Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia: Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians
5 days from Melbourne and back: the laneways and the Yarra Valley, the Great Ocean Road with the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise, and a morning in the Grampians.
5 days · Round trip from Melbourne · up to 12 guests
The beach at Peterborough, on the Great Ocean Road west of Port Campbell Photo: Shawnn Tan herclouds, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Ocean_Road,_Peterborough,_Australia_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Melbourne
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5 h on day 3
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly short walks of under an hour on city streets, paths, boardwalks and beaches, plus the 86 Gibson Steps. The Pinnacle in the Grampians is about 4 km return on a rocky track, around 2 hours, with the easy 2.3 km Venus Baths loop instead if you prefer. One long day in the vehicle: close to 5 hours on the Great Ocean Road on day 3, broken by stops. You can sit out any walk.
- Meals included
- 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches
- Room of your own
- + CAD 530 (estimated price)
- Season
- October to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- A flat white in Degraves Street and the street art of Hosier Lane, walked with your guide before the city is fully awake
- Koalas, wombats and the platypus at Healesville Sanctuary, then lunch and a tasting at a Yarra Valley winery
- The Great Ocean Road from Torquay, with wild koalas in the gums at Kennett River and lunch in Apollo Bay
- 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
- The Balconies over the Victoria Valley in evening light, and kangaroos grazing in Halls Gap at dusk
- The Pinnacle above Halls Gap at 7:30 am, then MacKenzie Falls before the drive home
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 3.
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 530 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 3.
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
- 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, inside the Free Tram Zone.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours: rest after the flight, or ride a tram along Swanston Street to get your bearings. At 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the lobby for a short briefing on the days ahead: the one long coast day, the early start for the Twelve Apostles at sunrise, what to pack for weather that can turn in an hour, and how the walks come with an easier and a harder choice.
Evening
Then we walk together through Federation Square, opposite Flinders Street Station, and along the Yarra River to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner. The dietary needs from your booking have already been passed on, so there is nothing to explain at the table. We are back at the hotel by about 9 pm, ready for an unhurried start.
Included
- Pick-up at Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Walk through Federation Square and along the Yarra River
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 5 pm briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 2 pm. If you land later, the driver still meets you and you join the group at dinner.
Laneways, coffee and the Yarra Valley
Melbourne's laneways on foot, then Healesville and a Yarra Valley winery, then back to Melbourne
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Melbourne
- Drive about 2.5 h
Melbourne's coffee culture lives in its lanes, so we start there at 8:30 am, while the cafés are full of people on their way to work. Your guide walks you through Degraves Street and Centre Place, past the street art of Hosier Lane and under the glass roof of the Block Arcade, opened in 1892, with a flat white on the way. At about 10 am we drive east, roughly an hour and a quarter, to Healesville Sanctuary on the edge of the Yarra Valley, run by Zoos Victoria, where koalas, wombats, kangaroos and the platypus live in bushland enclosures. It is the reliable way to meet the animals the coast can only promise.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a Yarra Valley winery, with a tasting of the valley's cool-climate wines, pinot noir and chardonnay among them.
Evening
We are back in the city by about 5 pm, and the evening is free: the laneway bars and restaurants are a short walk from the hotel.
Included
- Guided laneways and arcades walk in Melbourne, with a coffee
- Healesville Sanctuary entry
- Sit-down lunch and wine tasting at a Yarra Valley winery
Free time: Evening free in Melbourne
Activity: The laneways walk is about 2 km at an easy pace. Non-drinkers get a non-alcoholic choice at the tasting.
The Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles
Melbourne to Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay, then Port Campbell and the Twelve Apostles
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Port Campbell
- Drive about 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, facing the harbour. 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 310 km and close to five hours of driving, this is the one day over our 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 gone.
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
Easier option: Stay with the vehicle at Maits Rest and the lighthouse; every other stop is a few steps from the car park.
More active option: At Aireys Inlet, walk the clifftop path from Split Point Lighthouse down towards the beach and back, about 30 minutes.
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, Loch Ard Gorge and the Grampians
Port Campbell to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Peterborough and Tower Hill, then Dunkeld and Halls Gap
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Halls Gap
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
Wake-up is around 5:15 am for the one sunrise of the trip: we are at the Twelve Apostles before first light, about 6 am in midsummer, 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, and Loch Ard Gorge, named after the clipper wrecked here in 1878 with only two survivors. West of town is London Bridge, whose span fell into the sea in 1990. If the sea or the clock is against us, the Bay of Islands near Peterborough is the stop we drop, so Halls Gap still comes before dark.
Afternoon
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, with lunch in Warrnambool. From Dunkeld the sandstone ranges of the Grampians (Gariwerd) rise ahead.
Evening
We reach Halls Gap at about 3:30 pm for a rest, then drive up to Reeds Lookout and walk to the Balconies above the Victoria Valley in evening light, with kangaroos grazing at dusk.
Included
- The Twelve Apostles at sunrise
- The Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge in Port Campbell National Park
- Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
- Sit-down lunch in Warrnambool
- Reeds Lookout and the Balconies walk in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
Optional experiences
- The Bay of Islands in Bay of Islands Coastal Park near Peterborough, a short stop when time and the sea allow
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and meet the group at breakfast; the coast walks come after it.
