Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road in Australia Tours
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most spectacular coastal touring routes, stretching along the southwestern coast of Victoria. Located within reach of Melbourne, the route is renowned for its dramatic ocean cliffs, sandy beaches, lush forests and breathtaking views of the Southern Ocean.
One of the journey’s most famous highlights is the Twelve Apostles, a collection of towering limestone stacks rising from the sea. Other notable stops include Loch Ard Gorge, Gibson Steps, Apollo Bay and the Great Otway National Park, offering a mix of coastal scenery, wildlife and rainforest landscapes.
The Great Ocean Road is ideal for scenic drives, photography, nature walks and sightseeing, with changing landscapes throughout the journey. A road trip along this iconic route provides an unforgettable experience of Victoria’s rugged coastline and natural beauty.

What is included & excluded
- Entry: The Great Ocean Road is a public scenic route and does not require a general entrance ticket. Individual attractions, national parks, tours, and activities along the route may have separate fees.
- Booking: No booking is required for self-drive sightseeing. Advance booking is recommended for guided tours, wildlife experiences, cruises, and other organised activities.
- Opening Hours: The road is generally accessible throughout the year, subject to road conditions, weather, emergency closures, and local restrictions.
- Duration: A full-day trip is recommended for key highlights, while a longer itinerary is preferable for a more relaxed exploration.
- Photography: Photography and video recording are generally permitted for personal use at designated viewpoints and public areas.
- Driving: Drivers must follow Australian road rules, speed limits, parking restrictions, and designated stopping areas. Visitors should avoid stopping in unsafe locations along the road.
- Accessibility: Accessibility varies between viewpoints, beaches, walking trails, and attractions. Some locations may involve steps, slopes, or uneven surfaces.
- Safety: Visitors should remain behind barriers at coastal lookouts, follow warning signs, and take care near cliffs, beaches, and strong surf.
- Weather Conditions: Weather can change quickly along the coast. Strong winds, heavy rain, bushfire conditions, or rough seas may affect access and activities.
- Wildlife & Environment: Visitors should not feed or disturb wildlife and should protect coastal and forest environments by following local conservation regulations.
- Cancellation/Refund: General road access has no cancellation policy. Paid tours and activities are subject to the respective operator's cancellation and refund conditions.
- Changes to Access: Sections of the route, walking tracks, viewpoints, or attractions may be temporarily closed due to roadworks, bushfires, storms, landslides, conservation work, or safety concerns.
- Important: The Great Ocean Road is one of Victoria's major coastal touring routes, known for dramatic ocean scenery, rainforest, beaches, coastal cliffs, and landmarks such as the Twelve Apostles. Visitors should check current road and weather conditions before travelling.
Cancellation policy
The Great Ocean Road is a public scenic touring route and does not require an admission ticket or reservation for general sightseeing. Therefore, no separate cancellation or refund policy applies to visiting the route. If the Great Ocean Road is included as part of a guided tour, excursion, private tour, or travel package, the cancellation and refund conditions of the respective booking or service provider will apply.
For example, some Great Ocean Road tour operators offer a full refund for cancellations made more than 48 hours before departure, while later cancellations may incur a 100% cancellation fee.
Terms & conditions
- General access to the Great Ocean Road is free of charge, although individual attractions, parks, tours or activities may require separate fees.
- Visitors must comply with Australian road rules and instructions from local authorities, Parks Victoria, tour operators and other authorised personnel.
- Visitors must remain on designated roads, walking tracks, lookouts and visitor areas.
- Visitors must not enter restricted, closed or unsafe areas, particularly near cliffs and coastal edges.
- Visitors should exercise caution around steep cliffs, strong winds, waves, slippery surfaces and uneven terrain.
- Swimming or other water activities should only be undertaken in safe and designated areas, taking local conditions into account.
- Children must remain under the supervision of an accompanying adult.
- Visitors must not damage or remove native vegetation, rocks, fossils or other natural features.
- Littering, vandalism and disturbance of wildlife are prohibited.
- Visitors should not feed or deliberately approach native wildlife.
- Photography for personal use is generally permitted, subject to specific attraction or park restrictions.
- Commercial photography, professional filming or organised photo shoots may require prior permission.
- Certain roads, trails, lookouts or attractions may be temporarily closed due to weather, bushfires, roadworks, erosion, conservation activities or safety concerns.
- Road conditions and travel times may vary due to traffic, weather, accidents, construction or other operational circumstances.
- Visitors must follow all bushfire and fire-danger restrictions applicable to the region.
- Visitors are responsible for their personal belongings.
- Individual attractions, tours, cruises and activities along the route may have separate opening hours, admission fees and booking conditions.
- Cancellation and refund conditions depend on the specific tour, attraction or activity booked.
- If the Great Ocean Road is included in an organised Melbourne sightseeing tour, the tour operator's cancellation and refund policy will apply.
- If a tour is cancelled or the itinerary is modified due to weather, road closures, safety restrictions or operational reasons, refund or alternative arrangements will be handled according to the operator's terms.
- Late arrival or failure to join a booked tour may result in loss of the booking without refund, subject to the operator's conditions.
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