Explora Journeys in Ravenna

Ravenna was the capital of the late Western Roman Empire and then a Byzantine outpost, and it kept the receipts: eight UNESCO-listed early Christian monuments whose mosaics are the finest of their kind anywhere. This is a day for gold-ground apses and starry vaults, a compact medieval town you can cover on foot, with Dante buried at its edge.

What to do on a day in Ravenna

• Basilica of San Vitale, sixth-century and octagonal, with the apse mosaics of Justinian and Theodora that define Byzantine art
• Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, a few steps from San Vitale, its deep-blue vault scattered with gold stars over a tiny interior
• Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, long walls of processing saints and martyrs in mosaic
• Neonian (Orthodox) Baptistery, early fifth century, with a domed baptism-of-Christ mosaic
• Dante's Tomb, the poet died here in 1321 and the small neoclassical tomb is a quiet pilgrimage stop
• Piazza del Popolo, the arcaded main square for a coffee between sites

Getting ashore

The ship berths at Porto Corsini on the Adriatic, about 14km and a 20-minute drive from the historic center; take the cruise-line shuttle, since the local bus 90 and port taxis are thin. One day comfortably covers the core mosaic sites, which sit within a 15-minute walk of each other.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• May to June. Mild spring into early summer, pleasant days with the longest daylight in June; May is the rainiest month, so a passing shower is possible.
• July to August. Warm and humid summer, comfortable for walking but the cool stone interiors are a relief midday.
• September to October. Warm and settling, September highs around 24C; October turns wetter, the year's wettest month, so carry a layer.