Top Melbourne Day Trips

What a fantastic day! Our guide Kevin helped us feel welcome from the first hello, gave excellent narrative, brought all of us 'bus people' together despite any language barriers. He truly loves Melbourne and wanted us to appreciate the city and environs through his eyes. The music playlist an entertaining touch... I enjoyed his playful yet passionate approach to his work, clearly his calling, and his expertise throughout the day as we anticipated the penguin experience. The crowds there were less daunting thanks to Kevin's skillful navigation and artistic white board visuals! This was a day and night to remember, made even more memorable thanks to Kevin’s first-rate guiding and of course innate GENIUS!!

This was a great full day (11:45am - 8:45pm) tour that packed four great stops in with time to explore each on our own. Note that is almost a 2 hr journey each way, but our guide, Joe sprinkled in fun and informative stories along the way. He kept us entertained, was safe, and clear with what to expect each step of the tour. We did the Penguins Plus viewing platform and it was great. We were shocked how many people (not from our group) were ignoring the no phones/photos after dark rules. The ranger had to keep reminding people. That said, the scenery all day was gorgeous and the penguins were the stars of the show. Don’t worry if you don’t get a front row seat…after 15 min they let everyone move around. There are many waves of penguins that come in. Do bring layers for the weather and some snacks since you have lunch toward the beginning of the afternoon. You can buy food and drink at the penguin visitor center. We and our 12 year old daughter had an amazing day. Thank you, Joe!

What an absolutely amazing day! The Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour is one experience you simply should not miss when visiting Melbourne. The scenery throughout the journey is breathtaking - at times it genuinely feels like heaven on earth. A huge part of what made the tour so memorable was our guide and driver, Luke. What a fantastic guy! He was driving, guiding, sharing interesting information, keeping everyone engaged, cracking jokes with his great Aussie humour, playing energetic music and even singing along! His ability to multitask while keeping the whole group entertained was impressive. He was proactive, friendly and full of energy, and made sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying the experience. There was never a dull moment with Luke! A particularly nice touch was our first stop for coffee, hot beverages and light refreshments before continuing the long journey. It was a cold morning, so being able to enjoy something warm along with the refreshments was very welcome and a thoughtful gesture that we really appreciated. The stops along the Great Ocean Road were spectacular. We especially enjoyed exploring Apollo Bay, spending time around the beautiful beach and enjoying the local Aussie food and atmosphere. Another highlight for us was the optional helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles, available at an additional cost. We chose to do it and really enjoyed the experience. Seeing the magnificent coastline and rock formations from the air gave us a completely different perspective and made an already spectacular day even more memorable. Overall, this was an excellent, high-energy, scenic and thoroughly entertaining tour. Everything was well organised and well explained, and Luke’s personality, humour and enthusiasm really brought the whole experience to life. If you’re visiting Melbourne and considering the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour, don’t miss it! And if Luke is your guide, you’re in for a fantastic and entertaining day. Highly recommended! 🇦🇺👏

We had an amazing day out with Jools and Gumnut! Jools was super nice, knowledgeable about the area, the road and the best stopping places. This experience boasts the most incredible ocean views, there was a lot of time on the bus but it was very enjoyable!

An interesting and varied day. I loved the wildlife park, which is beautifully laid out in full of fascinating animals. Little penguin experience was great, particularly seeing them making their way to their burrows on the hill. John, our driver and Guide, was knowledgeable, friendly and super helpful.

Absolutely wonderful experience. Kids-friendly, especially since there were several kids on the tour, and it takes them 1/2 a second to become friends and play together. Tour guide Steve was absolutely awesome and made this day one of the most memorable days of our vacation.

Our driver was so friendly and made our trip so great. The reverse route gets you to the oceanside areas before the big tour buses and crowds. The drive was beautiful, the ocean stops were breathtaking and then the drive through the mountains and rain forest was a whole other adventure - we saw Koalas in the trees and a huge mob of kangaroos feeding and hopping around a hillside pasture area, made stops in cute beachside towns and hung out with the wild cockatoos! Highly recommend this trip - a major highlight of our 3 week trip to Australia and NZ and would absolutely do this exact tour again!!!

It was absolutely worth it. Our tour guide, Nathan was an awesome bloke. Friendly and quite knowledgeable on the area. The mini bus was comfortable, neat and tidy. Loved the small hike st the beginning before riding the train. Train ride was great! Did this nearing winter and the air was crisp - love the views! Would definitely recommend for anyone planning to do something in Melbourne. Shouldn't miss this!