Full Day Tour of Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles from Melbourne
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Melbourne, Australia
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the best of the Great Ocean Road, including the 12 Apostles, with this group tour from Melbourne. Your driver takes care of all the logistics, and your guide can tell you everything you want to know about the Great Ocean Road. Feel free to take as many photos as you like, both of the rugged coastline and of the wildlife you encounter along the way.
- Choose from four convenient meeting and drop-off points in Melbourne
- Plan for a whole day of exploring the Great Ocean Road
- National Park fees included for seamless access to key sites
- Keep your eyes peeled for koalas and kookaburras in the wild
What's Included
- Informative & friendly tour guide
- National Park Fees
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Coffee and/or Tea
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Your pickup time may differ from the time shown on your voucher. Explore Australia Tours will contact you via email shortly after booking to confirm your exact pickup time. Pickup locations are selected at the time of booking: 6:00am – Mercure Melbourne Southbank, 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank 6:10am – Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne 6:15am – Her Majesty's Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 6:30am - Mail Exchange Hotel, 688 Bourke Street, Melbourne All tours are conducted in English. Guests can access pre-recorded audio and written tour information in 16 languages by downloading the free Explore Australia Language Translation App from Google Play or the App Store prior to departure. Your guide will provide a code on the day to unlock the content. Please bring your own headphones. Tours operate rain or shine. Estimated return time for the Great Ocean Road Day Tour is between 18:30 and 19:30.
Operating hours.6:30 am
Itinerary
1
Anglesea
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Great Ocean Road Memorial Archway
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Great Ocean Road
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Kennett River
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Apollo Bay (Pass By)
5
Mait's Rest
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
6
Great Otway National Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Lavers Hill
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
8
The Twelve Apostles
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
9
Loch Ard Gorge
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
10
Gibsons Steps
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Most travelers can participate
- We do have child seats for 4 – 7 years old upon request
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 21 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
nqtvmpmfv6
Andy was our guide and was great. He was very knowledgeable about all the areas that we covered. He had a lot of unique stories that he shared.
Reviews
4.9
based on 29 reviews
Tabitha_F, Dec 2025
The trip description is inaccurate. On our trip the itinerary was in reverse (not as advertised) and we did not stop at Kennett River, Lavers Hill or Gibsons Steps. However we did stop at Apollo Bay.
Our tour guide was not very engaging, I learnt little about the history of the land we were on or the aboriginal custodians. At the stops it seemed other tour groups were receiving more information than us. Several times our guide told us he would share more information later but just...never did. This meant the stops felt long considering we weren't given information so were just taking photos.
As a general note it's worth saying that on a bus tour you don't get the same vistas of the Great Ocean Road as you would if driving yourself in a car.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that your experience on the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour did not meet your expectations and that aspects of the day felt underwhelming.
While our itineraries are carefully planned, the order of stops and inclusions can occasionally change due to factors outside our control such as road conditions, maintenance, weather or natural events. Our intention is always to ensure guest safety and maximise the overall experience on the day. That said, we understand how disappointing it can be when the tour does not run exactly as advertised and certain stops are missed. We will be reviewing this internally to ensure our tour descriptions are clear and accurately reflect possible variations.
We are particularly concerned to hear your feedback regarding the level of commentary and engagement from the guide. Providing informative, engaging and respectful commentary, including sharing the history of the land and acknowledging Aboriginal custodians, is an important part of our tours. It is disappointing to learn this was not delivered to the standard we expect, and your comments will be followed up with our guiding team to ensure this is addressed.
We also appreciate your honest note about the nature of bus touring along the Great Ocean Road. While guided tours offer convenience and access to key highlights, we understand they can feel different to travelling by car, and we value you sharing this perspective for future travellers.
Thank you again for your feedback. It is invaluable in helping us improve our tours and the experiences we provide. We hope we have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and deliver a more engaging and memorable experience.
Lezli_S, Aug 2025
If you want to see a rainforest, koalas, kangaroos, scenic ocean roads, walk on the beach topped off seeing the 12 apostles Darren is your man. His associate, Stewart was bonus time for us as well. Highly recommend this outing!!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
So happy to hear you had such a wonderful experience on the Great Ocean Road tour. Darren and Stewart will both be delighted to know they made the day special for you. It sounds like you enjoyed a perfect mix of wildlife, rainforest and breathtaking coastal views. Thank you for the recommendation.
nqtvmpmfv6, Feb 2025
Andy was our guide and was great. He was very knowledgeable about all the areas that we covered. He had a lot of unique stories that he shared.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for your kind review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your Great Ocean Road tour with Andy. His knowledge and unique stories truly make the journey special. We hope to see you on another adventure soon!
Anna_C, Feb 2025
What a great day out! Beautiful scenery and top stops with expert local knowledge. Thanks so much Gary for showing us around!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the Great Ocean Road and the expert local knowledge Gary shared. We will be sure to pass along your appreciation to him. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!
