Twelve Apostles tours from Melbourne

What is the best Twelve Apostles tour from Melbourne?

The reverse boutique tour is the best all-rounder: 4.9 stars from 1,922 reviews, a group of up to 12 and the Twelve Apostles before the crowds, from US$97.

The table puts the main formats side by side. Prices are the listings' from-prices in US dollars for 2026, and every one comes with free cancellation, 24 hours before for the day tours and 3 days before for the helicopter. That matters on a coast where the weather changes fast: you can reserve a date now and still change your plans.

How long is a Twelve Apostles day trip from Melbourne?

Plan on 12 to 13 hours door to door. The inland road takes about three hours each way, and the coast road four to five hours of driving without stops.

The reverse tour runs about 12 hours, with pickups from 6:30am at 196 Flinders Street, opposite Federation Square. The 10-stop day runs 12 to 13 hours. The sunset tour picks up between 9 and 11am, depending on the season, and returns late after about 13 hours. The private tour is the shortest day at about 11 hours, because your driver can skip what you don't care about.

Most day tours combine the two roads: one way along the coast through Lorne and Apollo Bay, the other inland through Colac. The order is what separates them, and our guide to reverse, classic and sunset tours explains which order suits whom.

What is the cheapest Twelve Apostles tour from Melbourne?

The 10-stop day tour, from US$56, with 4.7 stars from 3,800 reviews: more than any other Twelve Apostles tour on this site.

The listing calls it a reverse itinerary, and one guest says the guide started at London Bridge, where the group had the place almost to itself. The ten stops are London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, The Razorback, the Twelve Apostles, lunch at Clean Cravings Eatery next to the Great Ocean Road Wildlife Park, wild koala spotting, a pass through Great Otway National Park, Apollo Bay, the Memorial Arch at Eastern View and wild kangaroo spotting.

The low price covers the air-conditioned coach and guide. Lunch is at your own cost, and so is the wildlife park if you want it ($37 adults, $25 children, per the listing). Guests say the pace is quick and well run: "I felt like I had enough time at each" (Charlotte, Oct 2026). It is not suitable for children under 6.

The lowest price for the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and The Razorback in one day, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.7 · 12 to 13 hours · from $56

Explore the 10 stops day tour → Tour details

Is a small-group Twelve Apostles tour worth it?

Yes, for most people. The reverse boutique tour caps the group at 12, stops where big buses don't go, and costs US$41 more than the cheapest coach.

The reverse boutique tour drives inland after a breakfast stop in a rural town, so the Twelve Apostles are the first sight of the day. Then come The Razorback, the Gibson Steps lookout and Loch Ard Gorge, lunch in Port Campbell or Apollo Bay, a 20-minute rainforest walk in Great Otway National Park, koalas (the listing says koala spotting is guaranteed), and the coast road home with a last stop in Lorne. The operator lists a Twelve Apostles entrance ticket in the price, plus a multilingual audio guide. Breakfast and lunch are extra.

Guests keep mentioning the quiet. "At the vantage points on the Great Ocean Road, we were almost alone with our small group!" (Brigitte, Oct 2026). Another wrote: "I really liked the reverse route. It was a nice group size and it was nowhere too crowded" (Jannik, Oct 2026). For a hike as well, the Otways waterfall tour adds Gibson Steps beach, a Grade 2 waterfall walk and the Californian Redwoods, from US$154. It meets at Southbank and has no hotel pickup.

The Twelve Apostles first, before the coaches, then Loch Ard Gorge, a rainforest walk and koalas, in a group of up to 12. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.9 · 12 hours · from $97

Explore the reverse boutique tour → Tour details

Can you see the Twelve Apostles at sunset on a tour?

Yes. The Full-Day Sunset Tour leaves Melbourne later in the morning and ends the day at the Twelve Apostles at sunset, from US$98.

The sunset tour collects you from selected city hotels between 9 and 11am, depending on the season, and drops you back at night. The day runs through the Surf Coast, the Memorial Arch, wild koala spotting (not guaranteed, the listing says), coastal lookouts and Loch Ard Gorge, with short stops to buy lunch and dinner. National park entry fees and audio commentary in 16 languages are included. Groups are up to 24.

Guests like the later start. "The sunset at the 12 Apostels was spectacular, and the fact that we started later than most other tours gave us the advantage of avoiding great crowds" (Romina, Apr 2026). In midsummer the sun sets late, so the drive home runs late into the night.

Is it better to see the Great Ocean Road over two or three days?

If you have the time, yes. The 2-day tour sleeps in Apollo Bay and stops at every lookout on the Shipwreck Coast; the 3-day tours add the Grampians.

The 2-day tour (from US$228, up to 11 people) spends day one on the coast road: Torquay, Split Point Lighthouse, the Memorial Arch, Lorne and Marriners Lookout, with a dorm bed in an Apollo Bay hostel. Day two walks the Otway rainforest, then visits all nine lookouts on the Shipwreck Coast, including the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge, before heading inland to Melbourne. Morning tea, fruit and park entry are included both days. One guest was "glad it wasnt all packed into 1 day" (Hannah, Mar 2026). It picks up from most city hotels but does not drop off at them.

The Oceans to Mountains 3-day tour (from US$581) adds Tower Hill and the Grampians, with nights in Warrnambool and Halls Gap, two breakfasts and two dinners. The 3-day tour to Adelaide (from US$668) follows the same idea one way and finishes in Adelaide. Both cancel free up to 14 days before.

Are there private or helicopter tours to the Twelve Apostles?

Yes. A private car and driver-guide costs from US$619 per group of up to three, and a private helicopter flight from Essendon Fields from US$2,248.

The private day tour visits Split Point Lighthouse, the Memorial Arch, Apollo Bay, Gibson Steps, the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge in about 11 hours. Tolls, parking, bottled water and tips are included, and the car fits the group: a 5-seater for four or fewer, a 7-seater for five or more. It has 8 reviews so far, rated 4.7.

The helicopter flight leaves Rotor One at Hangar 7, Essendon Fields, for a flight of about 1 hour 15 minutes, lands at the Twelve Apostles helipad and gives you 2 hours on the ground for Gibson Steps or the Castle Rock lookout. It is private for up to 5, the from-price is for one adult, and there is no hotel pickup. Bad weather means a new date or a full refund. One guest loved "seeing the 12 Apostles from the air and flying up the coast of Great Ocean Road on way back to Melbourne!" (Katherine, Apr 2025).

Do Twelve Apostles tours need the new parking booking?

No. Tour coaches get a guaranteed bay at a set time and enter through their own gate on Booringa Road, so tour guests book nothing extra.

Since 16 October 2026, drivers need a timed-arrival booking, made on the official Twelve Apostles website, to park at the new Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre. Bookings are free until April 2027. A booking fee follows from April 2027; the amount has not been announced. The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority books coach bays directly with operators, so on a tour the slot is the operator's job.

Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge sit outside the booking system and work as before. The full rules are in our booking and entry guide.

Frequently asked questions