Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Day Trip from Melbourne

based on 417 reviews

Duration:13 hours (approx.)
Location: Melbourne, Victoria

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Travel along the Great Ocean Road on a day trip from Melbourne. This iconic stretch of coastal road is famous for its surf beaches, koalas, rainforest, the Shipwreck Coast and of course the spectacular 12 Apostles. Explore the stunning Loch Ard Gorge and marvel at the views from all the best lookouts within the Port Campbell National Park. Wander through seaside towns such as Apollo Bay as well as have time to explore other beautiful beaches and walks.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Melbourne
We depart from Melbourne at 7:35am sharp, and head over the Westgate Bridge towards the surf coast capital. It's recommended guests eat breakfast before the tour as we don't stop until mid-morning.
2. Anglesea Visitor Information Centre
Once we have left Melbourne, we head down to the Surf Coast, passing through gorgeous seaside townships such as Anglesea, Lorne and Airey’s Inlet, we stop along the way for some morning tea and to breath in the fresh sea air whilst spotting surfers out on the water, with the proximity to Antarctica you will learn why this is great surf but also why wet suits are a necessity!
3. Great Ocean Road Memorial Archway
A monument to mark the original starting point of the Great Ocean Road. After some photos at the iconic Memorial Arch and a lesson on the history of the soldiers who built this road and dedicated it to their fallen comrades, we will wind through more stunning views (of course stopping for pictures!)
4.
A welcome lunch break is taken in Apollo Bay at the end of the surf coast, you'll have plenty of time to explore this seaside community and eat from one of the many local cafe or pubs (at own expense). Once you have explored Apollo Bay, grabbed any souvenirs you wish to buy, or tasted some delicious ice cream then it is back on the bus to head inland to the Green Coast.
5.
till on the Great ocean Road but now continuing up into the lush green Otway’s we drive through towering Eucalyptus trees until we arrive at a patch of Cool Temperate Rainforest. You will be amazed at the difference in scenery as we take a walk through the tree ferns and, marvel at the ‘ancient relics’ – the Myrtle Beach trees that provide perfect canopy shade and originate from when Australia was part of a super continent known as Gondwanaland. Breath in the fresh air before we take a relaxing drive out to the dramatic Shipwreck Coast!
6. Loch Ard Gorge
Also in the National Park we head down to Loch Ard Gorge, site of one of Australia’s most well know shipwrecks, hear the dramatic tale of Tom and Eva and then head down to the beach to look for the caves. This is also where you will find rock formations such as Island Archway, Razorback and the ‘Salt and Pepper Shakers’ too.
7. Twelve Apostles
Once out of the trees and back by the Southern Ocean we arrive in Port Campbell National Park, home to the iconic 12 Apostles. We will spend about 40mins at the Apostles where you will enjoy free time to take in the views from every angle, walk along the boardwalks, and get the perfect pictures of this wild and rugged coastline.
8.
After a full day of exploring we say goodbye to the Great Ocean Road and turn back inland to drive back to Melbourne via country roads. We pass through farmlands en route to the country town of Colac, here you can grab a quick bite for dinner (at own expense)..
9. Melbourne
We return to Melbourne late in the evening, at approximately 8:00pm.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Philippa_W
The whole day was well organised and thoroughly enjoyable - I will carry the view of the 12 Apostles as the sun set with me forever.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-15 18:27:47

Posted By : Denise_T
This day tour was lots of fun! Our tour bus made many stops along the route and stayed long enough for everyone to take their beautiful photos! We stopped for lunch at a location that had lots of choices for a quick bite to eat. The highlight of the trip for me was stopping to see koalas high up in the treetops and getting a great picture of one!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-08 18:46:54

