Ravenna's Golden Mosaics: Unforgettable Ancient Art Tour

Spent a day in Ravenna before boarding our cruise. It's a small city, not crowded a nd relaxing. Our accommodation is just a 10 mins walk. The attractions are all walking distance. Spent the evening at the main square Piazza del Popolo. There are more than 3 taxis (i read from some reviews). We revisit the city on our next cruise and spend more time to see the famous mosaics.

Wow!!! Mosaics are incredible … beautiful and so much history!!! Loved walking around the city as well!!! Also - our guide Rita was amazing … not only gave us history but also lots of tips for the city … highly recommend !!!

There are five sites for the mosaics - two of them require you to book for a timed entry slot. I was disappointed with both of these two sites - they were very crowded and the dim lighting made taking good photos difficult. My favourite site was Archiepiscopal Museum (St. Andrew’s Chapel and Ivory Throne). This would be followed by Basilica di San Vitale and then Basilica di Sant' Apollinare Nuovo. You really must visit the museum. If you do visit Battistero Neoniano and Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, which are the ones with timed entry, please allow sufficient time in travelling between the sites. It is easy to take a wrong street and get lost!

I drained the battery taking so many photos in the different buildings around Ravenna due to the exquisite tile mosaics decorating each interior. The colors and variety of animal, plant and depictions of long gone people and religious icons are endless. I cannot name which place was my favourite because this Italian town is not to be missed and each mosaic slathered structure is so different from another that you must see them all and devote time to reading about the history of those depicted to add to the delight.

We had an excellent tour of the beautiful mosaics of Ravenna with Claudia. She wove a story about each location and was delightful to spend an afternoon with.

Rita Biserni was an exceptional guide for the beautiful as well as educational mosaics in Ravenna. The details rival paintings. Along our walking tour she also pointed out sites of interest including Dante’s tomb, other historic sites, the history of Ravenna and more. Thank you!

Our guide was great. She knew so much about the beautiful mosaics and explained the symbolism represented in them. We never would have appreciated them in the same way without her.

Our expert and engaging guide Claudia opened our eyes to these magnificent mosaics, setting them in historical, religious and architectural context throughout the 3 hour visit. What's more, even though she had seen the mosaics many many times, she conveyed wonderment and excitement, as if she too was a first time visitor. She was a terrific ambassador for Ravenna as well, and we enjoyed and learned from every minute with her. This tour is a great value. Bonus: she recommended one of her favorite local restaurants for dinner, which ended up being the best meal in over a month in Italy.

Excellent time in Ravenna over two days exploring the city and the spectacular mosaics in six buildings. Great value for money with the 5 site ticket and easy to explore as many of the places have English translation boards. All the staff we met were friendly and happy to help. Visiting in February, whilst chilly, meant very few people and no rush to view. We also visited St Apollinaire in Classe about 7km from city and pleased we did, both because the mosaics and church were lovely and the countryside is so peaceful.

If I could give more stars, this tour was a 10! Maria was our guide. Her expertise and scholarship were clear from the start. Being an art historian, she was able to speak in a clear manner of the political, societal and religious contexts in which the mosaics were created. Her engaging style was wonderful and she was very willing to answer questions.