Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Day Trip from Melbourne
4.5

Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Day Trip from Melbourne

By Wildlife Tours Australia
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Forget about self-driving and concentrate on the scenery of the Great Ocean Road on this day trip from Melbourne. Admire the sights from your touring vehicle, make stops, and learn stories about the historic road you may miss otherwise. Pause for refreshments at Anglesea, spot wild koalas, see the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, and stretch your legs on a walk in the Otway Forest.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 38 per group
Duration: 13h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More
Audio guide: German, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, French, Dutch, Spanish
More
Written guide
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
: German, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, French, Dutch, Spanish
More

Highlights
  • Travel the Great Ocean Road stress-free on a tour from Melbourne
  • Skip self-drive and public transport to focus on the famous road’s scenery
  • See the 12 Apostles and other sites, and get insights you may miss alone
  • Includes stop for lunch (own cost)

  • Admission to Great Ocean Road National Park
  • Australian wildlife sightings, over morning tea
  • Air-conditioned coach travel with onboard WIFI
  • Expert driver guided tour experience
  • Live tour commentary spoken in English
  • Roundtrip transportation to and from Melbourne
What's not included
  • Lunch at own expense
  • Personal expenses


Start:
  • Immigration Museum (Museums Victoria), 400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
    Our default pickup location will be Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, corner of Market St, Melbourne @ 7:35am. If you would like to arrange an alternative pickup point, please contact our reservations team on +61393931300.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Infant seats available
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6121P6

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Children must be accompanied by an adult
    • Infants and children do not travel free, protective seats are available on request at the time of booking
    • Not suitabled for wheelchairs, prams or stroller accessible, please do not bring on tour as you will be asked to leave at the hotel.
    • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
    • Most travellers can participate
    • For this tour we have a translation app that can translate all guide commentary to the languages listed above. The traveler just needs to ask their guide or request this on the date of departure and we can advise them of how to download and listen.
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 38 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6121P6

