DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
RAV2-27
COST
£1995
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
RAV2-27
COST
£1995
Ravenna, once among the Mediterranean's most distinguished cities, is now a small, peaceful town. It served as the Western Roman Empire's final capital before being transformed into one of Europe’s foremost cultural centres by the Byzantines.
Overview
Ravenna’s surviving collection of early Christian monuments and mosaics is without parallel in Christendom, a beguiling blend of Greco-Roman tradition and Christian iconography. At the heart of this opulent legacy lies the Basilica of San Vitale, begun during the Ostrogoths’ rule and finished under Justinian, where the glittering mosaic portraiture of Justinian and his wife Theodora captures the essence of Byzantium: the emperor, set against a flat, gold background, is dazzling in imperial purple, a gold paten in his outstretched hand, a halo encircling his shimmering crown.
“Nick was excellent in communicating his extensive knowledge of the period and the art during our site visits”
– ACE customer on a 2025 Roman & Byzantine Ravenna tour led by Nick Jackson
The seemingly humble Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, erected a century before San Vitale, boasts Ravenna’s earliest mosaics, including a vivid portrayal of the martyrdom of St Lawrence as he approaches the red-hot grid-iron. Breathtaking, too, is the interior of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, erected by Theodoric and later re-consecrated under Byzantine rule: the twin nave mosaics depict a sparkling ceremonial procession of martyrs and virgins, saints and angels.
Just outside the ‘city of mosaics’ we will visit the ancient port of Classe, founded by Augustus, to view the huge Basilica of Sant’Apollinare with its exceptional mosaics rich in gold and turquoise. While here, we will have an opportunity to stop at the site’s excellent museum, which takes visitors on a journey back in time to explore the origins of Ravenna and Classe.
Tour Director
Nick Jackson
Nick Jackson has worked as a guide lecturer in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Oman, and has continued leading tours to the present day.
Tour Director Nick Jackson graduated from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, and proceeded to a career as a field director excavating the ancient history of the Eastern Mediterranean in Turkey and the Near East. After a research post at the University of Cambridge, he began work as a guide lecturer in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Oman, and has continued leading tours to the present day.
– ACE customer on a 2025 Roman & Byzantine Ravenna tour led by Nick Jackson
Our Accommodation
Accommodation is in Ravenna’s three-star Hotel Bisanzio, situated in a quiet area of the city just a few steps from San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. While of a simpler standard, the hotel is comfortable and welcoming, and has been selected particularly for its excellent location in the heart of Ravenna, providing an ideal base for our visits.
Itinerary
Day 1
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
This tour has a full programme taken at a relaxed pace, and our visits are conducted primarily on foot from the hotel. While coffee breaks will take place at suitable intervals, the majority of visits are an hour long with few opportunities to sit down. Participants should therefore be comfortable walking and standing for a minimum of 60 minutes. Some museums do not have lifts, so participants should also feel comfortable ascending 1-2 flights of stairs. For more information on ACE’s minimum fitness criteria, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £185.
Cost Details
Roman & Byzantine Ravenna
September 20 - 24, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, one lunch, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, single room supplement £155, double room for single use supplement £185.
Upcoming Departures
Roman & Byzantine Ravenna (Second Departure)
21st September–25th September 2026
with Nick Jackson
Journey to the 'city of mosaics' in the company of Nick Jackson and discover some of the most impressive early Christian monuments in the world.
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Get in Touch
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