From Argostoli – Highlights of Kefalonia & Local Delights
Description
Explore Kefalonia’s geological wonders, coastal scenery, and local flavors on this extended half-day experience from Argostoli. Begin with a visit to Drogarati Cave, known for its impressive stalactites and large chamber with naturally resonant acoustics. Learn about the cave’s formation as you walk through its atmospheric interior. Continue to Melissani Lake, where a short boat ride reveals turquoise waters illuminated from above by the sun entering through the open cave roof. After the cave visits, relax in the seaside village of Agia Efimia. Enjoy free time to stroll along the harbor, have a coffee, or browse small local shops. Next, experience the island’s authentic flavors with a tasting of local products. Finish your tour with a scenic stop at the Myrtos Beach viewpoint, one of Kefalonia’s most photographed landscapes, before returning to Argostoli.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Capture the scenic beauty of Myrtos Beach with its contrasting colors – the deep blue sea against the white pebbles and the lush green hillsides. It's a photographer's paradise.
Wander along the picturesque harbor and enjoy stunning views of the crystal-clear waters. Explore the waterfront tavernas and cafes, where you can savor traditional Greek cuisine and fresh seafood. Enjoy a leisurely meal with views of the harbor.
Take a boat ride across the crystal-clear waters of Melissani Lake. The boats are typically guided by experienced local rowers who navigate through the cave, providing visitors with a leisurely and informative tour. Marvel at the stunning blue and turquoise colors of the lake. The clear waters and unique lighting conditions within the cave create a magical ambiance.
Marvel at the intricate and impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations within the cave.Explore the various chambers of the cave, each offering its own array of stunning formations.
Indulge in a tasting of traditional Kefalonian products, capturing the island’s true flavor.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Customers arriving by cruise ship will be collected directly at Argostoli Port. Our staff with signs "Avalon Travel" will be waiting at the Argostoli Cruise Ship Terminal. Holidaymakers staying in Kefalonia will be picked up from the listed hotels or designated meeting points. Please note that pick-up time may vary depending on the distance from Argostoli, and travel time from hotels outside Argostoli is not included in the tour duration. Holidaymakers in Kefalonia will enjoy a pick-up service from the listed hotels or designated meeting places. Please note that the pick-up time from hotels or meeting places situated away from Argostoli is additional to the scheduled tour duration
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour includes walking on uneven surfaces and steps inside the caves. The boat ride at Melissani Lake is shared with other visitors and lasts around 10–15 minutes.
- Entrance fees for Melissani Lake and Drogarati Cave are included in the tour price.
- Comfortable walking shoes, water, sun protection, and a hat are recommended.
- The order of stops may vary depending on traffic, weather, or cruise ship schedules.
- Pickup from Argostoli Port is available for cruise passengers. Return to port is guaranteed in time for boarding. Pickup from selected hotels and meeting points is available for holidaymakers. Travel time from hotels outside Argostoli is not included in the tour duration.
Reviews(126)
Great experience for touring a beautiful landscape. Thank you, Maria, for the wonderful day.
Super tour with nice guide. A lot of effort was put into it and despite the many stops, no hassle arose. We could enjoy all the stops in peace.
I had booked this tour months in advance and received an email the day before that it “will not operate” on the day I chose. No reason was given. I was extremely disappointed but was told we would still be going to Melissani Lake and Drogaeti Cave. After paying in full, I received a “partial refund” which was only 10€. Sounded like a great tour but I wouldn’t suggest it.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We would like to clarify the situation: the originally booked tour unfortunately had to be cancelled, and we immediately contacted you to propose an alternative shorter tour to the Drogarati Cave and Melissani Lake. We explained the full itinerary in advance and also informed you that if you preferred not to participate, we would proceed with a full refund. You agreed to join the alternative tour, and therefore we issued a refund for the difference in price between the two excursions. The tour itself operated exactly as scheduled and as described. We are sorry to hear that your impression does not reflect the arrangements we made together, but we assure you that everything was handled transparently and according to your choice. Kind regards,
Katrin Fehring was our guide for this tour. She was very knowledgeable and kind. We are an older couple, 66 and my husband is 69. There were a few places we had to take it slower, especially on steps. There were alot of them. There was one cave we did not get to go into because it was way too steep, but we still enjoyed the tour. I recommend this to everyone that doesn’t mind walking. But June and July are soooo hot. If you don’t want to see people passing out from the heat, go at another time, drink plenty of water and take breaks.
My girlfriend and I did the highlights of kefalonia tour and we were absolutely blown away! This tour really does show you the highlights of the island. Our tour guide Kathryn was the best!! In between every stop she would tell us vast history about the island and its people. When we were waiting for the Melissani lake tour, our guide held our groups place in line so we would not have to stand in the hot sun and could shop. The people at the Avalon travel agency were a pleasure to deal with, they even reached out the day before the excursion to confirm and gave additional details of where to meet and who to look for. If there’s any island that we will be revisiting.. it will 100% be Kefalonia.
Visits the key sights Drogarati Caves and Melissani Lake. Our first stop was the surprisingly interesting Monastery of Agios Gerasimos where the 16th century saint's body hasn't decomposed! Visited a Vassilakis winery to taste local wine, olive oil and honey. Bought a bottle of unusual liquor. Had time later at Agia Efimia to visit a pebble beach and/or eat lunch. Had a great gyros at a local taverna. The guide Christine was from Uk so spoke clear English and provided informative stories and background throughout. learnt a lot about the island. Our driver Dionysius was skilled and handled the narrow roads and local crazy drivers. Site entry at Drogarati and Melissani included. Luckily so queue at the Lake so overall tour went quickly. We were on a cruise ship and picked us up at port. was 8 in a mini bus. Recommend Avalon and the guides
A beautiful tour with our guide Kathrin, who has made the trip a memorable experience, funny, competent and multilingual. We felt very comfortable. Planning and organization were outstanding
It was very hot,and we had to leave a bus to wait our tour,2 h we been waiting,so bad experience, would never go again
Our guide was well-prepared and organized. The tour was as presented. Our guide could develop in the area of spontaneity but was pleasant and efficient.
Excellent tour Tour guide Maria did a very good job Driver Stefanus was impressive on the narrow roads Comfortable bus ride (only 24 in the group) No personal listening devices Guide provides the information (reading the text over the loud speaker on the bus) Visit a quaint old church (can descend into chamber under the floor where a monk used to live) The tastings part is at a store which sells wine, olive oil, snacks, honey They provide small free samples The 2 cave visits were very interesting The tour guide does not accompany you but provides info beforehand and provides the entrance ticket The cave with the boat was particularly impressive Its relatively small (and open at the top) but our ride was about 15 min (fyi the boat paddlers have tip jars prominently displayed) 40 min stop at little lakeside town for lunch A bit tricky in Greece to set, order, eat, pay in 40 minutes…but we did it Final stop is mountain overlook of the famous beach Amazing view Overall—not super rushed but not a listed pace either Zero crowds/lines in October Since I knew what to expect—-excellent tour
