Private Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne





Description
The Great Ocean Road is rightly considered to be one of the most picturesque ocean roads in the world. The culmination of your 12-hour trip will be visiting another of Australia’s icons, The Twelve Apostles. Apart from breathtaking ocean views, you will get a chance to see koalas in the wild, as well as hand-feed parrots.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This famous beach for surfers will allow you to marvel at the fantastic panoramic view of the shoreline. Watch the beautiful Australian waves being tackled by talented surf lovers. After a stop at this iconic beach, we will then take you towards the amazing Great Ocean Road.
We invite you to visit the Great Ocean Road chocolate factory, where you can try some outstanding coffee or tea with brilliant desserts and an endless selection of chocolate, made from cocoa beans from all over the world. Don’t forget to sample the local ice-cream, which is made on site.
Another landmark that should not be missed is the geographic border between the great Pacific and Indian oceans. This point is located at the Split Point Lighthouse which you will pass before the stop to take some memorable pictures in front of the memorial arch.
Your journey will then take you through the little town of Lorne, where we can stop to have a look from Teddy’s Lookout observation platform. The view of the Great Ocean Road, winding along the coastline at the foot of the hills, cloaked in thick eucalyptus forest will leave you speechless.
Apart from the scenic views, our tour includes the chance to see Australia’s favourite animal, the Koala, only this time, in the open wilderness.
You will dine on delicious fresh fish meals. Vegetarian or gluten-free meals are available for those who aren’t seafood fans.
12 Apostles lookout
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up from private addresses
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A maximum of 11 people per booking
Reviews(49)
It was worth every penny. We traveled as a large group of 11, spanning several generations from 2 to 80 years old. Max was an understanding and fair guide; he was easy to talk to and very open-minded. He provided a wealth of information and remained professional yet friendly throughout the trip. A few highlights that really stood out: Proactive Service: He took care of all our luggage without us even having to ask. Great with Kids: He truly understands the needs of children, which made our family trip much smoother. Expert Planning: He had a clear understanding of the local weather patterns. When it started to rain, he proactively swapped our itinerary to ensure we saved the main highlights for a day with better weather, allowing us to fully enjoy the outdoor activities. We couldn't have asked for a better experience
Dear Pachy, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are very happy to be useful and truly glad to be at your service. Your family is great, and it was a real pleasure to travel with all of you. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Great Ocean Road tour and that the experience was smooth and memorable for everyone. We would love to see you again on a future trip.
Although we did get to see the places on the itinerary the guide Neil was unable to be understood. My brother actually had to show him how to set up the amplifier. The van itself had seats that were extremely small (we are not heavy people) and were very uncomfortable. The retractable step to exit the van did not work 95% of the time. He did not seem familiar with the vehicle. My sister actually almost fell when trying to exit when the step did not come out. None of the sites were truly explained since Neil had trouble speaking. He had at least 10 personal calls while he continued to drive. His instructions regarding the time in each place was very vague. We had been told by friends that this was a must do excursion and we all exited and looking forward to a wonderful day. . It turned out to be terrible! We were 7 in our group and each of us were totally disappointed! I have never written a bad review but I do believe you should be aware of this fiasco. I believe we deserve compensation for this abomination!
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are genuinely very sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We are particularly concerned to hear about the issues you raised regarding the vehicle, the retractable step, and the clarity of communication during the tour. Guest safety, comfort, and clear commentary are fundamental to our service, and it is disappointing to learn that we did not meet those standards on this occasion. Your comments regarding the phone calls and time management at stops are also being taken seriously. Please be assured that this feedback has been shared with our operations team so that we can investigate the matters raised and prevent similar situations in the future. We understand how much anticipation goes into a special day out, especially when travelling as a group, and we truly regret that the experience did not meet your expectations.
