How To Choose a Great Ocean Road Tour

The standard Great Ocean Road tour travels southwest from Melbourne, passing through Geelong, before joining the road that heads west through places such as Great Otway National Park and Loch Ard Gorge, and then ends at Port Campbell, looping back to Melbourne. This route makes logical sense, but you’ll encounter crowds and traffic along the way, as it’s what most people do.

A “reverse” Great Ocean Road tour, on the other hand, makes an early start from Melbourne and heads to the “end” of the road first. This is one of the best Twelve Apostles sightseeing tips—’spend the day traveling east toward Melbourne, thus going against the traffic, and visit one of the most popular attractions early on.

Australia is a popular destination for young backpackers from around the world, and many flock to Melbourne or base themselves there while on a working holiday visa. If you’re part of the 18–35-year-old backpacker set and don’t have your own vehicle for road-trip adventures, join a guided day tour from Melbourne that specifically caters to this age group. Spend the day with like-minded fellow backpackers, possibly making new friends, while checking off the highlights of the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road passes through some beautiful natural areas, but you won’t necessarily see wildlife from the seat of your vehicle. Consider joining a tour that veers slightly off the beaten path to increase your chances of spotting koalas and wildlife.

While many tours skirt past the Great Otway National Park without entering it, join an excursion that includes time in the park for a chance to stretch your legs and learn about local ecology. You may see koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, platypus, ringtailed possums, and various bird species. This is also a great option for some Great Ocean Road photography opportunities.

A private Great Ocean Road tour for families may be the way to go if you’d rather not subject yourself (or strangers) to endless queries of “are we there yet?” from the back. A private excursion in a comfortable vehicle allows you to customize the itinerary to best suit your group’s needs, stop wherever you like, and mitigate any problems with car sickness, travel boredom, or backseat bickering. Plus, you'll be able to give your kids time to run on the beaches, stop to look for animals, and even tuck into a fish and chips lunch at Apollo Bay.

Road trips, by definition, can take a while. If you don’t have a full day to spend trundling along the coastal road in a car or bus, consider joining a helicopter sightseeing flight over the Great Ocean Road region instead. Take off from the Twelve Apostles and fly over the dramatic cliffy coastline as you make your way back to Melbourne. The best part? You'll be back in the city by the afternoon, leaving plenty of time for city sightseeing or a relaxed dinner.

Although you can complete the Great Ocean Road in one day, it's certainly a long day from Melbourne; to break up the journey, book a 2-day tour instead. Taking your time also allows you to fit in other nearby attractions, such as Grampians National Park in western Victoria, where you can explore waterfalls, hiking trails, and scenic lookouts. The convenient 2-day travel itinerary for Victoria makes for an ideal weekend away from Melbourne.

Most Great Ocean Road tours start and end in Melbourne, and that’s fine if you’re staying in the city. But Australia is a huge country, so it makes sense to travel along the Great Ocean Road while en route to other destinations. You don’t need your own vehicle to do this: this tour starts in Melbourne and ends in Adelaide, 450 miles (725 kilometers) to the west.

It’s a long way, but you can minimize the time spent sitting in the car each day by spreading the journey over four days. As well as the highlights of the Great Ocean Road, stop at South Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed Naracoorte Caves and the Mt. Gambier Blue Lake and sinkholes along the way.

Road tripping in Victoria, Australia, is fun, but few would describe it as adrenaline-inducing, thanks to the well-maintained roads. Skydiving over the Great Ocean Road, however? That’s the way to experience the beautiful natural landscapes while getting the thrill of your life.

Head to Connewarre, just south of Geelong, and fly up to 15,000 feet (4,600 meters). Then, get strapped to an instructor and take a moment to appreciate the view over Bells Beach before leaping out of the plane. Once you’ve opened your parachute, you’ll have the freedom to look around you, up and down the coast and along the Great Ocean Road—and beyond.

You don’t need to join a group tour to travel along this scenic road, as it’s ideal for independent itineraries. However, when self-driving the Great Ocean Road, you often end up focusing on the road, missing attractions off to the side or not fully understanding the significance of everything you see.

A self-guided audio driving tour via an app is a great way to get the best of both worlds: you can go at your own pace, stopping and starting wherever you like, while still benefiting from guided commentary. Your GPS location triggers the app, so your hands are totally free to drive.

Although it’s a road tour route, the Great Ocean Road offers some wonderful options for keen hikers. This 4-day guided hiking tour spends each night at the Cape Otway Lightstation and ventures out onto trails of between 5–10 miles (8–16 kilometers) each day. The hikes are easy to moderate, so ideal for keen walkers who want a bit of a challenge without getting worn out. This is a great way to visit some of the most scenic lookouts on the Great Ocean Road without the car traffic, and the tour also includes three meals per day to keep you fueled for outdoor adventures.