On this day trip from Melbourne, tick off all of the Great Ocean Road's must do attractions by following our One-Day Great Ocean Road Itinerary.

Great Ocean Road Self Drive or Great Ocean Road Tour?

You may be asking, should I drive along the Great Ocean Road on an adventurous ocean road self drive, or should I embark with a group on a Great Ocean Road Tour?

Both options have their merits.

Self-Driving the Great Ocean Road

Self-driving on your Great Ocean Road Day Trip will obviously give you the greatest flexibility, and will allow you to move at the pace that you want. Given that there's a lot to see in this one-day itinerary, doing a Great Ocean Road Self Drive will mean you can arrive and leave any attraction at any time you want. It also means you can make the trip from Melbourne at an hour of your convenience, and drive back whenever you want.

Going on a tour ensures a higher level of safety, if you're not a confident driver. You also won't have to worry about building your own Great Ocean Road Itinerary as the tour company will do this for you. Of course, you won't be able to customise your experience and will have to go at the pace of the tour group. Bear in mind that with social distancing restrictions in place, you might have to book early to make sure you have a spot on the tour as well.

Driving along the Great Ocean Road yourself is a memorable experience that is almost as special as visiting the attractions themselves. One of the best things about a self drive is checking out the stunning views along the coastline, and being able to stop whenever you feel like - sometimes, it might just be a random stop to check out a lookout, but it's the freedom to do those things that make the best day trips.

Whether you go on a Great Ocean Road Tour or choose to drive the Great Ocean Road, just double check the itineraries and make sure that most of these stops are included.

Handpicked Great Ocean Road Tours

If you’re choosing to go on a tour, I’ve handpicked these experiences for you to take the guesswork out of choosing a quality tour out of the equation.

Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - in this small group tour of no more than 12 people, you’ll have the guide almost all to yourself as you immerse into a boutique, intimate Great Ocean Road experience. You’ll tick off all the major highlights on this tour, as you’ll get to visit sights such as the Twelve Apostles, Gibsons Steps, Loch Ard Gorge and The Razorback. Highly recommended! You can’t go wrong with this highly rated tour.
Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Experience - want the Great Ocean Road all to yourself? In this private tour, you’ll have over 12 hours to explore the Great Ocean Road in detail. This is an extensive itinerary that also takes you kangaroo and koala spotting, Torquay, Apollo Bay and the Otway National Park. This tour practically covers the entire Great Ocean Road, and then some.

Where do I stay at the Great Ocean Road?

Although this itinerary can be done on a day trip from Melbourne, staying over somewhere along the Great Ocean Road means you’ll break up your journey, and will have more time taking in the beautiful sights at a leisurely pace. Here are some of the best places to stay along the Great Ocean road.

Budget: Motel Marengo

Motel Marengo is located in the Apollo Bay-Marengo area and is a great budget choice for families, couples and solo travellers. It’s located only a short 2-minute walk away from the Beach, and a 2-minute drive from Apollo Bay town centre.

Take a closer look at Motel Marengo by clicking here.

Mid-Range: Chatby Lane Lorne

Chatby Lane Lorne is located in the beachside town of Lorne, which is definitely a convenient place to stay at the end of your itinerary. The rooms here are designed in quite a quirky, colourful style, and the property as a whole has this unique vibe to it.

Take a closer look at Chatby Lane Lorne by clicking here.

Luxury: RACV Torquay Resort

Visit the Great Ocean Road in style at the RACV Torquay Resort. Boasting a fitness centre, tennis court and swimming pool, a stay here would be a lavish and luxurious experience.

Take a closer look at RACV Torquay Resort by clicking here.

How long is the Great Ocean Road Drive?

Overall, you will drive about 6-7 hours on this Great Ocean Road Drive. It'll take a full day.

It will take 2 hours and 45 minutes to get from the Melbourne CBD to the first stop of the Day (Gibson Steps) via the M1 - and that's without taking a stop along the way for food or rest breaks.

Then, from Gibson Steps to the last stop of the day (Bay of Islands), you'll take around half an hour driving along the Great Ocean Road.

Driving from the Bay of Islands back to Melbourne will take over 2 hours and 55 minutes (almost 3 hours), without taking a stop along the way.

As you can see, doing this drive is already takes up a full day! Of course, the Great Ocean Road is a big area, and technically you could start driving earlier along the coast - as far back as Torquay. Along the way, you could visit attractions such as Bells Beach, Teddy's Lookout, Kennett River, the Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park and other sights, before you make it up to the Gibson Steps area.

In our opinion, spending quality time and soaking up each beautiful place is more important than checking off as many things as you can in a day - so we think visiting these sights (Torquay Beach, Bells Beach, Teddy's Lookout, Kennett River, Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park) should be left for a longer trip - especially if you have two days, or better yet, 3 days.

If you have two days, you could plan your itinerary like this:

Day 1 - Torquay, Bells Beach, Aireys Inlet, Teddy's Lookout, Lorne Attractions, Kennett River, Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park.

