The best Byzantine mosaics in Western Europe
Restaurants, hidden gems and local detail — all on an interactive map.
Ravenna's cruise berths are at Porto Corsini, on the north bank of the Candiano canal and about 15 km by road from the historic centre. Ravenna itself is genuinely not walkable — 12.9 km and over two and a half hours on foot — so a shuttle, a taxi or a booked excursion is not optional. Porto Corsini village is, though: the bar, the pharmacy, the bank, the beach and the ferry landing all sit 305-975 m from the terminal forecourt, a 4-16 minute walk on dead-flat ground. IMPORTANT FOR 2026: this port is mid-transition. The huge new EUR 80 million terminal building alongside is finished but not in service — its operator expects it to open for the 2027 season — and 2026 calls are still handled from a temporary marquee whose exact position is not published anywhere. Follow the signs and the Visit Ravenna staff on the day rather than a map pin.
💡 Pro Tip
Book the official Visit Ravenna round-trip shuttle before you sail — from EUR 30. It leaves the terminal at 08:45, 09:45 and 10:45 from the wooden hut that houses the Tourist Information Office, and comes back from Piazza Caduti per la Libertà, on the corner of Piazza San Francesco, at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. The 16:00 is the last one. Miss it and a taxi is EUR 40 flat for one to three people, luggage included, either direction, any day — that is Radiotaxi Ravenna's published fixed fare, not a meter estimate.
Typical Stop
8–10 hours
Best For
Byzantine mosaics, UNESCO monuments, Dante
Shuttle
Shuttle recommended
Payment
Euro (EUR). Cards work almost everywhere, including every monument ticket office. Keep EUR 10-20 in cash for the covered market and the city bus.
Skip the overpriced ship excursions. Explore Ravenna independently with a local-level guide designed for the hours you have in port.
Every place pinned on a map. Tap to see details, directions, and tips.
Where the locals eat — not the tourist traps by the pier.
The spots most cruise passengers never find.
No roaming needed. Save the guide before you dock.
The whole guide is built around a 4–8 hour port day.
From $3 — cheaper than a coffee on board
Euro (EUR). Cards accepted almost everywhere. ATMs around Piazza del Popolo and along Via Cavour. Typical sit-down lunch EUR 12-20; a piadina from a counter EUR 4-6.
Ravenna itself is not walkable from Porto Corsini (12.9 km, over 2.5 hours on foot). Visit Ravenna's round-trip shuttle costs from EUR 30 and takes about 30 minutes. A taxi is a published flat EUR 40 for one to three people either direction, luggage included, plus EUR 10 per person from the fourth — Radiotaxi Ravenna, +39 0544 33888. Start Romagna bus 90 does reach Porto Corsini, roughly hourly, 22-24 minutes to Ravenna station, but it is a TWO-ZONE fare at EUR 3.00 each way and EUR 4.00 if you buy on board, not the EUR 2.00 city single most guides quote. The nearest stop 'Sirotti' is 300-700 m from the terminal and there is no departure towards the city at all between 16:53 and 18:39. Do not stake your all-aboard on it.
If you skip the shuttle you are not stranded locally. Porto Corsini village is a 4-16 minute flat walk: Bar Joyta on Via Molo Sanfilippo (05:00-21:00), a pharmacy, a bank and a post office on Via Po, and the beach. Better still, Start Romagna's car-and-foot ferry crosses the Candiano to Marina di Ravenna, a livelier seaside town — daily 05:00-02:00 from 30 May to 14 September 2026, EUR 1.00 per foot passenger bought ashore, EUR 2.00 on board. Without that ferry the only road crossing is deep inside the industrial port, which turns a 1.5 km trip into 20 km.
One combined ticket covers the mosaics and there are no single-site tickets at all: EUR 10.50 for 2 monuments, EUR 12.50 for 4, EUR 14.50 for all 5. The 4-monument version is the one worth buying. Book online at ravennamosaici.it before you arrive.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Neonian Baptistery both require a booked entry time and cap your stay at 5 minutes inside. Slots do sell out on busy days — reserve them at the moment you buy the ticket, not when you land.
Monuments open daily 09:00-19:00 from 8 March to 2 November 2026 (last admission 18:30; 18:45 for Galla Placidia and the Baptistery), then 10:00-17:00 in winter. Shops commonly close 13:00-15:30. Most independent restaurants keep one weekly closing day.
Public toilets in Via Pasolini just off Piazza del Popolo and at Rocca Brancaleone. Free WiFi, maps and left-luggage advice at the IAT tourist office, Piazza San Francesco 7 — the same square the shuttle drops you in.
Hot and humid in high summer, typically 28-33°C in July and August, with mosquitoes near the canals towards evening. The mosaic interiors are cool and dim. Shoulders and knees must be covered — these are working churches, and staff do turn people away.
Italian. English is spoken at the monuments and the IAT office, much less so in small trattorias. 'Un caffè, per favore' gets you an espresso standing at the bar, which is also the cheapest way to drink one.
112 for all emergencies. Farmacia del Portico is a minute from Dante's tomb. Ospedale Santa Maria delle Croci is about 10 minutes away by taxi.
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Ravenna Terminal Passeggeri – Porto Corsini. Ravenna's cruise berths are at Porto Corsini, on the north bank of the Candiano canal and about 15 km by road from the historic centre. Ravenna itself is genuinely not walkable — 12.9 km and over two and a half hours on foot — so a shuttle, a taxi or a booked excursion is not optional. Porto Corsini village is, though: the bar, the pharmacy, the bank, the beach and the ferry landing all sit 305-975 m from the terminal forecourt, a 4-16 minute walk on dead-flat ground. IMPORTANT FOR 2026: this port is mid-transition. The huge new EUR 80 million terminal building alongside is finished but not in service — its operator expects it to open for the 2027 season — and 2026 calls are still handled from a temporary marquee whose exact position is not published anywhere. Follow the signs and the Visit Ravenna staff on the day rather than a map pin.
Not walkable — 15 km by road, about 30 minutes
The best Byzantine mosaics in Western Europe
Shuttle recommended
Get restaurants, hidden gems and local detail — all on an interactive map that works offline. Made for cruise passengers, by people who've been in port.
🗺️ Open Ravenna GuideFrom $3 — cheaper than a coffee on board
Last updated March 2026