Great Ocean Road bus tour with a reverse 12 Apostles route
A 12-hour coach day from Melbourne that drives inland first and reaches the Twelve Apostles before the vehicles working their way west along the coast.
In shortThis is a 12-hour day trip from Melbourne in a premium air-conditioned coach, with an in-person guide speaking English, bottled water and all fees and taxes included. The order is reversed: Colac first, then the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, with Melba Gully, Apollo Bay, a wildlife stop and the Memorial Arch on the way back. It suits travellers who want the Shipwreck Coast outside the midday peak and are happy to make their own way to 400 Flinders Street for an early departure.
12 htour length
from $63per adult
★ 4.9132 reviews
What this great ocean road bus tour covers
This great ocean road bus tour runs 12 hours and starts from $63, the lowest starting price of the tours on this site, with a rating of 4.9 ★ (132 reviews). Everyone is picked up at 400 Flinders Street, outside the Immigration Museum building, and the day finishes at the same address, where trams and trains run.
Driving the route in reverse means the coach heads inland through Colac and arrives at the Twelve Apostles ahead of the traffic that starts at Torquay and works west. That matters here: more than 2 million people visit the precinct each year, and the land manager advises arriving early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Since 16 October 2026 a booking is compulsory to enter the precinct, the car park and the lookouts included, and tour operators can reserve arrival slots up to four months ahead, so the slot is arranged before you board.
Included are the premium air-conditioned coach, an English-speaking guide on board, bottled water and all fees and taxes. Lunch and breakfast are not, so budget for morning tea during the 20 minutes at Colac and a meal in the 50 minutes at Apollo Bay. Many cafes and bakeries along the route close by 2:30pm, which is part of why the eating stops sit where they do.
The coast is slower than the map suggests. The memorial road covers 242 kilometres between Torquay and Allansford, and the Lorne to Apollo Bay stretch is narrow and winding, so a full day on a coach means long seated sections between stops. Travellers who want the same coast over two or three days should look at the multi-day options instead.
Reverse-itinerary coach day to the Twelve Apostles
Twelve hours, premium coach, 55 minutes at the Twelve Apostles and 45 at Loch Ard Gorge, with all fees and taxes covered. Dates and current prices are on the operator's booking page.
Colac20 min A country town in Victoria's dairy district, used as the morning tea and breakfast stop. Food here is at your own expense.
The Twelve Apostles55 min The limestone stacks, roughly 20 million years old, seen from the viewing platforms. A helicopter flight is sold separately at the site by another operator.
Loch Ard Gorge45 min Named after the clipper Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island in 1878. The stop also takes in Razorback, the long, high, sharp-edged formation shaped by wind and water further along the coast.
Great Otway National Park A driving section through the park country between the Shipwreck Coast and the Otway ranges.
Melba Gully National Park25 min One of the wettest spots in Victoria, which is why the rainforest grows the way it does. Myrtle beech, blackwood and tree ferns along the track, with time for photographs.
Apollo Bay50 min The lunch stop, in a town with cafes and restaurants on the main street. Lunch is not included in the tour.
Great Ocean Road20 min A photo stop on the coastal stretch, where the road runs close to the water and the view changes every few bends.
Great Ocean Road20 min A wildlife stop, with koalas in the trees and kangaroos in the open ground. Do not feed or touch the animals; it is against the rules under the Wildlife Act 1975 and it harms them.
Great Ocean Road Memorial Archway15 min The arch marks the start of the road, built by more than 3,000 returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932. The coach uses the designated car park for photos of the arch and the statue.
Anglesea20 min The last stop of the day, a Surf Coast Shire town on the Great Ocean Road, before the run back to Melbourne.
Immigration Museum10 min Drop-off at 400 Flinders Street, within reach of trams and trains back to your accommodation.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
In-person guide: English
Bottled water
Premium coach
All fees and taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Full day of guided travel along the coast
Not included
Lunch
Breakfast
Meeting point, pickup and cancellation
Meeting point: 400 Flinders Street, outside the Immigration Museum building, where everyone is collected.
Cancellation: the operator's current terms are shown on the booking page.
Ages: child 3-6, adult 7+
How this great ocean road bus tour compares
The two reverse-itinerary options differ mainly in vehicle size: this one is a premium coach, while the small-group version runs a mini premium coach with hotel pickup in the CBD and Southbank and a far larger review count. The other two below sit at opposite ends on price and group size, so choose on how many hours of walking and how many people on board you want.
Tour
Length
From
Rating
Great Ocean Road TOUR & 12 Apostles Tour Reverse-In Premium BUS (this page)
