Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Melbourne, Australia
+13
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
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
Type to search
Start time.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
Supplied by
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 4,795 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
I really enjoyed this itinerary. It was well-planned, and the pace was excellent. The attractions we visited were all well worth seeing. The vehicle was comfortable, and the guide was great.
It’s an early morning but the reverse itinerary makes a lot of sense. You have to see the twelve apostles in person. Pictures do not do it justice. The natural beauty of the road is spectacular. Seeing wild cockatoos was a treat. Our guide was enthusiastic and fun. Areas to improve would be the size of the bus. For such a long ride would have been nice to have more breathing room. It’s a lot of in and out and a larger vehicle or less people would have been better. The stop for lunch is over-toured and quality of food not great. Wish there was a different stop for lunch.
Our guide knew where to go to see koalas and kangaroos in the wild. That was a major highlight fir us.
Our guide Patrick was one of the best guides we've had. He was very engaging and informative. The tour was well paced, plenty of time at each location.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
What a wonderful compliment for Patrick! We’re so glad his engaging personality and knowledge made your Great Ocean Road experience even better. It’s also great to hear you enjoyed the pace and had plenty of time to take in each stop along the way. Thanks for travelling with us!
This was such a beautiful road trip! So many amazing views and lookout spots. We saw a ton of kangaroos on our journey!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
So many incredible views — and a whole lot of kangaroos too! Sounds like a pretty great Great Ocean Road adventure. We’re so glad you enjoyed the beautiful lookouts and wildlife along the way. Thanks for hitting the road with us!
It was amazing. Our tour guide, Pete, made the experience wonderful! Highly recommend. We get to see wildlife up close as much as possible.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
So glad you had an amazing Great Ocean Road adventure with Pete! Experiencing Australia’s wildlife in its natural environment is always such a special part of the day, and Pete’s knowledge and personality make it even more enjoyable. Thanks for the fantastic recommendation!
Ann was an amazing tour guide! She made sure we saw everything we came out to see on the Great Ocean Road and more! Ann made sure we got to see all the amazing sights and took pictures of everyone for all our memories! We highly recommend Ann!!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
What a lovely shout-out for Ann! It sounds like she made sure you experienced the very best of the Great Ocean Road — and helped capture plenty of great memories along the way too. We’re so happy you had such an amazing day. Thanks for the wonderful recommendation!
Our guide, Pete, was fantastic. He shared loads of interesting information about Australia, Melbourne, the beautiful Great Ocean Road and places along the way. He did a great job keeping us away from crowds and finding opportunities to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Sounds like Pete delivered the full Great Ocean Road experience! His local knowledge, wildlife spotting and knack for staying ahead of the crowds are a great combination for exploring this incredible coastline. We’re so glad you got to see wild koalas and kangaroos too. Thanks for travelling with us!
Great Trip without the large bus experience
10 fun people in nice van with a really good guide(Glen
Liked the reverse trip experience and missed all the crowds
Response from Host, Sep 2026
“Worth every penny” — we love hearing that! The small-group experience and reverse itinerary are all about making the Great Ocean Road more relaxed and enjoyable, with fewer crowds along the way. Great to hear Glen and your fun group made the day even better. Thanks for travelling with us!
Should experience and see the nature wonder of this place. Our tour guide cum driver is very experience and explained the details of the iconic places. Thumbs up for Jimmy.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Great to hear you had such a good experience exploring the Great Ocean Road! Jimmy’s knowledge and experience certainly help bring all those iconic places to life. Thanks for the thumbs up for Jimmy and for travelling with us!
Fantastic day! Beautiful scenery with several stops to do a short walk / take photos etc. guide was friendly and informative. Highlight of my Australia trip!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Being called a highlight of your Australia trip means a lot to us! We’re delighted you enjoyed the beautiful scenery, short walks and variety of stops along the Great Ocean Road. Thanks for choosing to spend the day exploring with us!
Everything was great. Tour guide was nice and patient. One thing I really dislike it’s the window can’t be open during whole trip. It made me feel sick and hard to breathe freely.
Book it!! This was best experience with amazing scenery. Our guide Peter made the day, humor and taking care of our group. You can tell when someone loves what they do!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We love hearing this! The Great Ocean Road scenery is incredible, but having a guide who genuinely loves what he does makes the experience even more special. Peter’s humour, knowledge and care for the group certainly make for a memorable day. Thanks for the fantastic recommendation!
