Great Ocean Road Tours from Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road as a Private Day

The Twelve Apostles are about 275 km from Melbourne, and the road is slow by design: it bends along the cliff edge for most of the way. A return day runs ten to twelve hours. That length is the one thing to understand before booking, and it is also why the trip works far better in a private car than on a coach.

The Route

The drive goes out through Geelong and Torquay, where the road formally begins, past Bells Beach and along the coast through Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. Lorne and Apollo Bay are the usual lunch options. After Apollo Bay the road turns inland through the Otway rainforest before returning to the coast at Port Campbell for the Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Gibson Steps.

Why the Timing Matters

Coach tours run to a fixed schedule and reach the Apostles in a block through the middle of the day. Leaving Melbourne early puts you there ahead of them. A later run puts you there once they have gone, in the low afternoon light that most people came for. A private car is what makes either possible.

Stops You Choose

Kennett River is the reliable place to see wild koalas from the roadside. Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, the Erskine Falls walk behind Lorne and Maits Rest in the Otways are the other common additions. None of them are compulsory, and the day is genuinely yours to reorder as you go.

Practical Notes

There is very little between Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, so lunch is worth planning. Phone reception is patchy through the Otways. The return leg is usually made inland via Colac, which is faster than retracing the cliff road in the dark. Groups above four travel in a van, and a shorter version that turns back at Lorne is available as an hourly charter.

Frequently Asked Questions