the Last Supper.

The Sforza family sponsored Da Vinci for his skills as an artist, architect and engineer. See the castle where they once lived — a well-preserved medieval fortress in the middle of the city.

Last Supper Tour, Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini and Duomo Cathedral

Visit the Museum of Sforza Castle to see Michelangelo's famous sculpture — the Pietà Rondanini. This unfinished piece was the last sculpture Michelangelo worked on until his death.

Afterward, continue to Duomo Cathedral, before heading to the Last Supper in Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

Last Supper Tour and Church of San Maurizio

The Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore is often called Milan’s Sistine Chapel, due to the massive frescoes than adorn the interior. Leonardo da Vinci’s students were responsible for most of these paintings.

Afterward, finish your itinerary with a guided tour of the Last Supper in Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

Traveling to the Last Supper

The painting of the Last Supper is located in the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in the city center of Milan.

Luckily, you can easily get to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie by foot or on public transport.

By foot

From the Duomo Cathedral, you only need to walk about 20 minutes west on Corso Magenta Street to reach the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

From Sforza Castle, you only need to walk about 10 minutes southwest on Via Caradosso to reach the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

By metro

Take the MM1 Red Line to the stop Conciliazione or the MM2 Green Line to the stop Cadorna, where you will see directions for the “Cenacolo Vinciano.”

From there, follow Corso Magenta Street and head to the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

By train

If you arrive to Milan by train, you can take the MM2 Green Line from Central Station (Stazione Centrale) to the stop Cadorna. Then, you have a 10-minute walk to the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie.

Last Supper opening hours

The Last Supper is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 AM to 7:00 PM.

You can only visit the Last Supper Museum during the time reserved on your ticket. Make sure to get there at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time of your visit. If you’re late, you won’t be allowed to enter.

Please note that you need a ticket to see the Last Supper and enter the Last Supper Museum, but you can enter the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie for free.

What to see on a Last Supper tour

During your Last Supper tour, an expert local guide will help you appreciate the painting by sharing anecdotes and historical context to add depth to your experience as you stand in front of it.

After your Last Supper tour, you will understand why Leonardo Da Vinci’s Italian Renaissance masterpiece still stands the test of time and remains one of the most famous paintings in the world.

Located inside the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, the painting depicts the moment right after Jesus declares to his twelve apostles that one of them will betray him before sunrise.

Pay attention to the reaction on the face of each apostle reacting to the news. The guide will explain in more detail how The Last Supper is a masterful psychological study and one of the world's most iconic images.

This moment also depicts the birth of the Eucharist, with Jesus reaching for bread and a glass of wine — the key symbols of the Christian sacrament, and an important ritual still performed to this day.

You will notice that the passage of time has damaged the painting, and it remains in a fragile condition, despite 22 years of restoration, which was finally completed in 1999.

The history behind the Last Supper

Commissioned by the Duke of Milan (and also Leonardo’s patron) Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo began working on the Last Supper painting in 1495 and, as was his manner, worked slowly with long pauses between sessions, until he finished it in 1498.

The Last Supper depicts Jesus’s final meal with his twelve apostles before he was captured and crucified. More precisely, the painting depicts the few seconds after Christ drops the bombshell that one of his disciples would betray him before sunrise. This is why the apostles have looks of anger, horror and shock on their faces.

The scene of the Last Supper is actually not a frozen moment in time but rather a composition of successive moments. Consider this while you’re standing in front of the painting and trying to decipher its meaning.

You can find key details on the faces of each disciple, who react differently according to da Vinci’s interpretation of that man’s personality. This results in a complex study of human emotions, rendered in a deceptively simple composition, as da Vinci also accomplished on a single face with his other famous work — the Mona Lisa.

The Last Supper also depicts the birth of the Eucharist, with Jesus reaching for bread and a glass of wine, which will become key symbols of the Christian sacrament — an important ritual still performed today.

In a way, the Last Supper is a failed experiment in painting techniques. Da Vinci decided against painting a fresco, which was the most common technique during the Renaissance for wall paintings.

With a fresco, the painter has a limited time to complete their work. However, da Vinci wanted more time to achieve a grander luminosity and include more intricate details, which he had planned and sketched in countless notebooks.

The final work was indisputably a masterpiece. However, there was one major weakness in his technique — the painting wasn’t very durable. Due to deterioration from environmental factors, the Last Supper has required a few restorations throughout the years.

Saying that the Last Supper has gone through a few restorations is a polite understatement. In actuality, the painting has gone through many. Every few decades, the work has received a facelift in one form or another.

The most recent, extensive and controversial restoration work took 20 years and over 38,000 hours to finally complete in 1999. Scientists and artists painstakingly identified and removed layers of paint that had been added over the centuries to reveal and preserve da Vinci’s original work.

Nowadays, Milan's most famous mural has become one of the most visited attractions in the city. The Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie is open to the public and can be visited year-round.

Before your own final meal in Milan, make sure to visit the Last Supper and stand face-to-face with this Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.

Travel tips

• Book your Last Supper tickets in advance. Tickets must be reserved online, and admission is strictly limited. The sooner you book your tickets, the better your chance to reserve the day and time you want.
• Book a tour if tickets are sold out. This is the only way to see the Last Supper if tickets are completely sold out.
• Dress appropriately. Santa Maria delle Grazie is a place of worship, so there is a strict dress code to enter and see the Last Supper. Make sure that your shoulders and knees remain covered at all times. Shorts, tank tops and short skirts are not allowed.
• Pack lightly. Large bags are not permitted inside the church, only small bags are allowed. Free lockers are available for small items and bottles, but there’s no cloakroom to store larger items.