This tour along the Great Ocean Road was absolutely incredible — truly one of the highlights of my trip! Maxim picked me up right on time from my hotel in a very comfortable vehicle, which made the long scenic drive relaxing and enjoyable from the very beginning. Along the way, he shared fascinating stories about Australian history, making the journey as interesting as the destinations themselves. We visited some of the most iconic and breathtaking locations, including Bells Beach, the monument honoring the veterans who built the road, the historic lighthouse, and of course the magnificent Twelve Apostles. In addition to the main stops, Maxim frequently pulled over at the most scenic viewpoints so I could take beautiful photos — which made the experience feel very personal and unhurried. One of the most special parts of the day was spotting wild koalas resting in eucalyptus trees — we stopped several times to observe them in their natural habitat. On the way back, we also drove to see wild kangaroos, and passed through pastoral landscapes with farming areas and charming small towns, which added a lovely glimpse into regional Australia. What made the tour truly exceptional was Maxim’s depth of knowledge and enthusiasm. He didn’t just talk about Australian history — he explained the geological origins of the dramatic rock formations, discussed important military events that influenced Asia’s history, and even shared insights about Australia’s modern economy. The conversations were thoughtful, engaging, and intellectually stimulating. The entire day was beautifully paced, informative, and inspiring. I learned so much while seeing some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. Highly recommended — and especially with Maxim as your guide!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was an absolute pleasure sharing the Great Ocean Road with you. I really enjoyed our conversations as well — thank you for making the day so engaging and memorable. You’re always welcome back for another adventure!
Great tour, the 12 apostles is a sight not to be missed, totally worth the long ride. Two thumbs up for this tour
Thank you!
The driver was very polite and attentive! The walk is well worth it! The landscapes are beautiful and the 12 Apostles are worth every penny!
¡Muchas gracias por tu encantadora reseña! Nos alegra saber que la experiencia valió cada centavo y esperamos darte la bienvenida nuevamente en otro tour con nosotros en el futuro 😊 Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re glad the experience was worth every cent for you and hope to welcome you back on another tour with us in the future
Absolute amazing trip. Richard was a wonderful guide. Recommend this trip to everyone. So much was seen in one day.
Dear David. Thank you so much for your kind words! We're delighted to hear you had such an amazing experience on your Great Ocean Road tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another Bilby Tours adventure soon!
We booked the private tour thinking that it would provide flexibility. The tour was very good, but also followed a very specific itinerary. While we highly recommend the tour, we wish our guide had listened more to our requests for what to see. We could have skipped the lighthouse and some of the other quick stops along the way. Part of the reason we chose the private tour was because we’d read others’ reviews of more customized tours. Our favorite stop was the very last one, which was just past the twelve apostles. Seeing the kangaroos was amazing! Our guide was very friendly and worked hard to give us a great experience.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. It's great to know that your guide was friendly and dedicated to making your day memorable. That said, we genuinely appreciate your comments regarding the itinerary and flexibility. While our private tours follow a thoughtfully designed route to maximise scenic highlights, we want our guests to feel empowered to personalise their journey. We're sorry to hear that this wasn't fully reflected during your tour. We will discuss this with our team to ensure our guides are even more attentive to guests' preferences moving forward. Thank you again for your honest review. Your insights help us grow and ensure that we're delivering the flexible, tailored experiences for which we're known.
Had a wonderful time! Andrew, our driver, was such a kind and insightful person. The trip was well planned out by the organizers giving us a 10/10 experience
Dear Olivia, Thank you for sharing another lovely review! We're delighted to hear that you had a 10/10 experience on the Great Ocean Road tour. Andrew will be delighted to know he helped make your day so special once again. It means a lot to us that both of your trips felt well-planned and enjoyable.
Our guide was Milan, he was one of the best tour guides that we’ve had by comparison of many trips around the world that we have taken. His deep knowledge having traveled this route for many years - with his family and his friends - from when he was young man doing everything from scuba diving to camping to wildlife watching was demonstrated by his knowledge of where to go - what to do - and when to do it.
Dear Michael, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. We're absolutely thrilled to hear that Milan made such a strong impression — he truly is a gem, and we’re lucky to have him on our team. We hope your travels continue to be filled with memorable adventures, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime you're exploring more of Victoria.
The best driver/guide tour I have had anywhere in the world I have traveled to but 2 continents. Richard’s knowledge and willingness to share was fantastic. This could have been a 12-14 hr tour but he was able to adjust stops and time spent so we could do the tour in 10.5 hours without missing the major points of interest.
Dear Theresa. Thank you so much for your glowing review and 100% recommendation! We’ll surely pass your kind words to Richard — he’ll be delighted! Wishing you many more incredible journeys ahead, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Victoria soon. Regards, Max



