We took a tour in February 2022. Our guide was excellent and had perfect timing which allowed us to beat the crowds. There are quite a few stops but each was unique. Twelve Apostles were excellent. And we loved the quiet & majesty of the rainforest. Also saw quite a few koalas. Guide was fun, relaxed and very informative. We took another tour to Philip Island with the same company and with the same guide and head another five star experience. All together an amazing day & would definitely recommend.
Visit the Twelve Apostles
Koalas in the Wild
Visit Beaches on the Surf Coast
The Ultimate Great Ocean Road Itinerary in 1 Day
Come and explore Victoria’s Surf Coast and more must-see destinations near Melbourne. Enjoy a 12 Apostles tour, visit picturesque cities and townships along this world-famous coastline, and soak up the history of sites like the Loch Ard Gorge. There’s much more to the Great Ocean Road than just the photo opportunities, come and see for yourself!
Trip Details
Price
- Adult (16+): AUD $135
- Child (0-15): AUD $115
(Enquire for group discounts for groups of 5 people or more)
Use promo code BFDiscount to avoid additional booking fees
Pickup Time
7:00 – 8:00 AM
Meeting point
Inner-city pickup service from most accommodation providers and specified pickup points.
Availability
Daily
Duration
12 hours (return at 9 PM)
Group size
Maximum of 24 guests
Included
- Friendly, informative driver/guide
- Well-maintained, high-quality vehicles
- Morning tea at a beachside location
- All transfers in air-conditioned comfort
- All entry fees and taxes
- Access to our free translation app
- Free onboard Wi-Fi
Not Included
Meals other than stated
What to bring
- Dress appropriately for all weather conditions
- Snacks and a refillable water bottle
- Warm weather: sunscreen and a hat
- Winter: warm clothes and layers as coastal winds can make conditions quite cold
- Swimming costume if you want to take a dip
Good to Know
- Please note you must arrive at your pickup location at least 10 minutes prior to your allocated pickup time.
- No prams or strollers permitted.
- We are able to provide an infant seat (0-3 years) or a child booster seat (4-8 years) free of charge. Please note we have only a limited number available each day and they must be pre-booked. Contact us with your request and provide the age of your child along with your confirmation number and booking details.
- Download the Go West Tours app from the App Store or Google Play prior to your departure for access to our tour language commentary. Available in Arabic, Malay, Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, and Hindi.
Enjoy morning tea on the picturesque beaches of Victoria’s Surf Coast
Scenic drive along the Great Ocean Road
See the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park
Visit the Loch Ard Gorge, the site of the Loch Ard shipwreck
See koalas in their natural habitat in the eucalyptus forests of the Kennett River township
Visit the charming coastal township of Apollo Bay
What You’ll Do
Great Ocean Road tours are a highlight for most on their visit to Melbourne and our high-quality vehicles and excellent guides will make this a day to remember. Departing Melbourne at around 8.00 am, we enjoy panoramic views of the city and Port Phillip Bay as we cross the Westgate Bridge, Australia’s longest bridge at just under 2.6 kilometres in length. We pass by and learn a little about Victoria’s second-largest city, Geelong, as we make our way down towards the Surf Coast, with its enchanting beachside towns and powerful swells.
In Torquay, we stop for our first opportunity to visit the beach and to enjoy a complimentary morning tea. Departing Torquay, we set out along the Great Ocean Road itself, as your experienced driver-guide provides informative commentary about the road’s history and its place in Australian folklore.
The scenic journey along the Great Ocean Road is a highlight in itself, as we absorb some spectacular coastal scenery, with new views being revealed around every bend. We make plenty of scenic stops, including, of course, a photo opportunity at the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch at Eastern View.
At the township of Kennett River, we make a brief detour into the sweetly-scented eucalyptus forest to locate some of the local koalas in their native habitat. There is a large koala population here and numerous sightings are guaranteed! We also have an opportunity to see colourful local birdlife, including crimson rosellas and king parrots.
