Hike the Great Ocean Walk Tour by Intrepid Travel

7 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants, maximum 18 travelers

12 peopleMaximum group size

15 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Challenging

Demands good physical fitness and stamina for more intense or extended activities.

Starts

Melbourne, Australia

Ends

Melbourne, Australia

Highlights

Explore diverse and beautiful landscapes on foot – from rugged beaches and rocky terrain to stunning coastlines.

Traverse this classic Victorian track with not one, but two expert local leaders to share their knowledge about the region and take care of all the details along the way.

Walk the entire 104 km Great Ocean Walk with nothing but a day pack, staying in accommodation along the track with your main luggage being transferred for you.

Marvel at the incredible 12 Apostles – the finishing point and final reward for your incredible efforts.

With almost every meal included, you’ll enjoy wonderful fresh picnics in incredible locations, delicious breakfasts and hearty home-cooked dinners.

Itinerary

This seven-day hiking trip takes you from Melbourne to Cape Otway National Park and on to the famous 12 Apostles, passing fur seal colonies, beaches, forests, sea cliffs, light stations and lookouts along the way. Explore the landscapes of the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung peoples and see why the Great Ocean Walk is regarded one of the world’s best coastal treks. With two knowledgeable leaders to guide the way, you’ll experience a landscape that has been shaped by the elements over thousands of years, immerse yourself in local maritime history and enjoy picnic lunches surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery. If you love immersing yourself in nature, the Great Ocean Walk is calling your name!

day 1 - Melbourne / Great Ocean Walk / Apollo Bay

Welcome to Melbourne! Or Narrm in the language of the Wurundjeri people, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which Melbourne is now located. Today, meet your group at 8 am to depart the Melbourne CBD as you head for the spectacular Great Ocean Road and Apollo Bay – the start of the Great Ocean Walk. Enjoy the first of many fresh picnic lunches for the week, get to know your walking companions and see if you can spot some Australian fur seals on the rocks. Today's walk is relatively easy with some short sections of beach walking and a few hills. Meet your driver at the car park for the drive to the night’s accommodation in Apollo Bay, where you’ll enjoy an included sunset dinner and dusk tour at a local wildlife sanctuary. As the sun goes down, the Otways’ most elusive residents start waking up: potoroos, bandicoots and pademelons. Your guide for the evening is a conservationist who’ll teach you all about the lives of these local marsupials.

included:Great Ocean Road - Apollo Bay to Shelly Beach walk

accommodation:Motel

meals:1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

day 2 - Great Ocean Walk / Johanna

Fuel up on breakfast before embarking on the first big walk of the trip, from Shelly Beach to Parker Inlet. Walk through the towering forest of Mountain Ash in the Great Otway National Park. This national park stretches from Torquay to the Otway hinterland, along the incredible Great Ocean Road. Keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife like black wallabies, echidnas and black cockatoos. You’ll traverse a few inland hills before hitting the coast again at Blanket Bay – one of the few safe swimming spots along the walk. Enjoy lunch at the bay then continue along cliff tops and through coastal forests to Parker Inlet. Spend some time here to relax after your walk and take in the views of the small cove and sandy beach that’s met by beautiful Australian bush.

included:Great Ocean Road - Shelly Beach to Parker Inlet walk

accommodation:House with Shared Facilities

meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

day 3 - Great Ocean Walk / Johanna

This morning, you’ll walk the inland trail, passing towering manna gums as you head toward Cape Otway. As the path sweeps toward the coast once again, you’ll see the turquoise water of Crayfish Bay and catch glimpses of Cape Otway lighthouse in the distance. Prior to the lighthouse being built, thousands of lives were lost along this stretch of coast. Built in 1848, this lighthouse known as ‘the beacon of hope’ is the oldest on mainland Australia. Walk along wind sculpted landscapes of sand dunes, coastal scrubland and magnificent calcified cliffs. Continue through Aire River Valley before ending the day at Castle Cove lookout surrounded by towering cliffs, where you’ll watch as waves crash into shore and perhaps catch a glimpse of whales jumping in the distance.

included:Great Ocean Road - Parker Inlet to Castle Cove walk

accommodation:House with Shared Facilities

meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

day 4 - Great Ocean Walk / Johanna

After breakfast, head out for today’s walk through a variety of different landscapes – from cliff tops, through heathlands and forests, occasionally emerging for views along the extensive coast. Keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons today, as they’ve been spotted along this section of the trail. In spring, you can expect wonderful wildflower displays. Once you reach Johanna Beach, take in the sweeping sand dunes and crashing surf. Finally, continue towards Milanesia Track, through rolling hills with wildlife like eastern grey kangaroos.

