Ravenna: Private VIP Mosaic Tour & UNESCO Masterpieces

Francesca was great, very knowledgeable - shared a lot of information. The mosaics were amazing especially San Vitale!

My wife is a fan of mosaics, so we made a special effort to go to Ravenna, which does have the most impressive mosaics I've seen, both in quantity and quality. We deiced to check on Elisa's availability since she offered a 6 hour tour that hit all the main sites, including a suburban one. Elisa was quick in responding to my emails and she was available on the day that we were. In terms of payment, I wired some money to her account, I believe via PayPal, which I had never done before, but was easy. This was to pay for tickets that could be bought in advance. (There was a bite at her end by the Italian tax authoriites, so adding 10% should handle this so she isn't shorted.) I paid her for her services after the tour and she issued me a numbered receipt with the correct amount on it, so I was glad that the law was being obeyed. We were very happy with the tour. Her English was very understandable and, as could be expected, there was a lot of new information, but I never felt that things were getting too technical, though if someone wanted that sort of thing, I think that would be accomodated. She showed up on time, both at the beginning of the tour and after we broke for lunch. What was probably my second favorite site was a bus ride away in a suburb. I've ridden a lot of buses in my time, but realistically, without Elisa I wouldn't have ventured out due to figuring out how to pay, where to catch it, the schedule, etc. The tour involved walking, but this was one of the low step days, per my wife's FitBit. We're in our late 60s and one of us broke a hip this year, but we found the walking part very easy, especially since we never got lost as was the case when we were on our own at other times. Although not related to mosaics, we had a short stop at Dante's tomb, which I was glad was included. I admit that my wife is a mark for mosaics, but they really are worth seeing for everyone, especially if you are in the area for a cruise and going to site or two would be very worthwhile, especially since they are relatively close to each other.

Elisa, our tour guide, was equally pleasant, knowledgeable, charming and enthusiastic about the history of Ravenna. She took her time and helped us thoroughly explore each of the sites visited. Through her explanations, we were able to form an understanding of how each building was constructed and updated throughout the ages. The architecture, mosaics and beauty of Ravenna was brought to life. If visiting Ravenna, we'd strongly recommend this tour. And we hope you'd be fortunate enough to have Elisa as your guide.

Elisa was an excellent guide. She was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the area. We learned so much about the mosaics from her. Would highly recommend the tour.

Elisa was a great guide through Ravenna’s mosaics and history. She paced things perfectly and was a ocean of information about the city and its art, people, culture.

Elisa was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Great experience, especiallyat the price. I highly recommend this.

I had wanted to see these mosaics since I studied them at school 48 years ago, and I was not disappointed. Elisa Cornacchia, my guide, spoke excellent English, knew her subject well and communicated it in an interesting manner. Highly recommended.

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful and informative tour of the Byzantine and Gothic mosaics of Ravenna with Elisa. She was well prepared and very informative. She also made the tour very enjoyable. We focused primarily on the Byzantine churches and baptistries but also learned about the sites associated with Dante. It is impossible to convey how spectacular these mosaics are. I had seen the photos and read the history but the reality is overwhelming. I highly recommend making time to visit Ravenna if you are in the area. And, if you do, please take the tour with Elisa, I will be returning in December with my daughter who is a doctoral candidate in art history.

Elisa provided excellent explanations and insightful interpretations of Ravenna's mosaic treasures. Our group of three agreed that it was much, much better to have had her guidance than to have viewed the mosaics on our own.

Thanks to Elisa, we had a very informative tour of the beautiful mosaics in Ravenna. Not only knowledgeable of the mosaics, but helped us with places to eat and visit. Very much appreciated the extra effort.