We then continue towards our lunch stop in Apollo Bay with another photo stop at Cape Patton on the way. After lunch, we follow the Great Ocean Road away from the ocean and into the mountains. The tour proceeds through the impressive Otway Ranges, where we stop to enjoy a stroll in the cool temperate rainforest. Here our guide accompanies the group through the forest, where we stop to learn a little about the world’s tallest flowering trees and other ancient rainforest species.
And then it’s onwards to the world-famous Port Campbell National Park and its iconic array of rock formations. You’ll be awestruck by the majestic monoliths of the Twelve Apostles. Here we also have the opportunity to take to the air with an optional helicopter flight ($145 per person).
For those guests who don’t take to the air, a further stop is possible at Gibsons Steps. Here, guests can descend the steps to Gibsons Beach below for beach level views of two of the Twelve Apostles.
Just down the road is the heart of the Shipwreck Coast, the Loch Ard Gorge where 52 lives were lost and only 2 souls survived the wreck of the Loch Ard in 1878. Your guide will recount the legend of the Loch Ard, bringing the gorge to life in a way you never imagined. We take time to explore here, with more rock formations to see, including the Razorback, the Dumpling Pots and the delightful Island Archway.
A dinner stop is made on the journey back to Melbourne before enjoying a stunning view of the illuminated city as we cross the Westgate Bridge again. With drop off right back to your inner city accommodation, you’ll remember this day as a true highlight of your Australian holiday.
FAQs for the Great Ocean Road Tour
You certainly don’t need to bring food with you on tour, but you can if you wish!
We make a lunch stop in the town of Apollo Bay (where the famous local delicacy is the scallop pie from the bakery) and a dinner stop in the town of Colac. In each of these towns there are lots of different eateries from which you can purchase a meal at reasonable prices.
We don’t allocate any specific time to swimming, as most of our guests don’t want to swim during their tour, but whenever the tour stops at a beach location you can have a dip. Please speak to your guide on the day as they will be able to advise you of the safe locations to swim. If you’re keen to swim, feel free to bring your swimming costume and a towel with you on the day in case the opportunity arises.
We make a dedicated visit to the town of Kennett River where a colony of wild koalas live nearby. Koalas can be found in the eucalyptus forest surrounding the town every day of the year!
Kangaroos, while very populous in the area, are not guaranteed. You may spot them bounding through the fields, so keep your eyes peeled!
We do not encourage the feeding of wild animals as it can be harmful to their natural behaviour and well-being. Often, the food used is the equivalent of junk food resulting in an unhealthy diet and, in some cases, making the animals sick. Animals that have been regularly fed by humans come to expect it and in the long term, this reduces their ability to forage for food.
We make a dinner break of about 30 minutes duration in the regional town of Colac. Guests can purchase meals from several local eateries here.
This tour typically arrives back in Melbourne at about 8:45 pm. Upon arrival back in the city, your guide will drop off guests in the most efficient manner they can manage.
Have more questions?
Reviews From Our Previous Guests
If you don’t have much time at hand and still want to see it all, the Great Ocean Road day tour is the trip for you. Chris went above and beyond to make our tour memorable and to give us an insight on the places we saw. He was cheerful, upbeat and that translated into the atmosphere on the bus. It will be an intense day, so make sure to go well-rested. There’s plenty of opportunity to get off the bus and take photos or just soak in the landscape. We were lucky enough to even see a kangaroo on our way back!
Rachael was a helpful and passionate tour guide. She remembered all our names and where we came from just in a morning! She gave us detailed and interesting information to all places we visited. She helped us to took good pictures as well as recommended restaurants for our lunch and dinner. Amazing service & highly recommended!
Red was THE best tour guide and completely made the trip….and it’s a long ride so for him to keep us all entertained, educated about his home country and having fun is something special! I met a lot of great fellow travellers on my ride that I remain in contact with and ran into some locals to have lunch with at our lunch stop for a Sausage Roll and a Scallop Pie. Needless to bring up the great views on this trip, even with some fog in the air it was gorgeous! Thanks for an awesome day Go West Tours!
