Private and small-group Melissani Cave tours
What a private car buys at Melissani
The start time. Every coach tour from Argostoli reaches the lake in late morning, in the light and in the queue. A car that leaves your hotel when you say can be at the lake for the 09:00 opening, or arrive after 15:30 when the coaches have gone, and the price of that is some of the vertical light; the trade is set out hour by hour. The second thing it buys is the order of the day. The listing’s route runs over the Mount Ainos road to Drogarati, then Melissani, then a swim at Myrtos and home, but Steve, in July 2026, describes what happens when that meets a line: “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.” Vesna: “Plenty of flexibility built into the tour as well, which is a definite benefit over a larger coach tour.”
The private tour, in its own words
Hotel pickup and drop-off and a professional driver are the two lines in the inclusion list. Entrance fees and food and drink are the exclusions. Five hours, over a hundred euros, and the listing says per person, so a couple should read that as two fares rather than one car price. Rated 4.9 from 16 ratings, which is a small base for a high number. Rob, August 2026: “Demitris was the most attentive driver, polite, informative, could not of wished a better driver”. Note what the inclusion list does not say: it lists a driver, not a licensed guide, and reviewers who praise the stories along the way are praising the driver. If a guided commentary on the island’s history is the point, the coach tours carry live guides and the history page carries the rest. The full review.
Budget the cave fees on top: about ten euros for Melissani, a little more for both caves on the combined ticket, with children aged 6 to 18 at the reduced rate and under-6s free. Cards are reported to work; carry cash to be safe. Tickets, in detail. And bring swimwear: the day ends at Myrtos, and you cannot swim in the lake itself.
The semi-private van, and who it is for
The small-group listing is built around a ship: pickup and drop-off at the Argostoli Cruise Terminal only, the driver-guide holding a name sign at the port exit, and a request to be there fifteen minutes early. Drogarati, the Melissani boat, then a swim at Myrtos or Antisamos, chosen on the day, with bottled water and a local wine tasting included. Four and a half hours, sixty-odd euros per person, both cave fees paid on arrival, rated 4.5 from 39 ratings. It gets you most of what the private car does, the early start above all, for less, and Carsten found out how close the two can get: “The small-group tour became a private tour because three couples canceled at the last minute due to the weather.” If you are not arriving by ship, the terminal pickup is the catch, and the private car is the answer. The cruise page covers the port day itself; the review covers the van.
PrivateKefalonia: Private Tour The Caves & Myrtos Beach
Small groupKefalonia: Melissani, Drogarati & Beach Small-Group Tour
Private or semi-private?
| Private car | Semi-private van | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (approx.) | ~€120 per person | ~€65 per person |
| Length | 5 hours | Four and a half hours |
| Pickup | Your hotel, at the time you choose | Argostoli Cruise Terminal only |
| Route | Ainos road, Drogarati, Melissani, swim at Myrtos | Drogarati, Melissani, swim at Myrtos or Antisamos |
| Who drives | Professional driver, not a licensed guide | Driver-guide |
| Included | Hotel pickup and drop-off, driver | Terminal pickup, bottled water, local wine tasting |
| Cave tickets | Paid on arrival | Paid on arrival |
| Rating | 4.9 from 16 ratings | 4.5 from 39 ratings |
The municipality sells its own private visit outside opening hours, at a price that is not in the same conversation, and it is not on the platform; it is mentioned on the prices page for completeness. For a family, a couple who want the 09:00 boat, or anyone who wants the day to bend around them, the private car is the tool. For a ship day, the van. For everyone else, the six tours compared.
Frequently asked questions
Is the private Melissani tour priced per person or per car?
Per person. The listing says so: over a hundred euros each for the five-hour day from your hotel over the Ainos road to Drogarati, Melissani and a swim at Myrtos. Entrance fees and food are not included, so budget the cave fees on top; tickets, in detail.
Is the driver on the private tour a guide?
The inclusion list says a professional driver and hotel pickup, not a licensed guide. Reviewers praise the driver’s stories and flexibility, and they are describing a driver. The coach tours from Argostoli carry live guides; the four tours that leave from town.
Can we choose the order of the stops?
The listed route is Drogarati, then Melissani, then Myrtos, but the start time is yours and reviewers describe the driver rearranging the day when a venue was too busy. Starting early enough to be at the lake for opening, or leaving Melissani until after 15:30, is the simplest use of that freedom; why those hours.
Does the small-group tour pick up from hotels?
No. Pickup and drop-off are at the Argostoli Cruise Terminal only, with a name sign at the port exit, so it is built around a ship day. If you are staying on the island and want a small vehicle and an early start, the private car from your hotel is the listing that offers it.
Are the cave tickets included on the private or small-group tours?
Neither includes them. Both list the Melissani and Drogarati entrance fees as excluded, paid on arrival: about ten euros for Melissani, a little more for both caves on the combined ticket, with reduced and free categories for children and others. The only listing on this site that includes both fees is the four-hour coach tour on the tours page.