The most-reviewed Great Ocean Road tour is a 13.5-hour day from Melbourne, from A$125 and rated 4.7 from 6,444 reviews. A$79 buys the cheapest day in this guide. Almost every tour starts in Melbourne and skips Geelong, so from Geelong you either drive the road yourself or take the train back for the tour.
For most people the best Great Ocean Road tour is the most-reviewed one: a 13.5-hour day from Melbourne, from A$125, rated 4.7 from 6,444 reviews, with a Torquay surf-beach stop, wild koalas and the Twelve Apostles. Want a smaller group? The boutique reverse tour (12 people or fewer) rates 4.9. On a tight budget, A$79 gets you a well-reviewed long day that goes as far as London Bridge.
One thing to know before you book from Geelong: almost every Great Ocean Road day tour starts in Melbourne and does not stop in Geelong. They pick up in the Melbourne CBD and take the ring road straight past the city. If you are staying in Geelong, read the section on what to do instead.
Prices and ratings from GetYourGuide, checked October 2026.
| Tour | From | Rating | Length | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ocean Road, 12 Apostles, Wildlife | A$125 | 4.7 (6,444) | 13.5 h | Classic, Torquay to the Apostles |
| Boutique Tour in Reverse | A$138 | 4.9 (1,903) | 12 h | Reverse, max 12 |
| DeepTour 10 Stops, London Bridge | A$79 | 4.7 (3,752) | 12 to 13 h | Reverse, to London Bridge |
| Deluxe Minibus & Top-Rated Guide | A$159 | 4.8 (2,798) | 13 h, or up to 3 days | Classic, Torquay morning tea |
| Private Luxury, hotel pickup | A$105 | 4.0 (41) | 10 to 12 h | Geelong is a pickup option |
| Bay Sightseeing and Ferry Ride | A$199 | 4.9 (11) | 10 h | Geelong waterfront, Bellarine, Searoad ferry |
With 6,444 reviews at 4.7, this is the tour more people have taken and rated than any other we checked. It runs the classic direction: the surf beach at Torquay with a look at Bells Beach, wild koalas, a walk in tall forest, then the Twelve Apostles. A family business runs it from Melbourne CBD hotels. At 13.5 hours it is long, but nothing about it is unusual, which is the point for a first trip.
Rated 4.9 from 1,903 reviews and A$138, this one caps the van at 12. It heads inland via Winchelsea to reach the Twelve Apostles and Gibson Steps first, then comes back along the coast through Apollo Bay and Lorne. If coach crowds at the lookouts are your worry, this is the fix.
A$79 is the lowest price among the day trips we compared, and this tour has 3,752 reviews at 4.7. It runs in reverse in a Mercedes van of up to 15, leaving the CBD at 8 am, and goes past the Apostles to Loch Ard Gorge, the Razorback and London Bridge before coming back via Apollo Bay and the Memorial Arch. The Classic Tour 10 Stops costs the same A$79, rates 4.6 from 2,761, and runs in the classic direction if you prefer that.
At A$159 and 4.8 from 2,798 reviews, this minibus tour has morning tea near Torquay, then the Memorial Arch, Apollo Bay, the Maits Rest rainforest walk and the Apostles. What sets it apart is the option to stretch it to two or three days, which turns a 13-hour slog into a trip.
This is the only Great Ocean Road day trip in our list that names Geelong as a pickup point, including 455 Geelong Ring Rd. It costs from A$105 and runs 10 to 12 hours to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Maits Rest and Apollo Bay. The rating is weaker, 4.0 from 41 reviews, and despite “private” in the title the listing says hotel pickup is a group tour unless confirmed. Message the operator before you book.
This is not a Great Ocean Road tour. It starts on the Geelong waterfront past the Baywalk Bollards, then goes to Point Lonsdale, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry to Sorrento. Rated 4.9 from 11 reviews and from A$199, with Melbourne pickup. It is here because it is the best-rated day that actually spends time in Geelong.
Geelong is a better base for the Great Ocean Road than Melbourne, but only if you have a car.
Drive it. Torquay, where the road officially starts, is 22 km and about 25 minutes from central Geelong. Lorne is about 1 hour 10 minutes. The fastest way to the Twelve Apostles is inland via Colac, about 150 km and 2 hours 25 minutes; along the coast via Apollo Bay it is about 205 km and over 3 hours. You can take the coast road out and the faster inland road back. Our Great Ocean Road itinerary and Great Ocean Road map cover the stops.
Take the train back to Melbourne for the tour. V/Line trains from Geelong to Southern Cross take about an hour and run every 20 minutes off-peak. Fares are half price until 1 January 2027. Tours start early (the A$79 DeepTour leaves at 8 am) and get back late, so check the last train home or sleep the night before in Melbourne. Our Melbourne to Geelong guide has times and fares.
Book the Geelong pickup. The A$105 tour above is the one option that collects you in Geelong. Confirm the pickup point in writing.
Two of the Melbourne tours do touch Greater Geelong, but not in a way that helps you board: one stops for 30 minutes at Serendip Sanctuary near Lara, and another drives past Geelong on the way home without stopping. A private Mandarin and Cantonese tour includes an hour on the Geelong waterfront, but it has no reviews yet.
Prefer the surf to the long drive? See Torquay, or browse every option on our tours page.
We started from the Great Ocean Road and Geelong listings on GetYourGuide on 16 October 2026 and compared day trips on four things: rating, number of reviews, starting price and route, including whether a tour starts in, picks up in or stops at Geelong. Labels follow the data: “Most reviewed” is the highest review count, and “Best on a budget” is the lowest price among the comparable day trips in this guide. We have not taken these tours ourselves. Prices are “from” prices per person and change by date.
