Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia: the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians and Kangaroo Island
7 days from Melbourne to Adelaide: the Great Ocean Road with the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise, the Grampians, and two nights on Kangaroo Island.
7 days · Melbourne to Adelaide · up to 12 guests
Kangaroo Island kangaroos at Karatta, on the island's west end Photo: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kangaroo_Island_kangaroos.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Melbourne to Adelaide
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 6 h on day 4
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly short walks of under an hour on paths, boardwalks and beaches, plus the 86 Gibson Steps. The Pinnacle walk in the Grampians is about 4 km return on a rocky track, around 2 hours, with an easy 2.3 km loop instead if you prefer. Two long days in the vehicle: about 4.5 hours on day 2 and about 6 hours on day 4, broken by stops. You can sit out any walk.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 745 (estimated price)
- Season
- October to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Twelve Apostles twice: at sunset after the day-trip coaches leave, and again before sunrise the next morning
- The Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge early, before the Melbourne day tours arrive
- Wild koalas in the gums at Kennett River and emus inside the volcanic crater of Tower Hill
- The Pinnacle above Halls Gap at 7:30 am, and kangaroos grazing in the Grampians at dusk
- The ferry across Backstairs Passage and two nights on Kangaroo Island, not a rushed day trip
- A ranger-guided visit to the Australian sea lions of Seal Bay, on the beach when it is open
- Remarkable Rocks and the fur seals at Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 6 h, on day 4.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 745 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 6 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Melbourne
Melbourne Airport (MEL) to your hotel in the city centre, then the laneways on foot
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Melbourne
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Melbourne Airport (MEL), about 25 km north-west of the city, where a driver meets you in arrivals for the transfer to our central hotel. Plan to land by about 2 pm so you are settled before the group meets. At 4 pm your See Sight Tours guide gathers everyone in the lobby for a short briefing on the week: the two longer drives, what to pack for a coast where the weather can turn in an hour, and how the island days work. Then we walk the city centre for about two hours, all inside the Free Tram Zone: Flinders Street Station and Federation Square, the street art of Hosier Lane, the café tables of Degraves Street and the mosaic floor and glass roof of the Block Arcade, opened in 1892.
Evening
We finish at a local restaurant for a welcome dinner, with the dietary needs from your booking already passed on.
Included
- Pick-up at Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Guided walk through the laneways and arcades of the city centre
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 4 pm briefing; the evening is the welcome dinner, so Melbourne has no free evening
Activity: If you land later than about 2 pm, the driver still meets you and you join the group at dinner.
The Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles
Melbourne to Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay, then Port Campbell
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Port Campbell
- Drive about 4.5 h
We leave Melbourne at 8 am and reach the coast at Torquay, where the Great Ocean Road begins. Returned servicemen built the road between 1919 and 1932 as a memorial to those killed in the First World War, and the Memorial Arch at Eastern View marks it. From here the road clings to the cliffs: the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, coffee in Lorne, and Kennett River, where wild koalas often sleep in the gums along Grey River Road.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Apollo Bay. In the afternoon we walk the Maits Rest boardwalk in Great Otway National Park, under myrtle beech and tree ferns, then cross farm country to the limestone coast. At about 290 km and four and a half hours of driving, this is just over our usual cap, because the road itself is the sightseeing: no stretch runs much past an hour without a stop.
Evening
We check in at Port Campbell, then go back to the Twelve Apostles for sunset, when the stacks turn gold and the day-trip coaches have left.
Included
- The Great Ocean Road from Torquay with your guide: the Memorial Arch, Split Point Lighthouse, Lorne and Kennett River
- Sit-down lunch in Apollo Bay
- Maits Rest rainforest walk in Great Otway National Park
- The Twelve Apostles at sunset
Optional experiences
- A short helicopter flight over the Twelve Apostles, booked locally, with the price shown at booking
Free time: Dinner in Port Campbell is your choice tonight
Activity: Sunset at the Twelve Apostles is around 8:45 pm in midsummer and earlier in spring and autumn; exact times come with your final itinerary. The road is winding: bring travel-sickness tablets if you need them.
