"Beautiful places, a very knowledgeable guide who allowed us to spot numerous koalas in their natural habitat. Highly recommended."
Port Campbell National Park
Twelve Apostles Tours from Melbourne
Seven limestone stacks, 275 kilometres from Melbourne, and about forty minutes at the railing. Here is which tour gets you there at the right hour.
From
$95
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.7 / 5 6,406+ Reviews
- 13h 30m Duration
- Top Rated Verified Reviews
- 14 Languages Onboard
- Free Cancellation
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Experience
What Makes This Tour Special
Everything that makes this a top-rated experience.
Highlights
- The full classic route in one day: Torquay, Memorial Arch, Kennett River, the Otways and the Twelve Apostles
- Wild koalas and parrots in their own habitat, not an enclosure
- A guided walk beneath some of the tallest trees in the world
- Commentary in 14 languages through an app, not a single-language microphone
- Morning tea included; pickup from selected Melbourne CBD hotels
What's Included
- Pickup and drop-off at selected Melbourne CBD hotels
- Return travel in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Morning tea
- Guided koala and parrot spotting in natural habitat
- Guided forest walk in the Otways
- Full coastal highlights tour with app commentary in 14 languages
How It Works
Four simple steps to your booking.
Pickup From Your Melbourne Hotel
Most tours collect from selected CBD hotels between 7:00 and 8:00 AM — sunset departures run later, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Your exact time is emailed after booking, not shown at checkout.
The Surf Coast and the Arch
Torquay and Bells Beach first, then the Memorial Arch at Eastern View — the official start of the road, and the photo everyone stops for. Morning tea is included on several tours.
Koalas, Rainforest and Apollo Bay
Wild koalas in the eucalypts at Kennett River, the fern gullies of Maits Rest in the Otways, then free time for lunch at Apollo Bay. Lunch itself is excluded on almost every tour.
Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge
The limestone stacks late in the afternoon, plus Loch Ard Gorge and — on reverse-route tours only — London Bridge. Back in Melbourne between 7:30 and 9:00 PM.
Photo Gallery
Through the Lens
Captured by our guests and guides.
Guided Tour, Two-Day Trip or Your Own Hire Car
Three ways to see the Twelve Apostles from Melbourne, and what each one really costs you in time, money and driving.
| Feature | RECOMMENDED Guided Day Tour | Two-Day Guided Trip | Self-Drive Day Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per person | From $35 | From $372 | $150–200 in hire car, fuel and tolls, split between you |
| Time it takes | 12–14 hours, one day | 2 days, 1 night | 12–14 hours, one day |
| Hours behind the wheel | None | None | 8+ hours, on winding coast road |
| Time at the Twelve Apostles | 30–45 minutes | Unhurried, plus a second day inland | As long as you like |
| Koala and wildlife stops | ✓ Guide knows the trees | ✓ Plus kangaroos in the Grampians | Only if you know where to stop |
| Commentary and history | ✓ Up to 16 languages | ✓ One guide throughout | ✗ |
| National park fees | Included on most tours | ✓ All included | Paid as you go |
| Lunch | ✗ Buy your own at Apollo Bay | ✓ Breakfast, lunch and dinner | ✗ Buy your own |
| Reaches London Bridge and The Grotto | Reverse-route tours only | ✓ | ✓ If you have the daylight |
| Free cancellation | ✓ Up to 24 hours before | ✓ Up to 24 hours before | Depends on the hire company |
| Suits you if | You want the whole route in one day without driving it | You would rather not spend 8 hours in a seat | You are a confident driver with a full day and a co-pilot |
| Check Availability | See Two-Day Tours | Read the Comparison |
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What to Expect
The Twelve Apostles, Honestly
What the site is actually like, how long you get, and the hour that decides whether you enjoy it.
Seven stacks, not twelve
There were never twelve. The formation was known as the Pinnacles, and as the Sow and Piglets, before being renamed in the 1920s to sound better in a brochure — Muttonbird Island was the Sow and the smaller stacks were the Piglets. Nine stood when the new name took hold. A fifty-metre stack collapsed without warning in July 2005 and another went in 2009, which leaves seven.
They are eroding at roughly two centimetres a year, and the same process that is taking them apart is cutting new ones out of the mainland cliff behind. This is not a static monument; it is a coastline in the middle of falling into the sea, which is most of why it is worth the drive.
What the visit is actually like
The Twelve Apostles sit in Port Campbell National Park, about 275 kilometres from Melbourne. There is a visitor centre on the inland side of the road, a pedestrian underpass, and a series of boardwalks and railed platforms along the clifftop. You do not descend to the water here — for that you want Gibson Steps, a staircase cut into the cliff about a kilometre east, which puts you on the beach beneath the stacks. It closes in rough seas.
Most day tours give you thirty to forty-five minutes at the main viewing area. That is enough to walk the boardwalk to both platforms and take your photographs, and not enough to linger. If you want longer, you want a two-day trip or a private car.
Loch Ard Gorge is two minutes further west and is included on nearly every itinerary. It is named for the clipper that struck Muttonbird Island in a storm on 1 June 1878, days from the end of a three-month voyage from England. Only two of those aboard survived: Tom Pearce, a nineteen-year-old ship’s apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an eighteen-year-old passenger. Pearce reached the gorge on an upturned lifeboat, heard her calling from the water, and swam back out for her. The walk down to the sand is short and the acoustics under the cliffs are extraordinary.
The hour is the whole game
The viewing platforms are busiest between about 11 AM and 3 PM, because that is when every coach that left Melbourne at dawn converges. Arrive in that window and you are queuing for a spot at the rail with several hundred people.
