In shortA 12-hour day trip from Melbourne that runs the coast in reverse, reaching the Twelve Apostles early and finishing with Apollo Bay, the Memorial Arch and Anglesea on the way back. The group travels in a luxury air-conditioned mini premium coach with a professional driver-guide who commentates in English, and national park entry fees, bottled water, USB charging and hotel pickup in Melbourne CBD and Southbank are included. It suits travellers who want a small group and an early slot at the Apostles, and who are happy to buy their own meals along the route.
12 htour length
from $70per adult
★ 4.91,940 reviews
What the Great Ocean Road 12 Apostles tour covers
Twelve hours in a luxury air-conditioned mini premium coach, with the route turned around: inland first through Colac to the Twelve Apostles, then back east along the water through Melba Gully, Apollo Bay, the Memorial Arch and Anglesea. The day starts from $70 per adult and holds a rating of 4.9 ★ (1,940 reviews). National park entry fees, bottled water and USB charging ports are in the price, and a professional driver-guide drives and commentates in English.
Direction is the point of this one. The land manager says the Twelve Apostles precinct is busy year-round and advises arriving early in the morning or later in the afternoon, and more than 2 million people visit each year. Itineraries that work west along the coast first tend to reach the lookouts around the middle of the day; this one arrives before that, with 45 minutes scheduled at the stop.
Since 16 October 2026, the day the Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre opened, a booking is compulsory to enter the precinct, and that covers the car park and the lookouts as well as the centre itself. Tour operators and regional partners can reserve arrival slots up to four months ahead, which is earlier than most individual visitors can plan. A booking fee is due to be introduced in April 2027 and its amount has not been set.
Pickup runs from selected hotels in Melbourne CBD, Southbank and Docklands, and the operator messages the time the day before. Anyone not on the hotel list meets the coach outside Melbourne Skydeck, opposite the Langham Hotel, or at 6:45 am at the Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street between William St and Market St, a short walk from Flinders Street Station. Early-morning taxis and rideshares can keep you waiting, so arrange yours the night before; the coach is meant to leave at 6:45 am sharp.
Meals are not included. Morning tea or breakfast at Colac and lunch at Apollo Bay are paid for separately, and many cafes and bakeries along the route close by 2:30pm, so eat at the town stops rather than hoping for something later.
Reverse run to the Twelve Apostles
Hotel pickup in Melbourne CBD and Southbank, national park entry fees, bottled water and 45 minutes at the Apostles ahead of the midday arrivals.
Colac20 min Country town in Victoria's dairy district and the morning tea or breakfast stop on the inland run west. Food here is at your own expense.
The Twelve Apostles45 min Forty-five minutes at the limestone stacks, roughly 20 million years old, using the wheelchair-accessible trails and viewing platforms. A helicopter flight operates from the precinct at extra cost if you want one. Dogs are not allowed here, assistance dogs aside.
The Razorback15 min A long, high limestone formation further along the coast from the Apostles, with sharp edges and ridges cut by wind and water. Short photo stop from the roadside platform.
Loch Ard Gorge35 min Named after the clipper Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island in 1878. Scenes from The Pirate Movie were filmed here in 1982. Beach access reopened in late October 2026 after safety repair works.
Port Campbell National Park The driving section that links the gorge, the Apostles and the roadside lookouts of the Shipwreck Coast. Commentary runs while the coach moves between stops.
Melba Gully National Park25 min Rainforest walk in one of the wettest places in Victoria: myrtle beech, blackwood and tree ferns, with time for photographs. The path stays damp, so wear shoes with grip.
Great Ocean Road20 min Back on the coast road itself, the memorial route that runs 242 kilometres from Torquay to Allansford, built by more than 3,000 returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932.
Apollo Bay50 min Lunch stop of about 50 minutes, with cafes and restaurants along the main street. Lunch is not included in the tour.
Great Ocean Road20 min The wildlife stretch, watching the trees for koalas and the clearings for kangaroos. Do not feed or touch animals, and view from the trail or designated area as the Wildlife Act 1975 rules require.
Memorial Arch15 min The arch that marks the start of the Great Ocean Road, with a designated car park for the photo and the memorial statue standing beside the sign.
Anglesea20 min Evening tea stop in a coastal town before the run back to Melbourne. About 300 Eastern Grey Kangaroos live on the Anglesea Golf Club course on the edge of town.
Immigration Museum10 min Drop-off at 400 Flinders Street, where city trams and trains connect on to the rest of Melbourne.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
More time at each stop thanks to the reverse itinerary
Bottled water
Luxury air-conditioned mini premium coach
All national park entry fees
Professional driver-guide
Hotel pickup from Melbourne CBD and Southbank hotels
USB charging ports on board
Not included
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Morning tea and coffee
Personal expenses
Meeting point, pickup and cancellation
Meeting point: outside Melbourne Skydeck, opposite the Langham Hotel, or 6:45 am pickup at the Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne, between William St and Market St, walking distance from Flinders Street Station.
Pickup: selected hotels in Melbourne CBD, Southbank and Docklands. The operator messages your pickup time the day before, so there is no dash across the city at dawn. Early-morning taxis and rideshares can run late, so book yours a day ahead and the coach can leave at 6:45 am sharp.
Cancellation: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Ages: child 6–6, adult 7+
How this Great Ocean Road 12 Apostles tour compares
At $70 this is the lowest starting price of the five, and the one listed with hotel pickup in Melbourne CBD and Southbank rather than a single meeting point. The 13-hour options cost more and bundle in food: one includes lunch, two include morning tea, and the Max 12 Guests premium version keeps the group smallest for $112. The $84 rainforest-walk day is the cheapest of the longer trips, with a rating of 4.6 ★ (555 reviews) against 4.9 ★ here.
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Great Ocean Road 12 APOSTLES Tour REVERSE–SML GRP- Hotel Pick UP (this page)
