03
Ravenna excursions, from the mosaics to the long roads
Ordered from the cheap and close, then out along the road. The ride into town comes second because everything else depends on it.
The berth, the terminal and the money are on our Ravenna cruise port guide. If your sailing also calls elsewhere on the Adriatic, our Dubrovnik and Venice guides cover those stops.
Before any sightseeing, you have to cross about 8 miles (13 km).
Norwegian added a scheduled transfer from the terminal to Ravenna’s train station, reported in August 2026, at $23 per person, bookable on board. It puts the average taxi fare at about 50 euros per vehicle. One is priced per head and the other per car, so compare for your group size.
Royal Caribbean’s 2023 blog listed a $10 station shuttle booked on board, and CruiseGear listed about $15. Prices move, so ask your line.
A forum reply names bus line 90 from the port to the station, about 20 minutes. It is a secondary source, so check the timetable before you plan around it.
- Time commitment
- About 20 minutes each way on the listed shuttle and bus times.
- Getting there
- Terminal to the train station, about 8 miles per Cruise Mummy.
- Suits
- Everyone, because the pier is outside town.
- Ship or independent
- Either. The ship’s shuttle is simpler; the bus is cheaper if the timetable fits.
Why it's worth considering
A fixed seat on a scheduled shuttle beats a taxi queue.
The catch
Taxi waits of up to two hours were reported, and CruiseGear says the city has fewer than 20 taxis. Don’t leave the ride back to chance.
Verify before you book
- Whether your line sells a transfer and when booking closes
- The shuttle’s last return
- Bus 90 timetable for your date
It ends at the airport, so this is a disembarkation-day tour, not a mid-cruise stop.
Norwegian lists a visit to the mosaics at Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and San Vitale, free time that can include Dante’s tomb, and a drop at Bologna airport for your flight.
Pricing starts at $199 for adults and $179 for children, subject to change. Norwegian rates the activity level 1: relatively level ground, possibly some cobblestone, gravel or a few steps.
Guests on Norwegian’s air program get flights about 50 days before sailing, and the tour may be cancelled if your flight overlaps its end. Norwegian suggests booking once flights are final.
- Time commitment
- About 4¾ hours on Norwegian’s estimate.
- Getting there
- Arranged by the ship from the port; the page gives no meeting point.
- Suits
- First-timers, couples, anyone flying out of Bologna.
- Ship or independent
- Ship. The airport drop is the point of paying for it.
Why it's worth considering
You see the mosaics and reach the airport in one move, on a schedule the ship sets.
The catch
Norwegian does not recommend it for wheelchair users, and a late flight can cancel it. The page lists no inclusions beyond the transfer and the visits.
Verify before you book
- Your flight time against the tour end
- Whether site tickets are included
- The price on your sailing
Bologna is a real city trip, and the day takes most of a stop.
Shore Excursions Group lists a Bologna day trip from Porto Corsini at 7 hours and $296.99. The page lists a guided walk of the historic center, San Luca Church for views and free time; it does not say whether transport is included.
Royal Caribbean puts Bologna airport about 62 miles (100 km) from the port and about 1 hour 30 minutes by road, and the city sits near the airport, so the road eats a good part of that clock. A cruise-line Bologna tour may exist for your sailing; the lists we read did not show one.
- Time commitment
- 7 hours on the operator’s listing.
- Getting there
- Check with the operator; the page doesn’t say.
- Suits
- Repeat visitors, couples, anyone who has done the mosaics.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. The page does not say it holds the ship, so ask how it handles a late return.
Why it's worth considering
A second city with a different feel, and you skip the work of arranging the road.
The catch
A 7-hour tour plus the road leaves little slack on a call that ends around 6 p.m., a typical window one guide gives.
Verify before you book
- Return time against all-aboard
- What happens if the group runs late
- Whether lunch or entries are included
San Marino is a different country on a hill, and the tour is a full day.
Shore Excursions Group lists a private full-day walking tour with regional tastings at 7 hours, from $223.99 per person.
The page lists a guided walk, mountain views and tastings with beverages and snacks, and calls the tour private. Ask about group size and the return time before you pay.
- Time commitment
- 7 hours on the operator’s listing.
