Need some inspiration to plan your adventure on the Great Ocean Road? Here are one to four day Great Ocean Road road trip itineraries to help you get started!
Road Trip Itineraries
Driving is a great way to enjoy the Great Ocean Road as it provides the freedom to stop whenever and however long you’d like. My preference is usually to minimize changing accommodation for less hassle, and Johanna was a great central point for all of this driving, hence we picked Johanna as our base/ accommodation. If your preference is for trying out a new accommodation every night, you can easily make some tweaks from this itinerary and experience more of the unique accommodations along the Great Ocean Road.
4 Day Great Ocean Road road trip itinerary from Melbourne
Day 1 – Melbourne to Johanna
Take your time to enjoy this incredible route and to get used to the roads and conditions. This first day appears packed but no worries about missing any of them as they can easily be done on the way back on the last day. I’ve marked those with a slightly longer detour with an asterisk.
- Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre
- Point Addis
- Memorial Arch at Eastern View
- Erskine Falls *
- Teddy’s Lookout
- Sheoak Falls
- Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op (if time permits)
- Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
- Cape Otway Lightstation *
- Johanna (Accommodation)
- The Perch at Lavers Hill for dinner (alternative)
- Melba Gully at night for glow worms
Day 2 – Great Otway National Park
A day for the forests and waterfalls.
- Apollo Bay/ Apollo Bay Bakery
- Triplet Falls
- Californian Redwoods
- Hopetoun Falls
- Beauchamp Falls
- If there are sufficient daylight hours, you might also want to consider a paddle with platypus at Lake Elizabeth
- Johanna (Accommodation)
Day 3 – Port Campbell National Park
Finally, the stretch the Great Ocean Road is more well known for, between Apollo Bay and Port Campbell.
- Gibson Steps
- 12 Apostles
- The Razorback
- Tom and Eva Lookout
- Loch Ard Gorge
- Thunder Cave
- Port Campbell for lunch
- London Bridge
- The Grotto
- Bay of Martyrs
- Bay of Islands
- Johanna (Accommodation)
Day 4 – Back to Melbourne
Nothing much new on this day, and a good time to visit the stops from day 1 that were missed. Also a good time to stop at Apollo Bay again for the seafood and bakery. If you’re all done by then and ready to head back to Melbourne, the fastest way back will probably be the inland routes. The fastest way back to any of the day one attractions will probably be via the Great Ocean Road.
Either way should involve passing Geelong, where it might be worth a stop if time permits.
3 Day Great Ocean Road road trip from Melbourne itinerary
Removing day 2 of the 4 day itinerary is one possible way to create a 3 day itinerary.
Day 1 – Melbourne to Johanna
- Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre
- Point Addis
- Memorial Arch at Eastern View
- Teddy’s Lookout
- Sheoak Falls
- Apollo Bay
- Johanna (Accommodation)
- The Perch at Lavers Hill for dinner
- Melba Gully at night for glow worms
Day 2 – Port Campbell National Park
- Gibson Steps
- 12 Apostles
- The Razorback
- Tom and Eva Lookout
- Loch Ard Gorge
- Thunder Cave
- Port Campbell for lunch
- London Bridge
- The Grotto
- Bay of Martyrs
- Bay of Islands
- Johanna (Accommodation)
Day 3 – Johanna to Melbourne
- Cape Otway Lightstation
- Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
- Apollo Bay
- Erskine Falls
- Geelong
2 Day Great Ocean Road road trip from Melbourne itinerary
For a 2 day itinerary, it might be a better idea to find accommodation at Apollo Bay for less detours and easier access to food and other conveniences.
Day 1 – Melbourne to Apollo Bay
- Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre
- Point Addis
- Memorial Arch at Eastern View
- Erskine Falls
- Teddy’s Lookout
- Sheoak Falls
- Apollo Bay
Day 2 – Port Campbell National Park
- Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
- Gibson Steps
- 12 Apostles
- Loch Ard Gorge
- Port Campbell
- London Bridge
- The Grotto
- Drive back to Melbourne
1 Day Great Ocean Road road trip from Melbourne itinerary
If you only have a day for the Great Ocean Road I’d suggest doing it with a tour so you’d get to enjoy the scenery along the way instead of spending most of your day focused on the road. Furthermore, a one day itinerary will likely involve driving after dark, which would not be safe if you’re unfamiliar with the conditions. It’ll be a long day with lots of time on the road either way, especially if you’re returning to Melbourne (estimated at least 8 hours of driving, full trip over 12 hours). Here’s one sample itinerary:
- Memorial Arch
- Apollo Bay
- Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
- Gibson Steps
- 12 Apostles
- Lord Ard Gorge
Other Ways to Enjoy the Great Ocean Road
- Great Ocean Walk – 110km, 8 day hike from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell covering most of the major sights along the Great Ocean Road
- Join a tour – tours are popular options for smaller groups or those who prefer not to drive. It can also be a stress free way to simply enjoy the scenery from your seat in the bus
Related Posts
For more detailed information on what to expect on the Great Ocean Road and beyond, check out my other posts:
- Great Ocean Road from Queenscliff to Johanna
- Great Ocean Road from Johanna to Port Campbell
- Phillip Island and Mornington Peninsula (possible to road trip to do with the Great Ocean Road)
And that’s all I have for now! Do let me know in the comments if there’s other information that might be helpful for your planning and I’ll see if I can compile that too. Thanks for reading!
