Melbourne is a city full of beauty, great people, and tons of things to do. However, if you’re in the city, you’d be remiss to not take up the opportunity to cruise along the Great Ocean Road.
It’s one of the best places for breathtaking coastal views, spotting all kinds of local flora and fauna, and plenty of charming seaside towns along the way. I highly recommend instead of driving yourself, going on a tour so you can sit back and soak it all in.
I’ve gone ahead and carefully curated a guide to the 7 top Great Ocean Road tours from Melbourne, that are all worth the time and money. Let’s get started!
Best Great Ocean Road Tours
| Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne | Private Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne | Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour from Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Location: | Hotel pickup and drop-off included | Hotel pickup and drop-off included | Hotel pickup and drop-off included |
| Start: | 7:00 AM | 8:00 or 9:00 AM | 9:00 or 10:00 AM |
| Duration: | 14 hours | 10 to 14 hours | 10 to 12 hours |
| Includes: | Coffee and/or Tea, Guide, Park fees, WiFi on board, Air-conditioned vehicle | Private tour, all transportation, Customizable itinerary | Guide, Air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board, All Fees and Taxes |
Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Great Ocean Road Tours For 2024
- Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne
- Private Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne
- Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour from Melbourne
- Small-Group Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne
- Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary PREMIUM Tour
- Great Ocean Road Tour Plus Koalas, Forest Walk and Morning Tea
- Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Small Group Tour
Great Ocean Road Tours from Melbourne Reviews
1. Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne
- Duration: 14 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:00 AM
- Includes: Coffee and/or Tea, Friendly & Informative Guide, National Park fees, WiFi on board, Air-conditioned vehicle
Australia is an absolutely massive country that I greatly underestimated the first time I came over. With that, comes plenty of opportunity for long road trips and scenic drives, but one of the most phenomenal is undoubtedly the Great Ocean Road.
If you’d like to take full advantage of this unforgettable journey, the Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne tour should be at the top of your list!
Starting off at 7 in the morning, the guide came right to our hotel lobby to pick us up in a comfy, air-conditioned vehicle! As we set out from Melbourne, our guide did a great job at regaling us with interesting anecdotes and interesting geological facts along our journey.
Our little group setting was really fun and the perfect size for participating without feeling like we were lost in a crowd.
The first “stop” on the road was in Torquay – a charming surf town filled with laidback residents, beautiful surf, and more – which I absolutely fell in love with!
We stopped at a cool beachside spot for a relaxing stroll before heading through various little port towns before arriving at Great Otway National Park! This park is known for being very “Australian” as it has koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, glow worms, and so many other cool critters!
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We journeyed on to Port Campbell National Park, which really blew my socks off with the Twelve Apostles’ enormous limestone pillars that emerge from the depths of the ocean!
There’s no shortage of stunning cliffside views, and as we looked out over the sea, our guide told us about the history of shipwrecks on the rugged landscape below.
There’s no way you can forget a tip to the famous Gibson’s Steps located just a couple minutes from the pillars, offering an amazing example of erosion over the ages.
With a tasty dinner on the way back, along with onboard wifi, you can be prepared for a relaxed journey back to Melbourne!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Private Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne
- Duration: 10 to 14 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 8:00 or 9:00 AM
- Includes: Private tour, all transportation
If you’re looking for the opportunity to explore the stunning stretch of coastline at your own pace without having to drive yourself, I have just the tour for you!
The Private Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne tour will take literally just you and the rest of your private party on a leisurely drive with a knowledgeable guide to lead the way.
However, this is far from a cookie-cutter tour with memorized scripts – it’s a completely customizable experience tailored to your interests, leaving out the rest.
This private tour allows for groups of up to 10 participants, making it perfect for entire families or groups of friends who just want to have fun while seeing some incredible places!
Starting things off, you’ll be picked up right from your hotel – I appreciated that they offered some different start times to work best with our schedule. With an on-time, attentive, friendly guide, we had a fantastic time right from the very get-go!
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What I absolutely loved about this tour was that it didn’t just take us to the top destinations – it took us to incredible hidden gems that only locals would really know about. It just goes to show that you can take two tours of the same area, yet have a completely different experience!
We started out by stopping at a deserted beach to explore the local flora and fauna, along with a stunning national park that shelters animals!
One of the highlights for me was the journey to Split Point Lighthouse, which is a stunning oceanside spot where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet – perfect for photo ops!
