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The Great Ocean Road is perhaps the quintessential experience every visitor to Melbourne has at the top of their bucket list. Some try to see it all in a day, but those with the time should consider a slow cruise to take in the many amazing treasures along the way.
In this guide, we will reveal the many amazing waterfalls, vistas, jungles, and attractions that make the Great Ocean Road so unique and beautiful. You will also find suggestions on where to stay, eat, and more based on our experience.
We rented a car for the duration of our trip to allow us the flexibility to get to all our destinations and take as long as we needed. We recommend you do the same, time permitting!
🇦🇺 Great Ocean Road 7 Day Itinerary
The Great Ocean Road is known for being one of the most incredible road trips in the world. This itinerary covers everything we did in 7 days along the Great Ocean Road. However, there are so many more things you could do along this beautiful stretch of coast.
Know in advance that this itinerary is presented as a first-hand account of our experience.
Our Great Ocean Road Itinerary starts and finishes in Melbourne, which is personally my favorite city in Australia! There are so many things to do in Melbourne that it’s well worth budgeting some time before or after your road trip to explore the city.
🌈 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 1
Great Ocean Road Drive
We left Melbourne before sunrise on the first day as we had a pretty tight schedule, but this meant we got to watch the sunrise as we drove along the first stretch of the Great Ocean Road.
It happened to be a gorgeous one, followed by an amazing rainbow that totally made it worth getting up while it was still dark!
Lower Kalimna Falls
This was our first stop, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. It took us about 45 minutes walking each way, but it’s worth it as the waterfall has a real Jurassic Park feel to it (unfortunately there weren’t any dinosaurs).
We didn’t make it to Upper Kalimna Falls as the track was closed, but it just gives us another reason to go back!
Lunch at HAH Lorne
No road trip is complete without good fuel stops, plus we’d skipped breakfast so I was getting pretty hangry by this point!
HAH provided just what we needed to keep us going… ocean views, incredible coffee and locally sourced, homemade, healthy yumminess. Plus, they have home-made chocolate and beach views.
Erskine Falls
Re-fueled and contented with full bellies, we made our way to Erskine Falls. We walked all 240 steps down and were rewarded with a gorgeous 30m waterfall nestled into the ferns. This is one of the busiest waterfalls, but it’s not hard to see why.
Cape Otway Lightstation
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We spent the night at Cape Otway Lightstation and wanted to be there in time for sunset, so with the short winter days we didn’t have time to stop at any of the other many waterfalls around Lorne. If you have more time, then I’d highly recommend looking into them!
But back to the lighthouse… Cape Otway Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia and interestingly (as we were told by the lighthouse keeper) there were more shipwrecks after it was built in 1848!
Although that was due to an increase in ship traffic, but I thought it was an interesting fact nonetheless.
We stayed in the Lightstation Studio and it had the most beautiful views from the window of the lighthouse.
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🌅 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 2
Sunrise at Cape Otway Lightstation
Wake up early for sunrise (realistically in winter that really isn’t very early – particularly when you just have to roll out of bed and walk outside your front door!).
The sunrise we got wasn’t spectacular, but it was awesome to be able to watch the lighthouse catch those first rays all to ourselves with a cup of tea in hand! Don’t miss out on the breakfast there either – the bacon and egg rolls were epic!
California Redwoods
Yep, you read that right! The California Redwoods were planted in the 1930s, and despite being a non-native species, have even been included within the Great Otway National Park.
It’s a truly serene and unique experience to be surrounded by such giants (they’re around 60m tall!), particularly in Australia.
Hopetoun Falls
This impressive waterfall is a short, but steep (about 200 stairs!) 30 minute return walk from the car park.
I seriously couldn’t get enough of all the waterfalls surrounded by ferns, there’s something almost fairytale-like about them.
Otway Fly Treetop Walk
Ok so I’m going to be honest… if you’re afraid of heights you’re probably not going to love the Otway Fly Treetop Walk .
The 600m long walkway is 25m above the ground, and the walkway itself is a grated metal which allows you to see through to the forest floor. But, because of that, it’s amazing!
It gives you unparalleled views of the rainforest and allows you to truly appreciate the grandeur of nature.
We also stopped here for lunch, and seriously the chicken and camembert pie may be one of the best pies I’ve ever eaten – and I’ve eaten a LOT of pies.
12 Apostles/Gibsons Steps
I’m not sure how much of an introduction the 12 Apostles and Gibsons Steps really need as they are undoubtedly the most popular stops along the Great Ocean Road.
We had planned to photograph sunset there and, well, we hadn’t received the memo that sunset was cancelled that night. So we arranged another night at the end of our trip to come back to them.
Anchors Port Campbell
We stayed the night in one of the villas at Anchors, only 10 minutes from 12 Apostles – the perfect location! I was honestly completely wow-ed by this place. It has ceiling to floor windows overlooking the hills and I fell in love with it instantly.
