Duration:
Operated By:
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Travel straight to the 12 Apostles
- Reverse itinerary: avoid the large crowds coming from the other direction!
- No rushing – spend a decent amount of time enjoying the attractions!
- Plenty of stops for amazing picture
- Rainforest Walk
- Informative and friendly guide, good chat, great music, and good vibes!
- Small groups of a maximum of 12 people to create a more intimate experience
- Wildlife: Koalas spotting guaranteed!
- Multilingual Interactive Audio Guide, plus a complimentary exclusive free of charge Melbourne City self-guided audio guide
INCLUSIONS ON THIS SMALL GROUPS TOUR:
- Guided Tour, great information, good vibes, great music
- Spacious minibus for a maximum of 11 passengers
- Water Bottle
- Departure from Melbourne CBD
TOUR DESCRIPTION:
First of all, bear in mind that you are going to see one of the most spectacular natural landscapes on the planet!
Our day starts early as we want to get to the attractions before the crowds. Our pickup points are strategically located within maximum 15-minute walking distance from any point in Melbourne CBD, and they are:
1. At 6:30 am from 196 Flinders Street – Opposite Federation Square, and near Flinders St Station
2. At 6:40 am from 313 La Trobe Street – Near Melbourne Central Station
3. At 6:50 am from 44 Spencer Street – The Great Southern Hotel, near Southern Cross Station.
The drop-off points in the afternoon will be along Flinders Street.
If you prefer door-to-door hotel pickup/drop-off and a more spacious minibus, please look at the Premium version of this same tour.
The greatest thing about this tour is it goes in reverse of the typical Great Ocean Road Tours: On this tour, the guide will drive inland in the morning, arrive at the attractions before all the crowds get there, and comes back through the world-famous coastline, the Great Ocean Rd.
The first stop will be at Colac where you can get in a good stretch and enjoy a coffee (at your own expense).
From there you go straight to the first attraction: the 12 Apostles! And this internationally famous magnificent limestone formations’ lookouts will not be crowded with people. It’s awesome.
On this tour, you are guaranteed to visit at least four awe-inspiring attractions, Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge, The Razorback, and of course, the 12 Apostles.
Lunch stop (at your own expense) will be at the lovely town of Apollo Bay or Port Campbell, if you fancy it, you can go for a little walk to the enclosed beach for some amazing pictures!
When you depart the 12 Apostles area you will get to drive through the Great Otway National Park Rainforest where you will feel really connected to nature in a 20 minutes rainforest walk, to witness some of Australia’s most amazing rainforest scenery.
On your way back you will travel along the Great Ocean Road coastline. Through Apollo Bay, your guide will share some interesting stories and facts about the city while on your way to Kenneth River.
In Kenneth River, you will hopefully encounter some cute koalas and colorful parrots, make sure you have your camera handy!
The final stop will be at the quaint coastal town of Lorne for another epic beachfront view.
The expected arrival time back to Melbourne is around 7 pm.
This tour focuses on creating remarkable memories, come and join in and see what all the fuss is about!
* In case you are traveling with people who are not in the same booking, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance. We operate with multiple buses and can’t guarantee sitting together if we are not informed.
** Special Promotion: For bookings with 4 or more people, we are offering complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off when the booking is confirmed directly on our website.
CHILD POLICY:
We are not able to accommodate children under 7 years of age on this tour, as according to VicRoads regulations they must travel on child restraints, which are not available in our minibusses. Passengers who show up with under 7 years old kids will be refused to board without a refund.
CANCELATION POLICY:
We give a full refund if the tour is canceled up to 48 hours before the start of the tour. No refund after that.
There are no refunds if you no show or are late for your departure, so please ensure you arrive at the departing point at least five minutes before your scheduled departure time.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SUITS
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Would totally recommend Jimmy with many tours to come
From the Vu’s family
Our guide Pete was outstanding, he was good humoured and very knowledgable of the area and all the sites we visited, and was excellent at tracking down and pointing out wildlife as we travelled. The timings of the tour mean it beats the larger tourist buses to most sights meaning the stops were less packed and easier to our group to take in the sights, without feeling rushed.
The tour was punctual and left early, so we avoided the crowds and could move around easily at each stop. It was also a small group, which made everything easy to coordinate. Highly recommend!
Also, because of Peter's knowledge, we were first to see Koala's, wallabees and kangaroos relatively close, again unencumbered!
The day was long but did not feel like it during. The van was small which was tough a times with the roads and with getting in and out of it, would not recommend the back two rows if you get motion sickness or are tall.
