The question is, can you see the 12 Apostles and the Great Ocean Road on a day trip from Melbourne? We were visiting Australia on a Celebrity Wine Cruise and decided to see if it was possible as a cruise excursion. Good news – it is! Here’s how we managed to make a tour to the 12 Apostles work within a short period of time.
Taking a cruise excursion to the 12 Apostles
The 12 Apostles landmark is located 140 miles or 3 hours one way by car from the cruise port in Melbourne. And this is only if you don’t drive the entire distance of Great Ocean Road. If you choose to drive the entire Great Ocean Road, the distance is five hours one way. We only had 10 hours in port. Nine hours when you take into account the 30 minutes for the ship to clear customs on arrival, and the fact that we had to be back on the ship 30 minutes prior to departure. Most of the excursions advertised for the 12 Apostles recommend 12-13 hours.
We chose to do an express tour based on our limited time available.
A private tour day trip along the Great Ocean Road
Our private driver was waiting for us as soon as we stepped off the ship and we immediately hit the road. The countryside was beautiful along Princes Highway via Colac (the more direct route). Once we were closer to the 12 Apostles we turned onto the Great Ocean Road to enjoy the coastal views.
The coastline is absolutely amazing and like none we have seen before. It was well worth the drive in our opinion. By not driving the full distance of the Great Ocean Road we saved many hours and were able to make the trip in a short amount of time. However, if we return I would love to take more time and drive the entire distance taking our time along the coast.
What can you see in a day trip from Melbourne?
Gibson Steps
Our first stop along the Great Ocean Road was at Gibson Steps. This was also our first glimpse of the 12 Apostles rock formations. You could literally hear the gasps from everyone present when we saw them for the first time – it was surreal. The 90 steps lead down to a long stretch of beach where you can walk and even get closer to them. The views are hard to describe.
Keep in mind that the only way back is to walk back up all 90 steps to the car park area.
As at February 2023, only 8 of the 12 Apostles remain, due to erosion from the sea and rain.
12 Apostles Lookout
There are many places along Great Ocean Road in the area of Port Campbell National Park where you may view the 12 Apostles but this area is definitely the most popular. This lookout provides the best views of all of the Apostles thanks to the massive viewing deck.
There are also restrooms and refreshments available here as well. We spent about 25 minutes at this location taking photos. I was in amazement the entire time. The views are hard to describe.
Loch Ard Gorge Lookout
The Loch Ard Gorge Lookout is just a 5 minute drive from the 12 Apostles lookout. Loch Ard Gorge is the site of the most famous shipwreck on the aptly named Shipwreck Coast. The Loch Ard ran aground crashing into Mutton Bird Island in 1878. The only two survivors Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael managed to drag themselves to the safety of the beach inside Loch Ard Gorge.
The views can be seen from the elevated platform, or you can take the steps to the bottom (as we did) for even more amazing views. This area is very sandy and can make for difficult walking but the views are well worth the effort.
Tom and Eva Lookout
Named after the two survivors from the famous shipwreck, this lookout can be reached by walking from the same car park area of Loch Ard Gorge. This walk is on a flat surface and does not require stairs. The lookout provides stunning views of the two rock formations named after the two shipwreck survivors.
Razorback Lookout
Just a short walk from the Tom and Eva lookout you will find Razorback lookout. This rock formation is the longest, most narrow and jagged. Appearing as a razor back hence its name. This lookout is also an easy walk from the car park area and does not require any stairs. When stopping at Loch Ard Gorge you must take time to visit the Tom and Eva Lookout along with the Razorback Lookout.
How to make this work if you are arriving by cruise ship?
The 12 Apostles is a minimum six hour drive from the cruise port round trip with no stops. This is of course along Princes Highway to the Great Ocean Road. Driving Great Ocean Road is five hours one way. Once you add in 3 or 4 stops for photos and a lunch break it is a full day.
This can be booked as a tour through your cruise line. However, when we decided to book, the cruise tour was not available, so we booked through a private company. We chose the express tour to ensure we would make it back to port in time and not miss our departure.
The 12 Apostles & Great Ocean Road
Visiting the 12 Apostles was one of the highlights of our trip to Australia, so we are very glad we decided to take this private express tour. Most cruise lines visiting the area will offer this as a cruise excursion, but places fill up very quickly; therefore this is a great option.
If you are spending some time in Melbourne, then taking one of the longer day trips is recommended. Seeing the 12 Apostles and parts of the Great Ocean Road was simply magical.
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