Ravenna Guided Tour: Mosaics and Food Tasting

Ravenna’s mosaics are unlike anything else in Italy. The colours have not faded in fifteen hundred years, the figures hold a strange stillness, and the gold still catches the light the way it did when the craftsmen set the last tesserae. The problem most visitors have is standing in front of them without knowing what they are actually looking at. This tour fixes that. In 3.5 hours with a small group and a guide who knows the iconography and the history, you visit four of the great UNESCO sites, understand what you are seeing, and end with a tasting of the food Romagnola cooks have been making in this corner of Italy for just as long.

What the Tour Covers

Four UNESCO mosaic sites in sequence. San Vitale, the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, the Battistero Neoniano, and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo — the four sites that together explain how Ravenna went from a backwater to the capital of the Western Roman Empire and then of the Byzantine exarchate, all within the space of a century. Your guide explains the political and religious context that produced each building, the iconography of the figures, and what distinguishes the mosaics of each era.

A food tasting with local context. Emilia-Romagna is the most food-serious region in Italy. After the monuments we stop for a tasting of the dishes and products this part of Romagna is known for — including piadina romagnola prepared the traditional way, local Sangiovese di Romagna, and seasonal accompaniments. Your guide explains the difference between Romagnola food culture and the rest of Emilia, and what to look for if you eat in the city afterwards.

A small group, never more than ten. The mosaic sites are not large. With a group of ten or fewer your guide can speak at a normal volume, stop where it matters, and spend time on the details — the individual figures, the symbolism, the technical achievement of tesserae this small set at an angle to catch the light. With a large group none of that is possible.

What’s Included

• Entry tickets to all four UNESCO mosaic sites
• Expert English-speaking guide throughout
• Local food tasting: piadina romagnola, Sangiovese di Romagna, seasonal accompaniments
• Small group guaranteed (maximum 10 people)

What’s Not Included

• Transport to Ravenna from Bologna or other cities (see our Ravenna overview guide for train times and logistics)
• Additional food or drinks beyond the included tasting
• Gratuities

The Route

The four sites sit within a 15-minute walk of each other in the historic centre. The tour follows a logical sequence — chronological where possible — so that each building illuminates the next.

San Vitale

The largest and most complex of the four sites, and the one that requires the most explanation. Built between 527 and 548 under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, San Vitale is the building that makes Ravenna internationally significant. The apse mosaics — Justinian and his court on one wall, the Empress Theodora on the other — are among the most famous images in all of late antique art, and seeing them in person with a guide who explains the political theatre they represent changes how you understand the space. We spend around 45 minutes here.

Mausoleo di Galla Placidia

Directly beside San Vitale, and a complete contrast. Tiny, cross-shaped, lit by alabaster windows that turn the light amber — and covered from floor to ceiling in the oldest mosaics in Ravenna, from around 430 AD. The deep blue of the ceiling vault, scattered with gold stars, is unlike anything else in the city. Galla Placidia was the daughter of a Roman emperor, the wife of a Visigoth king, and the regent of the Western Empire; her mausoleum is 5 metres wide and looks like a garden shed from the outside. We spend around 20 minutes here.

Battistero Neoniano

The oldest standing monument in Ravenna, built in the early fifth century and decorated with mosaics shortly after. An octagonal baptistery with a spectacular dome mosaic showing the baptism of Christ surrounded by the twelve apostles — and beneath them, a ring of alternating thrones and open gospel books. The guide explains the baptism theology that drove the iconographic choices here and how the building was used. We spend around 20 minutes here.

Sant’Apollinare Nuovo

Originally built as the palace church of Theodoric the Great — the Ostrogoth king who ruled Italy before Justinian reconquered it — and subsequently modified to remove the Arian Christian imagery and replace it with Orthodox. The long nave walls show two processions: 26 martyrs on one side, 22 virgins on the other, all moving in solemn single file toward the altar. They were added in the mid-sixth century and have not been touched since. The guide explains what was removed, why, and what replaced it. We spend around 30 minutes here.

The Food Tasting

After the four monuments we stop for a tasting that introduces the food of Romagna — which is distinct from the food of Bologna and the rest of Emilia, and often overlooked by visitors who spend the day focused on mosaics. The tasting centres on piadina romagnola: a flatbread made with lard or olive oil and cooked on a flat terracotta griddle called a testo. It is the daily bread of this part of Italy, eaten with squacquerone (a soft, tangy fresh cheese), prosciutto di Mora Romagnola, or grilled vegetables. With it, a glass of Sangiovese di Romagna — the local red grape, lighter and more food-friendly than its Tuscan cousin. Seasonal accompaniments vary by what the market has that week. Your guide explains the regional food culture, the difference between what you eat here and what you eat in Bologna 80 km west, and recommends where to eat in the city afterwards. For more on Ravenna’s food scene, see our full Ravenna food guide.

Meeting Point and Practical Information

The tour meets at Piazza San Vitale, directly in front of the entrance to the Basilica di San Vitale, in the historic centre of Ravenna. The meeting point is an easy 15-minute walk from Ravenna train station, or a short taxi ride. Ravenna is 80 minutes from Bologna by direct train; trains run roughly every hour. For full arrival logistics — trains, parking, and getting around the centre — see our Ravenna overview guide.

Wear comfortable flat shoes — the pavements in the historic centre are cobbled. There are no steps inside the mosaic monuments themselves. The tour involves approximately 1.5 km of walking at a relaxed pace. Suitable for all fitness levels.

Book This Tour

To check availability and reserve your place, contact us with your preferred date, the number of people, and whether you want a morning or afternoon departure. We confirm within 24 hours.

For more on planning your Ravenna day, see the Ravenna overview guide, the monument-by-monument art guide, the Ravenna food guide, and if you want to combine the mosaics with the Adriatic coast, our Ravenna beaches guide. For a half-day excursion into the Romagna hills, see our Ravenna truffle hunting experience.