More active option: Use the afternoon rest in Halls Gap for the Venus Baths loop, about 2.3 km, before the Balconies walk.
Free time: Rest in Halls Gap from about 3:30 pm until the evening walk; dinner is your choice
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, MacKenzie Falls and back to Melbourne
Halls Gap to the Pinnacle and MacKenzie Falls, then Ballarat and Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 4 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.
Morning
After a late breakfast in Halls Gap we drive the short way to MacKenzie Falls, where the river drops over a sandstone ledge into a pool; walk down the steep stepped track to the base, or take the easy path to the lookout above.
Afternoon
At about 11:30 am we head east on the Western Highway, past Stawell and Ararat, to Ballarat, the gold-rush city, for a sit-down farewell lunch. From there it is about an hour and a quarter to Melbourne Airport (MEL), arriving around 3:45 pm. Your guide checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 6:30 pm, or we can drop you at a city hotel instead.
Included
- The Pinnacle walk with your guide
- MacKenzie Falls in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
- Sit-down farewell lunch in Ballarat
- Drop-off at Melbourne Airport (MEL) or a city hotel
Easier option: Walk the easy Venus Baths loop from Halls Gap, about 2.3 km, instead of the Pinnacle, and see MacKenzie Falls from the lookout above.
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.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 6:30 pm. Breakfast is after the walk; tea, coffee and a snack are ready before it.
- Melbourne2 nights
- Port Campbell1 night
- Halls Gap1 night
- Melbourneend
- 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, with Yarra Valley vintage in March and April. The coast stays cool and windy on many days. Kangaroos graze at dusk in Halls Gap, emus and koalas are often close at Tower Hill, and wild koalas are likely but never certain at Kennett River, which is why Healesville Sanctuary is in the plan.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers with five days who want the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians without driving it themselves
- Anyone flying in and out of Melbourne, or adding a few days to a Sydney or Melbourne trip
- Photographers who want the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise rather than at noon
- Travellers who like short walks, proper lunches and a slow first day
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants Adelaide or Kangaroo Island: take the 7-day Great Ocean Road, Grampians and Kangaroo Island trip instead
- Travellers who want two or three nights in every place: Port Campbell and Halls Gap are single nights
- Serious hikers: the walks are short, and the multi-day Grampians Peaks Trail is a different trip
- Anyone hoping for the Phillip Island penguins: they are not in the small-group plan
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
4 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Melbourne2 nights
- Port Campbell1 night
- Halls Gap1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 4 nights in central 3-star-plus hotels with private bathrooms: 2 in Melbourne, 1 in Port Campbell and 1 in Halls Gap
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Melbourne Airport (MEL), or a Melbourne city hotel at the end
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and licensed driver for the whole trip
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
Activities
- Melbourne: guided laneways and arcades walk with a coffee, Federation Square and the Yarra River
- Yarra Valley: Healesville Sanctuary entry and a winery tasting
- 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, and London Bridge
- Peterborough: the Bay of Islands in Bay of Islands Coastal Park, when time and the sea allow
- Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
- Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park: Reeds Lookout, the Balconies, the Pinnacle walk and MacKenzie Falls
Meals
- 4 breakfasts
- 4 sit-down lunches: a Yarra Valley winery, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Ballarat
- 1 welcome dinner in Melbourne
Not included
- International flights to and from Melbourne
- Australian ETA or visa
- Travel insurance
- Dinners except the welcome dinner
- Drinks, apart from the winery tasting
- Tips
- Optional activities: the Twelve Apostles helicopter flight
- Personal expenses
- Extra nights in Melbourne before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 530 (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?
Four nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, four sit-down lunches including a Yarra Valley winery lunch with a tasting, a welcome dinner, airport transfers in Melbourne, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including Healesville Sanctuary entry and the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise.
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, fits on the Twelve Apostles platforms without a queue, 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 airport pick-up on day 1 to the drop-off on day 5. A licensed driver is at the wheel, so the guide can talk, plan and walk with you. 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 530 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.
Can we see the Phillip Island penguins?
Not on the small-group trip. The penguins come ashore after sunset, so a visit gets back to Melbourne around 11 pm in summer, the night before our longest day on the road. A private trip can swap the Yarra Valley day for Phillip Island, or you can add a night in Melbourne before the trip and join an evening penguin tour.
How long are the drives?
Most days have two and a half to four hours of driving, broken by stops. The longest is the Great Ocean Road on day 3, about 310 km and close to five hours, because the road itself is the sightseeing and we stop at least every hour. The drive back to Melbourne on day 5 includes lunch in Ballarat.
How is this different from your 7-day Great Ocean Road trip to Adelaide?
This trip shares the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles at sunset and sunrise, and the Grampians, but loops back to Melbourne and adds a second Melbourne night with the Yarra Valley. The 7-day trip continues to Adelaide and two nights on Kangaroo Island, with a long drive between the Grampians and Adelaide.
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 5,625 per person, and it can add a second night in Port Campbell or Halls Gap. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote it.
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 3,125. Your final itinerary names each hotel and gives sunset and sunrise 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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