Here at Otway Discovery Tours we often get asked “which is the best Great Ocean Road tour?” and “which tour should i choose?” so we thought we would put together a guide on all of our tours and the differences to make the decision easier for you!
1 day great ocean road tour
This is the classic tour, when people think day trip on the Great Ocean Road this is what comes to mind. On this tour our amazing guides will take you to all the best spots on the surf coast, in the Otway rainforest and on the shipwreck coast. We’ll visit Split Point lighthouse and enjoy morning tea and get to know everyone in the group before continuing along the surf coast admiring the spectacular coastline and quaint surf towns.
We’ll stop to spot Koalas in the wild and drive through Lorne and hear tales of the pier to pub race and the famous devastating bushfires that stopped before reaching Lorne itself. There’s time to explore Apollo bay and enjoy a cafe lunch before heading into the Otway national park for a walk through the rainforest breathing in the freshest air in Victoria and being dwarfed by the massive mountain ash trees.
Finally arrive at the Shipwreck coast and walk down to the beach at the Gibson Steps to catch a glimpse of the 12 apostles at sea level. Learn the tale of the Loch Ard shipwreck and enjoy the spectacular views and walking trails of Loch ard Gorge before the highlight of the day – The 12 Apostles! Marvel at the limestone rock stacks off the coast and capture amazing photos to remember what is truly an incredible day!
- Tour runs 7am to 8pm approximately
- Morning tea and lunch included
- Visit Split Point Lighthouse
- Snap a photo at Memorial Arch
- Lunch in Apollo Bay
- Spot Koalas in the wild
- Walk through the Otway Rainforest
- Marvel at Loch Ard Gorge, Gibson Steps and the 12 Apostles on the shipwreck coast.
Travel the Great Ocean Road with us here!
1 day great ocean road sunset tour
Arguably the best time of the day to visit the 12 apostles is at Sunset and our Great Ocean Road Sunset tour allows you to do just that! This is the first and original Sunset tour run by our amazing guides that will get you safely all the way along the coastline to the Apostles and back into Melbourne for what is surely a spectacular day.
The itinerary is slightly different to our Great Ocean Road Tour where we depart later to avoid the crowds and head to our first stop which is Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre. We enjoy a Didgeridoo performance here and the chance to view indigenous art and walk through the garden with kangaroos and emus. We then head along the surf coast of the Great Ocean Road though Lorne and Apollo Bay stopping along the way to spot koalas in the wild.
We walk through the Otway Rainforest and it’s massive mountain ash trees breathing in the fresh air before journeying to the spectacular shipwreck coast. The Gibson steps provide spectacular views of the 12 apostles on sea level and Loch Ard gorge and the story of the famous shipwreck set the perfect backdrop before the absolute highlight of the day – Sunset at the 12 apostles. This is such a wonderful time to enjoy the impressive rock stacks as we watch the colours change while the sun goes down capturing spectacular photos and memories all the while.
- Tour runs from 9am till 10pm in winter and 11am till 11:30pm in Summer approximately.
- Visit Narana indigenous cultural centre, view its art and explore it’s garden with emus and kangaroos
- Cruise along the surf coast
- spot koalas in the wild
- get a selfie with the great ocean road sign at memorial arch
- Marvel at the massive mountain Ash trees as you walk through the Otway Rainforest
- See the 12 apostles at sea level at the Gibson Steps
- Learn the tale of the Loch ard shipwreck and explore this fantastic area
- view the 12 apostles at arguably the most spectacular time – Sunset
See the spectacular sunset here!
2 day great ocean road and phillip island tour
This tour ticks some of the absolute best spots in Victoria off your bucket list over 2 amazing days on the south coast. We’ll depart Melbourne city and head for the shipwreck coast at the start of the day. This allows us to view the 12 apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Gibson steps before the crowds arrive in the afternoon. We’ll then spend the rest of the first day cruising along the Great Ocean Road against the traffic until we arrive on the Bellarine Peninsula where we spend the night at our amazing accommodation.
At the start of the second day we have breakfast and head straight for the ferry terminal at Queenscliff and take the boat across Port Phillip Bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula. Enjoy gorgeous views from Arthurs seat before we journey to Moonlit Wildlife sanctuary to get up close with Australian animals. From here we head onto Phillip island to the Nobbies Boardwalk before arriving at our final destination – The Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
- Tour departs between 7am and 7:30am on day 1 and returns between 10pm and midnight seasonally
- Includes dinner on day 1 and breakfast on day 2
- See the spectacular 12 apostles and Loch Ard Gorge and learn the tale of the famous shipwreck
- Spot Koalas in the wild
- Enjoy the stunning coastal views and surf coast townships
- stay overnight on the Bellarine Peninsula
- Take the ferry across Port Phillip Bay from Queenscliff to Sorrento
- See the famous bathing boxes of the Mornington Peninsula
- Get up close and personal with Australian wildlife at Moonlit Wildlife Sanctuary
- Walk along the nobbies boardwalk and view the seal rocks
- Watch the little Penguins return to their homes during sunset at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Visit the penguins and twelve apostles here!
3 day great ocean road and grampians adventure
This is the ultimate adventure for those that want to see a little bit of everything that Victoria has to offer and cover the Great Ocean Road in more depth. On the first day we’ll visit all the classic spots along surf coast, shipwreck coast and Otway rainforest. We spend this first night at accommodation in Port Campbell that has its own brewery and head to the 12 Apostles for an amazing sunset (fingers crossed!).
On day 2 we spend time exploring all the magnificent rock formations and areas at the end of the Great Ocean Road such as the bay of martyrs, London arch and the dormant volcano of Tower Hill. We then head north to the Grampians national park and spend the awesome accommodation surrounded by kangaroos.
The third day is spent exploring the Grampians national park hiking to the various lookouts such as the balconies and marvelling at the spectacular Mackenzie falls. at the end of the day the tour returns to Melbourne though you can also book the tour as a Melbourne to Adelaide tour which sees you connect to Adelaide via coach from Horsham arriving into Adelaide central bus station at 7pm approximately.
- Visit Narana Aboriginal Cultural centre, view the art and explore the garden with kangaroos and emus
- cruise along the surf coast through coastal towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay
- Spot Koalas in the Wild!
- Overnight stay in Port Campbell at the end of the Great Ocean Road
- Explore the historic Shipwreck coast including Loch Ard Gorge, the 12 apostles, bay of martyrs, london arch and tower hill
- overnight stay in the foothill of the Grampians national park surrounded by kangaroos
- visit Brambuk Aboriginal cultural centre.
- Cool off at Mackenzie falls and hike to the many spectacular lookouts such as the balconies
Experience Victoria’s beautiful nature with us here!