Posted By : Reynante_R
Ilkay our tour guide/driver is very good at what he do. He looked after us very well during the trip. Also very informative about our itinerary and we actually learned a lot from him. My son Reece also had fun riding the bus all day which we are quite surprised. He didn’t get bored even one bit. Ilkay is very entertaining and while he was telling us about the history he is also doing some trivia questions which my son loves the most. His choice of music is excellent as well. My family and I will give him very high rating for his service, well done! Highly recommend. Thank you for making our first great ocean tour safe, full of fun and memorable. Will definitely do it again. Thank you.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-07 21:59:22

Posted By : Nicole_V
We did the full day reverse tour with Aiden, who was a fantastic guide. He is Australian, calls Melbourne his home, and clearly loves his country and city! He shared much knowledge about the various sites throughout the day, which was great. When he dropped us off at the various places, he told us where to go in order to see certain things (that were of interest to us).

Aiden told us his favorite bakery in one town, and now I can't think of the bakeries name, but everything was fantastic! The owner gave us a small pie-like thing that had meat in it and potatoes on top--it was DELICIOUS!! The owner stated it was his father's recipe. I highly recommend it. I would go back simply to buy these again!!

The 12 Apostles were spectacular!! They are so majestic, and with the cliffs and water surrounding them, truly breathtaking.

We also had a small hike through a temperate rain forest (one of only a few in the world), where we saw Anne's Cascade. This mini waterfall was very pretty. The hike was easy to complete in the time allotted (we had 15 minutes to spare after the hike).

There were also ample bathroom stops throughout the day. And plenty of stops to get beverages, if needed. Take a reusable water bottle, as there were several places to fill.

Aiden also knew where to stop to see kaolas hanging out in trees (in the wild). It was pretty cool to see.

We also stopped and saw kangaroos in the wild.

The lunch provided was a variety of sandwiches and fruit (apples and bananas), and were very tasty. The options were cheese, chicken, ham and cheese, bologna, and maybe a vegan option. The sandwiches came from a bakery, and I thought the bread was delicious and the sandwich was very good!!

This is a great tour, and I think having a wonderful tour guide like Aiden really helps!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-05 19:25:37

Posted By : Cathrin_S
The Great Ocean Road is really a Place to visit. I would however recommend the reverse tour, because then you see the 12 Apostles in the morning with better light.
Unfortunately, the driver wasn't much of a pleasure. He hardly spoke to us and even nearly lost an Italian Couple because he only briefly announced the time slots we had at different stopping points in English, though knowing that they did not understand a word. Moreover, he did not give us any information about the places we visited.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-16 07:39:04

Posted By : jan_l
An amazing day! My first time in Melbourne and Australia ( from uk). The whole day was perfect with beautiful scenery and I learnt so much - especially the history of the road. Great lunch stop and walk through rainforest. Crowning glory of the 12 apostles. My special thanks to Craig and Barry for their help and excellent information at every point of the tour. Thankyou so much. Jan lewis
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-13 19:31:25

Posted By : Cheri_W
Our Guide/Driver Peter was great. Beautiful area / scenery . The bus seats were cramped and not very comfortable for a 12 hour tour. The WiFi did not work at all and only a USB port for charging. Overall a good tour and would recommend. Several people chronically late returning to the bus at every stop which decreased our time at the next stop.
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Posted On : 2024-06-08 16:09:49

Posted By : Joas_B
It was an amazing trip with my family. The great ocean road and 12 apostles tour is really a breathtaking. Also, to our tour guide/ driver (James) all I can say is THE BEST!! 👍👍
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-07 06:42:03

Posted By : Les_R
12 apostles had 35 mins out of a 13 hour tour - too much time at National Park for lunch could have used the time better
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-03 01:52:09

Posted By : Wendy_S
The entire experience was fantastic! Steve, our tour guide was awesome! The meeting place was easy to find, we left on the tour on time! We got back at a reasonable hour! And our tour guide Steve gave us just the exact amount of time needed at each location. Steve was also a very safe driver. Please make sure to tell Steve thank you very much.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-28 17:50:22