Great Ocean Road 12 Apostles & Rainforest Walk with Morning Tea
Description
Travel along the world-famous Great Ocean Road on an unforgettable day trip from Melbourne, packed with iconic sights and hidden coastal gems. This legendary stretch of road is renowned for its dramatic scenery, surf beaches, native wildlife, lush rainforests, and powerful Southern Ocean views. Spot wild koalas in their natural habitat, wander beneath towering trees, and soak up the relaxed coastal vibe in charming seaside towns like Apollo Bay. Discover the rugged beauty of the Shipwreck Coast, explore the stunning Loch Ard Gorge, and take in sweeping ocean views from the very best lookouts within Port Campbell National Park. With time to enjoy beautiful beaches, short walks, and photo stops along the way, this experience offers the perfect balance of must-see highlights and immersive exploration—making it an ideal choice for travellers wanting to see more than just the postcards.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Get ready—our adventure begins soon! The bus is on its way, so grab your gear, feel the excitement, and let's hit the road! 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.
Enjoy morning tea and wildlife sightings from Serendip Sanctuary located west of Melbourne on the road down to the Great Ocean Road.
As we leave Melbourne we bypass the second largest city in Victoria, known as Geelong.
Explore the Great Ocean Road
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!)
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!
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.
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!
Also in the National Park we head down to Loch Ard Gorge, site of one of Australia’s most well known shipwrecks, hear the dramatic tale of Tom and Eva and beach views. This is also where you will find rock formations such as Island Archway, Razorback and the ‘Salt and Pepper Shakers’ too.
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.
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)..
As we roll back to your pick-up point, sit back, relax, and relive the magic of the day—full of epic sights, laughs, and unforgettable moments. We return to Melbourne late in the evening, at approximately 8:00pm.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not suitabled for wheelchairs, prams or stroller accessible, please do not bring on tour as you will be asked to leave at the hotel.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- For this tour we have a translation app that can translate all guide commentary to the languages listed above. The traveler just needs to ask their guide or request this on the date of departure and we can advise them of how to download and listen.
Reviews(553)
One of the most scenic and vibrant landscapes you can ever find will greet you and captivate your senses on this tour - which is a not to be missed for those planning a trip to Melbourne. Very professionally managed by Viator and very competent and knowledgeable guidance by Anthony. From Angelsea, Apollo Bay, right upto the 12 Apostles. In between the tour was mase more fascinating by walking through Rainforests and catching a glimpse of kangaroos/Koalas atop trees and rare bird sightings. It was thoroughly emjoyable along the entire scenic stretch.
Thrilled you found the tour scenic and well‑guided. Anthony will be pleased to know he made your trip memorable.
I had an absolutely fantastic experience on this day tour! My cousin and I joined the tour not knowing exactly what to expect, but it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. A big part of that was thanks to Joe, who was both our host and driver for the day. Joe was incredibly friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. From the moment we started, he made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. He shared interesting stories and local insights throughout the journey, which made every stop even more meaningful. You could tell he genuinely cares about giving guests a great experience.
Thank you for joining our Great Ocean Road & Rainforest tour! We’re delighted Joe’s friendliness, professionalism, and local insights made the journey so special. It’s wonderful to know his care and storytelling turned the day into one of your trip highlights, we’d love to welcome you back for more adventures!
Departed at 7.30am and returned at 8pm. Of the 12.5 hours, over 9 hours were spent on the coach. We had 30 minutes here, 15 minutes there, 20 mins for lunch (a sandwich and piece of fruit, but nothing to drink). The number of places crammed in was too much. It would be better to reduce the number so we could have spent a couple of hours at Apollo Bay and an hour or so at other places. Instead it was a long tedius coach ride, feeling like cattle being rushed from place to place and no time to enjoy anything. One little girl on our trip slept most of the day out of pure boredom. I felt very sorry for her. Never take a child on this trip, it was bad enough for us adults
Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We sincerely apologize that the trip did not meet your expectations and that you felt rushed and overwhelmed by the schedule. We understand how important it is to have adequate time to enjoy each location and to experience the journey comfortably, especially when traveling with children. Your comments will help us review and improve our itineraries to ensure a better balance between sightseeing and relaxation. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to provide a more enjoyable experience in the future.
A really enjoyable trip with an enthusiastic and helpful guide. The tour took us to a lot of places it would have been difficult to get to myself and, being in the tour bus, meant I could focus on enjoying the view rather than worrying about driving. Would recommend this tour. The sights we stopped off at were great.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the trip and appreciated our enthusiastic and helpful guide. It's wonderful to know that the tour allowed you to relax and fully enjoy the sights without any worries. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
I really enjoyed this trip. It’s a long day but our guide was very knowledgeable and was able to tell us lots about the different sites we saw along the coast. It was great to be able to see a bit more of the area.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the trip and appreciated our guide's knowledge and insights. We agree, exploring more of the area makes the long day worthwhile, and we're glad you had a great experience. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future!
Fantastic tour hosted by Anthony. He was very knowledgeable and caring. Thanks for a great day especially seeing a live koala. C & A
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear Anthony’s knowledge and caring nature made your Great Ocean Road experience so memorable. Spotting a live koala is always such a treat, we’re thrilled you got to enjoy that special moment. We’ll be sure to share your feedback with Anthony!
The natural beauty of the Southern Victorian coastline mixed in with a great tour guide. Sean was full of knowledge and had an authentic Aussie sense of humour... A great full day of touring
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted you enjoyed the stunning Southern Victorian coastline and the 12 Apostles with us. Sean will be thrilled to know his knowledge and Aussie humour made the day even more memorable. We look forward to welcoming you on another adventure soon!
As an American, we refer to LeBron James as the greatest athlete of all time (GOAT) in his respective field. Little did I know there was another goat James serving as a tour guide in Melbourne Australia! James was an amazing guide, very quippy, provided lots of relevant historical information in such a fun, easily understandable way and also seemed quite sensible and caring over the 30+ guests that he oversaw. The sightseeing was also spectacular, we spotted koalas, ate great food recommended by James (who is an ex-chef with great taste) and the other sights were stunningly beautiful. I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Australia!
It sounds like you had an incredible experience with James in Melbourne! Discovering that there's another GOAT James serving as a tour guide must have been a fun surprise. It’s fantastic to hear that he was not only knowledgeable and informative but also witty, caring, and attentive to all 30+ guests. The sightseeing, koala spotting, and delicious food recommendations from his chef background definitely added to the trip’s magic. Thanks for sharing your glowing recommendation-sounds like a tour I’d love to join!
Yesterday I did the Great Ocean Road tour with tour guide James. The views we re excellent and my friends and I got a lot of good shots throughout the trip. The tour itself was very nice but James made it that much more enjoyable. The stories he told were relevant and interesting, and added good context for someone who has never been to Australia. I am glad we had James as our tour guide and hope that I can get a tour guide as entertaining and informative as him the next time I do a tour!
It sounds like you had an amazing experience on the Great Ocean Road tour with James! The stunning views and great photo opportunities must have made it truly memorable. It's wonderful to hear that James's stories and insights added so much value to the trip, making it even more enjoyable and informative. Having a guide like him really can make all the difference. Hopefully, your next tour will be just as entertaining and insightful! Thanks for sharing your experience.
It was absolutely great experience! The tour guide, Peter was so knowledgeable, friendly, helpful! We truly appreciate him.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted you had a great experience, and Peter will be thrilled to hear your feedback.