Even the bathroom has a huge window with a scenic overlook (but don’t worry, each unit is secluded so you can enjoy the view without fear of prying eyes!). It’s the kind of place that felt like home, but with all the niceties of 5-star accommodation.
Oh and to top it all off, they have a farm with 2 pigs, a donkey, a 3 month old calf, a dog, guinea pigs and a parrot. So of course, I had to go meet them all and help feed them. Don’t worry though, if animals aren’t your thing then you wouldn’t even know they’re there.
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🐳 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 3
Sunrise at 12 Apostles
The 12 Apostles viewpoints are the best place on the Great Ocean Road for photographing sunrise.
Weather and conditions permitting, get an early start and enjoy that magical moment where the sun first peaks over the ocean horizon.
Hopkins Falls
Hopkins Falls is just off the road and is only 12m tall, but it’s 90m wide and flows over basalt rock making for some really cool rock features. They’re particularly impressive in the winter when there’s been some rainfall, so we had a real treat!
Lunch at Pavilion Bar and Cafe
Pavilion has gorgeous views over the sea and the best coffee I’d had since touching back down in Melbourne. The tempura flatbread burger is also awesome and comes highly recommended. On the way out, we got a hot tip on where to watch sunrise on day 4… keep reading for more 😉
Whale watching at Logans Beach
There is a specially constructed platform at Logans Beach for viewing whales that use this area as a nursery during the winter months and you can often see Southern Right Whales with calves in this area.
Unfortunately for us, nature decided not to cooperate and we didn’t see any whales here. I’d recommend bringing a pair of travel binoculars with you as they may appear far from the shore.
Thunder Point
This spot is perfect for sunset. There’s a lot of rocky outcrops and tide pools, making for a really interesting place to photograph and watch sunset. We even got a rainbow amongst it all!
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum
We went to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum for their dinner and lightshow package and honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect. However, this turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me.
It was something so different that I wouldn’t have even considered doing, but I’m so happy we did. The show is projected onto a 9m wall of water and it was great to learn a bit more about the history of the area in such a fun and immersive way.
Surfside Holiday Park
We stayed in a cabin at Surfside Park, which was warm and cozy, but we really didn’t spend much time in it as we got back late after dinner, went to sleep and got up early for sunrise.
However, it is conveniently situated a short walk from the beach, so a great spot to be if you stay a little longer.
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🏇🏽 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 4
Watching the horses at Worm Bay
So here’s that hot tip as promised… get up early and watch the racehorses train on the beach at Worm Bay. I’d kind of expected to see 5-10 horses, but there seemed to be a non-stop flow from when I arrived at around 7:00 until we eventually left at around 8:00.
There was something so magical about watching the horses and their riders galloping along the beach and splashing in the water.
And after the early start, you can reward yourself and warm up with an amazing coffee and breakfast at Pavilion Bar and Café (order “The Pavilion” – it was incredible!).
Flagstaff Maritime Museum
Yep, we went back!! We loved the light show the evening before but really wanted to see the village in its full glory during the day, and it was totally worth it.
They even let me dress up in some 19th-century style clothing and feed the chickens (or chooks as they call them here!)
Deep Blue Bath House & Day Spa
If you’re feeling as chilly as we were after a cold morning, then this is exactly what you’ll need… a long soak in a 38.5°c geothermal mineral pool at Deep Blue.
It was like heaven. Once we were wrinkled up like prunes we realised we should probably get going and reluctantly left!
Lunch at Bank St. & Co.
Does being in water make anyone else really hungry? We were supposed to go to Tower Hill next, but my belly demanded we make our way to lunch at Bank St. & Co first.
The special that day was homemade meatballs on ciabatta… seriously they need to add this to their standard menu! It was the best meatball sandwich I can remember having.
Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
This is the place to go to spot some Australian wildlife. We were greeted with 3 cheeky emus at the car park – please just be wary of them and don’t feed them, some of them have become aggressive due to people feeding them.
We only spotted one koala and one roo, but that still totally made it worth it for me and the actual grounds are stunning for a walk.
Griffiths Island Lighthouse
We didn’t have much time to explore Griffiths Island but the lighthouse gave us the perfect subject to photograph from many different angles. In the summer, you can also see the shearwaters return to their nests here!
Merrijig Kitchen
If there is ONE place I would go out of my way to eat along the Great Ocean Road, this is it – Merrijig Kitchen! The venue is small and intimate, with a cozy fire, which made it feel like we were eating at a friend’s home rather than a restaurant.
The service was above and beyond anything I’d experienced before; both Sarah and Leeroy were able to tell us where nearly every ingredient was sourced from, including the eggs from the “girls in the garden”.
This is definitely the first time I’ve HUGGED the servers goodbye! Best yet, the food matched the service (particularly the chocolate brownie which may well be one of the best I’ve ever had.) So, short story… go eat here!
Hearn’s Port Fairy
The view from this apartment was insane… it looks out directly onto the beach.
The best thing – you don’t even need to get out of bed for sunrise, you’ll already have the perfect view right from bed. Or if you’re feeling really adventurous, move to the couch!
