Booking choice: The reverse boutique tour, from $97 per person. Check dates Tour details
Driving to the Twelve Apostles is easy to plan and hard to rush. The coast road is all bends, beaches and lookouts you will want to stop at; the inland road is quicker and plainer. Get the order right and the day works.
Here is how far it is, which way to go, the stops that earn their time, what changed with the 2026 parking booking, and where to stay if you would rather not drive back the same night.
The quick answer
It is about 230 km and three hours inland via the Princes Highway and Colac, or about 285 km and four to five hours of driving along the Great Ocean Road via Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay. Most drivers do a loop: coast road out, inland home, or the reverse to reach the Apostles early. Book a timed arrival on the official Twelve Apostles website before you go. Port Campbell, 7 km away, is the closest town to stay.
How far are the Twelve Apostles from Melbourne?
About 230 km by the inland road, roughly three hours, or about 285 km along the Great Ocean Road, four to five hours of driving without stops.
The figures come from the official Great Ocean Road tourism site. The inland road runs west on the Princes Highway through Geelong and Colac, then south to Princetown. The coastal route leaves the highway at Geelong for Torquay and follows the Great Ocean Road through Lorne, Apollo Bay and Lavers Hill. The visitor centre's address is the corner of the Great Ocean Road and Booringa Road, Princetown.
| Route | Main towns | Distance and time | Best if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inland | Geelong, Colac, Princetown | About 230 km, about 3 hours | You want the Apostles early, or a quick drive home |
| Great Ocean Road | Geelong, Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Lavers Hill, Princetown | About 285 km, 4 to 5 hours of driving | You want the beaches, towns and lookouts |
| The loop | One way each | About 515 km in total | You want to see both in a day |
Which way should you drive to the Twelve Apostles?
Two loops work. Coast road out in the morning and inland home in the evening, or inland first to reach the Apostles early and the coast road back.
The coast-first loop is the classic: the Surf Coast in the morning, lunch in Apollo Bay, the Apostles in the afternoon, then the faster inland road home in the dark. The inland-first loop flips it. You reach the stacks before the day crowds, then take the coast road home in daylight.
Both are on tour menus, and neither is wrong. Inland first suits early risers and anyone who wants the platforms quiet. Coast first suits a late start and a sunset finish. Our guide to reverse, classic and sunset tours compares the two orders in detail.
Want the inland-first loop without the 6am drive? The reverse tour does exactly that, with pickups from 6:30am in the city centre.
Check dates for the reverse boutique tourWhere should you stop between Melbourne and the Twelve Apostles?
Torquay and Bells Beach, Split Point Lighthouse, the Memorial Arch, Lorne, Kennett River for koalas, Apollo Bay and Maits Rest are the classic stops.
- Torquay and Bells Beach: where the Great Ocean Road begins and Victoria's surf culture lives.
- Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet: the white tower above the coast.
- The Memorial Arch at Eastern View: the road was built by about 3,000 returned servicemen from 1919 and opened in full in 1932, as a memorial to those killed in World War I.
- Lorne: a beach town for coffee and a swim, with Teddy's Lookout above it.
- Kennett River: the best-known place on the road to spot wild koalas in the trees.
- Apollo Bay: the natural lunch stop, about halfway.
- Maits Rest: a boardwalk loop through tree ferns and rainforest about 15 minutes west of Apollo Bay; the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority gives about 30 minutes return.
- Gibson Steps: 86 steps to the beach, about 2 km before the Apostles if you come from the east.
Can you drive to the Twelve Apostles and back in one day?
Yes, but it is a long day: about 515 km on the loop, seven to eight hours behind the wheel before any stops.
Leave Melbourne early, take a break every two hours, and save the inland road for the drive home if it will be dark. The coast road at night is slow and tiring, and wildlife is about at dusk. Two drivers make a big difference.
If that sounds like a lot, a tour takes the driving off your hands. The reverse tour uses the inland-first loop with a guide who knows where the koalas are; the 10-stop tour does the coast road home with Apollo Bay and the Memorial Arch on the way.
