About this tour
A three-hour walking tour of Ravenna's eight UNESCO-listed monuments, guided by a local art historian who unpacks the city's Byzantine and Roman heritage. You'll explore the glittering mosaics of San Vitale and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, visit Galla Placidia's mausoleum and Dante's tomb, step into an active mosaic workshop, and descend into the flooded crypt of Saint Francis. The guide brings scholarly depth and genuine passion to each stop, threading together 1,500 years of cultural layers.
Highlights
- San Vitale's Byzantine mosaics and architectural innovations
- Galla Placidia's mausoleum with its star-studded vaults
- Working mosaic studio demonstrating ancient techniques
- Dante Alighieri's tomb and medieval literary connections
- Sant'Apollinare Nuovo's processional scenes and royal history
- Sunken crypt of Saint Francis with water reflections
What to expect
Your guide meets you in central Ravenna and moves between six key sites on foot, each within walking distance. Expect to spend 10–15 minutes at each monument, with explanation layered around mosaics, theology, political power and craft. The workshop visit is hands-on: you'll watch artisans at work and see how tesserae are cut and set. A quiet café break allows time to absorb what you've seen. The flooded crypt is visually striking—bring a camera. Pacing is leisurely, with frequent stops to look up at vaults and read inscriptions.
Good to know
Entry tickets (€12.50 adult, €2 child 6–10, free under 6) are separate. Wear comfortable shoes for 3 km of walking over uneven medieval streets. The tour is fully wheelchair accessible. Multilingual guides available on request. Small children and infants welcome in prams.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.