Imperial Majesty in Ravenna & Venice

Departing: March 2027 - October 2027

There’s still time to discover in 2026. Selected departures are still available – simply call 1-800-759-7715 to find out more.

Last bastions of the Byzantine Empire in northern Italy

The last capital of the Western Roman Empire, Ravenna was reconquered by Justinian and became the seat of an Exarchate. As an imperial city, Ravenna flourished and was adorned with churches decorated by the best Byzantine artists. The Basilica of San Vitale, built by the banker Julius Argentarius, contains some of the finest Byzantine mosaics outside of Constantinople, as well as the most famous portraits of Justinian and his colourful wife, Theodora. Venice, which was part of the Exarchate of Ravenna, grew wealthy from its connection to the east, while becoming enriched by Byzantine culture. The Basilica of San Marco, once the private chapel of the Venetian Doges, was based on the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. The result was an unparalleled collection of Byzantine art, with its unique domed architecture and shimmering mosaics.

Included

Explore San Marco Basillica & Biblioteca Marciana, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Expert Guide Lecturer & professional Tour Manager
4 nights at the Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna & 3 nights at the Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia, Venice
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 4 dinners
Wine & tea or coffee with dinner
Private air-conditioned coach travel
Field notes, taxes & gratuities for local staff

Highlights

Enjoy two exclusive private visits to the Byzantine basilicas of San Vitale and San Marco
An exclusive, private visit to the Biblioteca Marciana, famed for its important collection of Byzantine manuscripts
Explore the unique Basilicas of Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello and Santa Maria e Donato in Murano

Tony O'Connor

Graduated in Ancient History and Archaeology, specialising in the Roman Empire and the Phoenicians. He spent several years excavating as a field archaeologist in the Mediterranean, UK and North Africa before becoming a Museum Curator and subsequently Museum Service Director.

Oliver Gilkes

Oliver is a consulting archaeologist and specialist in Albanian archaeology. With over 10 years’ fieldwork in Italy, he has excavated at sites including Pompeii and San Vincenzo al Volturno, and directed excavations at Albania’s World Heritage Sites of Butrint and Gjirokastra.

Tour Itinerary

Arrive into Ravenna and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel. Time permitting, we take an orientation walk.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna

Today we start our exploration of Ravenna with a series of incredible monuments, including the Arian Baptistery, constructed by the Ostrogoth Theodoric and the Neonian Baptistery, the 5th-century baptistery converted from a Roman bathhouse, where we see one of the oldest and most luminous baptismal interiors in Christendom. We continue to the Ravenna Cathedral and to the Archbishop’s Palace with its museum and private chapel of Saint Andrew. In the afternoon, we visit the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, first raised by the Empress Galla Placidia in the 4th century as a votive offering for safe passage across the Adriatic, a building steeped in personal devotion and imperial ambition in equal measure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accomodation: Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna

This morning, we visit the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Theodoric's palatine chapel, whose long nave is lined with a breathtaking procession of mosaic saints and martyrs, one of the most theatrically beautiful interiors in all of late antiquity. A short walk brings us to the Basilica di San Francesco, the parish church of Dante who is buried there. After lunch, we explore the National Museum of Ravenna, whose remarkable collection of archaeological material traces the city's life, from its Roman foundations through the Byzantine era. We close the afternoon at the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra, a late antique townhouse whose richly patterned mosaic floors were only rediscovered in 1993, hidden beneath the streets of the modern city. This evening, we enjoy a private visit to the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna

We venture a little beyond the city this morning to the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the remarkable tomb of the Ostrogothic king who made Ravenna his capital after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. From here, we continue to the Classe Archaeological Museum, which illuminates Ravenna's ancient role as the home of Rome's Adriatic fleet, its harbour now silted over and lost beneath flat farmland. In the afternoon, we visit the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, whose glorious apse mosaic depicting the Transfiguration is one of the supreme achievements of Byzantine art.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna

Today we travel by coach to the lagoon city, Venice, which was immersed in Byzantine culture long after the Exarchate of Ravenna collapsed because of the special trading rights it was given by Constantinople, making it the gateway of the east. Venice also gave refuge to emigres escaping Constantinople after its fall in 1453. Arriving by water, we explore hidden gems in the extraordinary Piazza San Marco, dubbed the drawing room of Europe by Napoleon and arguably one of the most theatrically magnificent public spaces in Italy. Enclosed on three sides by the long arcaded wings of the Procuratie, the piazza has been the ceremonial heart of the Venetian Republic since the 9th century, the stage upon which the city performed its power, piety and extraordinary wealth to the world.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia, Venice

Today we explore the beginnings of Venice in the Northern Lagoon, starting with island of Torcello, where the earliest settlers from the terra firma found their homes after escaping Hunnic raids in the 5th century. This established community would eventually give rise to the Venetian Republic. Here we see the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta with its stunning Byzantine mosaics. After lunch, we pay a short visit to Burano, famous for its brightly painted fishermen's houses and its tradition of lace-making. From here, there is the option to stroll further to the adjacent island of Mazzorbo. We end the day on Murano, celebrated the world over for its glassmaking tradition, but also home to the remarkable Byzantine Basilica di Santa Maria e Donato, whose apse and floor mosaics are among the finest in the lagoon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia, Venice

Today we explore Venice’s Byzantine past, starting with an exclusive, private visit to the Biblioteca Marciana, established in the 15th century in order to house the Classical manuscripts collected by Cardinal Bessarion after the fall of Constantinople. We continue to the Greek Orthodox Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci, the serene Orthodox church erected by emigres from Constantinople, and its adjoining Icon Museum. After lunch, a guided tour of the Doge's Palace reveals the machinery of Venetian power, followed by a private exploration of the Secret Itineraries – the hidden passages, prisons and council chambers that lie behind the palace's gilded façades. This evening, we are treated to an exclusive private visit to the stupendous Basilica of San Marco itself, experiencing its incomparable mosaics and golden vaults after closing.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia, Venice

This morning, we make our way to Venice Airport by water taxi, bidding farewell to the lagoon and its Byzantine heritage.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation

Located in the centre of Ravenna, just a few steps from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Hotel Bisanzio blends a modern and prestigious style. This is characterised by the main areas built in marble, which together with ceiling lights surrounding the columns produces a 'lit capital' effect, bringing back to life the splendour and tradition of the ancient capital. The main lounge also faces the hotel’s garden. Rooms are spacious and elegant, offering air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi, as well as mini-bar, safe, TV hairdryer.

Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia is based in the very heart of this lagoon city, in San Marco, the oldest and most famous quarter. Piazza San Marco is just visible from the hotel’s rooftop terrace, which is a five-minute walk away. The Saturnia hotel has been welcoming visitors since 1908 and has been run by five generations of the Serandrei family to this day. Its rooms are individually decorated in keeping with the age and character of the hotel and are equipped with air-conditioning/heating, flat-screen TV, hairdryer, mini-bar, safety deposit box and free Wi-Fi. There is also a Jacuzzi, Turkish bath, gym, bar and a lovely restaurant.

Availability & Booking

2027

10th March from $5,550

Call to Book

27th October from $5,550

Call to Book

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