Two kinds of tour avoid it. A sunset departure leaves Melbourne between 9 and 11 AM and reaches the stacks in the evening, after the morning traffic has gone. A reverse-route tour drives inland to Port Campbell first and works backwards along the coast, arriving early or late rather than in the middle.
There is a photographic argument too. The stacks face roughly south-west, so a midday arrival means flat overhead light and, later in the afternoon, shooting straight into the sun. Evening light comes from behind the viewer and turns the limestone gold — which is the photograph everyone has seen and very few people have taken, because they booked the 7 AM departure.
Getting there without a tour
You can drive it. It is about three hours each way if you take the inland route through Colac, or four and a half along the coast road, and the return trip in a single day means eight or more hours behind the wheel on a road with a lot of blind corners. Our tour versus self-drive guide runs the real numbers on both.
There is no train, and no public bus that makes a day trip workable. V/Line goes as far as Warrnambool, which is 65 kilometres west of the Apostles with no onward connection that fits a return in a day.
Guest Reviews
What Travellers Say
4.7/5
from 6406 verified GetYourGuide travellers
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"Our guide, Theo, was outstanding. He was kind, knowledgeable, funny, and generous with sharing recommendations for our time in Melbourne. Our group was small and punctual at all stops, so we ran ahead of schedule and because of that, Theo was generous to do a few extra stops along the way. My husband and I also really appreciated how he acknowledged the length of the day and during long parts of the drive, Theo did not ramble on about Australia, he let us nap in the tour van with Aussie music on low in the background. Really outstanding. would highly recommend this tour with Theo to anyone."
"Amazing tour and an incredible guide! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Today’s tour was with Theo, and he was a sensational guide! He explained everything really well and was incredibly patient with me, especially when I got a little lost trying to find the meeting point. We saw six koalas, which was such a cute and special experience! Theo was also so kind and took photos for everyone in the group, which I really appreciated as I was travelling by myself. We were provided with cookies and juice around lunchtime, and there were charging cables in the van, which was a great touch because I could keep my phone charged and take lots of photos throughout the day. I highly recommend this company and especially Theo as a guide! He was friendly, patient and made the whole experience even better. On the way back, he even dropped me off directly at my hostel, which was super convenient. Definitely one of the highlights of my time in Melbourne! 🐨❤️"
"Theo was a fantastic guide… he is knowledgeable, fun and always making sure we are comfortable and well taken care of, especially our safety, at all times. I totally enjoyed the day trip, and Theo’s insider tips, stories and fun facts totally brought the day tour to the next level."
"Great day trip if you are visiting Melbourne. Our guide, Warren, was amazing! So knowledgeable, funny and helpful! Lots of stops and extra visits to see koalas/kangaroos in the wild as we had time. The great weather helped get some amazing photos of the sights. Would highly recommend this trip! P.s thanks Warren for the phone charger!"
"Had a fantastic day with some great stops at the great ocean road. Also managed to see koalas, kangaroos and a enchidna. Warren was a great tour guide and I thoroughly enjoyed my day."
"I went to the great ocean road, the 12 apostles with Warren. It was really fun, he is very knowledgeable, really friendly and nice. We got really lucky to see koala’s in the wild. Warren is always down to answer any questions you’ve got and really fun to go with. He also took us to see kangaroos as we were on time everywhere and this wasn’t included in the itinerary. Overall, It was a really fun day."
"Theo was an exceptional guide for our Great Ocean Road trip! He showed us so many incredible Australian animals along the way — dolphins, kangaroos, koalas, and so many beautiful birds. I felt completely safe with his driving, even on the winding mountain roads. He also found the perfect balance between sharing local knowledge and surprises, giving us personal time, and making sure we had enough time to rest. A wonderful day and a fantastic way to experience the Great Ocean Road. Highly recommend Theo!"
Read all 6406 verified reviews
See All ReviewsSee the Twelve Apostles Without Driving 500km
A full day on the Great Ocean Road with hotel pickup, national park fees and a guide who knows where the koalas actually are. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before you go. Starting from $95 per person.
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Twelve Apostles Tours — Common Questions
Getting there, how long you get, and the hour that decides your photographs.
About 275 kilometres, which is roughly three hours by the inland route through Colac or four and a half along the coast road. Almost every tour drives out along the coast and returns inland, because the coast is the point on the way there and pure distance on the way back.
Usually 30 to 45 minutes at the main viewing area. That covers the boardwalk to both clifftop platforms and your photographs without much left over. If you want longer, look at a private tour or a two-day trip.
Seven. There were never twelve — the stacks were known as the Pinnacles and as the Sow and Piglets before being renamed in the 1920s for tourism. Nine stood at that point; one 50-metre stack collapsed in July 2005 and another in 2009. The formation erodes at about two centimetres a year, and new stacks are being cut from the mainland cliff behind.
Not at the main viewing area — it is clifftop boardwalk only. Gibson Steps, about a kilometre east, is a staircase cut into the cliff that puts you on the beach beneath the stacks. It closes in rough seas and high tides, so access depends on conditions on the day. The Otways walking tour and several full-day tours include it.
Early morning and the last hour before sunset. The platforms are busiest between roughly 11 AM and 3 PM, when the tours that left Melbourne at dawn all converge. A sunset tour or a reverse-route tour both arrive outside that window.
No. The site is in Port Campbell National Park and access, parking and the visitor centre are free. Some tours include other national park fees in the ticket and some collect them on the day; the wildlife park that one tour visits is a separate paid attraction, not part of the Apostles.
Not practically. There is no train and no bus that makes a return day trip work. V/Line runs to Warrnambool, 65 kilometres west of the Apostles, with no onward connection that fits a same-day return. A tour or a car are the two real options.
Still have questions? Email us at info@greatoceanroad-tours.com
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