    From
    AU$130.00
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
      Our default pickup location will be Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, corner of Market St, Melbourne @ 7:35am. If you would like to arrange an alternative pickup point, please contact our reservations team on +61393931300.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    • 6
    • 7
    • 8
    • 9
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Wildlife Tours Australia
      1,322
      Australia
      Joined in March 2010
    • rosemariesenr
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awe Inspiring, Breath Taking Scenery
      The Great Ocean Drive is so spectacular! It takes one breath away. The sea, sky, lush greenery (where one could spot a koala, kangaroo, Laughing kookaburras), and awe inspiring rock formations.
      Written 7 February 2025
    • Krishti A
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great tour and sights
      Amazing tour and guide. Great locations (McKenzie Falls was great). Our guide Steve was helpful and a great guide. Would highly recommend
      Written 9 January 2025
    • I9203LWdavidc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great trip
      Our guide Wayne was great. Plenty of explanation and advice on walking routes helped to optimize our enjoyment of the trip. Totally worth going on this trip. Glad we booked it.
      Written 9 January 2025
    • B6996EOjennac
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful experience & even better guide! Matt was knowledgeable and all around fantastic!
      We cannot say enough great words about our guide, Matt (Matthew) who was originally from England, but has been in Australia for some time now. He was absolutely fabulous with our 8 yr old son. We was knowledgeable and an all around wonderful guide! He even provided us with morning tea and snacks to break up the drive. We especially enjoyed getting out and doing little walks at the lookouts and it was fun to explore the lower lands when possible. Unfortunately we couldn't go down to Ship Wreck beach (as it's closed off due to rocks falling. The only thing missing would have been to get to see the 12 Apostles from the beach, but were informed that time wasn't built into our trip. I would highly recommend taking one of the other smaller stops away to add that in, if the tour operator could make that happen?
      Written 9 January 2025
    • 111aussie111
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellence
      Excellent tour guide/ bus driver Fiona.explanations were great and had great locations. Maximised the tour with her knowledge. Treated everyone as individuals and not cattle.
      Written 6 January 2025
    • tmridula
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Long trip for an average experience
      We were underwhelmed; we must have seen about 100 little penguins in the one hour. The koala sanctuary was OK. Our driver Adrian was perhaps the highlight. It was 4 hours of travel for an average experience. We could have done more exciting stuff in Melbourne perhaps.
      Written 29 December 2024
    • 80juliettew
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommended tour with lots of penguins
      I had the best time on this tour, Fiona was an amazing tour guide and had so much good energy, great information and tips about how to see the most penguins - i couldn’t recommend this more !
      Written 27 December 2024
    • 274signeb
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing trip!!
      Absolutely adorable, fantastic and stunning tour. We've been so so lucky with timing and guide. Misty is your tour guide and bus driver, but will become a friend and companion along the way. The enthusiasm, history, sights and knowledge she brings really leveled up the whole trip! One of my own highlights was visiting the Bunjil cave, and it really was an introspective and important thing to witness. Thank you so much for our lovely trip, wish we could stay in Australia and do many, many more!
      Written 21 December 2024
    • mtmorgen
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Positive and Beautiful
      Fiona was upbeat, respectful and positive. Fiona shared the beauty of the indigenous people as well as the beauty of the floral and animals. The bus had seating that was too small, which was uncomfortable. It was nice to have Internet access.
      Written 2 December 2024
    • W1222ZMbenw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      What a great trip!
      What a great tour! It was good to do it in reverse with the small group we had beating all the crowds, this definitely made a difference to enjoy the amazing sites. We took our kids aged 11 , 7 and they had an awesome time as well. It is kid friendly, ( but our kids are well behaved) it is a long day. Aiden was brilliant, very knowledgeable and super friendly and he made very enjoyable for us and is an asset to the team! Thank you for a great day!
      Written 16 November 2024
    • pchauhan09
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing tour with Graham
      Excellent tour doing the great ocean tour in reverse direction to avoid crowds. Because we were on time with the schedule we did a slight detour to see kolas and kangaroos. Well paced tour highly recommend.
      Written 5 November 2024
    • Expedition816761
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fabulous day at Koala Reserve and Penguin Parade on Philip Island fronted by a truly exceptionally good guide, Fiona.
      Phillip Island was wonderful. Loved the Koala Bear Walk and amazing penguin parade. Our guide, Fiona, went the extra mile and was a brilliant tour guide. An exceptional tour which I thoroughly recommend. A Brilliant day with an exceptionally good and dedicated guide. Top marks to Wildlife Tours.
      Written 1 November 2024
    • CherylM2010
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      This is a worthwhile trip
      The scenery was stunning and there were a perfect number of opportunities to get off the bus. Jacob was a great driver and gave us lots of pertinent information.
      Written 15 October 2024
    • jennifersnell
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic tour
      Our driver and guide Kiwi Chris was amazing. So knowledgeable about the area. He spotted koalas for us. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this tour. So much to see. Worth every penny!
      Written 13 October 2024
    • Getaway791743
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      The fantastic 3 day Melbourne to Adelaide Great Ocean Road and Grampian tour
      A fantastic experience! This was an absolutely wonderful tour made so by our guide/driver Craig. He was so incredibly knowledgeable not just on the animals, birds, plant-life and culture of the people of the area, new and old. Not only did we see the promised sights, but with efficiency and getting up a bit earlier, he took to us to many other wonderful sights as well, that improved the already great experience. Being extremely well travelled and having led tours in many parts of Australia, he was able to to give us wide perspective on how what we were seeing could be both unique and similar to other places in the world. He had an incredible sense of humour which put a smile on many of our faces. It was wonderful seeing the natural beauty of this part of the world. Our only reservation in not giving the tour 5 stars was because despite the fact that our tour was only half of the maximum number of people that the bus could take, the seats were cramped, without much leg room and there were no bins overhead to put small carry on bags into.
      Written 3 October 2024
    See all 1,322 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    We perform checks on reviews.
    Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
    Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
    When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
    Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
    Learn more about our review moderation.
    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles123 reviews
    Excellent
    91
    Very good
    18
    Average
    7
    Poor
    3
    Terrible
    4

    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
    This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

    Teal B
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2024 • Couples
    With only one day planned for sightseeing outside of Melbourne, we were unsure which day trip to choose. We absolutely LOVED the day trip to 12 Apostles with Steve and would highly recommend it. Steve was a fun, engaging, and knowledgeable tour guide. The bus was new and comfortable, and we had plenty of time for all sights. We mentioned to Steve that we hadn't seen kangas or koalas and Steve made slight adjustments to the time schedule to allow some stops at places where native wildlife would be found. We were glad for the the slightly shorter day (11-12hrs) compared to other tours that were 13+ because we had an early international flight the next day.

