In which direction should I drive the Great Ocean Road?
Most people drive the Great Ocean Road from east to west to get the better coastal views. However, crowds are smaller going west to east.
The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is Australia’s most famous driving route. The 243km coastal route is crammed with attractions and scenic spots, and can be tackled as a day tour from Melbourne.
But if you are going to drive the Great Ocean Road, which direction should you travel in? Well, there are merits to both directions.
To skip the explanation and book a Great Ocean Road reverse direction tour, head this way…
Which direction to drive the Great Ocean Road? East to west
The logical direction for driving the Great Ocean Road is east to west. This is partly because it’s quicker to get to the sights from Melbourne this way, and partly because Australia drives on the left hand side of the road.
This means that as you drive from east to west, you’ll be on the coastal side of the road and theoretically have better views of the coastal scenery, rather than other cars.
7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.
However, almost everyone drives the Great Ocean Road from east to west. This includes the dozens of Great Ocean Road tour buses from Melbourne.
Traffic on the Great Ocean Road is heavier driving from east to west, and unless you leave very early in the morning to beat the tour buses, it’s likely to be reasonably crowded. You can certainly forget about having the likes of Bells Beach, the Kennett River koalas and Loch Ard Gorge.
Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne
- For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
- To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
- For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
- For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
- For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
- For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.
Driving the Great Ocean Road west to east to avoid the crowds
So there’s a crowd-avoiding logical to going the other way, hammering it down the Princes Highway first thing in the morning. That means you’ll get to the Twelve Apostles and other coastal attractions around Port Campbell first, while most of the tour buses are still around Lorne and Apollo Bay.
However, this logic only really applies if you’re planning to do the Great Ocean Road in one day. The road trip realistically deserves at least two or three days. And if you’re stopping overnight, there’s little crowd-avoidance benefit in travelling west to east.
Reverse direction Great Ocean Road tours from Melbourne
The direction of travel on the Great Ocean Road really matters most if planning to visit on a day tour from Melbourne. There are Great Ocean Road reverse direction tours available, and they are worth considering – particularly in the summer months when crowds are at their highest.
Costing $165 at time of writing, this reverse direction tour goes to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge first.
This tour also takes in the Maits Rest Rainforest walk and goes koala-spotting at Wye River before winding back via Apollo Bay for the classic views.
More Victoria travel
Take in the views of the King Valley from Powers Lookout
Swim at the Blue Pool in Briagolong, Gippsland.
Wangaratta road trips – distances and driving times.
What colour is a musk lorikeet?