We then sat down for a delicious local seafood lunch in the charming little town of Apollo Bay before continuing on to the rainforest and the 12 Apostles! Of course, this tour will vary a bit each time, but you can count on a memorable, fun time with amazing people!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour from Melbourne
- Duration: 10 to 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 9:00 or 10:00 AM
- Includes: Friendly & Informative Tour Guide, Air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board, All Fees and Taxes
Victoria is a state that’s full of natural wonder and thriving cities, but if you want to go on a tour that many visitors don’t get the chance to see, check this one out.
The Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour from Melbourne is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the metropolis while learning all about the geology and history of the surrounding seaside towns.
If you’re a nature person or a history buff, don’t hesitate to add this one to your itinerary, because you’re going to learn and see a lot of that!
This full-day tour starts off early in the morning to take full advantage of the day, and they did come right to our hotel to pick us up in a comfy, spacious coach!
The coach came with big windows for prime viewing as we cruised along the scenic oceanside, along with wifi so we could share photos and videos in real-time!
We headed out over the Westgate Bridge that offered amazing views of the city and port, offering some fantastic foreshadowing of what was to come.
On our way to Surf Coast, we passed the beautiful city of Geelong, which we ended up choosing to visit later on thanks to this tour!
We then stopped at Anglesea, where we took a little break to stretch our legs and take photos of the amazing views along the river before heading back on the road. We then made a few more detours to various towns, including a jaw-dropping stop at Eastern View before stopping for lunch!
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The lunch in Kennet River was hearty and absolutely delicious – exactly what I’d expect from Australian fare! We then had a great time digesting with a relaxing, educational walk through a wilderness refuge where we learned about how important the eucalyptus trees are to koalas!
We got to see the furry little guys up close, which was obviously a great, quintessential “Australian” experience I got to check off my list!
After we got in some fresh air, we made our way back to the coach and onto the Otway Ranges to the Shipwreck Coast and the magnificent Port Campbell National Park.
The rock formations out there are absolutely insane, and hearing about the shipwreck at Loch Ard in the late 1800s was also quite sobering. We finished it up with a stunning sunset, with the glowing pinks and golds enveloping the captivating rock formations towering before us.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Small-Group Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne
- Duration: 11 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM
- Includes: Transport by air-conditioned minivan, live minivan on board
How would you like to go out on an authentically Australian adventure with a local guide who will take you to all the best spots on this famous journey?
With the Small-Group Great Ocean Road Day Trip from Melbourne, you can have all that and more! Melbourne is a great time, but if you’re in the city you need to do yourself a favor and head out on a scenic drive through Victoria’s picturesque countryside with sweeping ocean views.
We started out at 8:00 am with a convenient hotel pickup, with our guide taking us right out of the city in a comfortable minivan with wifi just in case we need to stay in contact or share photos.
Some of the other tours I’ve been on have been in larger groups, which can definitely be fun if done right, but I don’t find you learn or see as much as you would on a small-group tour.
This one maxes out at less than 10 participants, so it felt more like we had our own little group of friends setting off on a seaside adventure with a knowledgeable guide at the helm.
As they navigated the beautiful winding pathways with gorgeous vistas along the Great Ocean Road, they told us some interesting facts and stories about the areas we passed by. I didn’t expect there to be so much history along this road, including tales of shipwrecks and survival, as well as a rich maritime heritage!
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I admittedly didn’t know much about Australian history beforehand, but from the Gibson Steps to the rocky cliffs of the London Arch, there was something to be learned every step of the way.
Of course, no trip to these little seaside towns would be complete without trying the amazing seafood restaurants along the way! We tried all kinds of fresh local produce, making a delicious stop at a little cafe that overlooked the sea down below.
Overall, this was an amazing tour full of new friendships, lots of learning, great food, and stunning natural landscapes.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary PREMIUM Tour
- Duration: 13 hours
- Departure: Varies
- Departure Time: 6:30 AM
- Includes: National Park fees, Live commentary on board, Professional guide, Guaranteed to skip the long lines
If you aren’t going to be in Melbourne for very long, I highly recommend you take this next tour out to the majestic Great Ocean Road! The Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Premium Tour is unlike most others and is frankly one of my favorites for avoiding the crowds.
It works because they actually reverse (as you can probably tell by the name) the itinerary, which means you’ll see all the sights when no one else has gotten to them yet!
This one does start a bit earlier than most – at 6:30 am – which only helps to further avoid the crowds, having pretty much everything to ourselves! They picked us up right from our hotel lobby, which is ultra-convenient as we didn’t have to fret with meetup spots or taxis.