included:Great Ocean Road - Castle Cove to Milanesia Track walk

accommodation:House with Shared Facilities

meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

day 5 - Great Ocean Walk / Johanna

Today’s hike showcases more spectacular highlights like Milanesia Beach, which is so isolated it feels like this section of coastline is all yours. From here, walk through coastal forests and farmland before reaching Ryan’s Den where you’ll soak up breathtaking views all the way back to Cape Otway and west to Cape Volney. Next up, it’s a steep climb to Moonlight Head – a hidden gem on the coastal walk – before you continue to The Gables Lookout on one of the highest sea cliffs in mainland Australia. If you’re lucky, you’ll see seabirds and whales from June to September. Enjoy unspoiled views of the Southern Ocean and Great Ocean Road cliffs before making your way back to Apollo Bay for a home-cooked dinner and a little time to put your feet up and relax.

included:Great Ocean Road - Milanesia Track to The Gables Lookout walk

accommodation:House with Shared Facilities

meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

day 6 - Great Ocean Walk / Port Campbell

After breakfast, continue the walk from Gables through to Gibson Steps. After a walking through large stands of casuarina trees, you’ll come out at the aptly named Wreck Beach where the anchors from shipwrecks can still be seen at low tide. Continue along the high tide route to the Devils Kitchen, then follow a trail that hugs the wild coastal cliffs, protected by coastal heath, all the way to Princetown. From here, cross the Gellibrand River on a trestle bridge and start to see glimpses of the famous 12 Apostles. Originally known as the Sow and Piglets, these iconic limestone formations were renamed The Twelve Apostles as part of a 1920s tourism campaign, despite the fact there were only nine pinnacles (now there are only eight). Today's walk ends just before Gibsons Steps with stunning views from the Shipwreck Coast's Great Ocean Walk Lookout. Head to the town of Port Campbell for a final dinner at the local hotel with your walking crew and leaders. Put your feet up and relax as you toast to the incredible effort you’ve all made over the last six days on the Great Ocean Walk!

included:Great Ocean Road - The Gables to Gibson Steps walk

accommodation:Motel

meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch

day 7 - Great Ocean Walk / Melbourne

Embark on your final walk from Gibson Steps to the Twelve Apostles visitor Centre today – officially marking the end of your Great Ocean Walk. Wander along the windswept boardwalks and viewing platforms and take in the views of these natural beauties before the rush of the crowds. After, head to Loch Ard Gorge for morning tea. This is the perfect spot for a bite to eat before your route back to Melbourne. The gorge is picturesque with two yellow-washed cliff faces framing the smooth blue water below. Expect to arrive back in the city by late afternoon, where your adventure comes to an end.

included:Great Ocean Road - Gibson Steps to The Twelve Apostles walk

meals:1 Breakfast

Get Trip Brochure & Exclusive Discount

Download a detailed PDF brochure and unlock an exclusive discount for this tour

What's Included

Accommodation

Motel (2 nights), House with Shared Facilities (4 nights)

Meals

6 Breakfasts, 5 Dinners

Transport

Private Vehicle, Walking

Guide

An expert tour leader

Included Activities

Great Ocean Road - Apollo Bay to Shelly Beach walkGreat Ocean Road - Shelly Beach to Parker Inlet walkGreat Ocean Road - Parker Inlet to Castle Cove walkGreat Ocean Road - Castle Cove to Milanesia Track walkGreat Ocean Road - Milanesia Track to The Gables Lookout walkGreat Ocean Road - The Gables to Gibson Steps walkGreat Ocean Road - Gibson Steps to The Twelve Apostles walk

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a PremierThis travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.6 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 161 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6rating.

Tour Availability

Select your preferred departure date and secure your spot

Loading availability...

Monthly Price Comparison

Good to Know

Cancellation

Payment

Travel Insurance

Visa

Other Practical Information

Do you need help from our trip consultants?

If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Our travel experts are ready to help.

Why Book with Bookmundi

Earn USD 97+ in travel credits.

Best price guaranteed.

No credit card or booking fees.

100% financial protection.Bookmundi is a member of the Danish Travel Fund which guarantees for any payment made via us. Our guarantee covers all travelers, irrespective of nationality.

Carbon neutral tours.Algorithms and machine learning enables Bookmundi to calculate the carbon footprint for each tour. We then subsequently offset carbon emissions for all tour bookings on Bookmundi via investments in carbon reduction projects to help combat climate change.

25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.67/5

Excellent based on 806 customer reviews from

&quot;&quot;

Great booking process; easy form to fill in online and got help as soon as I needed it via email

17 hours ago

Europe

Asia

South America

Africa

North America

Oceania

Polar

Food, wine, events and nightlife

Adventure and sport

Wildlife, landscapes and nature

Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife

Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history

Air tours, road trips and transfers

Beach, romance, getaways and relaxation

Special interests and hobbies

Hi there

Highlights

Itinerary