🌊 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 5
Sunrise over the beach
As we had a beachside apartment, we made the most of it and watched the sunrise from the comfort of the couch with a cup of coffee in hand! My favorite sunrises are the ones I can watch in my bathrobe.
Crags Lookout
The coastline from the lookout is gorgeous! Think crystal blue water swirling around rugged rock formations. And the best part, you can pretty much drive right up to it.
Whale watching
Round two of whale watching! Definitely take the time to stop by the visitor center for information on recent sightings!
We followed their directions to a spot where a mother and calf Southern Right Whale had been seen that day. We were so excited when we finally spotted them.
They were about 300m from shore, so realistically we couldn’t see much more than the occasional splash of a tail, but it was amazing to know they were there. Definitely take some binoculars with you!
Sunset at Cape Nelson Lighthouse
The sunset here was amazing, we loved the walk around the park, and there was what seemed to be petrified forest around. It made the perfect setting for watching the sunset.
Quest Apartments
Relax! We made the most of our spacious room at Quest and enjoyed some DVDs that they had to borrow at reception!
We also knew we weren’t getting up for sunrise the next day so could truly unwind, and made the most of it with some local wines.
🌿 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 6
This was originally supposed to be our travel day back to Melbourne, but as we had arranged another night on the Great Ocean Road to photograph 12 Apostles, we thought we’d make the most of it!
I’ve grouped the descriptions into parks, as there’s too many stops along the way to list individually!
Bay of Islands Coastal Park
This 32km coastal reserve covers the area between Warrnambool and Peterborough. The coastline is breathtaking, with limestone stacks and ocean views. There are also several areas where you can gain beach access.
The best part about this stretch of the coast, is that there are much fewer tourists than the 12 Apostles area. We stopped at Childers Cove, Sandy Cove, Bay of Islands and Bay of Martyrs, all of which are easily accessible and beautiful!
Port Campbell National Park
This park is most famous for the 12 Apostles, but it’s also home to many other amazing spots, including; The Grotto, London Bridge, The Arch, Loch Ard Gorge and Gibsons Steps. I would honestly recommend visiting them all. They’re all impressive for different reasons, and the walking time is minimal.
We finally got a decent sunset at 12 Apostles and capitalized by photographing at both 12 Apostles and Gibsons Steps during sunset, then rushed to Loch Ard Gorge to get some shots during blue hour. We couldn’t have been happier with our decision to come back and try again!
Stay: Great Ocean Road Tourist Park
We arrived at our accommodation at Tourist Park very late, but had called ahead and they’d kindly already started our fire for us and left the key so we could let ourselves in.
Once again, we didn’t spend much time there as we were back late and out early, but it was a really cozy cabin conveniently located 20 minutes from 12 Apostles.
🚗 Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 7
Sunrise at 12 Apostles
It wasn’t the most impressive sunrise and it was FREEZING, but there’s something so magical about watching the sunrise in such an iconic place. Definitely make the effort to get up early for sunrise here.
We’d had horses, koalas, whales, waterfalls, lighthouses, and so many sunrises and sunsets, but the Great Ocean Road just felt incomplete until watching the sunrise and set at Victoria’s most iconic spot.
Beauchamp Falls
Now I know I said our trip felt complete, but we couldn’t waste our last day, so we stopped by Beauchamp Falls on the way back to Melbourne.
It was about an hour and 20 minute return walk. It’s a really impressive falls in a beautiful setting, and we had it all to ourselves for most of our time there. Well worth the walk!
Drive back to Melbourne
We took the coastal route back to Melbourne, despite it being longer, because it’s just so much prettier. We stopped several times along the way to snap some photos and got our final sunset at Airey’s Inlet.
We finally arrived back in Melbourne around 19:00, exhausted after such a full itinerary, but bursting with excitement after such an amazing trip.
🤔 Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve found this Great Ocean Road itinerary useful in planning your next adventure!
If you have more time, consider incorporating it into a more extended road trip. Whether you want to add it to the best things to do in Mornington Peninsula for the perfect Victoria getaway, tie it into an ultimate Perth to Melbourne drive, an epic road trip to the most beautiful locations in Adelaide, or just do a road trip from Melbourne – the Great Ocean Road should not be missed!
Now we’d like to hear from YOU!
Was there any information that you found confusing, inaccurate, outdated, or missing?
Or perhaps this is the best guide you’ve found on the topic and had all of your questions answered?
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What beautiful images! I did the great ocean road in a day, and would love to go back and take the time to really experience it like you did. 🙂
I’d been there a couple of times on day trips before, but it’s well worth taking the extra time to explore!
I am heading to New Zealand next summer! I definitely will be adding this to my list!
This is in Australia but I’m happy to give you some tips for NZ too, just send me a message 🙂
This is a fantastic post. Lots are very generic, but yours points things out I’ve not seen before. Thank you so much. Very helpful for me!
Thank you. I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂
very informative
Very useful information and photos..