Home › Great Ocean Road tours › Great Ocean Road with kids

What to do on the Great Ocean Road with kids

Koalas, rainforest, ApostlesWild koalas, a rainforest walk and the Twelve Apostles, with a child fare from $100.

Spot the wild koalas, walk the rainforest, and see the Twelve Apostles from the viewing platform. The koalas live in the trees above the road at Kennett River, Maits Rest is rainforest beside a surf coast, and the Apostles platforms are a few minutes' walk from the car park, so nobody has to hike. The classic day from Melbourne is $139 for adults and $100 for children, rated 2 out of 5 for effort, with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation. The reverse run is $149 and $139 and includes a picnic lunch. Both are back in Melbourne the same evening.

Checked on 28 October 2026.

The classic day Great Ocean Road, child $100 from$139 Lunch included The reverse run, child $139 from$149 Penguins Phillip Island, child $115 from$149

The Great Ocean Road is about 240km of coast road west of Melbourne, and the things children love are spread all the way along it: surf beaches at the start, koalas and rainforest in the middle, and the Twelve Apostles near the far end. A day trip with a guide does the driving, so the family gets the stops without anyone at the wheel.

The days out with a child fare

Trip	Adult	Child	Effort	Group
1 Day Great Ocean Road + Rainforest Tour	$139	$100	—	Max 34
1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch)	$149	$139	—	9 to 21

Effort is the operator's own rating from 1 to 5. Both pick up and drop off at your Melbourne accommodation. Prices are per person and update on their own.

What children like most

Wild koalas at Kennett Riverin the gums above the road. The sightings are reliable, not hopeful.
The rainforest at Maits Restnear Cape Otway, which is not what anyone expects beside a surf coast.
The Twelve Apostleslimestone stacks standing in the Southern Ocean. The viewing platforms are a few minutes from the car park.
Loch Ard Gorgejust past the Apostles, where the cliffs come up close.
The Memorial Archthe gateway to a road built by returned soldiers after the First World War.

Which day to pick

The classic run, $139 and $100 for children.It follows the coast out and stays for the Twelve Apostles at sunset. Park entrance fees are included. Lunch is free time in Apollo Bay and there is a dinner stop at Colac on the way home, both at your own cost.
The reverse run, $149 and $139 for children.It goes inland through Colac first and reaches the Apostles ahead of the coach crowds. A picnic lunch is included, so there is nothing to sort out at midday. Groups are 9 to 21.
Both are full daysin an air-conditioned 4WD mini bus with a guide, and both are rated 2 out of 5 for effort: short walks to lookouts, not hikes.

The other family day from Melbourne

Phillip Island's penguin parade is the natural second day out: hundreds of little penguins come out of the surf and cross the beach after sunset. It is $149 for adults and $115 for children, with Melbourne accommodation transfers and park entrance fees included.

Trip	Adult	Child	Effort
1 Day Phillip Island and Penguins	$149	$115	—

Prices are per person and update on their own.

Rather stop overnight?

The three day Great Ocean Road and Grampians trip sleeps in motels: the Downtown Motel at Warrnambool, in private ensuite rooms or triple share, then Halls Gap in the Grampians, with an Aussie barbecue dinner on the second night. It is from $695 for adults; ask us about the fare and the fit for your children's ages on your dates.

Good in any month

The day trips run year round. At Warrnambool, the western end of the road, January and February average 24.7°C by day, and February is the driest month at 30mm. Winter brings big swells on the Shipwreck Coast and quiet car parks at the Apostles, with July days around 13.5°C. There is more on the stops in order on our what to see on the Great Ocean Road page.