Day 2 - Gibson Steps, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, The Grotto, then drive from Port Campbell to Melbourne

If you have even more than two days, your could plan for 3 days like this:

Day 1 - Torquay, Bells Beach, Aireys Inlet, Teddy's Lookout, Lorne Attractions

Day 2 - Kennett River, Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park, Gibson Steps, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, The Grotto, stay over in Port Campbell

Day 3 - Port Campbell, Point Ritchie, Stingray Bay, Thunder Point Lookout, Pickering Point Lookout, Port Fairy Attractions, drive back to Melbourne

If you don't want to rush, you could spend an entire weekend in one area instead (for example, the Apollo Bay and Great Otway National Park area is truly beautiful - spending a few days here would be perfect).

Great Ocean Road Itinerary

Now that you've figured out if you're driving or not, let's check out what's on the horizon for your full day trip on this Great Ocean Road drive. Check out this itinerary, because it's road trip time!

Stop 1: Gibson Steps

The first stop on your Great Ocean Road day drive will get your heart pumping just a little. It'll take 86 stops down to finally reach Gog and Magog (nicknames for the giant limestone rock formations poking out from the sea), but it'll be worth it.

It's possible to walk from the Gibson Steps to the 12 Apostles from here, but of course quicker to drive, given that it's only a two-minute drive.

Stop 2: 12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles (or Twelve Apostles) is the 'big attraction' of the Great Ocean Road and Shipwreck Coast. It probably needs no introduction, seeing as it frequently appears in travel guides, screensavers and posters. Basically, it's a collection of beautiful rock formations that have eroded over the course of time - and it's now a major tourist attraction. The Twelve Apostles really is stunning, but expect a bit of a crowd here. This will definitely be the most visited stop on your Great Ocean Road Trip.

Some visitors opt to take a helicopter ride here over the 12 Apostles.

Stop 3: Loch Ard Gorge

The Loch Ard Gorge is actually our favourite stop along the Great Ocean Road. There's a fascinating history behind this site - it was the site of a famous shipwreck in 1878, and that's why Loch Ard Gorge is located on the aptly named Shipwreck Coast.

We wouldn't recommend swimming as the tides here are infamously unpredictable - however, be sure to take in the amazing views, and stay for a while. There is something deeply therapeutic about watching the waves crash into shore here. Hands down, one of the best things to see on your Great Ocean Road trip.

Stop 4: Tom and Eva Rock Formations

Remember what we said about the shipwreck at Loch Ard Gorge? There were only two survivors - Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael. These rocks situated beside each other have been named after these brave survivors. Tom and Eva can be found just a short walk along the road from Loch Ard Gorge.

Stop 5: The Razorback

Keep walking from Tom and Eva and you'll find the Razorback - a rock formation that, yep - you guessed it - looks a bit like a razorback.

You won't just find the Razorback - here you'll also find some of the Great Ocean Road's best views.

Stop 6: Port Campbell

At this stage of your one-day tour, it might be a good idea to stop by Port Campbell for some morning tea or lunch. We stopped by for a lovely Morning Tea by the water. Port Campbell is a lovely little town with some coffee shops and eateries to help you get re-energized before you embark on the rest of your day trip.

Stop 7: London Bridge

Not to be confused by the London Bridge in Portsea, this London Bridge is another place that offers great views of the ocean.

Stop 8: The Arch

The Arch is an island archway and is another worthy photo stop along the Great Ocean Road. You'll notice a few island archway rock formations (London Bridge also features one), but The Arch is perhaps the most pronounced.

Stop 9: The Grotto

Like London Bridge and the Arch, the Grotto features an archway, but this one is a little different as you have to walk down many steps to get into a secluded area.

An underrated stop on the Great Ocean Road - you should definitely fit this one into your one-day trip.

Stop 10: Bay of Martyrs

The Bay of Martyrs is a huge stretch of sand with a rather dark past. This is another one of the best spots on this Great Ocean Road Day Trip Itinerary, and shouldn't be missed.

Stop 11: Bay of Islands

We've finally come to your last stop before you make the drive back to Melbourne. The Bay of Islands is yet another area full of rock formations and beautiful views along the coast

Driving Back to Melbourne from the Great Ocean Road

There will be a few options to drive back to Melbourne, but just make sure you take the M1 back, as it's the best and fastest way back.

Thinking about embarking on this day trip itinerary as part of a wider trip around Australia? If so, we would also recommend visiting destinations such as Western Australia and Queensland. To get to these other cities, you’d have to drive back to Melbourne Airport. To save on parking costs, we would recommend you book airport parking with our friends over at Flyparks, which is an online parking comparison site that helps you find the cheapest rates for airport parking across Australia and New Zealand.

Looking for a place to stay in Melbourne? Check out this blog post on the Best Hostels in Melbourne.

So that's it for your one day itinerary/road trip of the Great Ocean Road. We hope you enjoyed it!

How was your full day exploring the Great Ocean Road? What was your favourite stop along the Great Ocean Road itinerary? Do you have any other attractions to add on this Great Ocean Road Itinerary? Let us know in the comments below!

Australia

The place we call home is also a vast, endless terrain of unique flora and fauna. Australia is more than just kangaroos and koalas - turquoise waters, rugged rocks and breathtaking views make Oceania’s treasure a must-do on any bucket list.

The Perfect Great Ocean Road One Day Itinerary [2024]