Would recommend this tour to get a lot of good Melbourne outskirts sight seeing in!
The tour has been a mesmerizing tour of my life. Our guide Ana was such a humble and courteous lady who gave us information about each and every historical significance of the look outs.
I really recommend everyone to once book the tour. You will never regret
He shared all kinds of fun facts that made it not only interesting but memorable. You barely notice 12 hours have gone by by the end of the tour!
I loved it was a small group, it made the interaction easier and created a very friendly atmosphere.
It’s the perfect tour for couples, small families or groups of friends, if you’re looking for a more private and personalized attention.
Thanks Marty for sharing your time, knowledge, and passion about Australia. Your kindness and genuine excitement is contagious and made this experience unforgettable. Totally worth every penny!
Booking process and pickup is smooth and easy, with decent communication by the agency.
We enjoyed a lot, glad that we chose the right company among other choices! Definitely a recommendation!
Marty kept us entertained and informed and made the day fly by.
A special thank you to our guide Peter who treated us like guests, he is friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining throughout the day. His commentary added so much to the experience, and he made the tour enjoyable from start to finish.
One of the highlights was seeing wild koalas and kangaroos in their natural habitat, something we'll always remember. Combined with the stunning coastal views, it made for an unforgettable day.
We highly recommend Hit the Road Tours, and especially Peter, to anyone looking for a memorable Great Ocean Road experience.
Just do it - you will regret if you don‘t
After visiting the 12 Apostles and Razorback, we unfortunately encountered a serious traffic accident right in front of us involving a coach and a car. It was a very distressing situation, but Chris handled everything with remarkable professionalism and calm. Despite being so close to the incident, he navigated the situation safely and made sure all of us felt secure and reassured throughout.
Given the circumstances, the original itinerary had to change, and Chris went above and beyond to make the rest of the day just as memorable. Instead of the planned national parks and rainforest walk, he thoughtfully took us to see koalas and kangaroos in the wild and even included a lovely stop at a chocolate factory on the way back.
We are incredibly grateful for Chris’s quick thinking, care, and dedication. His ability to adapt under pressure and prioritize our safety while still delivering a wonderful experience truly stood out. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and would highly recommend this tour to anyone.
Thank you, Chris, for turning a challenging situation into a safe and memorable journey.
Koalas, kangaroos in the wild, beautiful ocean, multiple erosion views and forest walk
Wanted to say thank you so much for the minibus and driver yesterday! Ann was amazing very friendly and helpful and we had a lovely day. Weather was really nice too. she went above and beyond to make sure everyone enjoyed and shared as much details about each stop as possible. We enjoyed the tour it was as beautiful as we imagined. Please thank her again shes an asset to your team.
When we boarded the small van in the morning, our guide, Marty, told us to expect to hear lots of “oh’s” and “ah’s” at the experience we were about to embark upon. Well Marty was spot on. And there were also plenty of “wow’s” throughout the day.
The itinerary was thoughtfully planned. The stops were each tailored to showcase the diverse and unique characteristics of Victoria and the Great Ocean Road. From breakfast in the quaint small town of Colic, to countless breath-taking coastal views, to an unexpected rain forest, and plenty of close encounters with iconic Australian wildlife, this tour has it all - and even a few thoughtful surprises thrown in for fun.
Marty was a wonderful guide and went out of his way to make our experience unique and special. It is often the guide who makes the difference in tours like this, and Marty is one of those authentic people who makes the experience as positive and fun as it was - thanks!
.He went beyond and showed kangaroos,rainbow -which the overseas visitors were thrilled and his enthusiasm made the trip relaxed and never boring .Highly recommended-great value
The trip is a full day, with quite a bit of time on the bus. Craig knew when to talk, and when to let people have a snooze. His discussion and genuine caring attitude made the trip more fun.
The sites themselves are amazing. The coastal attractions took my breath away, the rain forest felt like a trip back in time, and we even spotted kangaroos and emus! It was a great day.
One suggestion: if it isn’t the dead of summer, dress warmly. The wind off the ocean is no joke and the rain forest is both damp and cool. I was really glad to have brought a warm jacket.
BTW, Barry doesn’t really drive the bus. He’s a stuffed platypus that serves as Craig’s straight man.
Jimmy knew all the special places to stop for a quick extra like the koalas up the tree, which thrilled our Asian tourists.
Fantastic day trip and ask for Jimmy he was the best.

















































