    For folks travelling on a Sunday, you may want to bring snack bars, because some spots had only 1 open cafe for food and the lines could be quite long due to other tour buses and travellers. This is not the fault of the tour company-- this would happen with any.
    Written 19 May 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Laura O
    New York City, NY36 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    July 2023 • Couples
    We had Steve as our guide!!! Boy was he amazing! Even convinced us to do a helicopter ride (an option for some extra $ but totally worth it) and I am scared of heights!!! So glad we did it. He was so informative and always had excellent recommendations! We were so lucky to have him as our guide. As one of the last pick up spots my husband and I were seated in the back of the bus which could tend to get cold or “rocky”. He always made it a point to check in on us to make sure we were okay!!! His company is so lucky to have him as a guide!
    Written 5 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi There, Thanks heaps for leaving us a great review and for all the great feedback on your guide Steve. We are so thrilled you had a great time on tour with him and we hope you made some amazing memories. Cody
    Written 6 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Bree Tiana
    Newhaven, Australia41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2024 • Friends
    I had a wonderful day onboard with Wildlife Tours and got so much value from the trip. The bus arrived on time for us in the morning driven by our charismatic host, Joe, who was informative and helpful across the day.

    We went on the Great Ocean Road & Rainforest Tour and felt that we had enough time at each location to see as much of the Great Ocean Road as possible! I hadn’t been in years and could not do the road trip because of fatigue so this trip took all of the stress off my shoulders.

    I would highly recommend Joe & the Wildlife Tours team for your next (and likely already overdue) adventure.
    Written 8 September 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    G'day! Thanks for taking the time to write your wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that you had a fantastic day on our Great Ocean Road tour. It’s great that Joe made your experience so enjoyable and stress-free, and took all of the worry off your shoulders. We’re thrilled that you felt you had ample time at each location to soak in the beauty, there was plenty to see while on this tour! Kind Regards, Wildlife Tours
    Written 24 October 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    dordor-Sin
    Singapore, Singapore1,199 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is the worse experience I had with Aust tours despite I joined a same one during winter in 2024. Meeting time was 640am and yet guide didn't turn up. 2nd coach guide took over but we only left at 715am! It was quite a mess, and we only had our driver, and the guide for our bus was said to be on MC. I think it's he/she probably partying on Xmas day so didn't make it for our tour on Boxing Day. Due to heat wave on 26Dec so guide said he will reverse the itinerary to avoid crowds and heat which was a good plan. He also remotely talking to us via mobile connected with mic but still, it's not good. The whole itinerary seems messed up except 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gouge, and we ended up sitting in the bus for long hours and bad bumpy rides especially at Toquay area. Some travellers felt sick and vomited too due to the bumpy and turnings. Felt very short changed for this tour, and lunch only happened at 3pm too.
    Written 26 December 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    G'day, Thank you for your feedback, we are sorry you didnt have the experience you hoped for. We believe you may not have been on our tour and may have been on another tour provider. We do not have a pick location that alligns with 6:40am . On boxing day both of our standard and reverse Great Ocean Road tous were fully booked and no changes were made to the tour route. In regards to this tour there seems to be a bit of confusion, our tours only have one driver who is also an experienced guide too. Please contact us on our direct email so we can investigate this issue further: info@wildlifetours.com.au We look forward to working with you on this to investigate this further. Kind regards Wildlife Tours
    Written 30 December 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Zoe
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2023
    The scenery is stunning! Loved the Loch Ard Gorge particularly. Has inspired me to come back and spend a week or so camping in the area. Should have bought togs so I could jump in the water quickly at Loch Ard Gorge. It's a long day! Bring a neck pillow for the bus ride. The tour guide Charlie was a very articulate, eloquent communicator and delivered the history and facts of the tour exceptionally well. I learnt lots about Australia which I didn't know about. He is a wealth of knowledge. Saw koalas in the wild for the first time, amazing! And a wild echidna, so cute! Wear a hat and sunscreen!
    Written 22 January 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    olenders
    London, UK100 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was an absolutely fantastic day out. The scenery was as you'd expect, fabulous; but the experience was further enhanced by our exceptional guide, Tim, whose enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability to get the balance right between information download, entertainment, and quiet time, was perfect. Coming across as a thoroughly decent and nice guy even at the end of a long day, as he dropped people off at their preferred locations, also helped.

