Great Ocean Road & 12 Apostles Small-Group Tour
Description
Experience one of Australia’s most iconic coastal journeys on a small-group Great Ocean Road day tour from Melbourne. With an early departure designed to help avoid the busiest crowds, you can enjoy a more relaxed day, better photo opportunities and more time to take in the beauty of the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Gibson Steps and the Great Ocean Road coastline. Travel in comfort with a friendly local guide as you journey along this world-famous coastal route, stopping at seaside towns, rainforest walks and wildlife viewing areas along the way. This full-day tour is designed to show you more than just the famous photo stops, with a well-paced itinerary that includes dramatic limestone cliffs, ocean views, lush Otway rainforest and the stories that make this region so special. With a Melbourne-based team, knowledgeable guides and comfortable small-group touring, Explore Australia Tours makes the Great Ocean Road feel easy, memorable and full of local insight.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your Great Ocean Road journey with a stop in the relaxed coastal town of Anglesea. Stretch your legs, enjoy the ocean air and get ready for one of Victoria’s most scenic touring routes. This a break to buy some coffee/breakfast (own expenses)
Stop for photos at the famous Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch, one of the most recognised landmarks along the route and a tribute to the returned soldiers who helped build this iconic coastal road.
Travel along one of Australia’s most beautiful coastal drives, with sweeping ocean views, cliffside roads, beaches, seaside towns and plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
Visit one of the best-known wildlife spotting areas on the Great Ocean Road. Keep your eyes open for koalas in the trees and colourful native birds in the surrounding bushland.
As we drive through Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road, be captivated by the town's coastal charm and stunning vistas. Surrounded by rolling hills and pristine beaches, this picturesque destination offers a delightful blend of nature, relaxation, and coastal vibes.
Step into the cool, green rainforest of the Great Otway National Park. This easy walk takes you through towering trees, giant ferns and ancient forest that adds a completely different side to the Great Ocean Road experience.
Scenic drive through Otway National Park, surrounded by majestic ancient trees, showcasing the park's natural beauty and tranquility.
Pause for lunch (at own expense) in a regional town and enjoy time to relax before continuing towards the dramatic limestone coastline of Port Campbell National Park.
Visit the world-famous 12 Apostles, the most iconic stop on the Great Ocean Road. Take in the dramatic limestone stacks, ocean views and rugged coastline from the viewing platforms.
Explore one of the most beautiful and historic stops along the Shipwreck Coast. Loch Ard Gorge is known for its towering cliffs, turquoise water, coastal views and fascinating shipwreck story.
When conditions allow, walk down towards the beach for a powerful view of the cliffs and limestone formations from sea level. This is one of the most memorable photo stops on the Great Ocean Road.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your pickup time may differ from the time shown on your voucher. Explore Australia Tours will contact you via email shortly after booking to confirm your exact pickup time. Pickup locations are selected at the time of booking: 6:00am – Mercure Melbourne Southbank, 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank 6:10am – Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne 6:15am – Her Majesty's Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 6:30am - Mail Exchange Hotel, 688 Bourke Street, Melbourne All tours are conducted in English. Guests can access pre-recorded audio and written tour information in 16 languages by downloading the free Explore Australia Language Translation App from Google Play or the App Store prior to departure. Your guide will provide a code on the day to unlock the content. Please bring your own headphones. Tours operate rain or shine. Estimated return time for the Great Ocean Road Day Tour is between 18:30 and 19:30.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We do have child seats for 4 – 7 years old upon request
Reviews(30)
Fabulous day out. Lots to see . Lauchie guide very relaxed and lots of interesting information
Janet, what a fabulous review! 😊 We are so delighted you had a fantastic day exploring with Lachie. It is great to hear you appreciated his relaxed style and the wealth of interesting information he shared. Such insights truly make a difference in enhancing the tour experience. Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we hope to see you again for another exciting adventure with Explore Australia Tours! 🚂🐨
Despite the tour being a very long day, I was so glad I had done it and loved the fact we were a small group of 11 in a comfortable mini bus, driven by our brilliant guide Anthony who set the tone for the entire day with his welcoming, friendly demeanour and and knowledge. Just enough time was had at all the stops, toilet breaks were plentiful, and you could be sure we never missed sightings of kualas or kangaroos as Anthony always managed to spot them, often from afar. It is definitely a trip where you get to see so many different aspects the stunning state of Victoria has to offer, from beautiful small ocean towns, to stunning rain forests, culminating in the magnificent 12 Apostles and the even more stunning Loch Ard Gorge. Inspite of the early start, the GOR is a must see trip in my opinion. Just make sure you have comfortable walking shoes! Please convey my thanks to Anthony. He is a natural at what he does!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. We are thrilled to hear that your Great Ocean Road trip was one of the best days out during your time in Melbourne. It sounds like you really enjoyed seeing the variety of Victoria, from the charming coastal towns to the rainforests, and of course the magnificent 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. We are so pleased that the small group size and comfortable mini bus added to your experience, and that Anthony was able to make the day so welcoming and memorable. We will be sure to pass on your thanks to him as he will be delighted to hear your kind words. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed every part of the tour and we hope to welcome you on another Explore Australia Tours adventure soon.
