Our three day adventure will take you on a journey of discovery along the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians National Park, with plenty of time to soak up the scenery and attractions.
We travel to the Port Campbell to experience the majestic 12 Apostles and explore the historic Shipwreck Coast. In the Grampians see dramatic mountains, stunning waterfalls, as well as the rugged Australian landscape!
Days
- 3 days, 2 nights
Group size
- Max 21
Start / finish
- Melbourne / Melbourne
- Melbourne, around 5:30pm on day 3
Return
- Melbourne, around 5:30pm on day 3
Accommodation
- 2 nights — the Downtown Motel at Warrnambool, in private ensuite rooms or triple share with a shared bathroom, then Halls Gap in the Grampians at the Gariwerd Motel or the Grampians Eco YHA.
Transport
- An air-conditioned 4WD mini bus with a guide. Around 360km on day 1, 190km on day 2 and 290km on day 3.
Meals
- Two breakfasts, one lunch at Apollo Bay and one dinner — a traditional Aussie barbecue at Halls Gap. Vegetarians are catered for.
Route
Included experiences
- Twelve Apostles — the highlight of the Shipwreck Coast
- Great Ocean Road — ocean views and surf beaches on the first day
- Apollo Bay — lunch in the quaint seaside town
- Great Otway National Park — a guided walk through the rainforest
- Wild koalas spotted along the coast road
- Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve — an extinct volcano rich in Aboriginal history
- The Pinnacle Lookout — the hike up for the view over the Grampians
- MacKenzie Falls — the hike down to the base of the falls
- Boroka Lookout and The Balconies in the Grampians
- Halls Gap — an Aussie barbecue to finish the second day
Pictures / Videos
Itinerary
Our 3 Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Tour is an exceptional showcase of the must-see highlights of Victoria's best destinations. Overnight stays let you extend your time at each highlight and get the most from the experience. Your first night is in Warrnambool at the end of the Great Ocean Road; the second is deep within the Grampians National Park at Halls Gap, surrounded by bushland and stunning mountain landscapes.
Day 1: Melbourne to Warrnambool
Start your Victorian adventure by exploring the world-famous Great Ocean Road, with its stunning ocean views and surf beaches. Spot wild koalas along the way, with a stop in the quaint seaside town of Apollo Bay for lunch, followed by a guided rainforest walk in the Great Otway National Park. Later, visit the amazing Shipwreck Coast, famous for the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. Overnight in Warrnambool.
- Meals: N/A
- Accom: Downtown Motel — private double/twin/single rooms (ensuite) and triple shared accommodation (shared bathroom), or similar alternative
- Driving Distance: 360 km
Day 2: Warrnambool to Halls Gap
On the second day, visit the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, an extinct volcano rich in Aboriginal history and abundant wildlife. Later, hike up to the iconic Pinnacle Lookout for an amazing view over the Grampians. Finish the day with a traditional Aussie BBQ and an overnight stay in Halls Gap.
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
- Accom: Gariwerd Motel private rooms (ensuite) or Grampians Eco YHA shared accommodation (shared bathroom), or similar alternative
- Driving Distance: 190 km
- Hike Distance: 4.5 km
Day 3: Halls Gap to Melbourne
On the final day, hike to the base of Mackenzie Falls, then take in famed sights such as Boroka Lookout and The Balconies. After an incredible few days exploring the coastline and mountain ranges, we make our way back to Melbourne, arriving around 5:30pm.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Accom: N/A
- Driving Distance: 290 km
- Hike Distance: 2 km
Reviews
4.9
Based on 9 reviews
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“The tour was amazing ! ”
I couldn’t have hoped for better. We did so many things I couldn’t have done travelling on my own.
Overall, so so pleased with it, it was the best 9 days of my one month trip around Australia.
Both the guides I got on the Rock to Water and the Great Ocean Road tours were the nicest people and made the tour perfect.
As we were a full bus on the Rock to Water with 20 people, I got to meet so many different people and some that are close friends now !
Also the food was really good, the tour guides tried to make it fresh and healthy and with many options if you eat vegan or lactose free or gluten-free as it was the case for a few people during my tour.
Would I ever come back to Australia, I would definitely book another one of these tours !
Thanks so much!
“Great Ocean Road with Great Carla”
This trip is a must if you are in Melbourne. Even on Day 1 you can see a beautiful variety of nature, beaches and animals.
Don’t miss out the best (chocolate) ice cream at Apollo Bay. (Not sure about Vegemite one though )
The Grampians National Park also has a lot to offer in terms of nature, wildlife, indigenous culture and scenery.
Carla has a great taste for music. If you want to listen to your own music, better to bring your own headphones. She drives a long way and that’s the way she keeps herself concentrated on the road. Thanks to Carla there was not even a moment that I felt unsafe on the road.