- Getting there
- Operator transfer from Porto Corsini.
- Suits
- Couples, repeat visitors, small groups who want a private guide.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. Ask how it handles a delay.
Why it's worth considering
A private pace and a tasting, with no coach schedule to follow.
The catch
It is a long day for a short port call, and the price is quoted per person, so ask what a larger group pays.
Verify before you book
- Whether you need your passport for San Marino, ask the operator
- Return time against all-aboard
- What the tastings include
The ticket says Venice, and this is the tour that takes it literally.
Shore Excursions Group lists a post-cruise guided Venice discovery from the Ravenna port at 6 hours 30 minutes and $614.99 on sale. The page lists the transfer from the port, a scenic drive, a water taxi to St. Mark’s Square, guided sightseeing and a gondola ride.
It is built for the day you leave the ship, not the day you call. The reported distance between Ravenna and Venice is about 90 miles.
- Time commitment
- 6 hours 30 minutes on the listing.
- Getting there
- Operator transfer from the Ravenna port.
- Suits
- Disembarkation day, first-timers who want Venice before a flight.
- Ship or independent
- Independent, and best on a turnaround day.
Why it's worth considering
It puts Venice into a day you otherwise lose to the road.
The catch
The price is high, and the drive eats a large share of the day.
Verify before you book
- Whether it fits your flight time
- Where it drops you
- The current price
04
Ravenna with the ship or on your own
In town, the ship adds little you need
The mosaics sell as passes with timed slots, and the sites sit close together.
A guide adds stories. That is useful, not essential.
Out on the road, you are buying the clock
Bologna, San Marino and Venice are all long trips from a pier outside town. Ask any operator what happens if the group runs late — that is our judgment, not a rule.
A typical call window one guide gives is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., so a 7-hour tour leaves little slack.
Compare before you commit
Norwegian prints a duration and a price for its mosaics-and-airport tour. The third-party lists print durations and prices too, but they do not say whether they hold the ship.
Ask what is included, since the pages we read are thin on that.
How each option compares in Ravenna
| Excursion | Lean ship excursion when… | Independent works when… |
|---|
| The UNESCO mosaics | For a guided history walk | Yes — passes with timed slots |
|---|
| Ride into town | Norwegian shuttle, $23 per person | Yes — bus or taxi, with a plan for the return |
|---|
| Norwegian mosaics with airport drop | About 4¾ hours, ship-run | Not applicable — the ship runs this one |
|---|
| Bologna with San Luca | Operator tour, 7 hours | Possible, but the road is long |
|---|
| San Marino with tastings | Private tour, 7 hours | Hard to do by public transport in one day — our judgment |
|---|
| Venice from Ravenna | Post-cruise tour, 6 hours 30 minutes | A long drive; best on a turnaround day |
|---|
Short answer
See the mosaics first — they cost little, and they are the reason to come. If you have a full day and want more, add one far trip: Bologna is the shorter road, and San Marino suits a private group. Treat Venice as a disembarkation-day plan, and book the ride back before you book anything else.
06
Ravenna port logistics: the pier, the ride and the money
From the ship into town
Ships berth at Porto Corsini, outside the city. The train station is about 8 miles (13 km) away.
A new terminal was expected around the start of the 2026 season, and Norwegian said in August that construction delays had limited how many ships could dock. Recheck the arrangements with your line before you go.
Full detail is on our Ravenna cruise port guide.
- Norwegian ran a $23 station shuttle in August 2026
- Bus line 90 is named by a forum reply
- Taxi waits of up to two hours were reported
Money
The euro is the currency. One port guide says cards are widely accepted.
Mosaic passes are priced from 10.50 euros in the listing we read.
Taxis
A forum reply says to ask for a fixed rate, since otherwise the meter applies. Norwegian puts the average fare to the station at about 50 euros per vehicle.
Safety and paperwork
Italy sits at Level 2 on the State Department’s scale, for terrorism, in a national advisory issued May 23, 2025 (checked October 29, 2026), not a city-specific one.
For ordinary US passport holders, Schengen stays of up to 90 days are visa-free, and the Entry/Exit System is live at the external border. ETIAS has not started and has no announced date, so travel-europe.europa.eu is the place to check the current position.
