Day trip from Venice to Ravenna: mosaics by train

Outbound 2 h 47 minAbout 7 h for your visit in Ravenna
Costs for the dayabout €78.70 to €88.70 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓
Start the Ravenna tourSee the day plan
Ravenna

Ravenna works as a day trip from Venice, but it is a long day: there is no direct train, and with a change in Ferrara the ride takes close to three hours each way. Leave early and come back on an early evening train and you get about seven hours in town, enough to walk from Theodoric's mausoleum through the Byzantine quarter to Dante's tomb and go inside the great mosaic monuments on the way, though you reach Venice again only late in the evening.

Is a day trip from Venice to Ravenna worth it?

Ravenna gives you what Venice cannot: a quiet, compact town built around late antique and Byzantine monuments, eight of them on the UNESCO list, with San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the baptisteries all within a short walk of each other. After the crowds around San Marco, the pace here is slower, food is cheaper, and the stories reach back to Theodoric the Great and the last centuries of the Western Roman Empire.

The price is the journey. Every rail route needs at least one change, usually in Ferrara or Bologna, so you spend well over five hours on trains and get back to Venice only late in the evening. Travellers who go by train often say afterwards that they wished they had more time in Ravenna or had stayed the night. As a day trip it pays off if mosaics and early Christian art are the reason you go; if you only want a change of scenery, a closer town gives you more for less travel.

Who this day trip suits

  • Art and history lovers who want to see Byzantine mosaics in the buildings they were made for
  • Travellers who need a quiet day away from the Venice crowds
  • Budget travellers, since food in Ravenna costs less than in Venice
  • Walkers who like a compact town where the sights sit close together
  • Readers of Dante who want to stand at the poet's tomb

Go if the mosaics are your reason and you accept close to six hours on trains and a late return for a full day in town; if your stay in Venice is short or long train days wear you out, pick Padua or Vicenza instead.

Other day trips from Venice

How to get from Venice to Ravenna by train

The practical way is the train from Venezia S.Lucia with Trenitalia to Ferrara and then the Trenitalia Tper regional train on to Ravenna, because this pairing lets you arrive in the late morning with time for a full walk. Italo also runs high-speed trains from Venice to Ferrara and Bologna Centrale, where you would switch to the same regional trains.

Combined journey: Trenitalia + Trenitalia Tper

You leave from Venezia S.Lucia, ride to Ferrara and change there to the regional line that runs via Lugo and Alfonsine to Ravenna. Altogether it takes close to three hours. Trains from Venice to Ferrara run often through the day, but the regional trains from Ferrara to Ravenna are much sparser, with fewer still on Sundays, so the Ferrara connection decides your day: pick a pairing with a comfortable change and do not count on the next one being close behind. Buy through Trenitalia's channels and make sure what you buy covers both trains, the leg to Ferrara and the regional on to Ravenna. Some connections run via Bologna Centrale instead; if a pairing includes a Frecciarossa, that train needs a reserved, train-specific ticket.

Operator
Trenitalia + Trenitalia Tper
Route
Venezia Santa Lucia → Ravenna
Journey time
2 h 47 min
Travel fare
Outward €16.60; return €16.60 (€33.20 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Tickets at Trenitalia Tper ↗

The walk starts at Theodoric's mausoleum, which lies outside the old centre on the far side of the railway from the town. From Ravenna station it is about a quarter of an hour on foot.

Example connections by weekday

Full journeys with each leg shown. Times and fares can vary by day and service.

DayOutboundReturn
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday07:40–10:27 · 2 h 47 min
  1. Venezia Santa Lucia → Ferrara: 07:40–09:03
  2. Ferrara → Ravenna: 09:16–10:27
18:12–21:20 · 3 h 8 min
  1. Ravenna → Ferrara: 18:12–19:25
  2. Ferrara → Venezia Santa Lucia: 19:43–21:20
Sunday07:40–11:13 · 3 h 33 min
  1. Venezia Santa Lucia → Ferrara: 07:40–09:03
  2. Ferrara → Ravenna: 10:05–11:13
20:12–22:55 · 2 h 43 min
  1. Ravenna → Ferrara: 20:12–21:25
  2. Ferrara → Venezia Santa Lucia: 21:52–22:55

