My wife and I did this small group tour in Jan 23. The trip exceeded our expectations in every respect. Our guide, Pierre, was first class and went out of his way to ensure everybody had the best time. The accommodation was excellent, meals were great and the scenery was magnificent. It was very relaxing to sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery which seemed to get better and better. Finishing the tour with the Grampians was also wonderful and very relaxing. Pierre was an absolute gentleman and his knowledge of the area and its history was exceptional. Highly recommend this tour. It won’t disappoint.

I'm not one to write reviews but thought i would just share my positive experience of this tour company. Excellent from start to finish. Our guide James was very friendly and a very safe driver. Thanks from Jen & the boys x

We took a private tour with great ocean road explorer. Guide was good (so sorry I forgot name). We saw many things in the 12 hours. Many animals, such as koala and kangaroo. Beautiful sights. Especially 12 apostles. Beautiful. We ran on the beach. Ate the local foods. Very fun time.

We had really wanted to visit the Grampians but were struggling to find someone who get us out there, as we had a long lost relative we wanted to connect with. We took a tour which incorporated the great ocean road. It was a lot of driving, and perhaps I probably would have chosen to do it over 4 days, but sadly we didn’t quite have that extra time. The trip was very varied.

It was a very well executed tour. Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Car was better than we were expecting. And the road is incredible. However I would have to rate at 3 stars as it was very annoying having to wear masks for the whole time in the vehicle (due to covid). I understand there is a pandemic on, but surely on a private tour this wasn’t necessary? The guide said it was the legal requirement, but to be honest, I think we had paid enough for the tour, to warrant deciding on whether we should have to wear them or not. I just think we need to move on with life and get back to normal. End of rant!

We were very happy with the services of great Ocean Road Explorer. I knew they would be good on the great Ocean Road, given that would seem to be their main market, but they still gave us an excellent tour to Phillip island as well. They were also quite flexible when we contacted them, as we wanted a ‘day off’ to explore Melbourne, so we did the tour to phillip island on the Monday, explored Melbourne by ourselves on Tuesday, and then went on the 2 day portion of the tour to the great Ocean Road on Wednesday and Thursday, which all worked out well. We also saved quite a bit of money by booking directly (via a combination of phone and email) which is always a nice little bonus.

Booked this private tour through our hotel concierge. He billed it as being a bit cheaper and more relaxed than other private tour operators in a non-branded car (I.e. not a flash Mercedes). But the car was extremely comfortable - I can’t imagine a Mercedes being any better, except for the image of people wanting other people to be see them stepping out of a Mercedes possibly. Yes those people really do exist! Instagram idiots I like to call them!! The car also had WiFi connectivity which was useful as my wife had to do some work on the road. It also had separate air controls which was handy as we were visiting during a very hot day. And our guide, well I’m not sure if anyone would have known the road any better to be honest given that he was a local.

My husband and I travelled on vacation to Australia with our parents and spent amazing two days along the Great Ocean Road. James was impeccable! Professional, friendly, polite and knows the region in details. From Melbourne to Apollo Bay, he drove us and provided to us incredible experience out off the common touristic tours. We visited all the sites, beaches that the others tours do, but with a unique experience. James customized our tour so everyone could experience it despite my parents (elders) age restrictions. The younger ones and the older ones, all of us had an amazing time. James referred an excellent restaurant for our dinner night at Apollo Bay! I would definitely use James services again and strongly recommend him to any one visiting the region.

We choose to do a 3 day private tour. I think the average person would be happy with 2 days, but we had extra activities that we wanted to do that we had read about (I.e. zip lining and horse riding) which Jamie fitted into our schedule seamlessly, with use of the extra 3rd day. Very good indeed.

