The Ultimate 4 Day Great Ocean Road Itinerary for Campervans

The Great Ocean Road was the very first road trip we took in Australia – and it set the bar high.

From spotting koalas snoozing in eucalyptus trees to hearing waves crash against the iconic limestone stacks, every stretch of the drive oozed that wild, untamed Aussie energy we’d dreamed of.

If you’re planning your own 4 day Great Ocean Road itinerary, this self drive adventure blends nature, famous landmarks, and amazing stays where you’ll wake up to birdsong or the sound of the surf.

We’ve packed it with our favourite stops (including where to spot wildlife!) so you can experience the magic without the stress of overplanning.

Day 1: Melbourne to Lorne

📍 Distance: 142 km | 🕐 Drive Time: ~2 hours

Top stops:

• Torquay & Bells Beach – Kickstart your road trip in surf country. Great coffee, sandy strolls, and the dramatic cliffs at Bells make it a worthy intro.
• Split Point Lighthouse – Short walk, big views. We love stopping here to breathe in that first hit of sea air.
• Lorne Foreshore – Beach strolls, wild cockatoos, and a classic spot to kick back with fish and chips.

With easy going but dramatic and wild landscapes, the first stretch of the drive along the Great Ocean Road sets the mood for what you can expect on this trip.

While we’re not surfers, we really enjoyed the coastal relaxed feel to Torquay: your gateway to this road trip. If you’re starting your road trip early, you’ll want to stop here  for a coffee or stock up on snacks!

 After you’re fuelled up, a couple of the must-sees include the Surf World Museum and Bells Beach, where the cliffs drop suddenly into powerful waves. Even if you’re not braving the swell, it’s worth pulling over for the views alone.

One of our favourite early stops is Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet. The walk up is short but surprisingly scenic – lined with low scrub and just enough uphill to wake your legs up after the drive.

You get sweeping views of the coast from the top, and if you time it right, it’s a cracking spot for a picnic. We lingered here just watching the sea and letting the salt air clear our heads.

By the time you reach Lorne, you’ll probably be ready to camp down for the night. It’s a charming little town with creative energy, loads of beach access, and some great sunset views.

We parked up for lunch on our first visit and were instantly mobbed – not by people, but by about a dozen Aussie magpies.

One cockatoo even made a full dive for Dec’s chocolate bar (and nearly won). It was the first time the wildlife had felt really close, and it wouldn’t be the last.

⛺ Camping Near Lorne:

Paid: Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park – Right near the beach and town. It gets busy, but the location’s solid.

Free: Check Park4Night – spots do exist along this stretch, but availability and legality shift. Best for fully self-contained setups, and double-check local signage. (Read our full post to find out how to find the best free camping in Australia)

Day 2: Lorne to Apollo Bay

📍 Distance: 90 km | 🕐 Drive Time: ~1.5 hours

Top Stops:

• Erskine Falls – Peaceful early start. A misty rainforest moment that’s less than 10 minutes from the car park.
• Kennett River Koala Walk – Easy wild koala spotting. Head up Grey River Road behind the café and keep your eyes up.
• Coastal Drive to Apollo Bay – One of the most iconic stretches. Keep the windows down and camera ready.

This stretch is a highlight of any Great Ocean Road self drive itinerary, with coastal curves and wildlife surprises around every bend. It’s lush, winding, and packed with small stops that make a big impression.

If you’re up for an early start, we recommend detouring inland to Erskine Falls. It’s not far from Lorne and only a short walk from the car park, but being surrounded by so many ferns makes the place feels a world away from the coast.

However, the real highlight of this stretch – especially if you haven’t seen koalas in the wild yet – is Kennett River.

It’s an easy win for wildlife lovers looking to tick off as many Australian wildlife encounters as possible!

Following a gravel track just behind the café (look for Grey River Road) and within five minutes, we’d spotted our very first koala. Then over the next hour, we found four in total, curled into the forks of trees or just watching us from above.

They’re not hard to find once you know what to look for: check the ground for koala poop and scan the trees for fur clumps. One gave us a lovely surprise by being almost at eye level, just metres from the track.

The only downside is it can get busy here. Most tour buses seem to arrive here from mid to late afternoon, so aim for early morning if you want a quieter experience.

After Kennett River, the road curves with the cliffs all the way to Apollo Bay.

This bit feels like it was designed for road trippers – endless sea views, tight bends, and a real sense that you’re driving through something special.

Apollo Bay itself is one of the bigger stops along the route, with a lovely local bakery, toilets and enough restaurants and shops if you need to stock up.

⛺ Camping Near Apollo Bay:

Paid: Marengo Holiday Park – Just outside Apollo Bay, with ocean views and close walking access to town.

Free: Limited in this section. Occasionally, bushy roadside rest areas pop up on WikiCamps or Park4Night, but again – check local updates.

Day 3: Apollo Bay to Port Campbell

📍 Distance: 100 km | 🕐 Drive Time: ~2.5 hours (more with stops)

Top stops:

• Maits Rest Rainforest Walk – Short loop through towering trees and ferny undergrowth. Magical in the morning.
• Cape Otway Road – Koalas galore! Even just the drive out offers great wildlife chances.
• Crayfish Bay – Rockpool rummaging if the tide is right. Starfish, shells, and maybe a sea snake.
• Twelve Apostles – Obvious, yes. Still impressive? Absolutely.
• Loch Ard Gorge – Less crowded, equally jaw-dropping. The cliff trails here are some of our favourites.