Timetable

Train: Trenitalia

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
05:4007:031 h 23 min
05:5107:592 h 8 min
06:2607:271 h 1 min
06:4008:161 h 36 min
07:4009:031 h 23 min
08:4010:161 h 36 min
09:2610:271 h 1 min
09:4011:031 h 23 min
10:2611:271 h 1 min
10:4012:031 h 23 min
11:2612:271 h 1 min
11:4013:031 h 23 min
12:2613:271 h 1 min
12:4014:031 h 23 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
05:5107:592 h 8 min
06:2607:271 h 1 min
06:4008:161 h 36 min
07:4009:031 h 23 min
08:4010:161 h 36 min
09:2610:271 h 1 min
09:4011:031 h 23 min
10:2611:271 h 1 min
10:4012:031 h 23 min
11:2612:271 h 1 min
11:4013:031 h 23 min
12:2613:271 h 1 min
12:4014:031 h 23 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Train: Trenitalia Tper

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
05:2006:221 h 2 min
05:4507:021 h 17 min
06:1007:331 h 23 min
07:0808:331 h 25 min
08:2909:421 h 13 min
09:1610:271 h 11 min
11:3412:481 h 14 min
12:3413:481 h 14 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
05:2006:221 h 2 min
05:4507:021 h 17 min
08:2909:421 h 13 min
10:0511:131 h 8 min
12:3413:481 h 14 min

Timetable: Trenitalia Tper, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Trenitalia Tper ↗

Train: Trenitalia

Monday and Friday

DepartureArrivalDuration
19:4321:201 h 37 min
Show all departures (18)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:2913:341 h 5 min
12:4314:201 h 37 min
13:2914:341 h 5 min
13:4315:201 h 37 min
14:2915:341 h 5 min
14:4016:081 h 28 min
15:0016:201 h 20 min
15:4317:201 h 37 min
16:2917:341 h 5 min
16:4318:201 h 37 min
16:5419:092 h 15 min
17:4319:201 h 37 min
18:2919:341 h 5 min
18:4320:201 h 37 min
19:2920:341 h 5 min
19:4321:201 h 37 min
20:4222:091 h 27 min
21:5222:551 h 3 min

Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday to Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
19:4321:201 h 37 min
Show all departures (17)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:2913:341 h 5 min
12:4314:201 h 37 min
13:2914:341 h 5 min
13:4315:201 h 37 min
14:2915:341 h 5 min
15:0016:201 h 20 min
15:4317:201 h 37 min
16:2917:341 h 5 min
16:4318:201 h 37 min
16:5419:092 h 15 min
17:4319:201 h 37 min
18:2919:341 h 5 min
18:4320:201 h 37 min
19:2920:341 h 5 min
19:4321:201 h 37 min
20:4222:091 h 27 min
21:5222:551 h 3 min

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Train: Trenitalia Tper

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:1013:251 h 15 min
13:1014:251 h 15 min
14:2515:471 h 22 min
15:1216:251 h 13 min
16:1617:241 h 8 min
17:1218:251 h 13 min
18:1219:251 h 13 min
20:1221:251 h 13 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
13:1014:251 h 15 min
14:2515:471 h 22 min
16:1617:241 h 8 min
17:1218:251 h 13 min
20:1221:251 h 13 min

Check current times at Trenitalia Tper ↗

Venice to Ravenna day trip itinerary

Day plan for: Mon–Sat

The day hangs on the early train out and the early evening connection back via Ferrara; everything in Ravenna fits between them in tour order, with time to go inside the mosaic monuments.

  1. Morning07:40 – 10:27

    Take the train around twenty to eight from Venezia S.Lucia to Ferrara, arriving shortly after nine, and change to the regional train, which reaches Ravenna around half past ten. From the station, walk out to Theodoric's mausoleum.

    This is the connection that gets you to Ravenna before midday with a workable change in Ferrara; later starts cut deep into your time in town.

  2. Tour10:45 – 13:30

    Open the tour in the browser at the Mausoleo di Teodorico. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells you about Theodoric and his tomb while you go inside, then leads you back into town to the Basilica di San Vitale, around a quarter to twelve, and the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia next door, around half past twelve, asking what you notice along the way. You go inside all three.

    The mausoleum sits furthest out, so starting there means the rest of the walk heads towards the centre and the station, and the two great mosaic interiors come before lunch.