Apostles at sunrise, then into the Grampians
Port Campbell to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Tower Hill, then Halls Gap
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Halls Gap
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
Wake-up is around 5:15 am for the one sunrise of the trip: we are at the Twelve Apostles viewing platforms before first light, about 6 am in midsummer, to watch the stacks come out of the dark with hardly anyone else there. Back in Port Campbell for breakfast, then the rest of the limestone coast while it is still quiet: down the Gibson Steps to the beach below the cliffs, Loch Ard Gorge, named after the clipper wrecked here in 1878 with only two survivors, the Arch, and London Bridge, whose span fell into the sea in 1990. Late morning we turn inland to Tower Hill, a wildlife reserve inside the crater of a dormant volcano, where emus and koalas are often close to the path.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Warrnambool. The drive north past Dunkeld brings the sandstone ranges of the Grampians (Gariwerd) up ahead.
Evening
From Halls Gap we drive up to Boroka Lookout and walk out to the Balconies above the Victoria Valley, then watch kangaroos come out to graze at dusk.
Included
- The Twelve Apostles at sunrise
- The Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge, the Arch and London Bridge in Port Campbell National Park
- Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
- Sit-down lunch in Warrnambool
- Boroka Lookout and the Balconies walk in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and meet the group at breakfast; the coast walks come after it.
Free time: Evening free in Halls Gap
Activity: Wake-up is around 5:15 am in midsummer, a little later in spring and autumn; the only pre-dawn start of the trip. The Gibson Steps are 86 steps down to the beach and back; the Balconies walk is about 2 km return on a level track.
The Pinnacle, then west to Adelaide
Halls Gap to the Pinnacle, then Horsham, Bordertown and Adelaide
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Adelaide
- Drive about 6 h
An early start for the walk most people come to the Grampians for: the Pinnacle, a sandstone outcrop above Halls Gap with views over the town, Lake Bellfield and the ranges. We are walking by 7:30 am, while it is cool and quiet; from the Sundial car park it is about 4 km return and two hours on a rocky but steady track. At about 10 am we load up and head west for the one long drive of the trip, about 500 km and six hours on the Western and Dukes highways. It is long because there is no worthwhile overnight between the Grampians and Adelaide, and this road links the two halves of the trip.
Afternoon
We break it every hour and a half or so: coffee in Horsham, a sit-down lunch in Bordertown just over the South Australian border, where watches go back 30 minutes, and a last stop in the Adelaide Hills.
Evening
We reach Adelaide at about 5:30 pm local time, and the evening is yours.
Included
- The Pinnacle walk with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Bordertown
- The drive to Adelaide, with regular stops
Easier option: Walk the easy Venus Baths loop from Halls Gap, about 2.3 km, instead of the Pinnacle.
More active option: Climb to the Pinnacle (same 7:30 am start) the steep way from the Wonderland car park, through the Grand Canyon and Silent Street.
Free time: Evening free in Adelaide
Activity: Fresh fruit and vegetables cannot be carried into South Australia; eat or bin them before the border.
Adelaide's market, then the ferry to Kangaroo Island
Adelaide to Cape Jervis, the ferry to Penneshaw, then Kingscote
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kingscote
- Drive about 3 h
Adelaide is a planned city, laid out on a grid by Colonel William Light in 1837 and ringed by parklands.
Morning
After breakfast your guide walks the centre with you, along North Terrace past the Art Gallery of South Australia and the State Library, then into the Adelaide Central Market for coffee and a wander between stalls of cheese, bread, fruit and seafood from the state's farms and coast.
Afternoon
At about 11 am we drive south down the Fleurieu Peninsula, through vineyard country, with a sit-down lunch on the way, to Cape Jervis for the afternoon ferry. The crossing of Backstairs Passage takes about 45 minutes, and dolphins sometimes ride alongside. From Penneshaw we drive across the Dudley Peninsula to Pennington Bay, a surf beach on the island's south coast, and on to Kingscote, the island's main town, where we stay two nights.
Evening
The evening is free: walk the foreshore or find a table for local oysters.
Included
- Guided walk in Adelaide: North Terrace and the Adelaide Central Market
- Sit-down lunch on the Fleurieu Peninsula
- Ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, with our vehicle
- Pennington Bay
More active option: Climb the steps to the Prospect Hill lookout on the way to Kingscote, for the view over Pelican Lagoon.
Free time: Evening free in Kingscote
Activity: The Central Market is closed on Sundays and Mondays and trades only partly on Wednesdays, so departures are set for this day to fall from Tuesday to Saturday, with limited Wednesday trading. Honey and other bee products cannot be taken onto Kangaroo Island.
