Great Ocean Road Full-Day Tour
About this activity
Skip the line - Do not wait in line at the entrance
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- This activity is in your language
- This option has FREE cancellation: book it without any risk!
Experience Highlights
Explore Australia's most famous coastline in a single day with this 13-hour 'reverse itinerary' Great Ocean Road tour: we travel inland at dawn to reach the Twelve Apostles before the big coaches and wind our way back along the ocean. Transport is by premium minibus for up to 11 passengers, with English-speaking guide and pick-up from central Melbourne hotels.
- Book your place and avoid the crowds at the most iconic viewpoints.
- Enjoy a scenic tour including Loch Ard Gorge, Apollo Bay and the Memorial Arch
- Relax on board with wifi, water and live commentary without worrying about the road
What’s included
- Transport in premium minibus with wifi, air conditioning and bottled water
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide, live commentary and pick-up/drop-off at CBD hotels
- Stops and free time at Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Gibson Steps, Apollo Bay, Maits Rest, Kennett River, Memorial Arch and Lorne
- National park conservation fees
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Step by Step
As soon as you leave Melbourne the vehicle takes the inland highway to Colac, saving time to reach the coast first thing in the morning. The first sight of the day is the towering Twelve Apostles, bathed in soft morning light; your guide leads you along cliff walkways as he explains how the limestone was sculpted into solitary spires by wind and wave action. Nearby await Loch Ard Gorge, The Razorback and Gibson Steps, three stops that combine shipwreck stories with towering 70-metre-high walls.
As the rest of the tours begin to arrive, you're already rolling east. The road skirts centuries-old eucalyptus trees and golden sandy bays, with a break at Apollo Bay for lunch on your own: fish & chips in front of the harbour or a flat white overlooking the Cape Otway lighthouse. Afterwards, a short walk through the Maits Rest rainforest reveals moss mats, giant fougères and the melody of the kookaburras.
The afternoon brings wildlife encounters; at Kennett River the guide points out koalas dozing in eucalyptus trees and pink cockatoos flitting in search of fruit. Further along, the iconic Memorial Arch marks the symbolic entrance to the Great Ocean Road, built by soldiers returning from WWI. Panoramic curves give postcards of cliffs plunging into the Tasman Sea, as the sun sets on the sands of Lorne and the surfers of the headland.
Back in Melbourne at dusk, the van glides along the Princes Highway with wifi on board to share the last photos. A full day alternating wild nature, seaside towns and local crafts without the stress of conventional tours.