    1. Mausoleo di Teodorico in Ravenna, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Mausoleo di Teodorico
    2. Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2Basilica di San Vitale
    3. Mausoleo di Galla Placidia in Ravenna, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Mausoleo di Galla Placidia

    Start the Ravenna tour

  3. Lunch13:30 – 14:30

    Stop for lunch after the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, before you walk on to the Museo Arcivescovile. A piadina romagnola filled with prosciutto, rocket and soft squacquerone cheese is the local choice.

    Lunch falls naturally after the first block of mosaics, and the walk to the Museo Arcivescovile by the cathedral is the longest stretch inside the old town, so you set off rested.

  4. Afternoon14:30 – 17:45

    The guide continues to the Museo Arcivescovile, then the Battistero Neoniano next to the cathedral, through Piazza del Popolo to the Tomba di Dante, then past the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, which you see from outside around five, and finally to the Battistero degli Ariani, which you also see from outside around a quarter past five. From the last stop you head straight for the station.

    The stops in the afternoon lie close together, so the guide's stories and the time inside the monuments set the pace rather than the walking.

    1. Museo Arcivescovile in Ravenna, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4Museo Arcivescovile
    2. Battistero Neoniano in Ravenna, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5Battistero Neoniano
    3. Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Piazza del Popolo
    4. Tomba di Dante in Ravenna, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour7Tomba di Dante
    5. Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour8Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
    6. Battistero degli Ariani in Ravenna, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour9Battistero degli Ariani
  5. Return17:45 – 21:20

    Leave the Battistero degli Ariani area by a quarter to six at the latest, walk to the station and take the train shortly after six to Ferrara, then change for the connection that gets you back to Venezia S.Lucia around twenty past nine.

    The walk to the station plus a short buffer means you board without rushing and keep the Ferrara change.

Arrival to return departure: 7 h 45 min. Time for your visit: about 7 h.

Arrival 10:27, tour start 10:45: 15 min to walk to the start, 3 min spare.

You get about seven hours in Ravenna; if your morning train runs late, drop the last stops of the walk, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the Arian Baptistery, rather than rushing the order.

Best day to visit Ravenna from Venice

  1. Monday: recommended
  2. Tuesday: recommended
  3. Wednesday: recommended
  4. Thursday: recommended
  5. Friday: recommended
  6. Saturday: recommended
  7. Sunday: possible
  • Sunday: Different connections run on this day.

Ravenna walking tour in one day

The walk runs one way over about 4.4 km, roughly an hour on foot plus the time at each stop, from Theodoric's mausoleum on the edge of town through the quarter of San Vitale and the cathedral to Piazza del Popolo, Dante's tomb and the Arian Baptistery. The AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation, so between monuments the story of Goths, emperors and bishops carries on while you walk.

The Ravenna tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.
  1. Mausoleo di Teodorico
  2. Basilica di San Vitale
  3. Mausoleo di Galla Placidia
  4. Museo Arcivescovile
  5. Battistero Neoniano
  6. Piazza del Popolo
  7. Tomba di Dante
  8. Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
  9. Battistero degli Ariani

Start the Ravenna tour

Opening hours as of 8 October 2026.

  1. Mausoleo di Teodorico in Ravenna, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Mausoleo di Teodorico

    The tomb Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, built for himself in the sixth century is unlike any other building in Ravenna.

    Hours
    Daily: 08:30–17:30 (last admission 17:00)
    Price
    €6
  2. Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    Basilica di San Vitale

    This sixth-century church is one of the key surviving works of early Byzantine art and architecture, famous above all for its mosaics.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
    Price
    Combined ticket: €14.50
  3. Mausoleo di Galla Placidia in Ravenna, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Mausoleo di Galla Placidia

    A few steps from San Vitale, this small mausoleum dates from the first half of the fifth century, around 425 to 430.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:45)
    Included
    Ravenna combined ticket (5 monuments)
  4. Museo Arcivescovile in Ravenna, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    Museo Arcivescovile

    The archbishop's museum sits behind the cathedral, right next to the Baptistery of Neon.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
    Included
    Ravenna combined ticket (5 monuments)
  5. Battistero Neoniano in Ravenna, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    Battistero Neoniano

    Also called the Baptistery of the Orthodox, it goes back to the late fourth or early fifth century and is among the oldest monuments in town.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:45)
    Included
    Ravenna combined ticket (5 monuments)
  6. Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Piazza del Popolo

    Ravenna's main square took shape in the late thirteenth century, when the Da Polenta family became lords of the city.

