How to Get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia via Ferry and More

I found learning how to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia soooo enraging that I’ve decided to lay out the options as clearly as possible for you. Hopefully this saves you some time and keeps you semi-zen. We’re on the Greek islands! We should be chillin’ at all times!

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How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia

Zakynthos has 2 ports that connect to Kefalonia:

1. In town — Zante (or Zakynthos) Port
2. North — Agios Nikolaos Port

Kefalonia has 3 ports that connect to Zakynthos:

1. South — Pesada
2. Southeast — Poros
3. Northeast — Sami

The most reliable option to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia directly is to catch a ferry from the North Agios Nikolaos Port to Pesada.

Don’t leave Zakynthos without seeing shipwreck beach from above or below!

How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia: Option 1

Ionian Pelago Lines is the best option, so listen up!

Trust me, you want to take the direct ferry from Northern Zakynthos (Agios Nikolaos) to South Western Kefalonia (Pesada). Check online for schedules because they change seasonally. Here’s an example from May to October 2025:

Zakynthos to Kefalonia – 9:45 or 19:45 daily
Kefalonia to Zakynthos – 7:30 or 18:00 daily

- 11 EUR per person
- 14 EUR per scooter/motorcycle
- 35 EUR per car
- Additional fees for trailers vary by size

Don’t forget to consider the time it will take you to get from Zante or Laganas (where you’re probably staying) to Agios Nikolaos when choosing a ferry time.

Note: If you bring a car on the ferry you’ll still have to pay the per-person fee. So, for example, if you have 2 people in the car, the total is 57 EUR. Not a flat fee of 35 EUR for as many people as you can squeeze into the car. Though that would be hilarious and so cost effective.

You can’t book your tickets in advance online, which is annoying. But you can visit Xionis Tours in Zante (Sometimes spelled Chionis Tours) in person or call for help making a booking. The details are here.

How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia directly

Getting to the North part of of Zakynthos is a bit of a pain if you don’t have a car or scooter. You can get a taxi for about 40 EUR from Zante town, which takes about an hour. I wish local buses were an option, but there aren’t any.

If you do have your own transport, and plan to use it in Kefalonia, you can bring it across with you on the ferry. You can always wait until you get to Kefalonia and then rent the scooter/car once you’re there. There are local buses in other parts of Kefalonia, but you’ll definitely need some wheels to see the best parts of the island! I usually use DiscoverCars to find good rentals.

Try an eSIM on your trip to access data wherever you go. ETravelSim also offers local calling minutes, which you can use to call the office in Zakynthos and make a ferry reservation! It’s hugely helpful.

Get 15% off your first ETravelSim plan with any of the links in this article, or by using NAOMI15 in the promo code box when you pay.

How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia: Option 2

Your other option, if you prefer to leave from Zante Port, is a ferry connection in Kyllini. This will take you to Poros in Kefalonia, but it’s twice as long and twice as expensive. Frankly, trying to line up two ferry times with the connection is just a headache, but if you insist…

Levante Ferries

Zakynthos to Kyllini

- 13 EUR per person
- 10 EUR to 15 EUR per scooter/motorcycle
- 39 EUR per car

Kyllini to Kefalonia (Poros)

- 14 EUR per person
- 14 EUR to 18 EUR per motorcycle/scooter
- 45 EUR per car

They offer a 20% discount on returns and have several sailing times per day. Check their website for current schedules.

How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia via Kyllini

In my opinion, this would only be a good option if you have time and want to turn it into a stopover and see some stuff in Kyllini. But to be honest, there isn’t much, and you’d be better off spending your time doing epic stuff in Kefalonia. I delve into this below!

If you have lots of money and don’t enjoy wasting your time, you can probably just hire your own fancy boat. But then like, why are you even reading this?

How to get from Zakynthos to Kefalonia: Option 3

I can’t take credit for this option — it’s all thanks to Jens in the comments (applause). Lefkada Palace is a new ferry that runs a route between Zakynthos and Kefalonia on specific days:

Sami (Kefalonia) to Zante (Zakythnos) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Zante to Sami on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

However, it doesn’t run year-round. They have a super clean, easy-to-navigate website, but when I tested the site and tried to book, the website led me to FerryWay. I was able to select Zakynthos and Kefalonia, but no route showed up no matter which day of the week I chose.

So Lefkada Palace might be a good starting point, and you could consider contacting them directly to investigate further. But I wasn’t able to make an actual booking. In theory, if the ferry is running, you can even continue on as far as Corfu if you want to keep island hopping. So if this becomes a stable option, it could be a game changer.

How I got from Zakynthos to Kefalonia

Here’s what I did and how I recommend getting from Zakynthos to Kefalonia on your trip to the Ionian islands:

I rented a car in Laganas for 30 EUR per day and shared the cost with 3 other people. So it helps if you have friends.

There are some really good deals out there if you book in advance. And, if you know how to drive manual, you can get cars for even less. Here’s an example from a quick search on DiscoverCars for 3 days leaving from Zakynthos:

We didn’t mention the whole going-to-another-island thing, because some rental companies charge an extra 20 EUR per day for that. Obv, this could land you in a bit of trouble if something happens on the other island, so I won’t be liable if this happens to you. Ok thanks 🙂

I left my Workaway house at 18:30 and drove to Agios Nikolaos for the 19:45 ferry across to Pesada. Our accommodation was in Poros, which is a 30-minute drive across the island, and we were settling into our room by 22:00.

Myrtos Beach

Things to do in Kefalonia

- Melissani underground lake: So this is obviously just what it sounds like – an underground lake, and it’s Kefalonia’s main attraction. But what makes it particularly cool is the giant hole in the cave ceiling. You can take a little boat tour through, and I highly recommend going around noon when the sun is right above.
- Drogarati cave: A gigantic 150 million year old cave full of stalactites and stalagmites. Wahhhh?!
- Myrtos beach: One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to, honestly!! Doesn’t get much bluer than this blue.
- Assos: This is the most quaint and colourful village on the island of Kefalonia!
- Fiscardo: This is the bougiest area of Kefalonia and where you’ll find fancy restaurants with great seafood.

Assos and Myrtos Beach from above

If you don’t want to drive, you can join one of these full-day tours and check everything off your list:

This one includes all the top highlights like Melissani Underground Lake, Assos, Fiscardo, and Myrtos Beach.
This one leaves from Zakynthos so you can skip all the ferry drama above entirely! This might be your best option if you have limited time in this part of Greece.
This one includes a wine tasting, which you should obviously not do when driving, so a tour is def the most suitable option if you want to hit the winery.
This one is just a half day tour focused on the Melissani lake and Drogarati cave.

I’d love to know if you found this helpful! Leave a comment or contact me and let me know about your experience travelling from Zakynthos to Kefalonia. Happy island hopping!