Audio And Written Guide

Audio and Written Guide, rated 4.6 across 31 traveller reviews.

Overview

This is a self-guided digital walk through Ravenna, built with input from a local, delivered as an audio and written guide on a smartphone. The listed duration is 20 minutes, but the real point is flexibility: travellers move between the main monuments at their own pace, listening to narration or reading the text as they go. The route starts at the Battistero Neoniano on Piazza Arcivescovado and finishes at the Mausoleo di Teodorico, which the listing describes as a UNESCO Heritage monument.

Along the way the guide covers the stories and curiosities behind Ravenna's sights, plus practical advice on local food and where to find an authentic Italian aperitivo. The audio and text come in multiple languages: English, Spanish, Italian, German and French. No guide accompanies the group; the phone does the talking, which suits independent travellers who like to linger where they want and skip what does not interest them.

It works best for people comfortable walking between stops and happy to manage the route themselves. Reviews are largely positive about the clarity of the narration, though some note the depth of information is moderate and turn-by-turn directions between sights are limited.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Start at Battistero NeonianoThe route begins at the octagonal Byzantine baptistery on Piazza Arcivescovado 1. It is the first monument the guide explores.
2. Walk between the monumentsFrom there the guide leads travellers past Ravenna's main monuments at their own pace. The exact order and any walking route between stops are up to the traveller, as the listing gives no fixed route.
3. Mosaic sights along the wayThe guide covers the stories and curiosities of the city's major monuments, with reviewers praising the mosaics they saw. Some monument entry tickets are extra and optional.
4. Finish at Mausoleo di TeodoricoThe walk ends at the Mausoleo di Teodorico on Via delle Industrie 14, a UNESCO Heritage monument. Entry here is optional and costs extra.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help this format work smoothly, since the guide runs entirely on a smartphone.

• Bring a smartphone. A smartphone with an internet connection is required. Activation details arrive in the booking voucher, and the listing advises reading it carefully before setting off.
• Headphones or speakers. The audio plays through the phone's speakers or through headphones if travellers have them. One reviewer mentioned using two phones, one for directions and one for audio, which some may find handy.
• Set your own pace. Several reviewers said the strength of this format is exploring at their own speed and spending as long as they want at each site. There is no guide rushing anyone along.
• Expect walking. Walking between the monuments is required. One reviewer called it very doable, and the route is described as wheelchair and pushchair accessible.
• Read before you go. A couple of reviewers noted it takes a little research at the start to work out how the guide functions. Once underway, they found it worked fine.
• Optional entry fees. Monument tickets are not included. The Basilica San Vitale and Mausoleo di Galla Placida ticket, the Basilica Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and Battistero Neoniano ticket, and the Mausoleo di Teodorico ticket are each listed as optional extras.

Common issues. The guide does not provide turn-by-turn directions between sights, and one reviewer said they walked around in circles as a result. Another felt the information was thinner than a cheap guidebook, and that, unlike a human guide, the app cannot answer questions. Monument entry tickets are extra, though the listing marks them as not mandatory. Activation details sit in the voucher, so travellers who skim it may struggle at the start.

Common Questions