Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary PREMIUM Tour - Max 12 Guests
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Great Ocean Road, Australia
+13
- 13 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Travelers short on time in the Melbourne area don't need to miss out on one of Australia's greatest coastal road trips. This Great Ocean Road day tour includes many of the route's highlights, including the Twelve Apostles, Apollo Bay, and London Bridge. And, because this itinerary is the reverse of what many travelers take, you'll be skipping the worst of the crowds.
- Enjoy live commentary on board the bus from your guide
- Receive personalized attention, and more legroom, on a small-group tour
- An easy way to travel the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne
- Includes hassle-free hotel pickup
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
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pickups from Melbourne CBD and Southbank Hotels. Please send us a message specifying your pickup location and we will soon reply with your pickup time.
Start time.6:30 am
Itinerary
1
Winchelsea
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
The Twelve Apostles
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Gibsons Steps
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
The Razorback
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Loch Ard Gorge
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Port Campbell National Park (Pass By)
6
The Great Ocean Road
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Great Otway National Park
Admission Ticket Free
8
Mait's Rest
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
9
Apollo Bay
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Kennett River Nature Walk
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
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
- Expected to be back to Melbourne around 7 PM.
- 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.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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
Featured review
This tour is a must! And our guide, Kevin, was the BEST! We learned so much! The ocean views were spectacular and the rainforest walk was amazing! We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and lunch. It was truly a well-thought out day. Kevin was so accommodating in persevering to find us koalas and kangaroos for us to photograph. Memorable!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 848 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
146 reviews
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Travelers praise the Great Ocean Road tour for its well-planned, reverse itinerary that avoids crowds and enhances visits to key sites such as the 12 Apostles and primordial rainforest. Guides receive consistent commendation for extensive knowledge, engaging storytelling, and personalized attention. Drivers are noted for safe, steady navigation and friendly communication, contributing to comfort on longer journeys. Thoughtful coordination and stunning natural landscapes create a smooth, enjoyable experience overall.
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Just beautiful was well planned and executed. Very smart to run in reverses to avoid crowds driver was very knowledgeable
Great day with a great host, Warren. Weather made it memorable. Agenda was time limited and more time at some of the venues would have been preferable.
Overall have no hesitation in recommending this tour.
Mark gave us a great visit on the GOR, starting in the reverse direction was brilliant. No crowds and new 12 Apostles visitor center had just opened. It is beautiful and set the stage for what we needed to know. Loved going through the forests and hills as well, felt like a very good orientation to what that area of Australia has to offer. Cute little towns as we headed back to Melbourne. Long day and worth every minute of it! Even saw koalas and kangaroos in the wild. That was a bonus, Hit the Road knew the out-of-the-way spots and with only 12 people could see so much and keep moving along.
Reverse Great Ocean is the way to go! Marty, with Hit The Road, is not only a competent driver but probably the best guide that I recall. Extremely knowledgeable, funny, and accommodating !
It was a beautiful trip full of amazing scenery and the twelve apostles were great. Walking through the rain forest was cool too. Jimmy was knowledgeable and had a few secret spots to see wild kangaroos and koalas which turned out awesome because we saw a mon of kangaroos and a couple of koalas and their babies. This would be a 5 star review if Jimmy was more assertive and didn’t let one disgruntled family dictate the tour, timing and schedule.
A great ride with Warren who did a brilliant job of sharing knowledge, providing a safe ride and making the day truly enjoyable.
Great tour of the Great Ocean Road! Avoided the crowds and saw koalas and kangaroos too! Ann was an amazing guide!
We saw a lot of sights. You are in a van driving a lot but you cover a great distance very worth the time in the van. The can was warm we asked to turn the air up. He did put it on high, we were sitting up front but still feet warm. My clothes were sticking to me. Included items were bottled water. This was a 12 hour tour. Water was never offered to us. We did afk and were given one bottle. I felt that was inadequate for the trip. Other than that we lived our guide it was a greatcexcurdion.
ANN was the best tour guide - she drove us around and explained which places were fun and interesting, and recommended some great restaurants
This was a great experience. Pete was the best driver very knowledgeable , We learned so much history of the area and of Australia in general. Saw beautiful views,lots of kangaroos ,and some koalas in the wild. 5 out of 5.
