Day Trips from Melbourne: Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley and Penguins

From Melbourne, five day trips listed on WizardTrip lead to the Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley or Phillip Island. They have between 4,113 and 7,064 reviews, with ratings of 4.9 to 5.0 out of 5 (as of 18 October 2026). This article compares their schedules, stops, meals and rules to say which one to book.

Day trips from Melbourne: what you need to know

All five tours leave from Melbourne, but not at the same time: from 6:30 am for the Great Ocean Road in reverse to 10 am at the earliest for Phillip Island. The return is announced around 5 pm for the Teepee Tours circuit and as late as midnight for the penguins. The guides speak English in all five cases.

Two tours pick you up at selected hotels: the Go West Tours ones, the small-group Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island. The other three set a meeting point. Go West adds an audio guide app in 16 languages, including French.

The two Go West tours combine into a three-day package, with a free city tour. The Great Ocean Road takes the first day, Phillip Island the next. The city tour takes place on the date of your choice, and the listing values it at $85 per person.

Great Ocean Road from Melbourne: small group or reverse

Both tours follow the same coast, with the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. They differ in the order of the stops and the size of the group.

The small group with a 16-language audio guide

The Go West Tours small-group tour lasts 14 hours according to the listing, with 24 people at most. Pickup is between 7 and 8 am at selected hotels. The return to Melbourne is planned between 8:30 and 9:30 pm. A complimentary morning tea is served near Torquay.

The longest stops are the Twelve Apostles (1 hour), Apollo Bay (45 min) and Loch Ard Gorge (45 min). Also included are the Memorial Arch, Kennett River for koalas, a rainforest walk at Mait’s Rest and Colac. Kennett River is not visited from 20 July to 20 September 2026: another koala spot replaces it.

Great Ocean Road Small-Group Eco Tour from Melbourne4.9(7,064 reviews)From €101From€101View activity

The reverse route, in an 11-person minibus

The reverse circuit lasts 12 hours. It first heads inland to reach the Twelve Apostles in the morning, ahead of the afternoon crowds. It then returns via Apollo Bay and Lorne. Three departure points are offered: 6:30 am at 196 Flinders Street, 6:40 am at 313 La Trobe Street and 6:50 am at 44 Spencer Street. The minibus does not wait: arrive five minutes early.

The longest stops are the Twelve Apostles (40 min), Apollo Bay for lunch (45 min) and Loch Ard Gorge (30 min). The Gibsons Steps, the Razorback, Mait’s Rest, Kennett River and Teddy’s Lookout, in Lorne, also feature. The return is near Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations.

The listing states 11 participants at most, but its title speaks of 12 passengers and the minibuses have 12 seats. Milosz gives 3 out of 5 in August 2026. According to him, the bus had “very narrow and uncomfortable seats, especially for such a long journey.”

Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests4.9(4,876 reviews)From €88From€88View activity

Yarra Valley from Melbourne: wine, gin, cider and chocolate

The two Yarra Valley circuits last 8 hours and leave from the city center. Neither includes lunch or hotel pickup.

The choose-your-own circuit, with gin and a shared playlist

The Teepee Tours circuit meets at the bus stop across from the Hotel Windsor, 74 Spring Street, before 8:45 am. Departure is at 8:55 am at the latest, for about an hour on the road. The return to Parliament Station is planned between 4:50 and 5:15 pm. Groups usually have 10 to 20 people.

Tastings take place at four venues: two wineries, a gin distillery and a chocolate factory. Each stop offers a choice: a flight of 4 gins with a mixer at Four Pillars, 5 wines at Payten & Jones or 4 craft beers at Watts River. The private chocolate tasting lasts 25 minutes, for 10 to 12 chocolates. The group can split up according to preferences.

Lunch is taken at a winery: a dish at St Huberts costs about A$25 to A$35, and the Domaine Chandon bar serves only sparkling wine. A variant without gin has three wineries and a chocolate factory. On weekends, some overly busy venues are avoided.

From Melbourne: Yarra Valley Wine, Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tour5.0(5,644 reviews)From €76From€76View activity

The Flinders Street circuit, with gin or whisky at extra cost

The second Yarra Valley circuit starts from the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, on Flinders Street, a 2-minute walk from the station. Check-in is at 8:35 am and departure at 9 am, or earlier if everyone is there. The buses have 14 or 22 seats. The drive takes an hour, via Warrandyte.

The stops: Soumah for five wines (35 min), then St Huberts for four wines, or a beer or a cider (1 hour). Lunch is at the Quarters restaurant at Hubert Estate (1 hour). The chocolate factory follows, with a guided tasting of 10 chocolates (45 min), then Balgownie Estate for five wines. The gin or whisky at St Huberts is paid for separately.

Melbourne: Yarra Valley Wine, Gin, Whisky and Chocolate Tour5.0(5,271 reviews)From €76From€76View activity

Phillip Island: the penguin parade in one day

The Penguin Parade tour lasts 12 hours. Pickup is at the hotel between 10 am and noon depending on the season. The return to Melbourne is between 9 pm and midnight. The stops: Brighton Bathing Boxes (20 min), Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park (1.5 hours), The Nobbies (15 min), then the parade (2 hours). Cape Woolamai and Cowes appear only in summer.

At Moonlit Sanctuary, you can feed kangaroos and wallabies, but food for these animals is not included. At the parade, the standard option is viewed from the public boardwalks and stands, and photography is banned.

Matthew, who gives 5 out of 5 in July 2026, writes: “when we first booked, we were unaware of the upgrades to get closer to the penguin parade.” The listing describes only the standard option.

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Tour from Melbourne4.9(4,113 reviews)From €111From€111View activity

The five day trips from Melbourne compared

Rain, children, accessibility: what the listings say

The reverse circuit and the two Yarra Valley circuits run whatever the weather, according to their listings. For the two Go West tours, the listings mention possible cancellation in bad weather or for lack of participants.

With children, look at age first. The reverse circuit refuses children under 7, with no refund. Teepee Tours welcomes them at the adult rate. The minimum drinking age there is 18, with some leniency if an adult is accompanying. Go West offers baby seats on request.

Wheelchairs are not accepted on the two Yarra Valley circuits; the other three listings do not specify. Service animals are allowed on Go West and Teepee Tours.

Which one should you choose?

• Coast and a French audio guide: the Go West small-group tour, with an app available in 16 languages.
• Twelve Apostles before the crowds: the reverse circuit, from 6:30 am and with no child under 7.
• Choice of tastings: the Teepee Tours circuit, with gin, beer or chocolate depending on the stop.
• Lunch at the estate: the Flinders Street circuit, with Soumah, St Huberts, Quarters and the chocolate factory.
• Penguins: the Phillip Island tour, with Moonlit Sanctuary before the parade.

The city’s other tours, excursions and activities are gathered on the page Things to do in Melbourne. Those for the country are on Australia.