We had a nice time on the river exploring down stream with Yarra River Cruises. The 1-hour, 1:45…read moredeparture took us past the beautiful architecture and rapidly expanding city waterfront. The brief narration provided some historical perspectives and interesting tidbits. There's open deck seating for around 40-50 although it felt a bit cozyy. Free water and coffee are available in the Cabot as well as a cash bar. Tip: sit in the back row, on the blue benches to give yourself maximum flexibility for photos of the soaring buildings.

- great tour - knowledgeable staff…read more- great recs on sites and activities in Melbourne - we saw a lot - you really see everything - great lunch - plenty of bathroom and water breaks

It was our third trip back in Melbourne in the past four years and finally my husband and I visited…read morethe Great Ocean Road. We had a fantastic day out with Paul and though it was a long day, it certainly did not feel like it. It is evident that Paul has put his whole heart into making Escape Discovery Adventures a success and what made us love the tour most was that it was personal. My husband and I do not like going on huge commercialized bus tours and the small group led by Paul was perfect for us. We went on this tour wanting to learn about Australia and its history, and what it means to be Australian and our day out with Paul helped us achieve that. We also appreciate the tiny details that Paul thought of e.g. informative collection of articles about Victoria that we read while riding in the van. Clearly, alot of effort has gone into making his tours a success and we hope it continues. We saw and learned so much: Great Ocean Road, 12 Apostles, rainforest, "ufo" mystery, aborogines situation,etc. Loved the vegemite with crackers, ANZAC biscuits, and lamingtons. We will always have this to anchor our memories of Victoria! Thanks Paul!

This is an absolutely delightful place hidden among the rugged bushland that happens to be Yarra…read moreBend Park. The first time I came down here was to meet some friends, and it is certainly one of those rather lovely places in which to do that. In a way it is a cross between a kiosk, a café, and a full blown restaurant, that also gets into the business of lending out row boats for those people who simply want to go back to the 17th Century, when wealthy people would play rowboat on the local pond. In a way, this is one of those perfect places for afternoon tea with friends, especially on a public holiday.

This was one of my favourite places in the 80s and it hasn't been updated our repainted since. The…read morebest thing about it is the nature. Unfortunately I can't really recommend the kiosk and they even charge a credit card surcharge, just like in the 80s.

Great way to see the Central Business District in Melbourne on the City Circle Trams…read more Hop on a historic W-class tram for free. Route 35 goes in a clockwise direction. The 60 minute ride has a narration in English and stops at highlights along the way. The W-class trams were built from the 1920s to the 1950s. They remind me a bit of the streetcars in New Orleans. We used the trams to get a nice overview of Melbourne with stops to reach museums, Flagstaff Gardens and Queen Victoria Market. Had a great view of Marvel Stadium, Flinders Street Station, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Immigration Museum from the tram. So interesting to also see all of the Australian Open/AO advertising throughout Melbourne. A nice way to explore Melbourne especially when you have limited time in the city.

We purchased a MetroCard and tapped it each time we got onto a tram. The trams in the central…read moreshopping / business district are free and we did not have to tap. All of the trams that we got onto during the weekend were very very crowded it was standing room only. most were wearing masks since we were squeezed on top of each other. The City Circle Tram is a free and convenient way to see the sights of central Melbourne and the Docklands while experiencing a ride on one of the city's much loved older & historic trams. An audio commentary should have provided details of city landmarks & major attractions. We waited for the number 35 tram that never came. There was no notice that it was not running for the three days we were in Melbourne. We stopped another tram driver and asked, we were told it's not running.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD/ 12 APOSTLE TOUR. "THE PRIVATE TOUR…read moreGUIDE.COM" RATHER than subject ourselves to a 30 to 50 passenger tour bus , we chose an individual tour, just for the two of us. Our thoughts were we could stop as long as we wanted, take photos when we wanted, eat when we wanted, use the rest room when we wanted and, in general, do our own thing, not dependent on anyone else. It was a great choice! Our tour guide, Simon, was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and other parts of the world we had visited. Our tour was 12 hours and throughout this entire time we never got bored, lacked for conversation or tired of the incredible scenery. Included in the tour were an early stop for coffee and pastries, a stop for lunch and a stop for ice cream. We requested an additional stop at a golf course, whose greens were covered with kangaroos I might add, so we could buy logo merchandise with the course's kangaroo logo. Yes, I know I didn't play the course so it's kind of cheating but it's thousands of miles away. We were promised and Koalas and, although not near as plentiful as the yellow highway signs would have you believe, we did find a few. The Parrots were hungry as you can see from the photos. Koalas are invisible to I-phones. We returned to Melbourne at the appointed time, just after rush hour, tired but incredibly pleased with our day, our guide and the way we toured the Great Ocean Road. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!

While we used this company around 2 years ago we had the best experience possible…read more When compared to other companies it was reasonably priced for the quality of service you are receiving. We spent three days with the company, doing a wine/brewery tour, touring the city of Melbourne and seeing the penguins, plus touring the great ocean road. The tour was everything we could have hoped for and more.

