10 Days in Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road
Melbourne's zoo, markets, and tram network — then the Great Ocean Road's Twelve Apostles, Kennett River koalas, and Otway rainforest — then the Grampians' red-rock ridges, oval-side kangaroos, and Brambuk First Nations cultural centre. A classic Victorian family loop that covers city, coast, and inland wilderness in 10 nights without ever needing to fly twice.
Plan to save
Your weekly savings target
A$274 / week
to save before you go · A$7,382 total · 27 weeks until you leave
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary
3 stops across 10 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road.
Stop
01
Melbourne
4 nightsFly direct to Melbourne (MEL) from Sydney (1h 30m), Brisbane (2h 15m), Adelaide (1h 20m). Pick up a hire car at MEL Airport — you'll need it for days 5–10 but can leave it parked in Melbourne for the city leg. Alternative: use trams in Melbourne CBD (free tram zone) and pick the car up on day 5.
Highlights
- Melbourne Zoo — world-class zoo in the city, kids free on weekends and school holidays
- Werribee Open Range Zoo — African safari day trip, kids free weekends
- Queen Victoria Market + Night Market (Wednesdays in summer)
- Melbourne Museum + Scienceworks (free entry for under-16s)
- MCG tour or AFL/cricket match in season
- Free tram network inside the CBD — trams are free without tapping on within the zone
Local tips
- Melbourne Zoo is free for kids on weekends and Victorian school holidays — plan your zoo day around those. Werribee Open Range Zoo has the same free-kids policy and pairs naturally with Melbourne Zoo.
- Day trip to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat (90 min drive or V/Line train) for gold-rush living history — full-day outing, family pass $145.50, genuinely one of the best family attractions in Victoria.
- Buy MYKI cards at any 7-Eleven for the tram/train network. The free tram zone in the CBD means you never tap on for inner-city trams — just hop on.
Suggested stay2-bedroom apartment in Southbank or Docklands
Stop
02
Apollo Bay
3 nightsDrive from Melbourne (3 hrs along the Great Ocean Road — allow the full day with stops at Bells Beach, Airey's Inlet, Lorne, and Kennett River for the roadside koalas)
Highlights
- Twelve Apostles + Loch Ard Gorge + London Bridge — iconic limestone stacks, day trip 60 min west
- Kennett River koala spotting — roadside koalas in the gum trees along Grey River Road, free, near-certain sighting
- Otway Fly Treetop Walk — 25m-high canopy boardwalk through rainforest
- Great Otway National Park — Triplet Falls, Erskine Falls, Melba Gully glow-worms at night
- Apollo Bay harbour and Mariner's Lookout for sunrise
- Bells Beach (returning toward Melbourne) — iconic surf break, scenic viewing platform
Local tips
- Drive the Twelve Apostles at sunrise or sunset — midday light flattens the rock stacks and it's the most photogenic spot in Victoria. From Apollo Bay it's 60 min each way. Leave at 5:30am for sunrise.
- Kennett River koalas are the best free wildlife experience on the trip. Pull over along Grey River Road, walk 50 m up the side street, look up in the gum trees. Kids 5+ will spot them easily.
- Otway Fly Treetop Walk closes early (5pm most of the year). Either do it on the Melbourne → Apollo Bay driving day or first thing on your GOR day, not as an afternoon add-on.
Suggested stayFamily apartment on the Apollo Bay foreshore
Stop
03
Halls Gap (Grampians)
3 nightsDrive from Apollo Bay (4 hrs via Port Campbell and the Western Highway). Return hire car at Melbourne Airport (MEL) on departure day — 3 hrs from Halls Gap.
Highlights
- Halls Gap oval at dusk — guaranteed kangaroo sightings, free, 5 min walk from most accommodation
- Pinnacle Lookout walk — 2.5 hr return, moderate, the Grampians' iconic view
- Brambuk Cultural Centre — First Nations-led interpretation, gold coin donation, start your Grampians stay here
- Reed Lookout + Balconies — 20 min easy walk to sweeping sandstone views
- MacKenzie Falls — 45 min return steep walk to one of Victoria's largest waterfalls
- Halls Gap Zoo — small family zoo with native wildlife, good rainy-day backup
- Wildflowers in spring (Sept–Oct) — grass trees and native orchids across the range
Local tips
- Brambuk Cultural Centre is a gold coin donation and the best First Nations family experience in Victoria — do it on your first afternoon to frame the rest of the Grampians stay.
- Kangaroos on Halls Gap oval at dusk is near-guaranteed — 6:30pm in summer, 4:30pm in winter. Bring a picnic, sit on the grass bank, count them. Emus sometimes turn up on the golf course next door.
- The Pinnacle Walk is moderate, 2.5 hrs return, suitable for 7+ year olds. Skip it for toddlers — do the shorter Reed Lookout walk instead for the same sandstone view with a 20-minute round trip.
Suggested stayFamily cabin or 2-bedroom holiday park unit
Real cost estimates · calibrated 2026, not glossy estimates
What it costs
All-in for a family of 4.
Here’s what Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road costs across the four components SaveToRoam tracks. Flights are shoulder-season ex-Australia; travel insurance and personal extras vary.
| Component | Family of 4 |
|---|---|
Flights Return economy flights ex-AU (mid-shoulder estimate) A$250 per person | A$1,000 |
Accommodation 3 stops | A$2,810 |
Activities & local transport Activities & local transport incl. hire car (estimated) A$363 per person | A$1,452 |
Daily food & local transit 10 nights × family of 4 | A$2,120 |
Trip total Insurance & personal extras separate | A$7,382 |
What it covers
The ~A$7,382 estimate is all-in for a family of 4 — accommodation across 3 stops, shoulder-season flights from Australia, activities and local transport, and daily food. Travel insurance and personal extras vary, so we keep them separate.
What you get
When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 3 stops, every cost component pre-loaded, and a personalised savings plan with a weekly target. You choose your dates — we handle the maths.
Fully customisable
This itinerary is a starting point. Once it's your trip, add stops, swap hotels, adjust nights — your savings target updates automatically.
Read up on Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road
Cost guides and saving how-tos for this destination — written from the same research that calibrates this itinerary.
Cost GuidesHow Much Does a Melbourne & Great Ocean Road Family Trip Cost in 2026?
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