Charles_C, Jan 2025
Long day, but very much worth it!
Sal kept us entertained and was very knowledgeable. Stopped at all the best viewing areas and customized to try to avoid the large bus groups.
Again well worth it!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are glad to hear you had a great time on the tour, despite it being a long day. Sal will be thrilled to know that you appreciated both the entertainment and the knowledge shared throughout the day.
It is great to hear that the stops at the best viewing areas and efforts to avoid the large bus groups enhanced your experience. We truly appreciate your feedback and are grateful for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable tour soon!
Debasish_S, Sep 2024
The driver cum tour guide was very experienced and conducted the tour very efficiently. She covered best places on route. Also the time was managed very well.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your positive feedback! We’re glad to hear that the tour guide provided an efficient and well-managed tour, covering the best places and making the most of your time. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we’re thrilled that your experience was so enjoyable. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again on another memorable journey!
Simone_F, Mar 2024
Leah was an excellent driver & tour guide. She managed our group of nine well, made regular head counts, gave clear instruction, allowing enough time at every stop. We appreciated her positive attitude sounding enthusiastic about the tour & about the wildlife we‘ve encountered, well done!
Simone & Andreas
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you, Simone and Andreas, for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that Leah’s excellent management and enthusiasm made your tour enjoyable. It’s wonderful to know that her clear instructions and positive attitude enhanced your experience. We’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to her. Thanks for sharing, and we hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Jeffrey_R, Feb 2024
We had a fantastic time. They picked us up right on time. It is a long day, but it is worth it! Our tour guide Maigread was the Best. She was friendly and knowledgeable! She kept everything moving and on time. She Made sure to point out things we would not want to miss. Absolutely loved the fish and chips in front of Apollo Bay beach. It was a fantastic place to sell for an Absolutely loved the fish and chips in front of Apollo Bay beach. It was a fantastic place to relax and eat for an hour ! Got to enjoy koala bears and we finished up with the most delicious ice cream. Stopped in a beautiful ice cream creamery. Highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for recommending the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour. We are glad to hear that Maigread made your tour fantastic time. We will definitely share your feedback to her. We hope to see you on a tour again in the future!
James_M, Nov 2023
The whole trip was very enjoyable and educational with a knowledgeable driver/ guide. We were very well looked after from start to finish.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for sharing your delightful experience! We're thrilled you found your trip to the Great Ocean Road enjoyable and educational. We hope to see you on another Explore Australia Tours,
Jim_A, Nov 2023
Fantastic trip,
Shane was amazing!
Great scenery, happy to see a koala and the rain forest.
Highly recommend this tour!
Miyake_T, Apr 2024
お天気良く最高でした。シニア夫婦なので長時間のツアーは諦めていましたが、素敵な女性ガイド兼ドライバーLeahさん、他インド人家族３人の少人数。９人乗りバスもゆったり、6時半定刻にスタート、質問にもきちんと返答し見所をしっかりサポートしてくれます。運転も上手く、最初の休憩時は外は、肌寒くモーニングティーで身体が温まり、走る道すがら虹を何度も見て、コアラを探したりいろんな色のオウムを至近距離で見る頃には気温も上がり、アポロベイで昼食、自分達で店もチョイスできますが、中華を店内でゆっくり食べる時間がありました。
ロードは続きますが飽きる事なく景色が変わります。メインのグレートオーシャンロード、12使徒の場所では、風も弱く日差しも強い時間になり、奇岩群のダイナミックな姿、穏やかな波間に、キラキラ光がさす景色、一つ一つの景観が絵画のように美しく日差しの角度や、時間の経過距離で刻々と表情がかわり見飽きることがなく、波の音や、風の感触、広がる水平線を感じながら、自然と一体になれる時間を充分とってくれました。圧巻です。
最後はギブソンステップ、階段を降り波と岩に近づけました、夕方近くになると波が少し荒くなりましたが、上から見下ろす奇岩と浜辺で見る景色は別格です。
裸足で歩いてみました。砂浜も心地よく、波と戯れ童心にかえりました。
その後トイレ休憩を2回で市内ホテルに送迎でした。
長時間ツアーですが、本当に堪能したツアーでした。
良い天気に恵まれ、素敵なツアーガイド兼ドライバーLeah、同乗のインド人家族に感謝です。
Miss Leah thanks for your showing us around
Response from Host, Jul 2024
レビューありがとうございました。
Vera_s, Feb 2024
Wir hatten einen schönen Tag mit vielen schönen Stopovers. Gary, unser Tour Guide, war sehr aufmerksam und hat uns viele interessante Informationen über den Ausflugsort sowie Land & Leute vermittelt.
Ein schöner und gelungener Tag!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your review of the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles tour.
From $116.27
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Full Day Tour of Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles from Melbourne
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