Our Reverse Great Ocean Road Tour allows you to enjoy the National Heritage listed Great Ocean Road without the crowds. By doing the day tour in reverse we avoid the masses at the 12 Apostles and give you the chance to get that perfect shot without the crowds at the viewpoints. Don’t worry this reverse tour covers all the major stops and highlights of our Great Ocean Road Experience tour so you won’t miss a thing.
Join our Reverse Great Ocean Road Tour and experience something different. Explore the coastal towns along the world-famous coastline, each with its own amazing rainforest scenery and photo opportunities. Our friendly and informative tour guides will give you an up close and memorable experience with comfort stops at quaint towns and villages that are suitable for all ages, so it’s perfect for everyone.
Tour Highlights
- Explore the magnificent 12 Apostles shipwreck coast away from the usual crowds
- Experience the unspoiled beauty of Loch Ard Gorge’s pristine beach under the vibrant mid-morning sun
- Uncover the magnificent views from Mutton Bird Island & Razorback Lookout
- Seek out Australian wildlife in its natural habitat
- Embark on a guided stroll through an ancient rainforest at Great Otway National Park
- Cruise along the renowned Great Ocean Road, a National Heritage-Listed landmark
- Environmentally conscious sustainable touring experience.
Tour Details
- Tour code: GORR-S
- Operating Schedule: Daily
- Timeframe: 12 hours
- Departure Time: 7:35 in the morning
- Return Time: 8:30 in the evening
- Inclusive of National Park entrance fees
- Provided with a light picnic-style lunch
- Chance to see Australian wildlife
- Guided by an experienced driver guide
- Detailed local tour commentary
- Designated pick-up and drop-off locations within Melbourne’s inner city.
Tour Reviews
Da non perdere Bellissima esperienza con Joel! Ci ha condotto alla scoperta di tane meraviglie. Quello che ci ha colpito di più è stata la gentilezza e la simpatia di Joel. Abbiamo amato i 12 apostoli e la great ocean road con le sue viste mozzafiato! Consiglio a tutti!
Excellent Great Ocean Road Tour with Joel ! Joel was an excellent driver and tour guide. He was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip enjoyable. We felt safe throughout the journey, and his explanations were interesting and informative. Thank you, Joel, for making our Great Ocean Road tour such a wonderful experience!
Good trip! Anthony was an excellent guide! Friendly, knowledgeable, and well organized. He explained the history and highlights of each stop clearly and made the whole Great Ocean Road trip enjoyable and memorable. Thank you for a fantastic day. Highly recommend!
Amazing day We enjoyed a great day visiting the Great Ocean Road with our guide Joel; excellent service.
Great tour (Great Ocean Road in reverse) made excellent by super guide! We booked the Reverse Great Ocean Road tour at the last minute due to changes in the weather forecast. Really glad we did! The tour itself was great, from pick-up, to site visits, to easy drop-off at the end of a long day! We really lucked out with the weather and got to see so many more sights than we would have otherwise if we'd gone alone. There was a lot of ground to cover, with the "Twelve" Apostles being the clear highlight of the tour. We did great on time and even managed a few bonus stops which included a Koala sighting and a whole group of Kangaroos! The star of the show was honestly our guide, Ilkay. I have no idea how he maintained such great energy throughout what must have been an incredibly long day for him (bearing in mind he was driving AND guiding, and we were his first pick-ups at 7am, and last drop-offs around 8pm). His explanations were brilliant, both in content and delivery, and his enthusiasm really kept our group engaged. Couldn't have asked for a better guide!
very amazing!! 5 Stars | Amazing Great Ocean Road tour with guide Joe from Autopia Tours We had an absolutely perfect day exploring the Great Ocean Road with Joe as our tour guide, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Joe clearly has a deep passion for sharing the beauty of Australia’s coastline, just like he wrote on his card—you can truly feel how much he loves showing visitors around this stunning land. His driving is extremely steady on all the winding coastal bends, giving our whole group complete safety and comfort throughout the trip. He knows every hidden gem and optimal photography spot: he took us to the best viewpoints for the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, and even slowed down repeatedly to help us spot wild koalas and kangaroos along the forest roads. Joe shared vivid stories about local shipwreck history, coastal geology and small-town Aussie culture without rushing our schedule. He took thoughtful group photos for all of us, recommended authentic local fish and chips, and was always quick to answer every question we raised. There was zero pushy shopping or rushed stops, the whole day felt relaxed and well-paced. What impressed us most was how genuine and approachable Joe is. He told us we could reach out to him for any travel advice even after the tour, which shows how much he cares about every guest’s travel experience. If you’re booking a small-group Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne, choose Autopia Tours and ask for Joe—you won’t regret it!
