Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Melbourne, Australia
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the Great Ocean Road’s top attractions on this guided excursion that follows the iconic road in reverse. Embark on your journey and beat the crowds while learning about the region’s scenic landscapes and pretty coastal towns from an informative guide. Visit sites including the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Apollo Bay, and Gibson Steps.
- Explore Victoria’s Great Ocean Road on an all-day reverse tour
- Discover the region’s history and culture with a knowledgeable local guide
- Get going early and enjoy a small-group experience that beats the crowds
- Experience 12 Apostles, Great Otway, Apollo Bay, and other sites
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
An early start and reverse route means you beat the crowds to the Twelve Apostles.
What's Included
- National Park fees
- Live commentary on board
- Professional guide
- Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
- Guaranteed to skip the long lines
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Bottled water
- Multilingual Interactive Audio Guide + a complimentary Melbourne City Self-Guided Audio Guide Tour
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
For your convenience, our pickup locations are available within 15 minutes walking distance from any point in Melbourne CBD. 1. At 6:30 am from 196 Flinders Street – Opposite Federation Square, and near Flinders St Station 2. At 6:40 am from 313 La Trobe Street – Near Melbourne Central Station 3. At 6:50 am from 44 Spencer Street – The Great Southern Hotel, near Southern Cross Station. Your pickup time and location will be as selected during the booking process. If you need to change the location, please notify us at least 24 hours before the tour departure. Please arrive at the pickup location at least five minutes before departure, as these are public parking spots and the minibus cannot wait. The drop-off points in the afternoon will be along Flinders Street.
Drop-off points
Select a drop-off point
Operating hours.6:50 am
Itinerary
Make your own way to the meeting point for your early morning departure from Melbourne. Settle into the minivan and head inland toward the Twelve Apostles.
Arrive at the Twelve Apostles ahead of the crowds and enjoy the magnificent limestone formations at their most peaceful.
Follow Gibson Steps down to the beach below the vertical cliffs and take in a different view of the giant limestone stacks rising up out of the sea. Make a stop at the Loch Ard Gorge and snap photos of the Razorback, the most impressive formation.
Continue along the Great Ocean Road, through Great Otway National Park, to Maits Rest for a walk through the rainforest. Stop at Apollo Bay Stop for lunch (own expense) before continuing to Kennet River Koala Walk to spot the cute marsupials and orange-bellied parrots.
After a final photo stop at Teddy’s Lookout, your tour ends back where you began.
Arrive at the Twelve Apostles ahead of the crowds and enjoy the magnificent limestone formations at their most peaceful.
Follow Gibson Steps down to the beach below the vertical cliffs and take in a different view of the giant limestone stacks rising up out of the sea. Make a stop at the Loch Ard Gorge and snap photos of the Razorback, the most impressive formation.
Continue along the Great Ocean Road, through Great Otway National Park, to Maits Rest for a walk through the rainforest. Stop at Apollo Bay Stop for lunch (own expense) before continuing to Kennet River Koala Walk to spot the cute marsupials and orange-bellied parrots.
After a final photo stop at Teddy’s Lookout, your tour ends back where you began.
1
Winchelsea
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
The Twelve Apostles
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Gibsons Steps
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
The Razorback
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Loch Ard Gorge
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Port Campbell National Park (Pass By)
6
The Great Ocean Road
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Great Otway National Park (Pass By)
7
Mait's Rest
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
8
Apollo Bay
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Kennett River Nature Walk
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Teddy's Lookout
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- We are not able to accommodate children under 7 years of age on this tour, as according to VicRoads regulations they must travel on child restraints, which are not available in our minibuses. Passengers who show up with under 7 years old kids will be refused boarding without refund.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- This is a small groups tour and the vehicles are 12 seaters minibuses Toyota Hiace or similar. In case extra room is required, send us a message so we can arrange large coaches option.
- If you are traveling with people, not in the same booking, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance. We operate with multiple buses and can't guarantee sitting together without being informed.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 4,593 reviews
Norah_H, Jun 2026
Absolutely fabulous day. Our guide Marty was fantastic, very knowledgeable. Amazing variety along the coast, from the geography to the weather, and get to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild as well. Can’t wait to return.
Parashor_G, Jun 2026
Very friendly tour guide , excellent behaviour, and very patient. Also the itinerary was excellent. The itinerary was also excellent, did not miss a single spot.
Giulietta_G, Jun 2026
I've dreamt of visiting Australia since I was a young teen, long ago. Finally I've made the trip and this tour was everything I imagined a visit to Australia could be: koalas in trees, a field full of placid, yet bouncy kangaroos, gorgeous beaches and rock formations, and friendly people. An extra, wondrous bonus was wandering through an ancient, almost pre-historic temperate rainforest.
