Private Best-Of-City Tour

Private Best-of-City Tour, rated 5 across 85 traveller reviews.

Overview

This private walk starts outside the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo on Via di Roma and works its way through Ravenna's early Christian monuments with only your own group taking part. The guide, an art historian according to multiple reviews, leads stops at Dante's Tomb, the Neonian Baptistery, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and finally the Basilica of San Vitale, ending inside the historic centre rather than looping back to the start. Along the way the focus stays on the Byzantine mosaics and the centuries of political and religious change behind them.

The tour suits travellers who want an interpreter for buildings that offer little in the way of on-site information. One reviewer put it bluntly: there are no placards in any of the buildings, so a guide fills a real gap. Others mention a relaxed pace, room for questions, and a guide who followed the group's own rhythm between sites.

Note what is not covered. Entry to most monuments is extra, paid via a combo ticket bought separately, while Dante's Tomb is the one stop with admission included. Confirmation arrives at booking unless you book within 19 hours of the start, in which case it comes as soon as possible subject to availability.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meeting pointMeet in front of the church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Via di Roma 53, in the city centre.
2. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo30 minutes at a 6th-century church begun under Theodoric the Great, with early Christian mosaics of biblical scenes and saints. Admission ticket not included.
3. Dante's Tomb20 minutes at the neoclassical tomb designed by Camillo Morigia in 1780, the resting place of Dante Alighieri, who died in Ravenna in 1321. Admission ticket included.
4. Neonian Baptistery10 minutes in an early 5th-century octagonal building whose dome mosaic depicts the baptism of Jesus. Admission ticket not included.
5. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia15 minutes in a 5th-century cross-shaped structure, probably a chapel rather than a tomb, with mosaics of starry skies. Admission ticket not included.
6. Basilica of San Vitale30 minutes in a 6th-century octagonal basilica with mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora. Admission ticket not included. The tour ends here at Via San Vitale 17.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most out of this walk, drawn from the listing and from what repeat comments in the reviews say.

• Bring cash for tickets. Entry to most monuments is not included in the tour price. The listing states a monuments combo ticket costs 12.50 euros per person, bought separately. Only Dante's Tomb comes with admission included.
• Pace and mobility. The listing marks the tour as wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with accessible surfaces and public transport nearby. Several reviewers describe a slow, unhurried pace, and one mentions the guide calling a taxi for a companion who had difficulty walking.
• Ask questions. Reviewers repeatedly mention long question-and-answer sessions, with the guide fielding everything thrown at her. Since the tour is private, the format bends to your interests rather than a fixed script.
• Camera time. Travellers said they were not rushed and had enough time to enjoy each venue. The listing's stops at mosaic-filled churches and baptisteries give several chances to pause and look closely at the interiors.
• Food and extras. One couple said the guide added a mosaics workshop visit on special request. Beyond that, the tour covers the guided walk itself, with monument entry paid separately as described above.
• Only your group. This is a private activity, so only your party takes part, as the listing states. One group travelling through a cruise port said the timing worked well around their ship's schedule.

Common issues. The main extra cost is monument entry, at 12.50 euros per person for the combo ticket, and this is not folded into the tour price. The listed duration is 30 minutes, so treat timing as flexible and confirm on the booking page. Cancellation is strict: no refund and no changes if you cancel less than 24 hours before the start.

Common Questions