amazing time with kiwi I attended the Great Ocean Road tour with Kiwi today, and it has to be one of the most informative, fun, and enjoyable tours I have ever been on. Kiwi was an absolute pleasure to have as our tour guide. As someone who also works as a guide at an attraction, I gained so much inspiration from him. His passion, knowledge, and ability to connect with guests reminded me of the kind of experience I hope to create for my own visitors. He shared so much history, culture, and fascinating facts that we left feeling truly amazed and enriched by the experience. The journey was long, but it never once felt boring or dull. Kiwi did an incredible job keeping everyone entertained and engaged with his humour, storytelling, fun facts, and jokes throughout the day. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he made every moment enjoyable. I would highly recommend Kiwi to anyone looking for a tour filled with fun, learning, and unforgettable memories. (And he makes great sandwiches too!) Thank you, Kiwi, for all the time, effort, and energy you put into giving our family such a memorable experience during our holiday. It is a tour we will be talking about for a long time to come.
Really good tour of the Great Ocean Road! Really good tour with a lot of stops and activities included. Our guide Anthony explained much about the history and the wildlife of the Great Ocean Road which was very interesting. Even got to see Koalas and Kangaroos!
Great ocean road one day trip Our guide Joel ( Marlin-J) was really fantastic & Fabulous!! He took a great care of us, provided excellent guidance, little fun stories and amazing assistance throughout the the trip, We took the Great ocean road one day trip And the journey was really comfortable, exciting and peaceful. Really enjoyed every bit of it. Highly recommended!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Absolute Highlight of My Melbourne Trip! This tour completely exceeded my expectations! The itinerary was perfectly balanced—we managed to see so many incredible attractions along the Great Ocean Road, but it never felt rushed. There was always sufficient time to explore each spot and squeeze in some pit stops during the drive. A massive shoutout to our guide, Chris (aka Kiwi)! He was absolutely fantastic all day long—incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and kept everyone entertained and comfortable from start to finish. I’ll definitely be booking another tour with Autopia Tours the next time I'm back in Melbourne. Highly, highly recommend!
Recommend the Great Ocean Road day tour! Had an absolutely incredible trip to the Great Ocean Road with Kiwi!! He was very informative, kind and friendly. I really recommend this tour as it takes you to 3+ places such as the rainforest and the Apostles. 🙂
A Must Do in Melbourne Absolutely stunning Great Ocean Road experience! 🌊✨ The Twelve Apostles and Razorback were breathtaking—photos don’t do them justice. Big thanks to our guide Joel for making the journey fun and informative. Highly recommended!
Breathtaking experience of the 12 Apostles. Fantastic trip on the Great Ocean Road, experienced many stops along the way and witnessed the twelve apostles. Absolutely breathtaking. I am an Australian and I have wanted to experience this at some point in my life. It was so good to be a passenger and enjoy the scenery. The tour guide Kiwi was amazing. He showed us special sites and shared interesting information during the tour. A wonderful experience.
Must-Do Great Ocean Road Tour We absolutely loved our tour! It was such a memorable experience seeing the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and driving along the Great Ocean Road. Anthony and Sam were amazing—sharing so much knowledge about the places we visited and keeping the day engaging throughout. We had more than enough time at each attraction, and they managed the whole day-long trip in a very enjoyable and well-organized way. We would definitely do it again!
The great ocean road. Kiwi is a wealth of knowledge! The great ocean road is a beautiful experience from end to end! I loved it. It was a good value.
Great experience and lot of fun The tour with Joel to the Great Ocean Road was fantastic. Great vibes, lots of wisdom from him, and a very friendly approach, always thinking about and asking for our comfort. It was a real treat to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild. Great playlist for the route. 100% recommended.
