Great Ocean Road
Twelve Apostles, surf breaks and koalas along Victoria's southern edge
- Distance
- 155 mi
- 249 km
- Driving
- 4 hr
- excl. stops
- Suggested
- 3 days
- balanced split
- Stops
- 5
- curated
Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 5 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.
Opens the planner with every stop loaded. Free, no card needed.
Day by day
Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.
Before you go
Best time to drive it
April to June, or September to October
Shoulder season. Warm enough to enjoy, and you avoid both the August heat and the worst of the coastal traffic.
Indicative costs
- We haven't compiled cost data for Australia yet.
Tolls assume ~65% of the distance on tolled road. Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.
Driving rules
Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.
Every stop on the Great Ocean Road
- 1Torquay
- 2Lorne
- 3Apollo Bay
- 4Port Campbell
- 5Warrnambool
Worth a detour
Curated places within 25 km of the road.
Twelve Apostles Marine National Park
national parkIconic limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean along the Great Ocean Road.
Apollo Bay Bakery
cafeA beloved bakery on the Great Ocean Road famous for its scallop pies, serving as the quintessential pit stop between the Twelve Apostles and Melbourne.
Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch Cafe
cafeThe starting point cafe at the iconic timber arch gateway to the Great Ocean Road in Eastern View, where every Great Ocean Road trip photo begins.
Kennett River General Store & Cafe
cafeA small cafe on the Great Ocean Road famous for the koalas in the eucalyptus trees right outside, making it the most wildlife-rich pit stop in Australia.
Teddy's Lookout (Great Ocean Road)
scenic viewpointA clifftop viewpoint above Lorne on the Great Ocean Road with sweeping views along the coastline and the forested Otway Ranges.
Twelve Apostles
landmarkCollection of dramatic limestone sea stacks rising from the Southern Ocean along Australia's Great Ocean Road.
Great Ocean Road
coastal drive243 km Australian coastal route featuring the Twelve Apostles
Bells Beach
beachAustralia's most famous surf beach near Torquay at the start of the Great Ocean Road, home of the world's longest-running surfing contest, the Rip Curl Pro, each Easter.
Loch Ard Gorge
natural wonderA wave-carved gorge on the Great Ocean Road named for the 1878 Loch Ard shipwreck, whose two teenage survivors washed ashore on its sheltered golden beach.
London Arch (London Bridge)
natural wonderAn offshore limestone arch on the Great Ocean Road that was a double-span 'bridge' until 1990, when the landward span famously collapsed, stranding two visitors seaward.
London Arch
natural wonderOffshore limestone arch that lost its landward span in 1990, viewed from a clifftop platform on the Port Campbell coast.
Cape Otway Lightstation
landmarkAustralia's oldest surviving mainland lighthouse, reached by a 12 km side road off the Great Ocean Road through koala habitat.
Common questions about the Great Ocean Road
How long does the Great Ocean Road take?
The driving itself is about 4 hr across 155 miles (249 km). Most people spread it over 3 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.
How many miles is the Great Ocean Road?
155 miles, or 249 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.
When is the best time to drive the Great Ocean Road?
April to June, or September to October. Shoulder season. Warm enough to enjoy, and you avoid both the August heat and the worst of the coastal traffic.
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