Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour, Boutique Minivan With Max 12 Guests

What a great ocean road reverse tour changes about the day

The order of the stops is the point. This great ocean road reverse tour runs inland from Melbourne first and reaches the Twelve Apostles in the morning, while the west-bound buses are still working their way along the coast. The land manager says the precinct is busy year-round and advises arriving early in the morning or later in the afternoon; more than 2 million people come each year, and the Victorian government's stated aim is 6 million.

Group size is capped at 12 in an air-conditioned minivan, which also means the small stops work: the walk at Mait's Rest, the beach below Gibson Steps, the koala trees at Kennett River, where large tour coaches are not permitted to enter or stop within the precinct. A professional guide travels with the group and gives live commentary, and the multilingual interactive audio guide covers the rest.

Included are national park fees, bottled water, the audio guide and a complimentary Melbourne city self-guided audio tour. Food and drinks are not included, so the 15 minutes at Winchelsea and the 45 minutes at Apollo Bay are when you eat. Plan on the Apollo Bay stop for a proper meal, because many kitchens along the route shut by 2:30pm.

Entry to the Twelve Apostles precinct has required a booking since 16 October 2026, the day the Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre opened, and that applies to the car park and the lookouts as well as the building. Tour operators and regional partners can reserve arrival slots up to four months ahead, so on a tour the slot is handled for you. A booking fee is due to be introduced in April 2027 and the amount has not been set.

The day step by step

1. Winchelsea 15 min
   A short break on the inland run west, before the coast. Coffee and breakfast are at your own expense.
2. The Twelve Apostles 40 min
   The minivan goes straight here, so you walk out to the lookouts while the precinct is still quiet. The site sits at the corner of the Great Ocean Road and Booringa Road, Princetown, about 7 kilometres east of Port Campbell, with sealed wheelchair-accessible trails and viewing platforms.
3. Gibsons Steps 20 min
   Stairs down to the sand below 70-metre cliffs, with the stacks nicknamed Gog and Magog standing offshore. Beach access reopened in February 2026 after geotechnical inspections and can close again at short notice.
4. The Razorback 25 min
   A long, deeply eroded limestone ridge reached by a short walk from the car park on the Loch Ard Gorge side.
5. Loch Ard Gorge 30 min
   Named after the clipper Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island in 1878. Steps lead down between the cliffs to the beach, which reopened in late October 2026 after safety repair works. Dogs are not allowed here.
6. Port Campbell National Park
   The driving section that links the Shipwreck Coast lookouts, with the road running just inland of the cliff line.
7. The Great Ocean Road 10 min
   A stop on the coastal section itself. The memorial road runs 242 kilometres from Torquay to Allansford and was built by more than 3,000 returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932.
8. Great Otway National Park
   The inland leg through tall forest and fern gullies on the way down to Apollo Bay.
9. Mait's Rest 25 min
   A 20-minute boardwalk loop through rainforest. Shaded, often damp underfoot, and flat enough for most walkers.
10. Apollo Bay 45 min
    The lunch stop, at your own expense. The guide suggests places before you get out, which saves ten minutes of wandering.
11. Kennett River Nature Walk 20 min
    Koalas in the trees halfway between Lorne and Apollo Bay, with parrots around the car park. Do not feed or touch any wildlife; an H5 bird flu warning is active across Great Ocean Road parks, so report sick or dead birds to 1800 675 888 rather than approaching them.
12. Teddy's Lookout 10 min
    The last stop, on the clifftop at Lorne, with the road visible curving along the coast below. Ten minutes, then the run back to Melbourne.

What is included

Meeting point, pickup and cancellation

• Pickup: all three points are within about 15 minutes' walk of anywhere in the Melbourne CBD. 6:30 am from 196 Flinders Street, opposite Federation Square and near Flinders Street Station; ten minutes later from 313 La Trobe Street, near Melbourne Central Station; 6:50 am from 44 Spencer Street, the Great Southern Hotel, near Southern Cross Station. Your time and point are the ones you select when booking, and a change of location needs at least 24 hours' notice. Arrive five minutes early: these are public parking spots and the minibus cannot wait. Afternoon drop-off is along Flinders Street.
• Cancellation: for a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• Ages: child 7-13, adult 14+

How this great ocean road reverse tour compares with the other reverse options

All five run the route backwards, so the choice comes down to vehicle, group size and how long you are willing to be out. This page's tour and the premium version both cap the group at 12; the premium adds an hour at 13 h and starts from $112, while the Max 14 option is the shortest day at 11.5 h from $95. The premium bus at $63 is the lowest starting price of the group and the largest vehicle, and the 13 h rainforest version weights the day towards the Otways with a 4.5 ★ rating from 286 reviews.

Tour details from the operator's listing, checked 10 November 2026. Prices and times can change; the booking page has the current ones.

← Compare all 15 Great Ocean Road tours

More ways to plan your visit

The Twelve Apostles precinct, hours and bookings

The Twelve Apostles precinct, hours and bookings

Koalas at Kennett River and how to watch them

Koalas at Kennett River and how to watch them

What to expect on a Great Ocean Road tour

What to expect on a Great Ocean Road tour