This is one of the best tours I’ve ever had. True to their word , we saw all sites without the crowds and delivered on all promises. We really got lucky with Peter, our guide. He was simply the best- knowledgeable, humorous and so determined to deliver a fantastic experience to our group of 12 which he did!
Amazing Great Ocean Road day tour! The schedule is well arranged so we skipped big tourist crowds. Our guide had very steady driving. Despite the long round trip, the journey never felt exhausting. He introduced plenty of local culture and the history behind Great Ocean Road throughout the drive. A wonderful experience!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
So glad you enjoyed the Great Ocean Road and our reverse itinerary! Great to hear the journey was comfortable and informative. Thanks for travelling with us!
The views on the tour were beautiful. The driver (Chris) was great, with good information along the way.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Great to hear you enjoyed the beautiful Great Ocean Road views! We’re glad Chris’s knowledge added to the experience along the way. Thanks for travelling with us!
Absolutely amazing day. Our guide Marty was superb!! He was incredibly kind and helped not only keep us moving along with our activities for the day, but he made sure we knew what to anticipate with clear instructions. The day is in fact long, but you get many opportunities for beautiful walks in various different climates with many bathroom breaks. The scenery is stunning. Reverse itinerary is really the way to go. I give my highest recommendation for this tour and tour company. Lunch stop was also fantastic. Thank you
Response from Host, Sep 2026
What a wonderful review! We’re glad Marty’s care and clear guidance made the day run so smoothly. It’s great to hear you loved the stunning scenery, varied stops and our reverse itinerary. Thank you for your fantastic recommendation!
A most excellent adventure by Marty our tour guide. The reverse tour is definitely the way to go. Marty’s knowledge of the great ocean road a the 12 piglets made for fun on the road conversation. It was a great tour with walk about the 12 apostles, rain forest walks and fruitful wild koala/kangaroo searches on the backroads. Mahalo plenty.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Sounds like a bucket-list day to remember! We’re glad Marty’s knowledge and great conversations made the journey even more enjoyable. Twelve Apostles, rainforest and wild koalas and kangaroos – a fantastic Great Ocean Road adventure. Thank you for choosing Hit The Road Tours!
We had a great day on the Great Ocean Road tour with Jimmy from Hit the Road Tours!
The itinerary was well planned, and I especially liked that it was a reverse itinerary. We managed to avoid most of the crowds and got some really good views at the various lookout points without feeling too rushed. The weather was also beautiful that day, which made the scenery even more amazing!
Jimmy was a fantastic guide — really knowledgeable and clearly knows the Great Ocean Road very well. He even took us on a short walk through the rainforest, which was a really nice addition to the day. One of the highlights was also getting to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild! Jimmy knew exactly where to look and seemed to have a knack for spotting them. He was also a steady driver, which we appreciated given how much driving is involved on this tour. He kept to the schedule well while still giving us enough time at the different stops, so the whole day felt very well-paced.
Overall, a really enjoyable Great Ocean Road experience. Great itinerary, beautiful scenery, lovely weather and, most importantly, a guide who really knows his stuff. Jimmy even kindly gave everyone a mini koala as a souvenir, which was a nice touch. Would happily recommend this tour to anyone looking for a well-organised tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
What a fantastic Great Ocean Road day! We’re so glad you enjoyed the benefits of our reverse itinerary, with fewer crowds and plenty of time to take in those spectacular views. Jimmy’s local knowledge and wildlife-spotting skills certainly come in handy when searching for wild koalas and kangaroos! It’s also lovely to hear you appreciated his safe driving, relaxed pacing and that little koala souvenir at the end. Thanks for the wonderful recommendation!
Our guide Jimmy was fabulous. He went out of his way to be sure all our needs were met. We traveled in a small group. There were only 12 people, which made the experience more personal.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We're delighted you enjoyed your Great Ocean Road Premium Tour! It's wonderful to hear that Jimmy took such great care of everyone and that our small-group experience made your day even more personal and memorable. Thank you for choosing Hit The Road Tours!
Ann the tour guide was excellent. She went out of her way to provide us with the best experience. We got to see wild life. Also all the stops we had were very interesting and she provided us with the history and background information.
Although a long day, it went quickly. Peter was wonderful guide. Trip very well organized. Sites spectacular
Top notch, highly recommend! We've did many of these guided tours over the years and this was by far our favorite. Ask for Marty, he was an incredible guide- extremely knowledgeable, efficient, great sense of humor and made the day very enjoyable and fun. Had the whole group engaged and interacting throughout the day- felt like a family vacation. Give that man a well deserved raise, he represents the company so exceptionally well.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your incredible review!