Awesome sights. Wonderful tour. Patrick was an excellent guide. Saw some great sights in the southern coast of Australia
Response from Host, Sep 2026
So glad you had a wonderful day exploring the Great Ocean Road! There’s so much to see along this spectacular part of Australia’s southern coast, and we’re happy Patrick helped make the experience even better. Thanks for travelling with us!
Truly enjoyed our time with an amazing guide who not just showed us around but also gave us the history of the region.
I was very nervous travelling by myself, as a young girl, but the driver glenn made me feel as comfortable and confident as possible! It was an amazing day full of facts, fun and music. I will definitely be recommending to everyone that comes here for holidays. He was so knowledgeable about everything, even the plants and animals. Most of us had never seen a koala or kangaroo and Glenn made sure we saw one or two before the tour ended. Although it was a jam packed day, he always made sure to ask if anyone needed to stop for anything, and let us all sleep or rest our eyes if that was needed. I was very lucky with the people I got in my tour as well and they made the day too. So glad I booked!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We love hearing how comfortable and welcome you felt travelling solo with us! Glenn’s knowledge, care and enthusiasm clearly made the day extra special — and making sure the group got to experience wild koalas and kangaroos is a pretty memorable bonus. Small-group tours are also a wonderful way to meet fellow travellers along the way. We’re so glad you booked too, and thank you for the fantastic recommendation!
The Great Ocean Road tour must be a bucketlist item for everyone who visits Melbourne & Australia. Every inch of the tour from Twelve Apostles to Gibsons steps to Apollo Bay to Lorne to Bell's Beach is a an amazing picture that will remain in your mind forever. I did the tour with Peter who was a treasure trove of information and helpful tips. Thanks Peter, you are the man! Best one yet 🤘🏽
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Definitely one for the bucket list! From the Twelve Apostles and Gibson Steps to Apollo Bay, Lorne and Bells Beach, there’s an incredible view around every corner. We’re so glad Peter’s knowledge, tips and personality made the adventure even better. “Best one yet” is a fantastic compliment — thanks for hitting the road with us! 🤘🏽
A fantastic full day tour of an amazing coastline , with lots of interesting sights in between. Patrick was our wonderful tour guide . Recommend 5 ⭐️
Our guide drove so fast and aggressive. I felt a bit sick in the middle of the great ocean road.
Would recommend someone who loves nature, but not for those looking for excitement.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
The Great Ocean Road is an incredible journey, and our reverse itinerary allows guests to enjoy its iconic sights with fewer crowds, along with fantastic opportunities to spot koalas and kangaroos in the wild. Regarding the driving, our guides are accredited, highly experienced professional drivers who know this route extremely well. Safety is always our priority.
All the best!
Excellent tour and Jimmy was a great tour guide. The 12 hours past quickly with many stops of interest
This tour exceeded all of our expectations and was easily one of the most enjoyable day trips we’ve had.
One of the best parts was that there were only six people on the tour, which made it feel very relaxed and personal. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to explore and enjoy each stop.
The itinerary was fantastic, with a wonderful mix of rainforest, stunning beaches, charming coastal towns, and spectacular scenery. We enjoyed a delicious lunch in Apollo Bay, visited a chocolate factory, and were lucky enough to see a koala and lots of kangaroos in the wild!
A huge thank you to our guide, Glen. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, kind, and organised, and he really made the day special. He shared interesting information throughout the trip, made sure everyone was comfortable, and was always happy to answer questions.
The reverse itinerary meant we avoided the crowds at the major sights, and the small group made the whole experience even more enjoyable. It was an unforgettable day!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
What a fantastic description of your day! The combination of our reverse itinerary and small-group experience really does allow more time to relax and enjoy everything from the rainforest and coastal towns to those incredible ocean views. Add wild koalas, plenty of kangaroos and Glen’s friendly personality and knowledge, and it sounds like a pretty special adventure! Thank you for the wonderful recommendation and for choosing to explore the Great Ocean Road with us.