First-timers in Melbourne who want the classic coast, koalas and the Twelve Apostles in one well-tested day.
13.5 hours
The most-reviewed Great Ocean Road day trip, run by a family business: Torquay surf beach with a look at Bells Beach, wild koalas, a tall-forest walk and the Twelve Apostles.
fromA$125
Check availabilityTravellers who want 12 or fewer people in the van and the Twelve Apostles before the coach crowds.
12 hours
Heads inland via Winchelsea to reach the Twelve Apostles and Gibson Steps before the coach crowds, then works back along the coast through Apollo Bay and Lorne in a van of 12 or fewer.
fromA$138
Check availabilityBudget travellers happy with a long reverse-route day that reaches London Bridge.
12-13 hours
A low-priced reverse-route day that goes as far as London Bridge, then Loch Ard Gorge, the Razorback and the Twelve Apostles before returning via Apollo Bay and the Memorial Arch.
fromA$79
Check availabilityAnyone who wants the option to stretch the trip over two or three days instead of one long run.
13 hours (multi-day options up to 3 days)
A long-running minibus tour that starts the coast with morning tea near Torquay, then the Memorial Arch, Apollo Bay, Maits Rest rainforest walk and the Twelve Apostles.
fromA$159
Check availabilityVisitors staying in Geelong who want a guided Great Ocean Road day without going back to Melbourne.
10-12 hours
One of the few Great Ocean Road day tours that lists Geelong as a pickup point, running to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Maits Rest rainforest and Apollo Bay.
fromA$105
Check availabilityPeople who would rather see the Geelong waterfront, the Bellarine and the bay ferry than spend 13 hours on the coast road.
10 hours
Starts with a walk past the Baywalk Bollards on the Geelong waterfront, then Point Lonsdale lighthouse, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry across the bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.
fromA$199
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
13.5 hours
The most-reviewed Great Ocean Road day trip, run by a family business: Torquay surf beach with a look at Bells Beach, wild koalas, a tall-forest walk and the Twelve Apostles.
fromA$125
Check availability12 hours
Heads inland via Winchelsea to reach the Twelve Apostles and Gibson Steps before the coach crowds, then works back along the coast through Apollo Bay and Lorne in a van of 12 or fewer.
fromA$138
Check availability12-13 hours
A low-priced reverse-route day that goes as far as London Bridge, then Loch Ard Gorge, the Razorback and the Twelve Apostles before returning via Apollo Bay and the Memorial Arch.
fromA$79
Check availability13 hours (multi-day options up to 3 days)
A long-running minibus tour that starts the coast with morning tea near Torquay, then the Memorial Arch, Apollo Bay, Maits Rest rainforest walk and the Twelve Apostles.
fromA$159
Check availability10-12 hours
One of the few Great Ocean Road day tours that lists Geelong as a pickup point, running to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Maits Rest rainforest and Apollo Bay.
fromA$105
Check availability10 hours
Starts with a walk past the Baywalk Bollards on the Geelong waterfront, then Point Lonsdale lighthouse, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry across the bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.
fromA$199
Check availability12 hours
A budget coach day that follows the coast the classic way, from the chocolaterie near Torquay through Lorne and Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge.
fromA$79
Check availability14 hours
A classic-direction day with morning tea at Torquay, koala spotting at Kennett River, a rainforest walk at Maits Rest and the Twelve Apostles, returning inland via Colac.
fromA$139
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Updated
Very few. Of the Great Ocean Road day trips we checked on GetYourGuide in October 2026, only one lists Geelong among its pickup points: a 10 to 12-hour tour from A$105, rated 4.0 from 41 reviews. The rest start in Melbourne's CBD and use the ring road around Geelong. From Geelong, you either drive yourself or take the train back to Melbourne for a tour.
On GetYourGuide in October 2026, the Melbourne day trips in this guide started at A$79, and the most-reviewed ones ran from A$125 to A$159. Small-group and boutique days cost more, from A$138. Prices are per person, shown as from prices, and change with the date, so check the day you want.
Most day tours run 12 to 14 hours. The Twelve Apostles are about 150 km from Geelong by the fastest inland road, and Geelong is another 75 km from Melbourne, so a day trip means a lot of time on the bus. If that sounds too long, pick a tour with a two or three-day option, or drive from Geelong and stay a night on the coast.
From Geelong, driving usually makes more sense. Torquay, where the road starts, is about 25 minutes away, and you can stop where you like. A tour suits you if you have no car, don't want to drive 300 km or more in a day, or want a guide to find the koalas. From Melbourne without a car, a tour is the easy option.
A classic tour follows the coast from Torquay westward and reaches the Twelve Apostles in the afternoon. A reverse tour drives inland first, reaches the Apostles earlier, and comes back along the coast. Reverse tours sell themselves on reaching the main lookouts before the coach crowds. Both reach the Twelve Apostles, so pick on price, group size and reviews.
From Geelong, the Great Ocean Road starts 21 km away in Torquay.
The Great Ocean Road starts in Torquay, 21 km south of Geelong, and runs about 240 km west to Allansford near Warrnambool.
Torquay is the surf town where the Great Ocean Road begins, about 21 km and 25 minutes' drive south of Geelong, or 45 to 50 minutes on bus 53.
The quickest way from Melbourne to Geelong is the V/Line train from Southern Cross: about 59 to 62 minutes, every 20 minutes off-peak and at weekends.