Ravenna guide

hey hey mwoodrowe
when is this cruise and how many people?
your 2 days: first day is arrival with check-in 3-4pm, next day is full day to tour/adventure, next day check-out 10-11am to get to ship?
many things to see and do, not knowing what you are interested in.
guruwalk.com
search ravenna, english which has free tours or tours that cost. your decision
getyourguide.com (ravenna)
this is a reseller, look at what's offered, scroll to bottom of page that list activity provider. go their direct website and compare.
you can also look at taxi/tour cabs, ask you host/hostess at hotel for recommendation. we have ask an empty taxi at the stop if they are willing to do a tour and how much before saying yes.
just different options for you to check out. have a great time and lots of fun
aloha

Ravenna is very small. There are 3-4 main sites - church, tomb, museum. There are 2 secondary sites - baptistry, church. All are within 500-800 yds of each other. You buy the combo ticket which gets you into everything. I can't remember if it is timed. As to "worthwhile", we thought so - it was the capital of the Roman Empire for a period, and the mosaics (the point of the trip) are fabulous.

Thanks for the replies!

We will also be in Ravenna pre cruise in September. We booked a guide through toursbylocals.com for the mosaics and town. We also booked a mosaics class.

Ravenna knows why tourists go there and when you book your mosaic tickets you will get time slots and all the sights are mapped out for you. A good guide can always add context and historical richness to an experience you're interested in, but it is not necessary to view or enjoy the mosaics themselves. As others have said the old center of town is small and the tourist map and Google maps is certainly enough to get you around to the various sites since the entire thing is walkable.

The mosaics are easily enjoyed without too much history and if you want the brief overview Rick's summary is pretty good.
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/season-8/italys-veneto-verona-padua-and-ravenna (staring about 20:00)
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks/venice (about 25:00)
If you've be been to St Mark's in Venice you won't be surprised that they same craftsmen worked in both areas.

If you have time I would also recommend the Domus of Stone Carpets under a church in the north end of town.

https://www.turismo.ra.it/en/culture-and-history/archaeology/domus-stone-carpets/

I wanted to go see the Flooded Crypt of San Francesco while we were there but I didn't get a chance so can't say one way or the other.
https://www.turismo.ra.it/en/culture-and-history/religious-buildings/basilica-san-francesco/

Enjoy,
=Tod

The last message on this thread (by acraven) has great information.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/recommended-guides-for-bologna-ravenna-and-venice