We boarded a comfortable bus with plenty of room to stretch out and relax, though I did notice that the group size was a bit bigger than the others I’d taken.
First things first: we make a morning stop for some tea, coffee, and breakfast pastries before heading out to the 12 Apostles, which made the trip that much quicker!
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The 12 Apostles was even more impressive than I’d anticipated, with the amazing limestone stacks emerging from the water – reminded me a bit of the Oregon coast. I’d seen them on the other tours, but this was the only tour where we were literally the only people there!
Gibsons Steps and The Razorback limestone formations were next, and the Loch Ard Gorge was equally as fascinating as it was tragic to learn about. Our guide told us all about the 1693-ton iron clipper shipwreck, that left a mere 2 survivors and 54 fatalities.
We made a few more nature stops along the way, stopping for lunch at Apollo Bay and an amazing koala walk before arriving back in Melbourne!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
6. Great Ocean Road Tour Plus Koalas, Forest Walk and Morning Tea
- Duration: 13 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:00 AM
- Includes: Morning tea, all transportation, air-conditioned vehicle, guided tours
It’s kind of crazy to think about just how many different types of landscapes there are to see on just one road! With the Great Ocean Road Tour Plus Koalas, Forest Walk and Morning Tea, you can expect all kinds of animals, rocky cliffs, thick forests, beautiful ocean views, and so much more.
This is one of the most unforgettable Australian tours I’ve taken, which says a lot, considering the country is absolutely massive!
While this isn’t a private tour, it’s still relatively small in group size, which makes it very affordable for those looking to save some cash while still enjoying a fantastic adventure.
What actually surprised me – given the price – was that it actually included a hotel pickup and drop-off, which is ideal when a tour starts at 7:00 am! Everything was perfectly organized from the very beginning, with our friendly tour guide answering all the questions we had!
After making our way on the road, our first stop was at the Torquay Front Beach, where we were even able to catch sight of the famous Bells Surfing Beach and take plenty of postcard-perfect photos.
It was crazy to see the Pole House, which is a house literally suspended above the ground by just one concrete pole, where we stopped to take photos.
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We took a few other little photo stops before arriving to the quaint Apollo Bay. Here, we had time to stroll around leisurely, enjoying stops at a local restaurant with delicious food, as well as charming little cafes (please get a fresh Americano here!).
We had time to choose if we wanted to explore the stores or take a dip at the beach, and I chose to take some photos everywhere I could. After that, was Kennett River, which was as educational as it was exciting!
We got to see koalas, kangaroos, and parrots, with our guide teaching us all about these amazing native animals! We then made our way back through all the “typical” stops like the 12 Apostles, Loch Arg, and so on.
This was definitely an exhausting day, but one that went by extremely fast, leaving us with some amazing memories!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
7. Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Small Group Tour
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: State Theatre, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004
- Departure Time: 6:50 AM
- Includes: National Park fees, Live commentary on board, Professional guide, Guaranteed to skip the long lines
Last but certainly not least, is the Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Small Group Tour. Just like the other reverse tour, this adventure will take you the backward route to avoid crowds, so you get all these cool places to yourselves!
With informative, friendly guides, and tons of hidden gems mixed into the itinerary, you’ll get to see this iconic road in a way most don’t get the chance to!
Perhaps the only thing I wasn’t really in love with on this tour, was that we didn’t have a hotel pickup included. Rather, we met our guide at the State Theatre, which is still quite easy to access from the Flinders Street Railway Station.
This tour starts out extra early as well, to accommodate for the fact that the itinerary is essentially in “reverse”, though you could always get some sleep on the comfy minivan!
We went on a morning tea and coffee stop, which was phenomenal (make sure to grab a pastry as they’re freshly-baked at this time!). I do want to mention that the coffee and pastry stop is not included in the price, so try to bring some cash if you have it!
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We then arrived at the 12 Apostles, which was just amazing to see so early in the morning, without the crowds. I took some amazing snaps of the rock formations jetting out from the azure seas below!
We then went to the nearby Gibsons Steps and the breathtaking “Razorback” formation, along with the fabled Loch Ard Gorge. After that, we set off into the Port Campbell National Park, which somehow reminded me of the redwood forest in Northern California.
Apollo Bay, seeing koalas and parrots, a delicious lunch in Apollo Bay, and a few other stops made for a phenomenal day out in the natural Australian beauty!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne is our Editors Choice for the best Great Ocean tour.