    Price
    Free
  7. Tomba di Dante in Ravenna, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Stop 7

    Tomba di Dante

    Next to the Basilica of San Francesco, a neoclassical monument from 1781 stands over the grave of Dante Alighieri, who died in Ravenna in exile.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–18:00
    Price
    Free
  8. Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Stop 8

    Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

    Theodoric built this basilica as his palace chapel in the first quarter of the sixth century.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Daily: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
    Included
    Ravenna combined ticket (5 monuments)
  9. Battistero degli Ariani in Ravenna, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Stop 9

    Battistero degli Ariani

    Theodoric also had this baptistery built for his Arian faith around the turn of the sixth century, at the same time as the Orthodox churches of the city.

    Price
    Optional entry · Battistero degli Ariani: €3
AI Tour Guide in Ravenna

Your guide for the Ravenna tour

In Ravenna the AI Tour Guide leads you from Theodoric's mausoleum to the Arian Baptistery and tells the stories of the Gothic king, the empress Galla Placidia and Dante as you go. It talks with you, asks what catches your eye and remembers it, so by the baptisteries the stories follow what interests you. You start it in the browser at the mausoleum.

stops
9
route
4.4 km
walking only
1 h
with visits
5 h 45 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included
Start the Ravenna tourSee the whole tour →

Venice to Ravenna day trip cost

Most of the day's cost is the two-train journey there and back, and since these fares vary with the train and the day, the amount in the cost tool is a typical value rather than a fixed price. On site the plan includes Theodoric's mausoleum plus the combined ticket for the mosaic monuments and the archbishop's museum, and lunch in Ravenna is cheaper than in Venice, especially if you eat piadina.

Adults
Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backTrenitalia + Trenitalia Tper2 adults × €33.20€66.40
SightsMausoleo di Teodorico and Ravenna combined ticket (5 monuments)2 adults × €20.50€41
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€157.39 to €177.39
Split between peopleabout €78.70 to €88.70 per person
Sights
  • €6
  • €3
  • €14.50
Buffer and private guide

San Vitale, Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the archbishop's museum share one combined ticket, so never buy them one by one.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Ravenna to Venice

The way back mirrors the morning: a regional train from Ravenna to Ferrara and a Trenitalia train from there to Venezia S.Lucia. Allow about ten minutes on foot from the last stop to the station plus a quarter of an hour on the platform, because the regional trains to Ferrara are not frequent and missing one means a long wait.

If you run late, drop the end of the walk, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the Arian Baptistery, before you cut lunch short. If you miss your train, a later evening connection via Ferrara can still get you back to Venice the same night, but the regional trains to Ferrara are few and some late pairings use a Frecciarossa from Ferrara that needs its own reserved ticket, so check the next connection at the station before boarding.

Recommended returnTrenitalia Tper + Trenitalia: departs 18:12, arrives 21:20Leave the last stop of the tour by 17:45

Latest return that fits the day: 20:12

  • Trenitalia Tper + Trenitalia from Ravenna, Monday to Sunday: departs 20:12, arrives 22:55

Questions about the day trip from Venice to Ravenna

Can I go inside San Vitale and the other mosaic monuments?

Yes, the plan takes you inside San Vitale, Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery and the archbishop's museum on one combined ticket. The same ticket also covers Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, which this plan passes from outside near the end of the walk. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia has limited capacity with timed slots, so book that one ahead for around the time you reach it.

Should I stay overnight instead?

Travellers who make this trip by train often wish they had stayed longer. With a night in Ravenna you can take the monuments at a slower pace, go inside Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, skip the evening train home and add Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

Can I fit in Sant'Apollinare in Classe?

It lies south of town, outside the walk, and needs a bus, taxi or car. On a train day trip it only fits if you shorten the walk and give up its last stops.

What if I drive instead?

Driving is more flexible and avoids the changes. The AZIMUT car park on Via De Gasperi is open day and night and you pay by licence plate before leaving; access to the historic centre is restricted, so park outside it. On summer weekends the coastal road can be heavily congested.

More day trips from Venice

Verona in a day 1 h 10 min Trieste in a day 2 h 5 min Ljubljana in a day 3 h 30 min Bologna in a day 1 h 15 min to 1 h 33 min Treviso in a day 30 min Padua in a day 30 min Bolzano in a day 3 h Vicenza in a day 46 min Trento in a day 2 h 22 min

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

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