Marty will be absolutely delighted to read your kind words.
Thank you for travelling with us, and we hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!
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!!!
Not much at all. Learnt some ieteresting historical events of many locations and was good to beat the tourist wave.
the “reverse tour” was a great move because on this particular day we were so fortunate to experience “better” weather at the beginning of the tour (throughout the morning). the evening brought weather that has been melbourne’s coldest (since their winter season). but i will say, the great ocean road is beautiful no matter what the weather may bring. tip: if it’s cooler a specific day it’s probably a good idea to bring a jacket. the good thing is that you’re able to leave it on the bus between stops so you’re not having to worry about carrying things. most importantly, our tour guide chris was incredible. it’s such an asset having a host who has life experience and historical knowledge in the region because guests are able to receive a less tourist-y and more of a local experience which is brilliant for interstate and international visitors. he was also welcoming and had great humour. it made the tour comfortable and enjoyable. also a thank you to our guide chris for taking us all to a small town coffee shop called “café la hoot” in winchelsea and a restaurant called “george’s” out at apollo bay. whenever i’m at home or when i travel i always like to support small businesses. honourable mention: great playlist. such a vibe.
We loved our experience, even though it was a long ride, but we didn’t feel it, because of the nice places we stopped by.
Our driver/guide was lovely and gave us many informations on our way to all attractions.
We didn’t understand everything he said, because we’re not fluent in English, but he repeated the information when needed.
We loved our tour!
Marty was a most excellent guide. He arrived a few minutes early and gave us the option of sitting in the front seats with him. This turned out to be an exceptional benefit. The other 10 people on the tour sitting farther back did not seem overly interested in the commentary, but I found it captivating. When the commentary finished and Marty switched off the microphone, we had the most interesting discussions ranging from the rules of cricket to the significance of today's travel day - ANZAC Day and to other places in which to travel.
The tour stops were broken down quite nicely and Marty was quite efficient. Often, we were the first bus of the day arriving at each stop. The breakfast stop was a nice stop on the way out to the end of the line. Marty explained that the reverse itinerary allowed us to see the 12 Apostles in the best light. Marty delivered!
The day prior, we had gone on another excursion to a Koala reserve to ensure that we saw these animals before leaving Australia. While riding along the Great Ocean Road, Marty stated that we would go in search of Koalas. To see them in the wild would be even better than a Reserve, but I doubted the chances. I asked Marty what our chances were and he said 100 percent. And true to his word, Marty delivered again. We saw 4 Koalas in the wild. Some were quite high in the trees, but we still "checked the box."
Marty teased us at the beginning with a bonus stop at the end of the day if we got back to the bus on time at each stop. The bonus stop (which I will leave as a secret) was a great addition to the journey.
Marty was a great guide. This company employs several guides. If the other guides are even half as good as Marty, you will have a great time. Highly recommended.
It was a fabulous tour. We got to see the sights and learn about the history from our guide. I highly recommend this intimate tour.
We thoroughly enjoyed this excursion. The aesthetic grandeur of the 12 Apostles and the surrounding coastal formations was matched only by the compelling historical narrative of the Great Ocean Road.
The biological diversity encountered during the trip was a significant highlight; we successfully observed:
Kangaroos and wallabies in their natural habitat.
Koalas and various avian species, including cockatoos.
While the itinerary constitutes a demanding schedule, the value delivered in terms of experience and cost is exceptional. Furthermore, our guide and driver, Wayne, demonstrated a superior level of technical knowledge and professional care. His commitment to the safety and engagement of the entire group was outstanding.
Highly recommended.
This was one of the best tours that we did well in Australia. Our tour guide, Peter was amazing and took us to secret spots to avoid all the bus loads of tourist. He had great stories and it was a very memorable trip.
We had a great time on our small group tour with Wayne as our guide. It was an informative and fun day!
This tour was great and well worth it. Our tour guide Chris did an outstanding job commentating along the way and was very knowledgeable and was funny as well. He did a great job managing time and even though we didn’t get to see the rainforest (closed because it was really wet) it was made up by our chances to see some kangaroos and koalas in the wild which we have been trying to do. It was a long day but packed full of things to do and see. Would definitely recommend
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$107.81
per personWas $113.49(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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