We had travelled across multiple time zones to reach this destination. The Great Ocean Road was at the top of our list, so we wanted to get it right. We used this company based on a friends recommendation. Our guide Jamie, was a local, but also super professional, friendly and very knowledge of the area. In early stages of planning, we had initially thought of doing the drive ourselves, so I’m so glad my friend interrupted our plans when he did. There is absolutely no way we can have replicated the tour that we received. It was just incredible. Big thanks from the Bustos family (travelled 7/10/19)

Discovering a totally new place with someone who really know it, and plans everything around what you really like and want to see, is priceless. Jamie was a great ambassador for the road and its rich history - which we were completely and naively unaware of prior to the tour. We saw new things, tried new foods (that we don’t see so much in Asia) and Jamie helped create some unforgettable memories for myself and my family.

We had heard the great ocean road should be done over 2 days, but to put it simply, we didn’t have the time. With this private tour however, it went for slightly longer than some of the other (bus) tours and it felt like we really maximised our time at each stop. We are both quick at seeing what we want to see, and then moving onto the next sight. So this worked well, as our driver was always there ready to show us the next place. It also helped that we didn’t have to wait for 50 people to get on and off a bus at each stop. I can imagine that would become tiresome. As it was just my husband and I, we were out of the vehicle at the each sight within seconds of our arrival. Some stops we were only there for a matter of minutes, some stops a bit longer. Overall, if you can, I’d go for the 2 day option, but if you are really pushed for time, at least be safe in the knowledge that yes it is technically possible to get around and see everything in just the one day. Just expect to be very tired by the end, as it is a very long day.

We were a bit apprehensive as to which company to choose to take us down the Great Ocean Road as there seemed to be quite a few options available. Our minds were put to rest the moment we were picked up by our guide. Our tour was jam packed with so many different components, I had to look back through my photos to remind myself of all the different places we stopped at over our 2 day tour. And of course, the big sights like the 12 apostles were impressive, but I was just in awe of the road in general. And the smaller, lesser known stops were equally as impressive. The area is just an incredible place. It deserves, in my opinion, to be put as the number 1 must see in Australia, just behind the Great Barrier Reef and the blue mountains. I would also perhaps suggest spending a day or two in Melbourne, which we much preferred to Sydney. Overall, I would certainly recommend any of my friends and family heading out to Australia in the future to use Great Ocean Road Explorer as their go-to-company. We felt safe throughout the tour, the car we travelled in was comfy and we were given the flexibility to pick and choose where we wanted to stop as we travelled along the road.

We found Great Ocean Road Explorer to be a great option to choose. Vehicle was clean and comfy. Our guide Jamie was down to earth and very friendly. He knew the road very well so we always felt safe and secure. There were some amazing stops along the way. As the previous reviewer mentioned, it is a very long day. I will touch on that now...... Yes, the 1 day tour is very long. You are really stuck in the car for about 9 hours over the entity of the day, although the tour is broken up so you do get out quite often to visit the attractions along the road. And Jamie was very flexible on the stops, so rest room and snack breaks is no issue. It comes down to timing. If you have the time, then I’d recommend doing a 2 day tour. Jamie tries to suggest that to all his guests, but he said the majority of tourists visiting Melbourne, simply don’t allow enough time, and thus only left with time to do a one day tour. And the great ocean road is not really a place you can miss. Most of the tours I imagine would follow a similar tour pattern. I mean, there is only one direction to go right?! But Jamie seemed to plan it so we missed the big buses and visited one or two other places which weren’t on our tourist map, had no sighnposts and to be honest, I think most people would have no idea are even in existence. So all in all, great tour, great company to tour with, BUT.....if you have time, choose the two day tour and do yourself a favour!

This was my 4th visit to the great ocean road, but with my parents visiting from overseas, they insisted on taking a private tour, so I very reluctantly booked a two day tour with Great Ocean Road Explorer. I was quickly proven wrong. Hands down the best trip I have ever taken down there. So much less stressful having someone doing the driving and who actually knows the area. Car was not a Mercedes/BMW but still extremely comfortable - see my pic. Every stop was spectacular. And I got much closer to wildlife than I had done on any of my previous trips. Last time I was photographing parrots high up in a tree with a zoom lens.....this time around I was actually handfeeding wild parrots. Quite a difference! And we got some great photos to boot. Thanks Jamie for a great two days 👍