What a Melissani day tour includes, and what it leaves to you
Read from the six listings’ own inclusion and exclusion lists. The cave ticket is the line that differs: one tour includes both cave fees, one includes Melissani only, and four leave them to be paid on arrival.
In the price on every tour
- Pickup and drop-off in Argostoli — the port, hotels and named meeting points on the coach tours; the cruise terminal on the two cruise listings; your hotel on the private car. Pickup zones and return times.
- The driving — about 30 km and 35–40 minutes each way from Argostoli, in an air-conditioned coach or van.
- A guide or driver-guide — English on all six, German and Italian on two of the coach tours. The private car lists a professional driver rather than a licensed guide.
- The Melissani boat — the shared rowing boat is part of the cave ticket, so every tour that gets you to the pier gets you on the water. What the ride is like.
Check the listing before you count on it
- The cave tickets. Included on the flagship coach tour (both caves) and on the beach tour (Melissani only). Paid on arrival on the island day, the two cruise listings and the private car: about ten euros for Melissani, a little more for both caves. Tickets and what each tour includes.
- Drogarati Cave. On five of the six; the beach tour goes to Myrtos and Makris Gialos instead. The two caves compared.
- Food and drink. Not included on any listing. The small-group van adds bottled water and a local wine tasting; the island day includes a winery and a honey and olive-oil tasting, not lunch.
- A swim. Only the beach tour, the small-group van and the private car stop to swim. The others see Myrtos from the viewpoint, a photo stop. Where you can swim the same day.
The visit, in order
From the car park to the second chamber and back. Thirty to sixty minutes without a queue; one to two hours with a summer one.
The queue is the variable. It forms at the entrance from about 10:00 when the coaches arrive, and reviewers report thirty minutes as typical in May and July, up to two hours between 12:00 and 14:00 in July 2026, and longer on days when a cruise ship is in Argostoli. Everything after the entrance takes the same time whoever you are.
- Car park and ticket window ~10 min — A free car park by the entrance café that fills at midday in summer. Adult tickets are about ten euros, about half for children and students, under-sixes free; cards are reported to work, carry cash to be safe. On a tour the guide does this part while the group waits in the shade.
- The tunnel down ~5 min — A sloping artificial tunnel, cut in 1963, with roughly a hundred stone steps and handrails. Wet in places, so non-slip shoes. Not passable with a wheelchair; a viewing balcony above the open chamber is the alternative.
- The pier and the boat ~15 min — Shared rowing boats of about twelve with a boatman. Ten to fifteen minutes on the water, and a coin for the boatman is usual, not required.
- The open chamber — The roof has gone and the sun falls straight onto the water; between about 11:00 and 14:00 it lights the lake from below, which is the turquoise everyone photographs. The islet in the middle is where the sanctuary of Pan was excavated in 1962.
- The rope passage and the stalactite chamber — The boatman ships the oars and pulls the boat by a rope fixed to the wall through the narrow gap into the second, closed chamber, hung with stalactites dated at 16,400 to 20,400 years old, then turns and brings you back.
- Back up, and the café ~10 min — The same steps in reverse, then toilets, a snack counter and a kiosk at the top. Drogarati is five minutes’ drive away if you have the combined ticket.
What the boatman does, where to sit and what the photos come out like: the boat ride, in detail. The 2026 hours are on the opening hours page.
How the ticket works
Book the tour online
Pick a date on the widget below; the confirmation comes by email and cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Get picked up in Argostoli
The port, your hotel or a named meeting point, depending on the listing. Cruise passengers are met at the terminal exit.
The guide handles the tickets
On the flagship tour both cave tickets are in the price and the guide queues for the group. On the others the cave fee, about ten euros, is paid on arrival.
Change your mind for free
Every tour cancels free up to 24 hours before departure, so reserve the date now and adjust when you know the weather and the ship times. Pickups, driving and the bus.
The half-day tour with both cave tickets included
Four hours from Argostoli: Drogarati, the Melissani boat and the Myrtos viewpoint, in German, English or Italian, rated 4.6 by 652 travellers. Live dates and today’s price below.