It is a long day and there are windy and bumpy roads sometimes but it is one of the best travel experiences I ve had.
Mark, our driver and guide was wonderful. If you are considering this trip, don't hesitate to. It was fantastic.
Yiwen_S, Jun 2026
I had an amazing day on the Reverse Great Ocean Road tour. The itinerary was very well planned. Starting from the Twelve Apostles early in the day meant we could enjoy the views without large crowds. We visited beautiful places including the rainforest, and several coastal lookouts. Seeing wild kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitat was definitely a highlight.
Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the long drive enjoyable with interesting stories and local information. The pace of the tour was comfortable, and I never felt rushed at any stop.
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Melbourne. It was a wonderful experience and a great way to explore one of Australia’s most beautiful regions.
Doug_M, Jun 2026
Pete was the best. Informative, knowledgeable, funny and personable. He guided us all the way and gave us options and listened to what we wanted.
Baohan_T, Jun 2026
Our guide was incredible understanding and patient when we ended up missing our pickup time and was quickly able to find an alternate spot to pick up quickly yo minimize lost time. He also chose to extend the tour longer out of the interest of the group to ensure that we got the chance to see Kangaroos and get the most out of experience the tour offered. I would totally recommend the tour to anyone!
Jazmine_S, Jun 2026
Marty was a great tour guide on this tour! He was knowledgeable about the area and showed us some kangaroos, koalas and wallabies in the wild! I love how this tour was smaller and we got to see some great landscapes!
Belinda_W, Jun 2026
The views were amazing. Our guide Ann was the best ever. She was knowledgeable, experienced, kind and very helpful. Thank you Ann for making the Great Ocean Rd most memorable.
Sueshe_T, Jun 2026
It was a great experience. The tour leader is very patient and explained everything very well.
It is worth it.
David_A, Jun 2026
We saw a lot of Australia in one day: Great Ocean road, kangaroos, Koalas etc. Good way to get out of the city, and see the small towns.
Christelle_M, Jun 2026
Chris was a great guide. Tour group was a good size. A van as opposed to a big bus like some other tours. Stopped to see koalas and kangaroos. Would recommend.
Evan_K, Jun 2026
A good old fashioned Aussie road trip with breathtaking views! I appreciated the reverse itinerary to avoid crowds at places like the 12 Apostles. Mark was an excellent tour guide and driver (very friendly, very efficient). We got a close up view of a koala walking down a side road (a rare treat, as they’re usually up in trees), and we finished the day with ice cream and chocolate. Highly recommend!
Jordan_D, Jun 2026
Peter was FANTASTIC and incredibly knowledgeable on Melbourne’s history. My wife and I were completely happy and glad we decided to book a tour with Hit The Road. It was a small group of people, 10 to be exact and it made the whole experience more intimate and meaningful. Peter took us on an few off road views to see kangaroos and koalas out in the wild, which was so special and unforgettable. We highly recommend taking this guided tour, you will not be disappointed.
Raj_O, May 2026
Fantastic curated boutique day trip
Patrick our tour guide was great
Just the right amount of talking
Kind helpful
Made this long day trip easy and comfortable
Nicole_S, May 2026
The Ocean Road is gorgeous - a must see! We appreciated the multiple stops for sight seeing and photo ops. Our tour guide, Chris, is a life-long local and was full of information that made the journey very special.
Linda_R, May 2026
A small group makes for a more personalized experience, and the reverse itinerary helps avoid the crowds. Our tour guide Patric was knowledgeable, welcoming and simply amazing. Besides taking us to all the planned spots along the way, he also helped us spot koala and roos, and patiently answered all our questions. I highly recommend this tour.
Josephine_B, May 2026
It was absolutely fantastic and amazing! Our guide, Ann, was a legend at giving us great commentary and information along the drive.
We lucked out when I went out where the weather was spot on throughout the journey.
I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting a road trip with views and an amazing guide to boot (Ann 😆).
Got to see Koalas, Kangaroos and a couple of birds along the way. It was just amazing and breath taking.
The minivan was comfortable and clean. The spots for a pitstop for food and toilet break were pretty good too.
15/10 if it were up to me! Definitely worth the price!
Pabasara_R, May 2026
Well arranged and comfortable trip. We were able to spend an appropriate time at each attraction. Our tour guide Patricia was really helpful and knowledgeable.