This full day trip was well worth it. The stops along the way were well designed, and we were very pleased. Our driver, Mark, was an excellent tour guide. We saw koala, kangaroos, and breathtaking scenery. We would absolutely recommend this tour.
Absolutely stunning ! Our guide was amazing, knowledgeable and kids gave 2 👍🏼 for his humor ! Definitely a must do and we appreciated the careful driving and timings . The van was very comfortable and smooth -
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Two thumbs up from the kids for the guide’s humour is always a great sign! We’re delighted your family enjoyed the spectacular Great Ocean Road, as well as the comfortable journey, careful driving and well-planned timings. Thank you for making us part of your Australian adventure!
I really enjoyed the trip! It was worth it. Jimmy chan was our tourist guide and he was very sweet and described to us about every stop we were seeing, the apostles, the great ocean road, the koalas, and the trees in the rainforest. He was a caring tourist guide, really enjoyed this trip 😊
Response from Host, Aug 2026
It’s wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed exploring the Great Ocean Road with Jimmy! From the Twelve Apostles and rainforest to spotting koalas, there’s so much to discover along the way. We’re especially pleased Jimmy’s caring nature and knowledge made your experience even more memorable. Thanks for travelling with us!
Be prepared for some walking and steps in Apostles viewing. Driver/guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining and went out of his way to explain and show foreign visitors as much as possible about Australia.
Great tour... saw some very amazing sights. The tour guide/bus driver was great, very friendly and professional.
Very interesting. But when the weather is cloudy the 12 apostles looks not so fantastic. Thanks to our Gide, he was awesome!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you found the Great Ocean Road experience interesting and that you had an awesome guide. The weather along the coast can be unpredictable, but it’s all part of experiencing this incredible region. Thank you for travelling with us!
Highly recommend this tour! Sights were fantastic, tour guide knowledgeable, funny and friendly. We started at the 12 Apostles and then made our way in reverse down the Great Ocean Road which was great to miss the big crowds and tour buses. Lunch options were varied and delicious, lots of seafood options which is exactly what you want on a trip near the Ocean. Pete from On the Road tours is a top bloke and so passionate about what he does which made the experience so memorable. His knowledge and stories were great! We even got a close encounter with Faye the Magpie and some very cute koalas and Roo’s. You won’t be sorry, book it!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
What a fantastic review! We love hearing how much you enjoyed the reverse itinerary, avoiding the crowds, the wildlife encounters and, of course, Pete’s stories and passion for the Great Ocean Road. Sounds like Faye the Magpie made quite an impression too! Thanks for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
It is a long drive to start as you go backwards but it is totally worth it as you beat the crowds and get the views to yourself. Worth it. A long day but the views are iconic. Each stop is pretty quick but that is how you get to pack so much into your day. Bring an external charger as you’ll be taking photos the whole time !
Response from Host, Aug 2026
It’s definitely a big day, but we’re so pleased you found it worth it! Our reverse itinerary is designed to beat the crowds while fitting as many Great Ocean Road highlights as possible into one incredible day. And great tip about the external charger — there are certainly plenty of photo opportunities along the way!
Matti was a fun tour guide who kept a tight time schedule and ensured we got the most out of the day on the Great Ocean Road. We stopped at numerous spectacular viewing spots and also enjoyed seeing kangaroos, koalas and a Kookaburra!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
What a great mix of spectacular scenery and Aussie wildlife! We’re happy to hear Matti kept the day fun and well organised, making sure you could experience as much of the Great Ocean Road as possible. Kangaroos, koalas and a kookaburra make for some pretty special memories!
Member Pricing
From
$95.06
per personWas $100.06(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests
4,794
12 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$100.06
$95.06
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Melbourne, Australia
- Dandenong Ranges Tours & Tickets
- National Gallery of Victoria Tours & Tickets
- State Library Victoria Tours & Tickets
- Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm Tours & Tickets
- Rod Laver Arena Tours & Tickets
- Arts Centre Melbourne Tours & Tickets
- Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Phillip Island Circuit Tours & Tickets
- Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre Tours & Tickets
- St Patrick's Cathedral Tours & Tickets
- SEA LIFE® Melbourne Aquarium Tours & Tickets
- Melbourne Royal Arcade Tours & Tickets
- Old Melbourne Gaol Tours & Tickets
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Tours & Tickets