Three ways to get to the lake without a car
The half day with the tickets in, the full island day with the fees paid on arrival, and the small van from the cruise terminal. Today’s exact price is on each listing; what the half day buys is the guide holding your place in the queue and four hours instead of nine.
| Tickets includedFrom Argostoli: Melissani Lake & Drogarati Caves Tour | Kefalonia: Melissani, Myrtos, Fiscardo & Wine Tasting | Kefalonia: Melissani, Drogarati & Beach Small-Group Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~€65 | ~€40 | ~€65 |
| Duration | 4 hours | 9 hours | Four and a half hours |
| Cave tickets included? | Yes, both caves | No — paid on arrival | No — paid on arrival |
| Drogarati? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Beach or viewpoint? | Myrtos viewpoint, photo stop | Myrtos viewpoint, photo stop; free time in Fiscardo | Swim at Myrtos or Antisamos, chosen on the day |
| Pickup | Port, hotels and meeting points around Argostoli and Lassi | Hotels in the pickup zones; none from Lixouri, Agia Efimia, Sami or Fiscardo | Argostoli cruise terminal only |
| Group size | Coach | Coach | Semi-private van |
| Rating | 4.6 from 652 ratings | 4.8 from 317 ratings | 4.5 from 39 ratings |
| Free cancellation | ✓ Up to 24 h before | ✓ Up to 24 h before | ✓ Up to 24 h before |
| Book this → | View → | View → |
Photo Gallery
What the day looks like
The skylight, the boat, the second chamber, the tunnel down, and the two stops the tours pair with the lake.
The six tours that include Melissani
Every listing on the platform that puts the lake in its itinerary, with the cave-ticket line made explicit on the card. Which one, sorted by situation.
Entry fees includedBoth cave tickets includedFrom Argostoli: Melissani Lake & Drogarati Caves Tour
Full island dayKefalonia: Melissani, Myrtos, Fiscardo & Wine Tasting
Cruise passengersArgostoli: Melissani & Drogarati Cave Tour with Wine Tasting
Lake + beachMelissani ticket includedFrom Argostoli: Melissani Lake & Beach Relaxation
Small groupKefalonia: Melissani, Drogarati & Beach Small-Group Tour
PrivateKefalonia: Private Tour The Caves & Myrtos Beach
What people wrote afterwards
Written reviews from the listing pages, chosen for what they say about the queue, the van and the beach. All six tours, reviewed.
Although there was a one-hour wait at the lake, the time passed quickly because Eva stood in line for the whole group. Super suitable for small children (daughter 4)
Melissani caves was busy being mid August but our guides saved our place in the line, whilst we could go and grab a coffee and some shade.
Excellent day, unbelievable value for money.
Great day out, got us to the most popular spots early so we avoided the queues and we had more time then expected at the beach.
Good time slot at Lake Melissani; no waiting time. Sun umbrellas for Myrtos Beach in stock.
Arrived at one venue and was too busy so rearranged the tour which worked much better and alleviated the need to queue for long spells in the heat.
Ratings and reviews are the operators’ live GetYourGuide figures. Read our full tour reviews ›
Five things people ask before they go
Answered from the Municipality of Sami’s notices, the Geopark and the listings’ own pages.
Do I need a tour?
With a hire car you can drive the 30 km from Argostoli and buy a ticket on arrival. Without one, or off a cruise ship, a tour is the transport, a guide who stands in the queue for you, and usually Drogarati and the Myrtos viewpoint in the same half day — and the boat ride is part of every one of them. The six, sorted by situation.
Light or queue?
The sun stands over the open roof roughly 11:00–14:00, and that is when the coaches arrive. Come for opening at 09:00 or after 15:30 and you trade some of the vertical light for no wait; the water is still blue, just lit from the side. On a cruise-ship day the queue is longer still. The trade, month by month.
Which tour includes the tickets?