A wildlife day on Kangaroo Island
Kingscote to Seal Bay, Little Sahara and Flinders Chase National Park, then back to Kingscote
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kingscote
- Drive about 4 h
Today is for the animals, with about 290 km and four hours of driving split into short legs.
Morning
We leave after breakfast for Seal Bay Conservation Park on the south coast, where a ranger walks us down onto the beach among a colony of Australian sea lions, a threatened species, resting on the sand, nursing pups or coming in through the surf. If the beach is closed, the ranger's visit runs from the boardwalk above it. A short stop at Little Sahara, a field of white dunes in the bush, then west to Flinders Chase National Park, which burned in the 2019 to 2020 bushfires and is growing back.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the park. At Remarkable Rocks, wind and sea have hollowed granite boulders into strange shapes on a dome above the ocean, and at Cape du Couedic a boardwalk leads down to Admirals Arch, where long-nosed fur seals haul out on the rocks.
Evening
On the way back we look for koalas at a wildlife sanctuary near Hanson Bay, and at dusk kangaroos come out along the roadsides. Farewell dinner is in Kingscote.
Included
- Ranger-guided sea lion visit at Seal Bay Conservation Park: on the beach, or from the boardwalk if beach access is closed
- Little Sahara dunes
- Flinders Chase National Park entry: Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch
- Sit-down lunch near Flinders Chase
- Koala walk at a wildlife sanctuary near Hanson Bay
- Farewell dinner in Kingscote
Optional experiences
- Sandboard hire at Little Sahara, where operating, with the price shown at booking
Easier option: Watch the sea lions from the Seal Bay boardwalk instead of walking on the sand, and stay at the top viewing points at Admirals Arch.
Activity: Beach access at Seal Bay is with a ranger only, and it can be paused for wildlife health reasons, as it was recently. If the beach is closed, the group uses the boardwalk with the guide ranger's interpretation instead, with no change to the price. On days of extreme fire danger Flinders Chase can close, and we spend the afternoon on the north coast beaches instead.
Emu Bay, the ferry and Adelaide
Kingscote to Emu Bay and Penneshaw, the ferry to Cape Jervis, then Adelaide Airport (ADL)
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A slower last morning. After breakfast we drive the short way north to Emu Bay, a long curve of white sand with calm water, for a swim or a beach walk. Back in Kingscote we stop at a local honey producer to taste honey from the island's Ligurian bees: they were brought from Italy in the 1880s, and the island was declared a sanctuary for them in 1885.
Afternoon
Then we cross the island to Penneshaw for a sit-down lunch looking over Hog Bay before the early-afternoon ferry back to Cape Jervis. Our driver takes the road up the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 110 km and an hour and three-quarters, arriving at Adelaide Airport (ADL) at about 4 pm. Your guide checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 6:30 pm, or stay on: we can drop you at a city hotel instead, and suggest a day in the Barossa Valley or the Adelaide Hills.
Included
- Emu Bay beach
- Honey tasting in Kingscote
- Sit-down lunch in Penneshaw
- Ferry from Penneshaw to Cape Jervis, with our vehicle
- Drop-off at Adelaide Airport (ADL) or a city hotel
Free time: Morning at Emu Bay at your own pace
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 6:30 pm.