Perfect day An absolute beautiful day to visit the great ocean road. Our guide Coco made the day more pleasant! Great choice of music! Thank you for an amazing day
Great Ocean Road Reverse Craig and Barry were great tour guides. It was a perfect day. Learned a lot about the beautiful Great Ocean Road and saw so many koalas and kangaroos. Breathtaking sites such as the twelfth apostles. Highly recommend.
A nice trip in Australia 3 days Road Trip with Ben as guide and driver.A plaisant trip to visit Great Ocean Road , 12 aspotres and hike in Grampians.A 13 personnes group coming from many different country.
Outstanding tour Took Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour with Kiwi as our guide. Kiwi was upbeat and informative. Sites were spectacular and we saw koala and kangaroo. Great tour!
Great ocean road Had a unreal day on the great ocean road on joes bus couldn’t recommend highly enough
Awesome Australia! We’ve done 5 tours in Australia with different companies. This one was, by far, the best! Anthony was friendly, knowledgeable, and informative. He didn’t over talk. He took great care with all the guests of various ages. The Great Ocean Road was perfectly paced. Reverse is the way to go. He also brought us to see koalas and kangaroos out in the wild. No petting zoo like most other tours. Highly recommended!
Good experience Really good way to see the Great Ocean Road and 13 apostles from Brisbane.Lots of information and stops that you might miss if doing the trip independently. To do the trip from Melbourne you really need 2 days if driving yourself so this was a good way to see it in a day with a driver.
Experienca inolvidable I want to leave an amazing review for Joel (Marlin J), my driver and guide on the Great Ocean Road and Grampians. He was great, stopping at iconic and hidden spots. Saw lots of native wildlife, it was a dream! Food was delicious and he drives super well, didn't get car sick! Highly recommend ❤️. Thanks, Joel!
Beautiful tour, would highly recommend I had a really fantastic experience with Autopia tours doing the Great Ocean Road. Coco was a great tour guide - really knowledgeable, funny, kind and put our safety first. Plenty of breaks to stretch the legs and have snacks. He even knew the best spots to see wild koalas and kangaroos!Would highly recommend this excursion!
Amazing day! We did the Great Ocean Road Reversed Tour and had an amazing day. Our guide, Coco, was brilliant, very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting little facts along the way. I would recommend him 100%. The music on the bus was great and added to the fun atmosphere. Everything he said we would see, we did – including the stunning Twelve Apostles. We saw plenty of koalas and kangaroos, and the weather turned out perfect. We also had a coffee stop and later a delicious lunch with a great selection of sandwiches and a little pudding, which was a lovely touch. Coco kept us entertained all day, such a lovely experience, highly recommend.
Amazing tour with Joel. We had an amazing day with Joel who took us on a tour of The Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles. Absolutely stunning scenery backed by Joel’s immense knowledge and with many other stops along the way!
Great trip along the great ocean road Great tour along the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles, with some stops along the way. Joel was a great driver and four guide. Also allowed time for us to take a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles.
Great Ocean Road Sean was a great guide. We booked the Great Ocean Road. His kindness, energy and knowledge made the experience unique. We had a great time. A big thank you to him.
Truely Great Ocean Road What a great day out, visually spectacular and travelled safely in comfort while listening to Sean’s ( driver/Guide) commentary. Sean’s knowledge and humour enhanced the experience and would recommend this trip to anyone looking to explore the Great Ocean Road. The coast line was truely amazing and hard to take a bad photo. Walked away very happy from the experience, thank you

Full Itinerary
Journey Back to Melbourne
As the evening falls, keep an eye out for other Australian wildlife. A dinner stop is planned before the final leg of an hour’s drive back to Melbourne, aiming to arrive around 8:30.
Our Reverse Tour doesn’t lack any of the offerings of the traditional Great Ocean Road Tour. It simply offers a more secluded experience. If you love adventures that veer off the beaten path, this tour is definitely for you.
We also offer Yarra Valley Wine Tours, perfect for those wanting to explore Australia’s oldest wine-making region. Enjoy tastings at prestigious wineries and a meal at a top-rated Yarra Valley restaurant. Both our Yarra and Hunter Valley Wine Tours promise a memorable excursion into Australia’s wine culture. Book your Yarra Valley Wine Tour with the Great Ocean Road Tour today!
