Ravenna in 2 Days: Mosaics and Historic Churches

Start with Ravenna’s great Byzantine interior, especially the mosaics around the apse. The combined five-monument ticket also covers several later stops on this route, including Galla Placidia next door.

The small interior and star-covered ceiling make this a very different experience from San Vitale. Arrange its timed entry alongside your first visit so you can see both without doubling back.

Go below street level to see mosaic floors from a late Roman and Byzantine residence. These domestic scenes provide a useful contrast with the religious mosaics elsewhere in the city.

Look up into the dome for the baptism scene and surrounding procession of apostles. This is a compact stop near the cathedral, easily paired with the Archiepiscopal Museum.

Visit for Saint Andrew’s Chapel and its mosaics, alongside the museum’s early Christian objects. Keep this with the neighbouring baptistery to finish the first day’s southern cluster.

Travel out to Classe for the broad basilica and its green, mosaic-filled apse. This is outside central Ravenna: make it the morning outing, then return to town for Sant’Apollinare Nuovo.

Back in the centre, follow the long mosaic processions along the nave. Despite the similar names, this is a different church from Sant’Apollinare in Classe, with a different set of images to study.

Dante’s tomb is a short stop in the quiet streets beside San Francesco. Pair the two rather than making a special journey just for the tomb.

The church is known for its below-ground crypt, where water covers the mosaic floor. It adds an unusual detail to the walk around Dante’s quarter without needing another lengthy museum session.

Finish in Ravenna’s main civic square, surrounded by cafés and historic buildings. After two days of looking up at mosaics, this is a good place to sit and watch the city.

A worthwhile extra for comparing Ravenna’s baptistery mosaics. Add it near Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, or choose it instead of another small interior if your interest is specifically early Christian art.

Theodoric’s stone mausoleum stands apart from the mosaic churches, both in appearance and location. Choose this northern detour for Ostrogothic history and the massive stone roof.

The museum explains Ravenna and its ancient port over a much longer timeline. Add it to the Classe outing if archaeology interests you, replacing some of the afternoon’s smaller central stops.