- Melbourne1 night
- Port Campbell1 night
- Halls Gap1 night
- Adelaide1 night
- Kingscote2 nights
- Adelaideend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: We run from October to April. Spring brings wildflowers in the Grampians and mild days of about 17 to 22 C; summer is warmest, often 25 to 30 C inland with hot spells, and the evenings are long, so sunset at the Twelve Apostles is around 8:45 pm; autumn is settled and quieter. The coast stays cool and windy on many days. Sea lions are at Seal Bay all year, kangaroos graze at dusk in the Grampians and on Kangaroo Island, and wild koalas are likely but never certain.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-timers who want the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians and Kangaroo Island in one week without driving it themselves
- Wildlife lovers: sea lions, kangaroos, koalas, emus and fur seals in the wild
- Photographers who want the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise rather than at noon
- Travellers who like short walks and proper lunches more than long hikes
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who dislikes long days in a vehicle: days 2 and 4 have four and a half to six hours of driving
- Travellers who want two or three nights in every place: four of the six nights are single nights
- Serious hikers: the walks are short, and the multi-day Grampians Peaks Trail is a different trip
- A city break: Melbourne and Adelaide get an evening and a morning each
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Melbourne1 night
- Port Campbell1 night
- Halls Gap1 night
- Adelaide1 night
- Kingscote2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights in central 3-star-plus hotels with private bathrooms: 1 in Melbourne, 1 in Port Campbell, 1 in Halls Gap, 1 in Adelaide and 2 in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Melbourne Airport (MEL) and drop-off at Adelaide Airport (ADL) or a city hotel
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and licensed driver for the whole trip
- The vehicle ferry between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw, both ways
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Seal Bay rangers on the sea lion visit
Activities
- Melbourne: guided walk through the laneways and arcades
- Great Ocean Road: the Memorial Arch, Split Point Lighthouse, Kennett River and the Maits Rest rainforest walk
- Port Campbell National Park: the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise, the Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge, the Arch and London Bridge
- Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
- Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park: Boroka Lookout, the Balconies and the Pinnacle walk
- Adelaide: guided walk and the Adelaide Central Market
- Kangaroo Island: Pennington Bay, the Seal Bay ranger-guided sea lion visit (on the beach, or the boardwalk if the beach is closed), Little Sahara, Flinders Chase National Park entry with Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, a koala walk at a wildlife sanctuary, Emu Bay and a honey tasting
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 sit-down lunches, days 2 to 7
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Melbourne and a farewell dinner in Kingscote
Not included
- International flights to Melbourne and home from Adelaide
- Australian ETA or visa
- Travel insurance
- Dinners except the welcome and farewell dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: the Twelve Apostles helicopter flight and sandboard hire
- Personal expenses
- Extra nights in Melbourne or Adelaide
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 745 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, six sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers in Melbourne and Adelaide, our own vehicle and driver, the Kangaroo Island ferry both ways, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Seal Bay ranger-guided sea lion visit and Flinders Chase National Park entry.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle, never 16 or 20. That size fits around one lunch table, hears the ranger at Seal Bay, and lets the guide stop where the koalas are rather than where a coach can park.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Melbourne airport pick-up to the Adelaide drop-off. A licensed driver is at the wheel, so the guide can talk, plan and walk with you. Rangers lead the Seal Bay sea lion visit. We confirm your guide's name with your final itinerary.
How fit do I need to be?
Light to moderate fitness is enough. Most walks are under an hour on paths, boardwalks and beaches, plus the 86 Gibson Steps. The Pinnacle in the Grampians is about 4 km return on a rocky track, and the 2.3 km Venus Baths loop is the easy alternative. You can sit out any walk.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only for a room of your own, from CAD 745 more, shown before you book and never added at checkout. Everything else is the same price as for everyone else. Solo travellers ride in the same vehicle and sit at the same tables; in a group of 12, nobody is an afterthought.
When is the best time to go?
October to April, the southern spring, summer and autumn. Long days give us both the sunset and the sunrise at the Twelve Apostles. January and February are warmest and busiest; October, November, March and April are milder and quieter. In summer, parks can close on days of extreme fire danger, and your guide reorders the plan rather than losing the day.
Why are four of the nights single nights?
Because a week is what most people have for the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians and Kangaroo Island together. We keep two nights on the island, where the wildlife needs a full day, and the driver loads your luggage every morning. If you want a slower pace, a private trip can add a second night in Halls Gap and in Adelaide.
How long are the drives?
Most days have two to four hours of driving, broken by stops. Two are longer: the Great Ocean Road on day 2, about 290 km and four and a half hours, because the road is the sightseeing, and the Grampians to Adelaide on day 4, about 500 km and six hours, with coffee, lunch and regular breaks.
Will we see kangaroos, koalas and sea lions?
Very likely, though wild animals keep their own hours. Australian sea lions live at Seal Bay all year: we walk on the beach with a ranger, or watch from the boardwalk if beach access is closed. Kangaroos graze at dusk in Halls Gap and on Kangaroo Island, and wild koalas are often in the trees at Kennett River and Tower Hill.
Do I need a visa for Australia?
Yes. Canadians and Americans need an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), applied for in the official AustralianETA app before you fly; many European passport holders use the free eVisitor instead. Check the current rules for your passport well before you travel.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 7,875 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can quote the same hotels, ferry and guided visits for you.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your trip within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you request. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 4,375. Your final itinerary names each hotel and gives sunset and ferry times.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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