Additional information
Inclusions
- Admission charges for National Parks
- Casual picnic lunch
- Encountering Australian wildlife
- Escorted hikes (approx. 2-3km)
- WiFi accessible on board
- Led by a seasoned driver guide
- Travel in a contemporary air-conditioned bus
- Detailed local tour narration
- Chosen pick-up/drop-off location within Melbourne’s inner city.
Pickup Times And locations
Our central meeting point for this tour will be the Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, Melbourne at 7:35. The bus will be waiting on the Market st side of the Immigration Museum.
Please arrive 5-10 mins prior to your nominated pickup time so as not to delay or miss your tour.
- 6:55 - Pegasus Apartments Hotel – 206 A’Beckett St, Melbourne
- 7:00 - Melbourne Marriott Hotel - Cnr Exhibition St Lonsdale St, Melbourne
- 7:05 - Space Hotel - 380 Russell St, Melbourne
- 7:10 - Grand Hyatt Melbourne - Russell St entrance, Melbourne
- 7:20 - Adina Apartment Hotel - 189 Queen St, Melbourne
- 7:25 – The Savoy Hotel – 630 Little Collins St, Melbourne
- 7:35 – Immigration Museum (east-side), 400 Flinders St corner of Market St, Melbourne
- 7:40 - Crown Towers - 8 Whiteman St Queens Bridge St, Southbank
If you are still looking for your desired pickup location, please contact our office for a comprehensive list of sites.
It is highly advisable to arrive at your pickup location at least 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Please remain calm and patient if your bus runs a few minutes behind schedule. If your bus has not arrived within 10 minutes of the scheduled departure time, kindly contact our office at 03 9393 1300.
Discover the private tour groups! Reach out to our incredible charters team at [email protected] to unlock unforgettable adventures.
Pricing Options
Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour includes lunch – $ 145 for Adults (13+), $ 105 for Children (0 to 12)
Optional Extras:
Helicopter flight over the 12 apostles – $ 155 (subject to availability – payable directly on the day)
Not sure about a group tour? We can help you organise your own private tour of the Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour. You can create your own tailor-made trip or follow our itinerary. Contact our charters team for more information at [email protected] or visit our charters page.
Need To Bring
- Water Bottle - 2L
- Hiking shoes (recommended)
- Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
- Prescribed medications
- Camera
- All-weather clothing
- A sense of adventure!
Important Notes
- This tour will only depart if we have 8 passengers or more. We will wait until one week before departure to cancel if minimum numbers aren’t met.
- The itinerary may be subject to change due to cultural reasons, seasonal weather changes, operational logistics and accessibility.
- The minimum age requirements for this tour is 6 years old. This trip is not suitable for children under 6 years of age.
- Please email our Reservations Team ([email protected]) at least 48 hours prior to departure to confirm pick-up location and time.
- Travel Insurance is highly recommended.
- Remember to double-check your exciting tour plans with the tour operator! Just ring them at 03 9393 1300 within seven days of your departure.
- Before you embark on your adventure, let the tour perform the operator's pre-existing medical conditions.
Check Availability & Book
FAQ
Which part of the Great Ocean Road is the most beautiful?
The Lorne to Apollo Bay section of the Great Ocean Road is the most popular. But this beautiful coastal area has many beautiful spots, so don’t forget to bring your camera to capture these moments!
Can I bring food and drinks outside on the tour?
You can bring your own food and snacks. There will be plenty of opportunities during the tour to stop and support local businesses by buying drinks or food. Bring a refillable water bottle on the tour.
Are there age restrictions for this tour?
There are no age limits, but it is not suitable for young children or people with mobility issues due to terrain and activities.
What’s different about the Reverse Great Ocean Road Tour compared to the regular tour?
The Reverse Great Ocean Road Tour is quieter and more convenient by traveling in the opposite direction, avoiding crowds at popular stops and getting a new perspective on the coastal views.
How long is the tour?
The tour usually lasts a full day, from early morning to evening, spanning about 12-14 hours, depending on traffic and weather conditions.
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