Yes, we know you can easily book a tour to Great Ocean Road and cover it within ONE day. But, where’s the fun in that? I’ve been to Great Ocean Road so many times and while Great Ocean Road looks gorgeous regardless with a tour/self-drive, it’s just SO much better with the latter. Imagine stopping at random stops along the drive with no one rushing you to get on the tour bus! Here’s our itinerary and we are positive you’ll never regret going with the roadtrip 😉

>> DAY 1

Day #1 – 9AM

Pick up your car!

Most car rental companies open at 8am but we chose sleep. We went with Hertz and picked up our car from Franklin Street, which is within the Free Tram Zone (convenient much those staying in the FTZ). Collection was fuss-free and we were out with our car within the next 15 minutes!

Day #1 – 9.30AM

Hertz @ Franklin Street → South Melbourne Market (15 mins)

It’s about a 2 hour drive to our first pit stop along Great Ocean Road so we thought of filling our tummies first! Moreover, South Melbourne Market is so much more accessible with a car so why not? South Melbourne Market is a lot less touristy than Queen Victoria Market (think local products) so it’s definitely worth a look too. Do note that the market is only open Wed and Fri-Sun so you may need to adjust your accordingly. Parking is free for 2 hours and we packed our coffee to-go and bought a couple other pies to snack on in the car!

Day #1 – 12PM

South Melbourne Market → Ocean Grove’s The Lookout  (1.5 hour)

It will take you about 1.5 hour to reach the Ocean Grove’s Lookout Road depending on the traffic. We were very lucky to have stumbled upon it because this wasn’t on our itinerary at first! It’s within a residential area so it’s really quiet (i.e. no tourists) and you can take all your time to perfect that IG shot.

If you are feeling hungry, you can drive a little further up to the Ocean Grove Picnic area where there are sheltered areas for you to have your meals. You can either pack some food from South Melbourne Market or get some food from the cafes nearby!

Day #1 – 2PM

Ocean Grove’s The Lookout  → Teddy’s Lookout (1.5 hour)

After Ocean Grove’s lookout, we are not sure if Teddy’s Lookout will disappoint but it didn’t! It offered a panoramic view of the Great Ocean Road (try to spot the winding coastal roads) and because it’s quite a detour, we didn’t see much tour buses here either.

Day #1 – 4PM

Ocean Grove’s The Lookout → Apollo Bay Town (1 hour)

Our Airbnb was somewhere around the Apollo Bay area so we went to the town area to get some groceries and food before we set off to our Airbnb. If you are intending to cook, do note that groceries here are significantly more expensive. So stock up on those bottles of water/wines/beers or snacks if you are planning to chill out at your accommodation! There are plenty of food choices there and of course we went with seafood. The calamari was amazing!

Day #1 – 5.30PM

Apollo Bay Town → Head back to your accommodation!

We do not recommend driving after the sun sets (especially for us Singaporeans who are not used to driving without much street lamps) so do set off for your accommodation early if you can. Here’s where we stayed and we were just happy to enjoy the sunset in the comforts of our Airbnb 😉

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>> DAY 2

Day #2 – 9AM

Check out → Cape Otway Lighthouse (0.5 hour)

We took our time with our homemade breakfast and this amazing ocean view before we checked out. Ah, road trip is all about exploring at your own pace right?

We set off for Cape Otway Lighthouse and was hoping to catch a glimpse of some koalas while we drove past the Otway National Park but we weren’t so lucky. While the lighthouse wasn’t the most magnificent lighthouse I’ve seen, the view from the lighthouse was definitely one of the most magnificent one I’ve seen. Admission is $20/adult so if you are not a fan of lighthouses, you can skip this and spend more at the next few attractions!

Day #2 – 10AM

Otway Lighthouse → Gibson Steps (0.5 hour)

Get your sneakers or slippers ready for this one because you are going down to the beach! (Even the steps leading you down are really sandy so do watch your steps) This is probably one of the more iconic stops along Great Ocean Road because you’ll be really close to the rock formation and who can resist a shot with this kind of backdrop?

Day #2 – 10.30AM

Gibson Steps → Twelve Apostles (10 mins)

Brace yourself for the crowds because this is a must-stop and or rather, it’s THE stop. This is where everyone goes to for a shot of the Twelve Apostles and although there are several lookout points at this stop, you’ll find it difficult to claim any spot your own. So be fast whenever you spot an empty space!

Day #2 – 11AM

Gibson Steps →  Lord Arch Gorge (10 mins)

There’s a not-so-beautiful love story to this spot but doesn’t take the beauty away from the gorge. The waves are always peaceful and you can even take your shoes off to feel the soft waves!

Day #2 – 11.30AM

Lord Arc Gorge → Port Campbell (10 minutes)

Port Campbell is a really small town but there are plenty of cafes here! We picked Forage for the beautiful view (look at the lake right in front of it!). We would love to spend more time at this little town but we had to rush back to Melbourne by 5pm so we can return the car before Hertz closes (to avoid the hefty parking in Melbourne)! But if your Airbnb offers free parking, then you can probably set off a bit later!

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If you have a bit more time in Melbourne, you can also explore other easy but epic road-trips from Melbourne!