    This is a long trip with an early and punctual 07.30 start. Do not expect to get back until late in the evening. That is inevitable given the massive distance to be covered and the number of things that you will see on the Great Ocaan Road from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles as well as a little inland. But it is SO WORTH IT!

    After an early morning coffee/breakfast stop, we stopped at a variety of locations: Lorne Beach, Teddy's Lookout, Appollo Bay (for lunch... I recommend the scallop pie at the bakery, which also does enormous lamingtons), Mait's Rest (rainforest walk), Aire River (where we saw many koalas in the wild), the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Bay, and the Razorback. We then drove back inland stopping off at Colak to pick up some dinner as the last of the dusk faded.

    This is not a trip just about the stopping points. The scenery throughout, whether on the coast or slightly inland, is very beautiful along this stretch of the Great Ocean Road. I was certainly never tempted to have a nap as there was so much to see out of the window, on what was also a perfect spring day.

    In summary, I found this the perfect was to see much of the Great Ocean Road in a day. I did not have especially long in Melbourne while on a bit of a taster trip around Australia and this was the perfect solution for me.
    Written 28 October 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    kiki
    3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022
    Booked this tour very last minute but we had a great experience. Although the time on bus is quite long, we had stopped at multiple spots so didn't really feel like so. The guide was super nice and giving away sun stories and knowledge related to the areas we were in. However, the bus is not so comfortable to sit in for long hours and I am not too sure if the AC was working.
    Written 4 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Cinzia R
    Milan, Italy188 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We stopped at the 12 Apostles on our trip to Australia. What can I say, a breathtaking visit, we arrived at sunset and despite the strong wind we were left speechless by the magnificent landscape. If you come to these parts you can't miss this wonder.
    Google
    Written 10 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! It is so exciting to hear positive experiences from our guests :) We are so glad you enjoyed your time on tour. Madi
    Written 30 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Jamuna K
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    July 2022 • Family
    Tour operator (Mr. TIM) was friendly and very humble. He kept on entertaining us whole time with the history and stories and also the music.
    Time management was excellent.
    Had a wonderful day.
    Highly recommend 😊
    Written 11 July 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    cysquatch
    Toronto, Canada2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    May 2023 • Couples
    Spectacular tour guide, I believe his name was Dandy and he went above and beyond to make the trip memorable. He was very professional, personable and kind - he went out of his way to find spots to see koalas and kangaroos, and made a trip back to pick up a guests bag that she forgot. I almost lost count how many stops and things there are to do on this trip in addition to seeing the Twelve apostles at sunset (which is the highlight), but you also get to go for a hike, go for a couple of beach walks including the one at Gibson Steps and then finish off at Razorback. Multiple breaks along the way to get lunch and dinner as well as pickup coffee and snacks. Great tour, even better tour guide and bus driver. Hats off to our bus driver, hope you get to drive with him.
    Written 21 May 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    G'Day! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a great review. We are so happy to hear that you had such a great day on the Great Ocean Road with Dandy. He is such a great guide with many stories. It is amazing that you got to see koalas and kangaroos on your tour! It can be so hard to spot them. It sounds like you got to enjoy every part of the day for what it was and it is so wonderful that you were able to take in the beautiful views of the 12 Apostles at sunset. We hope you will travel with us again in the future. Cody
    Written 24 May 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Showing results 1-10 of 109
    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Day Trip from Melbourne provided by Wildlife Tours Australia

    All Melbourne HotelsMelbourne Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Melbourne
    All things to do in Melbourne
    Day Trips in Melbourne
    RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars