Great Ocean Road itineraries

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The Great Ocean Road rewards a slower trip, but a day trip from Melbourne is possible too. The plans below start from Melbourne, use the driving times from route calculations on OpenStreetMap data, and leave room for the booking you now need at the Twelve Apostles. Times are without stops; add at least as much again for lookouts, walks and meals.

One day from Melbourne

In a single day, the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge are the fixed points, and everything else is a choice of route. Driving yourself, follow the coast from Torquay through Lorne and Apollo Bay (about 280 km and 4 hours 27 minutes to the Apostles) and come back inland via Colac, which takes 3 hours 21 minutes. That is close to eight hours at the wheel, so choose two or three stops on the way out, perhaps the koalas at Kennett River and a short forest walk, and keep the afternoon for the Port Campbell area.

On a tour, the classic route works the same way: one small-group day stops for morning tea near Torquay, walks through the rainforest at Maits Rest and has a dinner stop in Colac on the way home. A reverse tour turns it around: it drives inland first to reach the Apostles before the midday peak, then follows the coast back. The minibus version takes 12 guests, leaves the CBD at 6:30 am and stops at Gibson Steps, the Razorback and Loch Ard Gorge before a short rainforest walk.

Two days with a night in Apollo Bay

Two days let you split the coast in half. On day one, leave Melbourne in the morning and drive the 103 km to Torquay, then continue along the Surf Coast through Anglesea and Aireys Inlet to Lorne. Apollo Bay is about 45 km further, roughly 195 km and a little over three hours from Melbourne in total without stops. Near Apollo Bay, the Wildlife Wonders sanctuary runs a 75-minute guided walk on a gentle 1.4 km path through Otways bushland, and a dusk tour that starts with a light meal and looks for nocturnal animals.

On day two, it is about 85 km and 1 hour 19 minutes to the Twelve Apostles. The Cape Otway Lightstation lies off this stretch and opens Friday to Tuesday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; its tower is closed for conservation works, but the heritage precinct and café are open. Book your slot at the Apostles, then add Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge and the Port Campbell Discovery Walk before taking the inland road home.

A tour covers the same ground without a car. The two-day trip from Flinders Street Station uses an 11-seat minibus, takes in beaches, waterfalls and lookouts and stays overnight in Apollo Bay, with a dorm bed in a shared room unless you upgrade.

Three days, west to Warrnambool or north to the Grampians

With a third day, spend the second night near Port Campbell and continue west. London Bridge, which collapsed in 1990 and left two visitors stranded on the new island until a helicopter rescued them, and The Grotto are a short drive on; the viewing area for The Arch is closed because of unstable cliffs. Further west, Warrnambool lies just past the end of the Great Ocean Road at Allansford. From June to September, southern right whales come to calve at Logans Beach almost every year, watched from a platform in the dunes. Sightings are never certain.

The Grampians are the other way to spend three days. They lie inland, north of the coast. The three-day tour from Melbourne follows the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles and spends the night in Warrnambool, visits Tower Hill and climbs to the Pinnacle lookout on day two, then stays in Halls Gap. It travels in a 24-seat bus, uses shared rooms and includes guided bush walks of about 6.5 km.

Some multi-day tours do not return to Melbourne but end in Adelaide. The multi-day tours page lists them.

Adding a morning on the Surf Coast

If the start of the road matters more to you than the far west, give Torquay half a day. A two-hour group lesson for beginners starts at a surf shop in town, with wetsuit and soft board supplied and a Level 1 coach in waist-deep water. In the warmer months, Torquay Back Beach and several other beaches in town are patrolled. The surfing and outdoor page has the other lessons along the coast.

On foot, eight days

The Great Ocean Walk is the slow version. It runs for more than 100 km from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles and is usually walked over eight days from east to west. Campsites are small and must be booked in advance, with no more than three people per site, and groups must register their itinerary at least 14 days before they set out. The park authority warns of stairs, sustained climbs and descents, and beach and river crossings that may be unsafe at high tide or in rough surf.