The trip description is inaccurate. On our trip the itinerary was in reverse (not as advertised) and we did not stop at Kennett River, Lavers Hill or Gibsons Steps. However we did stop at Apollo Bay. Our tour guide was not very engaging, I learnt little about the history of the land we were on or the aboriginal custodians. At the stops it seemed other tour groups were receiving more information than us. Several times our guide told us he would share more information later but just...never did. This meant the stops felt long considering we weren't given information so were just taking photos. As a general note it's worth saying that on a bus tour you don't get the same vistas of the Great Ocean Road as you would if driving yourself in a car.
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that your experience on the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour did not meet your expectations and that aspects of the day felt underwhelming. While our itineraries are carefully planned, the order of stops and inclusions can occasionally change due to factors outside our control such as road conditions, maintenance, weather or natural events. Our intention is always to ensure guest safety and maximise the overall experience on the day. That said, we understand how disappointing it can be when the tour does not run exactly as advertised and certain stops are missed. We will be reviewing this internally to ensure our tour descriptions are clear and accurately reflect possible variations. We are particularly concerned to hear your feedback regarding the level of commentary and engagement from the guide. Providing informative, engaging and respectful commentary, including sharing the history of the land and acknowledging Aboriginal custodians, is an important part of our tours. It is disappointing to learn this was not delivered to the standard we expect, and your comments will be followed up with our guiding team to ensure this is addressed. We also appreciate your honest note about the nature of bus touring along the Great Ocean Road. While guided tours offer convenience and access to key highlights, we understand they can feel different to travelling by car, and we value you sharing this perspective for future travellers. Thank you again for your feedback. It is invaluable in helping us improve our tours and the experiences we provide. We hope we have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and deliver a more engaging and memorable experience.
Our guide looked at the weather forecast for the day and determined, on our approval, that it would be best to do the tour in the “reverse” order to miss afternoon weather that was projected. This turned out to be the best decision as our weather was perfect all day. The sights are spectacular, the long ride is broken up with a cafe stop in the morning, a lunch break, and a chocolate shop stop later. Along the whole ride (all day) our guide shared historical information and stories about Australia, he was very entertaining and engaging. We experienced the sandstone formations along the great ocean road, a rainforest, and the ocean road itself. We extended our New Zealand trip for a return to Australia just for this tour and visiting friends. This did not disappoint.
Thank you for your amazing review. We are delighted you enjoyed the Full Day Tour of Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles from Melbourne, from the spectacular sandstone formations and rainforest to the scenic ocean road. We are glad the reverse itinerary worked perfectly and that your guide’s stories made the day entertaining and engaging.
If you want to see a rainforest, koalas, kangaroos, scenic ocean roads, walk on the beach topped off seeing the 12 apostles Darren is your man. His associate, Stewart was bonus time for us as well. Highly recommend this outing!!
So happy to hear you had such a wonderful experience on the Great Ocean Road tour. Darren and Stewart will both be delighted to know they made the day special for you. It sounds like you enjoyed a perfect mix of wildlife, rainforest and breathtaking coastal views. Thank you for the recommendation.
We did the reverse trip and managed to see the attractions before the crowds started to grow. Beautiful views, amazing experience. The driver and tour guide, Mark, is the best. He was excellent throughout the 12 hour day. 5 stars for him.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are so glad you enjoyed the reverse Great Ocean Road tour — it is such a great way to beat the crowds and soak in the beautiful views in a more relaxed way. Mark will be absolutely delighted to hear your kind words. He puts so much care into each tour, and it is wonderful to know it made your day so special. We hope to see you on another tour soon!
Andy was our guide and was great. He was very knowledgeable about all the areas that we covered. He had a lot of unique stories that he shared.
Thank you for your kind review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your Great Ocean Road tour with Andy. His knowledge and unique stories truly make the journey special. We hope to see you on another adventure soon!
What a great day out! Beautiful scenery and top stops with expert local knowledge. Thanks so much Gary for showing us around!
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the Great Ocean Road and the expert local knowledge Gary shared. We will be sure to pass along your appreciation to him. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!
Nice trip around the coastal way, with beautiful location, good roads, and comfortable transportation. The best pictures!
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We are glad to hear you enjoyed the coastal journey and that the scenic locations and comfortable transportation contributed to your experience. We hope the photos turned out as amazing as the views! Looking forward to having you on another trip soon!
Superb itinerary with splendid scenery accompanied by our guide Gary who was perfect in punctuating the journey with many stops and details. I highly recommend because it is an indispensable outing to do in Melbourne.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience on the Full Day Tour of the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles. The splendid scenery along this iconic route truly makes it a getaway not to be missed, and we are delighted that Gary’s expertise and perfectly planned stops added so much to your journey. Thank you for recommending this tour as a must-do in Melbourne. We hope to welcome you back on another memorable adventure soon!