One: the four-hour coach tour from Argostoli includes both cave fees. The beach tour includes Melissani only. The island day, the two cruise listings and the private car leave the fees to be paid on arrival, about ten euros for Melissani. Tickets and what each tour includes.
Is the boat ride short?
Yes. Ten to fifteen minutes, in a rowing boat of about twelve with a boatman who rows the open chamber, pulls the boat by rope into the stalactite chamber and back, and often sings. Think of it as a short crossing you cannot make anywhere else rather than a cruise. What happens on the water.
Can we swim?
No. The lake is a protected geosite, brackish and up to thirty-odd metres deep, and boats only. Antisamos is ten minutes from Sami, and three of the six tours stop to swim at Myrtos, Antisamos or Makris Gialos. Where you can swim the same day.
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more available Melissani Cave tours and find one that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Visiting Melissani, explained
Melissani is a lake in a cave whose roof has fallen in, at Karavomylos, 2 km north-west of Sami on the east coast of Kefalonia. The visit is a shared rowing boat, ten to fifteen minutes on brackish water lit from above, and the ticket, about ten euros, includes the boat and is in the price of two of the day tours. What every tour sells is the day around the lake: the 30 km from Argostoli, a guide who stands in the queue, and Drogarati Cave in the same half day. Here is how the visit goes, in order, and where a tour earns its fare.
Arriving
The entrance is a car park, a café, toilets and a kiosk at Karavomylos. Parking is free and fills at midday in summer. Tickets are sold at the top: about ten euros for adults, about half for children from six to eighteen, students and over-65s, under-sixes free, and a combined ticket with Drogarati for a little more. Cards are reported to work; carry cash to be safe. On the four-hour tour from Argostoli the guide has both tickets already. The tariff, and what each tour includes.
The tunnel
From the entrance a sloping artificial tunnel, cut in 1963 when the cave was opened to the public, runs about 70 m down to the water. Reviewers count over a hundred steps; there is no official figure, so call it roughly a hundred, with handrails, and the same back up. The steps are wet in places and so is the boat, which is the whole of the dress code: shoes that grip. The tunnel is not passable with a wheelchair; the alternative is a viewing balcony above the open chamber.
The boat
Boats hold about twelve, with a boatman who rows. He crosses the open chamber, then ships the oars and pulls the boat along by a rope fixed to the wall through the narrow passage into the second chamber, which has kept its roof and its stalactites, and back the same way. Boatmen explain the cave, often sing, and take photos with your phone. Ten to fifteen minutes and you are at the pier again; a coin on the plate is usual, not required. The lake is about 60 by 40 m and the whole accessible cave about 160 m long: a short crossing of something you cannot see anywhere else, which is why most people pair it with Drogarati or a beach in the same morning. What happens on the water, in detail.
The light
The water is sea water that sank into the Katavothres sinkholes at Argostoli, crossed under the island and surfaced here, mixed with fresh water from inland; dye tipped into the sinkholes in 1963 took roughly two weeks to appear. Because the roof is open, the sun reaches the surface directly when it stands high, roughly 11:00–14:00, and that is when the water shows the turquoise in every photograph. Earlier and later the lake is still blue, lit from the side rather than from below.
The queue, and the two ways round it
The coaches and the cruise groups arrive from about 10:00, which is the same window as the light. In May and July reviewers report thirty minutes as typical; in July 2026, up to two hours between 12:00 and 14:00; on days when a cruise ship is berthed at Argostoli, an hour and a half or more. There are two ways round it. Be there for opening at 09:00, or come after 15:30 when the coaches have gone, trading some of the vertical light for no wait. Or book a tour whose guide holds the group’s place in the line while everyone waits in the shade, or the small van from the cruise terminal that its reviewers say reaches the lake before the big coaches. The trade, month by month.
