Dante's Ravenna Audio Tour

Dante's Ravenna Audio Tour, rated 4.4 across 15 traveller reviews.

Overview

This is a self-guided audio walk through Ravenna, built around Dante Alighieri, the poet whose tomb is in the city. You download an app, enter a code from your confirmation, and the narration plays as you walk from stop to stop. There is no live guide and no group: only your own party takes part, and you can start, pause or restart whenever you like.

The route begins at the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia on Via San Vitale and threads past the Basilica di San Vitale, the Church of Saint Dominic, Piazza del Popolo, the Arian Baptistery, the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Teatro Alighieri and Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi before finishing at Dante's Tomb and the nearby Basilica di San Francesco. Commentary covers the history and architecture along the way, including the stories behind the major landmarks.

The purchase includes lifetime access to the tour in English plus offline access to the audio, maps and geodata, so it works without a mobile connection. A phone and headphones are required and are not supplied, and entrance fees for any monuments en route are extra.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Start: Mausoleo di Galla PlacidiaThe starting point is at Via San Vitale 17. Install the app and enter the code on your confirmation ticket before arriving.
2. Basilica di San Vitale and Church of Saint DominicThe route passes both churches, with commentary on their history and architecture.
3. Piazza del Popolo and the Arian BaptisteryYou continue past Piazza del Popolo and the Arian Baptistery, then past the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, all on foot.
4. Teatro Alighieri and Piazza Giuseppe GaribaldiThe walk passes the Teatro Alighieri and the piazza before heading toward the final stops.
5. Dante's TombThe tour reaches the tomb of Dante Alighieri, the poet the route is built around.
6. End: Basilica di San FrancescoThe walk ends at Piazza S. Francesco 3, near the Battistero Neoniano, the Museo Arcivescovile and the Museo del Risorgimento.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will make this walk go smoothly, based on the listing and on what travellers report afterwards.

• Set up the app first. Install the app and redeem the code from your confirmation before you arrive at the starting point. The listing stresses this step, and doing it in advance avoids delays at the start of the walk.
• Bring a phone and headphones. Smartphones and headphones are not included, so bring your own with a charged battery. Offline access to the audio, maps and geodata is included, which helps if your signal is weak.
• Go at your own pace. You can start, pause or restart at any time. Reviewers repeatedly describe the format as convenient for people pressed for time, since you set the schedule rather than joining a fixed departure.
• Entrance fees are extra. Tickets and entrance fees for museums and other attractions along the route are not included in the price. Plan for these separately if you intend to go inside the monuments rather than pass by.
• Watch the screen occasionally. Some reviewers found playback did not always continue automatically and they had to check the phone to confirm they were in the right spot. Keep the phone handy rather than pocketed the whole way.
• Accessibility. The listing states the tour is wheelchair and pushchair accessible and near public transport. Most travellers can participate, and it is a private activity for your group only.

Common issues. The tour depends on the app working smoothly, and a few reviewers hit friction: playback that did not run continuously, difficulty skipping ahead when areas were closed, and trouble finding the exact starting point. One reviewer reported an entry fee at the starting location and trouble rewinding the directions, and gave up partway. Entrance fees and any transport, food or drink are excluded, so the walk itself is not all-inclusive if you plan to enter the monuments.

Common Questions