Denise_D, May 2026
My husband and I went on the Great Ocean Road tour with Hit the Road Tours. They do the tour in reverse and it was nice to avoid a lot of the crowds doing it this way. We had Marty as a tour guide and he did a great job explaining the history of the Great Ocean Road. We stopped for coffee and a great "Brekki". We drove through some great country side with a lot of animals. Marty knew all the good areas to stop to see kangaroos in the field, Koalas in the trees and kookaburras on the beach. We even walked in a rainforest. Our second stop was twelve apostles which were so impressive. It's one of those sights that pictures don't capture the complete beauty of it. We saw so many amazing coast and cliff views. We heard great information about the shipwreck alley. Enjoyed lunch near a beach. Last stop was at a chocolate factory which was a great ending to an amazing tour. We'd recommend this tour. It's a long day but very much worth it.
llkoerner, May 2026
This is a great full day tour, well worth the early pickup time. Our driver Ann was just great, very knowledgeable. Great beautiful ocean views, koalas, kangaroos and birds. The max 12 size and going reverse order is important because Ann our driver could get us in and out before crowds showed up.
Giorgio_H, May 2026
Highly recommended experience! The reverse route was very effective and helped avoid large crowds at several attractions, making the trip much more enjoyable and relaxed. Mark was a great guide, everything was well organized and on time throughout the day. We also had enough time at each stop to properly enjoy and explore all of the attractions mentioned in the itinerary. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and the overall experience exceeded expectations. I would be very happy to join this tour again in the future.
Aleksandar_P, May 2026
Great experience, great guide, don't miss it. You avoid the crowds. The group is 12 people. The program is tight. Places to stop for rest and food are well selected. Last but not least, during the trip, in addition to the detailed stories of the guide, well-chosen music is also played.
Mark_R, May 2026
This reverse itinerary really made the day spectacular, getting the day started with the longer drive out while we were all still half asleep was definitely the move. We got out to the first few sites just as coffee was kicking in and then it was back to back hit after hit of amazing sites. This has truly been the highlight of my month long trip to Australia... The most stunning coastal drive I've ever witnessed, getting my feet wet by the Antarctic/Southern Ocean, seeing Koalas just hanging out doing their thing in the wild, seeing a couple of wild mobs of kangaroos too... So much better than going to a zoo to see the wildlife. I don't remember my guides name, but he was definitely a fun man (maybe mid 50s bloke) and knew his stuff. Don't skip this tour, it was well worth every minute and penny.
Asif_S, May 2026
We had an amazing time on the Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour! The weather was absolutely perfect, and the entire experience was unforgettable. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, shared great stories throughout the journey, and helped us spot kangaroos and koalas in the wild — such a highlight of the trip!
They were also a very safe driver, kind, friendly, and made sure everyone was having a great time from start to finish. The reverse itinerary was a fantastic idea as it helped avoid the crowds and made the experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Melbourne!
Miranda_B, May 2026
We saw so much amazing nature on the tour and our guide, Peter, was so charismatic! We got out often in order to get better wildlife sightings and avoid crowds. It was truly one of my favorite tours I’ve ever been on, I’m already looking to go again!
Subramanian_R, May 2026
Very professional and entertaining tour. Was picked up at appointed spot around 6.30 in a nice Mercedes van. Number of fellow travelers was small so made the trip more relaxing. Our tour guide Marty was excellent...all of us enjoyed his commentary and personality.
I was evaluating driving by myself but after taking this trip I believe I made a wise decision as I could admire the sights better and go to some lesser known spots to watch koalas and kangaroos in their natural habitat.
Georgia_W, May 2026
Marty was an amazing tour guide! We got to see so many things including koalas, kangaroos and a kookaburra. It was a long day but so much was packed in and I absolutely loved it. Definitely book and make sure you wear sensible clothes because it gets windy on the coast!
Denise_G, May 2026
I rarely leave reviews. This is an excellent tour - it takes you to multiple beautiful/interesting destinations, including stops to see koalas and kangaroos!) More importantly, this tour company went the extra mile to help me. I realized I had left my raincoat in the restaurant where we had lunch about 10 minutes before we got dropped off back in Melbourne. Our very friendly, knowledgeable and fun driver/guide suggested I call the tour company as it runs this tour every day of the week. I called and ended up texting with the nicest person - he had one of the other guides pick up my jacket (some nice person had turned it in) and then mailed it to our next hotel. We had rain several days of our trip, and it was wonderful to have the rain jacket once again. Highly recommend.
Nick_C, May 2026
We had a beautiful day riding the ocean road - looking for wild koalas and kangaroos. Peter was inciteful. Thank You
Pranay_T, May 2026
Fabulous experience. The tour was well organised and our guide peter was a gem and extremely knowledgeable. He literally knows everything about Australian history and weather.
From $97.43
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests
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