Drogarati, the pairing
Drogarati Cave is five minutes’ drive away on the Sami–Argostoli road: about 150 steep steps down to a single chamber 65 by 45 m and 20 m high, self-guided, fifteen to twenty minutes inside, a constant 18 °C. The adult ticket is a few euros, or a combined ticket with Melissani. Five of the six tours include it. The order for a driver is Drogarati first and early, then Melissani for the midday light, or Melissani at opening and Drogarati after. One reviewer of the small-group tour found Drogarati the weaker cave. The two caves compared.
The tours, and what each one adds
Six GetYourGuide listings put Melissani in their itinerary, and they differ on one line above all: whether the cave ticket is in the price. The four-hour coach tour from Argostoli, sixty-odd euros, includes both cave fees and is the one whose reviewers describe the guide queueing for the group. The nine-hour island day, around forty euros, adds the monastery, a Robola winery, Fiscardo and the Myrtos viewpoint, with the cave fees paid on arrival; the gap between the two on the listings is modest, and it buys the queue management and a half day instead of a whole one. Cruise passengers have a five-hour coach excursion with a wine tasting and a semi-private van, both from the terminal, both with the fees paid on arrival. The lake-and-a-swim day, around sixty euros, skips Drogarati, includes the Melissani ticket and gives about an hour and a half at Makris Gialos with umbrellas. The private car, over a hundred euros per person, starts when you say and re-orders the stops around the queue. All six, sorted by situation, and what leaves from Argostoli, with pickup zones.
In one sentence
The ticket is about ten euros and includes the boat; the tours are the day around it, and every one cancels free up to 24 hours before. The widget above has the half day with both tickets included.
Frequently asked questions
Is Melissani Cave worth visiting?
Yes. A rowing boat on a lake lit through a hole in the roof is not something you can see elsewhere on the island, and the ticket is about ten euros with the boat included. It is at its best with the midday sun on the water and a short queue: arrive for opening, come after 15:30, or take a tour whose guide holds your place. What to expect.
How much does it cost to enter Melissani Lake Cave?
About ten euros for an adult, bought on arrival, with the rowing boat included. Children 6–18, students and over-65s pay about half; under-sixes go free; a combined ticket with Drogarati Cave costs a little more. Two of the day tours include the fee in their price. Tickets and what each tour includes.
What are the Melissani Cave opening times?
In high summer 2026 both caves open daily 09:00–18:00, from 3 July. The early-season notice from 4 May 2026 gave 10:00–16:00 with last entry at 15:30. In winter the cave keeps a few mornings a week or closes; phone the ticket office first. The hours change several times a year by municipal notice. The 2026 hours, with the source.
How long does the Melissani Cave visit take?
The boat ride is 10–15 minutes. Allow 30–60 minutes on site without a queue and one to two hours with a summer one. The tours that include it run four hours, four and a half, five or nine, and the drive from Argostoli is 35–40 minutes each way. Minute by minute.
Is there a boat trip in Melissani Cave?
The boat trip is the visit. Shared rowing boats of about twelve leave from a pier at the bottom of the tunnel; the boatman rows the open chamber, pulls the boat by a rope through the passage into the stalactite chamber and back. It is included in the ticket. What the ride is like.
Can you swim in Melissani Cave?
No. Swimming is not allowed; the lake is a protected geosite, brackish and up to thirty-odd metres deep, and the boats are the only way onto it. Antisamos beach is ten minutes from Sami, and three of the six tours stop to swim at Myrtos, Antisamos or Makris Gialos. Where to swim the same day.
How do I get to Melissani Cave from Argostoli?
By car it is about 30 km and 35–40 minutes, with a free car park at the entrance. The KTEL bus from Argostoli to Karavomylos leaves at 10:00 and 13:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 on Sunday on the summer 2026 timetable, back at 07:50 and 17:50. Without a car, the day tours from Argostoli are the transport and the queue management. Car, bus, taxi and tour.
How can I book a tour of Melissani Cave?
Choose from the six GetYourGuide day tours that include the lake and book online with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The four-hour tour from Argostoli is the only one with both cave tickets in the price; the full island day, around forty euros, leaves the fees to pay on arrival. Live dates and today’s prices are in the availability widget above.
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