This one's a little tricky. So certain things like the "Edge" and the cafe were closed so that's a…read morenegative, but on the upside they opened up hours early just for us (cruise line tour groups). The workers were very pleasant and were always smiling. What I hold against them though is the gift shop and the eye viewing things upstairs on the observation level. It's cool that they are fixed and label what you are looking at but they would have benefitted from them being more like a telescope with some zoom. The other thing I hold against them is that they don't accept American Express considering it's a major travel card.

The edge experience is terrifying. Seriously, do not do this unless you are ok with going out in a…read moreglass car away from the building and being able to see all the way down to the street. At first, you can't really see out as you drive away from the building as the car is tinted. Then, dramatic music plays and the entire glass car goes from black tint to where you can't see anything to where it is clear and you can see all around you. Every single person in there with me grabbed onto the railing as we all thought we were going to die. The actual skydeck is pretty sweet. There is an indoor area with a bar. There is also an outdoor area where you can go outside for pics, and then there is as I described above, the edge experience. I got lots of great pics. I recommend looking up when sunset is and coming 20 minutes before then. Then, you'll get to experience the skydeck at day and night for views.

Booked a tour with them through Viator. Never received a confirmation email and they charged me…read moreanyway. Said it "wasn't their problem". Viator said it wasn't their problem either.

Wasn't nuts about my experience. I did the one day Great Ocean Road tour. I purchased through…read moreSightseeing Tours Australia which advertised a large coach tour and then a tour that was not labeled large coach. I opted to not be in a large coach because I don't like huge bus tours and that's exactly what I got. First off I was one of the last pickups so I got a crummy seat in the back and not at a window. I asked the girl next to me if she'd be willing to switch at some point during the tour since the whole tour is about a scenic drive and she literally said no and that it wasn't her fault I got picked up last. I think the tour guide should tell people to move seats at each stop because your seat on the bus makes a HUGE difference. I was at least on the left side of the bus, on the coast side - if you're on the right don't even bother trying to see anything because you won't. On top of that most of our stops were pretty whatever with the exception of the last two stops at Loch Ard Gorge and 12 Apostles. Our stops included: a gas station if we wanted coffee or tea, the arch that says great ocean road (really kind of whatever), an area where you can see parrots and if you're lucky a wild koala, a town for lunch, and a quick rainforest walk to see a fairly unimpressive waterfall. My interest was the Great Ocean Road, and we made NO stops by the cliffs or for scenic views of that until the end at 12 Apostles. Basically you are on the bus ALL day, and only 1/4 of you are going to have a full view, and you won't stop at scenic areas. The tour finishes with a stop at McDonald's for dinner. Or KFC. Your pick. All in all I REALLY wish I had just rented a car and done it myself. I don't think the Great Ocean Road is a good destination for a large coach tour. But this one made it even worse.

I agree with the other reviewer on this tour. really a well-designed tour from beginning to end. We…read morealso had Walter as our tour guide and he is a delightful guide. Great thing is that you see a lot of things others don't see and also stay away from the crowds. The overnight stay is fine. I would consider waiting to the last minute before booking because there are many hotels in the area also Airbnbs. I stayed at the Seaview motel which was just fine. Also, I would really recommend the wildlife wonders tour in the evening. If you can participate in the dusk tour, only given on certain days. It's worth it. We saw many koalas and kangaroos and other wildlife.

Stop, drop and read BEFORE booking ANY other Great Ocean Road Tour!…read more Walter (owner/operator) was our guide for this 2 day tour over the Great Ocean Road and I will start by saying you will not find another tour that will take you to so many stops and give you plenty of time to explore each - including mini hikes in the bush, Gibson's steps so you can see the 12 apostles from sea level as well as from above, swimming, seeing koalas in the wild, feeding parrots and a helicopter ride should you choose(add. cost). It is an intense two days. However, I also must add that we had a couple (wife was 65 and husband was 89) on our tour and Walter took excellent care of them allowing them to stay on the van as well as anyone else who wanted to. I was just getting over the crud, & didn't want a relapse so I opted to sit out on the more strenuous ones. Walter truly does make this an incredibly versatile tour to suit all abilities. He also provides morning tea/coffee at a morning stop and then has fresh fruit, cookies, and bottled water throughout each day. As for the accommodations they are youth hostels/backpackers so even if you pay the additional $88 for a private room, you will still be sharing bathrooms & must furnish your own towel. We opted to book at a separate hotel (additional cost) but felt it was well worth it as did most on our tour and Walter was happy to drop us off and pick us up at our respective hotels around Apollo Bay. Seeing as this is a 'small group' tour sometimes (just a few in a car up to 11 people in a touring van) you will not get a better bang for your buck anywhere. It does fill up fast, so make your bookings now Yelpers! If it's closer to time, call and see if they have had any cancellations - you might get lucky. They also have additional tours so check out their website because if they are anywhere as near as good as this one, you will have picked the best. Thanks Walter!