“We had a great time could not have been better.”
We had a great time could not have been better.
Your tour one of the outstanding highlights - a great way to see a lot in a few days. Special thanks to your drivers full of information and help.
“Great value for money, fresh food, ability to see things, loved ”
I had a great trip with Groovy Grapes. Sure, it was an old vehicle, but the tour guide and accomodations and SIGHTS more than made up for that. Great value for money, fresh food, ability to see things, loved every minute of it.
“Our trip to Australia was fantastic”
Our trip to Australia was fantastic.The tours we arranged through your company were one of highlights of the trip.We loved the tour to Kangaroo island,the guide was superb and really made the trip special, along with the the other people we met on the tour.
The Ocean Road trip was really interesting.A bigger group of people The dormitory accommodation worked out fine.
Thanks for your help with booking the trip.
“Immensely enjoyed the tour.”
i enjoyed myself immensely during the 3 day tour, especially at the Twelve Apostles. Happy that i also managed to meet travelers like myself throughout the tour. I would give a score of 4 out of 5! Hope to be be again someday :)
“3 Day Great Ocean Road and Grampian Tour”
This was a great tour, with one of the best features being the highly informative and engaging tour guide Cam. He went out of his way to provide a wealth of interesting information on many subjects and demonstrated a genuine and sincere curiosity about his customers, as well as sharing many of his own travel adventures with the group. Other reviewers have described the details of the 3 days, so I won't repeat them. Even though the views of the Great Ocean Road were fabulous on the first day, I enjoyed the second day the best as we were in less crowded areas, and spent much of the day hiking and seeing wonderful wildlife. I also loved the BBQ. The small group size also made it possible to bond as a group.
Overall, it was a good blend of many experiences and we saw some fabulous country . It was a highlight of my trip.
“3 Day Great Ocean Road Tour & Grampians”
A group of us exchange students had a blast on this tour, especially having Matt Dunstan as our tour guide. He made the driving parts of the tour seem so short and incorporated many opportunities to walk around and experience more than what was advertised. We made each spot promptly and had more than enough time to really visit each site. There also was WIFI on the bus so helped with documenting the experience for those into social media. The 12 apostles were breathtaking at sunset and in the Wilderness Lodge in the Grampians the second brought out the astronomer in everyone while we watched shooting stars and Matt pointed out the milky way, southern cross, and other constellations.
The food, transportation, staff, and accommodations exceeded my expectations and I definitely recommend the 3 day tour to international students, visitors, and even other Aussies wanting to get a full Great Ocean Road Tour/Grampians tour and ask for Matt!
“3 Day Great Ocean Road Tour”
This review goes as a tribute to Matt, the one who makes the whole experience worth it. So, I visited Melbourne to attend a conference for a week in July 2013 and wanted to go about the city, see all the famous sights and have a little fun with the ongoing work. I decided to go to a 3 day tour to the Great Ocean Road covering the 12 apostles, Reids lookout, Mckenzie falls and the Grampians national park.
First day, we were headed for a long ride along the Great Ocean Road and you will just be mesmerized by it all. Frequent stops, a lot of fruits and amazing stops for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So just dont worry much about what to carry, just pack your bags with a few pair of clothes and go on the tour. After nearly 200 kms ride along the Great Ocean Road, with stops at the two survivors and every photogenic place we reached the 12 apostles. You will also sight lots of Australian wildlife throughout the route. At the end of the day, there was a proper accommodation arrangement with an amazing variety of pizzas served for dinner.
Next day, we started early and went for a morning view of the 12 Apostles. Remember to have your camera charged up always. The next stop, after a few hours of journey was the Grampians national park. Matt will be guiding you all along and don't hesitate to ask him for anything. He will take care of all the arrangements, be it food related, water or even if you want to have some fun. Later, we went to the lodge. The place has a barbecue and you will be served with the most sumptuous dinner. Don't forget to help each other with the preparations and later you can enjoy the chill of the night with a drink near the fire place and a game of pool. Sleep tight in some amazing cottages and recharge your batteries for the next day. Don't forget take a few photographs on the landing strip and meet the dogs(they are supposedly the most loving dogs i have met).
I surely met the best bunch of people and it was tough to bid farewell. In a way, the whole tour will make you keep taking a lot of snaps, but the Mckenzie falls and the Reids lookout along with the balconies is the most picturesque. After this, you start the journey back with so many me memories, having made amazing friends and you will wish that this journey never ends. Its nearly a month that I was on the trip, but still everything seems fresh and even remembering the trip makes me smile.
I can just conclude it all by saying that it was the best experience in a tour for me, and do go for it if you are visiting Melbourne. You will love every part of the tour and its certainly the most well managed tour in Australia.