Let someone else drive the 500-odd km: inland to the Twelve Apostles first, then Loch Ard Gorge, a rainforest walk, koalas and the coast road home.
Explore the reverse boutique tour Tour detailsDo you need to book parking at the Twelve Apostles?
Yes. Since 16 October 2026, drivers need a timed-arrival booking, made on the official Twelve Apostles website, to park at the new Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre. Bookings are free until April 2027.
A booking fee follows from April 2027; the amount has not been set. Without a booking you may wait, or be turned away when the car park is full. The car park opens at 6:00am and closes at 9:00pm, and the visitor centre is open 8:00am to 8:00pm, last arrival 7pm.
Plan your slot around the drive: allow the full three hours from the city by the inland road, longer if you take the coast. Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge have their own car parks and need no booking. The details are in our booking and entry guide.
Is there public transport from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles?
Not as a same-day return. V/Line coaches run along the coast to Apollo Bay and Warrnambool, but no direct service stops at the Apostles and comes back the same day.
V/Line trains run from Southern Cross to Geelong and to Warrnambool, and V/Line coaches continue from Geelong along the Great Ocean Road. That works for a multi-day trip with nights on the coast. For a day out, the timings don't fit, which is why most visitors without a car take a tour.
The cheapest tour on this site, the 10-stop day tour, costs from US$56, and the reverse boutique tour from US$97 has three central pickup points within a 15-minute walk of anywhere in the city centre, per the listing.
No car? The 10-stop day covers London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles from the lowest price on this site.
Check dates for the 10 stops day tourWhere should you stay near the Twelve Apostles?
Port Campbell, about 7 km west, is the closest town. Apollo Bay suits a coast-road night, and Warrnambool is the nearest city.
- Port Campbell: about 12 minutes from the Apostles, with motels, cabins, cafes and a sheltered beach. Stay here for sunrise or sunset without the long drive.
- Princetown and Peterborough: small places on either side of the park, quieter still.
- Apollo Bay: the halfway town on the coast road, with the most places to eat. The 2-day tour sleeps here.
- Warrnambool: the nearest city, west of Port Campbell, with whale watching in winter. The 3-day tours spend a night here.
A night on the coast changes the trip. You can catch the low light at both ends of the day and drive home fresh.
When is a tour easier than driving to the Twelve Apostles?
When you would do the round trip in one day, travel without a confident driver, or don't want to book a parking slot.
A tour handles the driving, the parking slot and the route, and the guide knows where to stop. The 10-stop day is the budget pick at US$56. The reverse tour is the best all-rounder at US$97. The private tour gives a couple or a small family their own car and driver-guide from US$619 per group of up to three, with tolls and parking included.
Drive yourself if you will stay a night or two, want sunrise, or plan to carry on west to Warrnambool. For the tours side by side, see our Twelve Apostles tours guide.
Hand over the keys: your own driver-guide from Melbourne, with tolls, parking and tips included and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the private day tourFrequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles?
About three hours for about 230 km by the inland road through Colac, or four to five hours of driving for about 285 km along the Great Ocean Road, before stops.
Which way is better, inland or the coast road?
Do both as a loop. Coast road out and inland home is the classic; inland first gets you to the Apostles before the crowds, with the coast road home in daylight.
How far along the Great Ocean Road are the Twelve Apostles?
The road runs about 240 km from Torquay to Allansford near Warrnambool. Port Campbell is about 187 km from Torquay, and the Apostles are 7 km before it.
Is there a direct bus from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles?
No same-day return service. V/Line runs to Apollo Bay and Warrnambool, so most visitors without a car take a tour.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Great Ocean Road Boutique Tour in Reverse
- Minibus from three central Melbourne pickup points
- Guide and wildlife spotting, with a koala walk
- A "12 Apostles Entrance Ticket" in the operator's words (entry is free until April 2027)
Great Ocean Road 10 Stops Day Tour
- Air-conditioned coach and driver-guide
- 10 stops including the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge
- Wild koala and kangaroo spotting
Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Tour
Your own driver-guide, with tolls, parking and tips included