Day three is one of the most varied on the Great Ocean Road. Here you can expect lush rainforest, coastal wildlife (if you’re lucky!), dramatic cliffs, and some of the route’s most iconic sights.

First, leave Apollo Bay early and head into Great Otway National Park.

If you’ve got time for a walk, we highly recommend the Maits Rest Rainforest Trail. It’s an easy loop with huge tree ferns and moss-draped giant trees that make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. Cool, quiet, and an ideal contrast to the coast.

From there, take the detour to Cape Otway. Even if you skip the lighthouse itself, this stretch is well worth it. We spotted multiple koalas just by pulling over and scanning the treetops. Some were low enough to make us jump when they shifted in the branches. There’s a real chance of seeing them here without the crowds you’ll get at Kennett River.

Next, you’ll head back toward the coast. If the tide’s low, Crayfish Bay is a nice stop to poke around in the rockpools. We found starfish, shells, and something that might’ve been a sea snake. It’s wild and quiet, and easy to miss unless you’re looking for it.

As the road opens back up, you’ll reach the star of the show: the Twelve Apostles. Yes, they’re busy (there’s really no avoiding it) but it’s worth the stop.

After you’ve soaked up the tourist hot spot, it’s time to get back on the road for a short drive that takes you to Loch Ard Gorge, This is less chaotic but just as beautiful viewpoint along The Great Ocean Road. If you’ve got energy left, take one of the walks down into the gorge or around the cliffs for views that somehow still surprise, even after everything you’ve seen.

⛺ Camping Near Port Campbell:

Paid: Port Campbell Recreation Reserve or NRMA Port Campbell Holiday Park – A little more polished.

Free/Budget: Princetown Recreation Reserve – Cheap, basic, and close to the Apostles. Great budget pick. It’s one of the best overnight stops if you’re doing a Great Ocean Road campervan itinerary, especially for sunset chasers.

Day 4: Port Campbell to Melbourne

📍 Distance: 230 km | 🕐 Drive Time: ~3–4 hours (via inland route)

Top stops:

• The Grotto – Quick stop with surprising views. It’s like three landforms in one. Perfect for a last sunrise.
• Birregurra – Small town, standout meat pies.
• Colac – Lakeside walk or lunch spot before the final leg.
• Optional: Lake Elizabeth – Detour if you’ve got time. Quiet forest vibes and maybe a platypus if you’re lucky.

After a few days hugging the coastline, today’s your return leg but it doesn’t mean the adventure’s over just yet.

Before turning inland, make a quick detour to The Grotto. It’s just a few minutes west of Port Campbell and an easy walk down to the lookout.

Part cave, part archway, part blowhole, it’s one of the most photogenic spots on the coast, and often missed by those rushing back to the city. We had it to ourselves for sunrise and wouldn’t skip it.

Once you’ve had your final fill of sea air, it’s time to head inland via Colac.

The road winds through dairy country and small towns that haven’t changed much in decades, and that’s where you’ll find some unexpected highlights.

We stopped in Birregurra for a bakery run and left with what might’ve been the best meat pie of the trip. Not fancy, just a real yummy pie.

Colac itself is a good halfway stop if you want a longer break. There’s a lakeside walking track if you need to stretch your legs, and a few shaded spots for lunch.

The drive from here is pretty straightforward. You’ll start seeing signs for Melbourne around Winchelsea, and from there it’s just about settling in and counting the roundabouts.

Tip: If you’ve still got time and energy, Lake Elizabeth near Forrest is worth the detour. It’s a peaceful walk through tall trees, and apparently one of the better places in Victoria to (maybe) spot a wild platypus. Even if you don’t, it’s a quiet way to end the trip.

Optional Add-On: Whale Watching at Logan’s Beach

If you’re travelling between June and September and don’t mind extending your drive a little, consider detouring to Logan’s Beach in Warrnambool after visiting The Grotto.

It’s around a 45-minute drive west, but if you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of Southern Right Whales calving close to shore.

We stumbled on it by accident, and it turned into one of the most moving wildlife encounters we’ve had in Australia.

The dedicated platform gives you a clear view of the bay, and in early spring we saw a mother and calf just offshore, lazily riding the waves.

It’s quiet, easy to access, and totally free so it’s a worthwhile detour if the timing’s right.

⛺ Camping (if breaking up the drive):

Paid: Colac Central Caravan Park – Handy if you’re not in a rush and want to break up the inland return.

Free: Lake Colac Rest Area – Known to be used by self-contained vehicles for short stays. Not fancy, but functional.

Final Thoughts + Tips for the Road

The Great Ocean Road is more than just a scenic drive – it’s one of those rare routes that gives you a little bit of everything in just a few days.

From sleepy surf towns to misty rainforest hikes, from quiet beaches where you might spot a pelican to dramatic cliff views at golden hour, this Great Ocean Road 4 day itinerary packs a lot in without feeling rushed.

We think four days is the sweet spot: long enough to settle into the rhythm of the road, but short enough to squeeze into most trips. If you’re driving a van, plan ahead with campsites, avoid driving at night, and bring bug spray, layers, and binoculars – you never know when a koala, whale, or wedge-tailed eagle might make an appearance.

Trust us, this is the kind of drive that lingers with you long after you’ve unpacked.