Melbourne: Great Ocean Road, Penguin Parade & City Tour

Three Days: Limestone Cliffs, Little Penguins & Melbourne's Hidden Streets

You get picked up from your hotel and driven to three of Victoria's biggest draws: the Great Ocean Road with its limestone cliffs and rainforest walks, Phillip Island's Penguin Parade at sunset, and a guided tour of Melbourne's landmarks and markets. Breakfast, entry fees, and transport are all included. The only thing you arrange is which days work for you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Great Ocean Road Day Tour

• Pickup from inner city
• Morning tea at Torquay beachside
• Photo at Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch
• Spot koalas in treetops
• Lunch in a Great Ocean Road town
• Enjoy panoramic coastline views
• Guided rainforest walk
• Scenic drive through Great Otway National Park
• Visit Twelve Apostles limestone formations
• Descend to beach near cliffs
• Explore Loch Ard Gorge historic site

Day 2: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tour

• Pickup from inner city
• Photo stop at Melbourne colourful attraction
• Visit Moonlit Sanctuary and feed kangaroos
• Explore Phillip Island with local guides
• Visit summer-only scenic coastal viewpoint
• Explore coastal landmark and Seal Rocks
• Dinner break at beachside holiday spot
• Watch penguins at Penguin Parade

Day 3: Melbourne City Discovery Tour

• Visit Collins Street 'Paris' end
• Discover street art at Hosier Lane
• See Flinders Street Station
• Pass Arts Precinct and National Gallery of Victoria
• Visit Shrine of Remembrance
• Pass Melbourne Cricket Ground forecourt
• Drive through Parliament Hill area
• See St Patrick's Cathedral
• Walk in Fitzroy Gardens and visit Cooks Cottage
• Photo stop at Little Lon Distilling Co
• Visit Old Melbourne Gaol
• Explore Melbourne's Little Italy
• Drive by Melbourne Museum
• Visit Queen Victoria Market

The experience

The coach picks you up from your hotel before dawn breaks, and you're heading southwest toward the Great Ocean Road. The drive takes you through Torquay, where you stop for beachside morning tea at a famous surfing town, then past the Memorial Arch that marks the official start of the road itself. Your guide points out the koala colony in the treetops. You'd miss them without someone who knows where to look. The air changes as you move into Great Otway National Park, where a guided walk takes you through rainforest so thick and green it feels like stepping backward in time, ferns older than the road itself towering overhead.

By afternoon you're standing in front of the Twelve Apostles, those limestone stacks rising straight out of the ocean like something from another planet. The light hits them differently depending on the hour, and your guide knows the angles. You can walk down to Loch Ard Gorge if you want (the beach is right there, the cliffs dramatic and close), or stay on the viewing platform. Either way, you're seeing what makes the Great Ocean Road worth the drive. The whole day is maybe eight or nine hours, and you're back in Melbourne by evening.

Day two starts the same way (hotel pickup, air-conditioned coach with the upgraded seating that actually lets you see out the window), but this time you're heading to Phillip Island. First stop is Moonlit Sanctuary, where you can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies under staff supervision, and see animals most people only see in zoos. Then it's the Penguin Parade itself at sunset. The world's smallest penguins emerge from the ocean and waddle back to their burrows as the light fades. Your guide helps you find the best seats and explains what you're watching. Photography isn't allowed during the parade, that's a rule the sanctuary enforces, so you're just present for it, which somehow makes it stick with you more.

The third day is the Melbourne city tour, and it's free. You pass Flinders Street Station, walk through Hosier Lane where the street art changes constantly, see the Shrine of Remembrance and the Melbourne Cricket Ground from the outside. There's time at Fitzroy Gardens, where Cook's Cottage sits from 1755, and a stop at Queen Victoria Market: the largest open-air market in Australia, where the fish market and delis are the real draw. Old Melbourne Gaol comes up too, the historic prison where 133 inmates were hanged, including the bushranger Ned Kelly. The guide brings the stories, and the city starts to make sense as something more than just a place to sleep between the bigger attractions.

Groups stay under 24 people, and the app translates the guide's commentary into 16 languages if you need it. Breakfast is included, entry fees to Moonlit Sanctuary and the Penguin Parade are covered, and the coach has WiFi. You book the Great Ocean Road tour for your chosen date, the Penguin Parade for the next day, and you can pick any date for the city tour, so you're not locked into three consecutive days if you don't want to be.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned coach with upgraded seating.
• breakfast.
• entry fees to Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
• guided walks through Great Otway National Park rainforest.
• stops at the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and Torquay.
• access to a free 16-language translation app.
• WiFi on board.
• a full Melbourne city tour covering Flinders Street Station, Hosier Lane street art, the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Fitzroy Gardens, Old Melbourne Gaol, and Queen Victoria Market.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (under 16)

GroupUp to 24

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideSpanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Russian, Thai and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Go West Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the major sights around Melbourne without arranging separate transport, entry fees and timing for each one. The fixed itinerary is what fits three very different days into one package and gets you back to the city each night.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 16).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the Great Ocean Road tour start?

Hotel pickup happens in the early morning, though exact times depend on your hotel location. The tour runs the full day and returns by evening.

Can I do the three days back-to-back or spread them out?

The Great Ocean Road tour and Penguin Parade must be on consecutive days (you choose the start date). The city tour can be any other day that suits you.

Is lunch included?

Breakfast is included. Lunch is not, but the tour stops in towns where you can buy food, and there's a dinner break during the Penguin Parade day.

Can I take photos at the Penguin Parade?

No, photography is not permitted during the Penguin Parade itself. You can photograph other parts of the tour.

What can I bring on the coach?

Large bags, strollers, prams, luggage and walkers cannot be brought on board. Service animals are allowed.

How many people are in a typical group?

Groups are capped at 24 people per tour.

Is the guide multilingual?

The guide speaks English. A free translation app available on board covers 16 languages including German, Italian, French, Russian and Spanish.

What if I'm not fit enough for the walks?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. The rainforest walk and optional beach descent on the Great Ocean Road can be skipped if needed.