Lorne is one of the best beach towns in Victoria, and one of the most popular holiday destinations on the Great Ocean Road. With a beautiful main beach, a lively village of shops & restaurants, and proximity to several waterfalls, Lorne is a great base for a long weekend on the Great Ocean Road.

In this Lorne Travel Guide, I’ve shared some of the best things to do in Lorne, the best cafes, bars & restaurants in Lorne, and some of the key Great Ocean Road sights you can visit on a day trip from Lorne. I’ve also suggested some stops on the Great Ocean Road you can visit on the drive from Melbourne to Lorne.

Lorne is a 2-hour drive from Melbourne, and approximately a 2-hour drive from the Twelve Apostles. While there are closer towns to the Twelve Apostles, if you don’t mind a bit of extra driving each day (with lots of scenic stops along the way), Lorne is a perfect place to stay on the Great Ocean Road.

Where to stay in Lorne

Lorne is a small town, and not nearly as developed as many other popular beach towns in Australia. If you’re planning to stay in Lorne, book as far in advance as you can, as accommodation can sell out very quickly, especially during summer, school holidays and long weekends

• Lorne Hotel – $$ – Beachy, renovated rooms in a historic hotel in the heart of Lorne. We stayed here on our last trip to Lorne and I loved it, I’d definitely stay here again.
• Cumberland Resort – $$$ – Located on the Lorne beachfront, Cumberland Resort has one and two-bedroom apartments, making it perfect for groups and families.

Best Things to Do in Lorne

Teddy’s Lookout

Teddy’s Lookout has the best view of the Great Ocean Road, and is just a 4 minute drive from the centre of Lorne. From Teddy’s Lookout, you get a great view of the winding Great Ocean Road, the ocean (obviously) and St George River. The viewing platform is a very short walk from the carpark, making it perfect for little legs and all levels of fitness.

Lorne Main Beach

Lorne Main Beach is one of the best swimming beaches on the Great Ocean Road, and is patrolled in summer months. It’s a very popular beach, and is in the centre of Lorne, making it easily accessible and close to amenities.

Erskine Falls

Erksine Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road, and is only a 12-minute drive from Lorne. There’s a viewing point less than 100 metres from the carpark, but the best view is from the base of the falls. To reach the base of the falls, there’s a trail with 230 steps down to the base. 

Erskine Falls are in Great Otway National Park, which is a huge national park inland from the Great Ocean Road, known for its many beautiful waterfalls.

Great Ocean Road Highlights near Lorne

Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles is the most iconic sight on the Great Ocean Road. Seven limestone pillars are dotted along the coastline, crumbling into the sea. To see the Twelve Apostles, you need to do a short, flat walk from the parking area to the edge of the cliffs.

Loch Ard Gorge

Just a few minutes’ drive from the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Great Ocean Road. Beach access is currently closed due to geological instability, but Loch Ard Gorge is worth stopping at, just to admire the view from the top of the cliffs.

Great Otway National Park Waterfalls

Hopetoun Falls and Beauchamp Falls are two of the best waterfalls in Great Otway National Park. Deeper in the park than Erskine Falls, Hopetoun Falls & Beauchamp Falls are a 90-minute drive from Lorne, and only a 12-minute drive apart from each other.

Hopetoun Falls

Hopetoun Falls is a lush, 30m waterfall that drops into the Aire River in Great Otway National Park. The first viewing platform is a 20-metre walk from the carpark, but it’s worth also taking the 200 steps down to the base of the falls. The lower platform is a 1km return trip, down and up the stairs.

Beauchamp Falls

Beauchamp Falls is a gorgeous, cascading waterfall inside Great Otway National Park. It has a 20-metre drop, and can be reached via a 3km return walk, which will take around one hour in total.

Spot koalas in Kennett River

Kennett River is one of the best places to spot koalas on the Great Ocean Road, with a large population of koalas living in the eucalyptus trees in the area. To spot koalas, drive to Koala Kafe in Kennett River, park your car, and walk along the dirt path which is the Kennett River Koala Walk. It’s flat, and we didn’t need to walk far at all to start seeing koalas. You’ll see koalas sleeping during the day, high up in the eucalyptus trees.

Where to eat & drink in Lorne

Ipsos

Ipsos is the best restaurant in Lorne, and a longstanding, family-run local institution. It’s fresh, authentic Greek cuisine in a lively, casual and stylish setting, and is extremely popular. It was formerly Kostas Tavern, run by the Talimanidis family from 1976-2003. Now owned by Pam & Kosta’s son, Dominic, the restaurant is still inspired by Kosta’s mother’s cooking and their annual family holidays spent in Greece every summer.

This is one of my favourite Greek restaurants, anywhere!

HAH Lorne Beach

There are plenty of cafes in Lorne, but you can’t beat HAH for absolute beachfront views and a ultra-relaxed, beachy vibe. HAH stands for  “health and hire” and is located right on Lorne Beach. The menu is very fresh and healthy, and has excellent healthy toasties, smoothie and acai bowls, and fresh juices and smoothies. It’s also a great spot for a morning coffee, on the beach.

Chopstix Lorne

Chopstix is a lively and extremely popular Thai restaurant & bar in the heart of Lorne. It’s a great spot for a casual dinner & cocktails, or picking up a takeaway. It has a bit of a party atmosphere, and is a lot of fun.

Jetty Road Brewery

Totti’s Lorne

Totti’s Lorne is one of the hottest openings in Lorne in recent years, and is an outpost of the famous Sydney restaurant, which has locations in Bondi and Rozelle. Totti’s Lorne is an Italian restaurant inside the Lorne Hotel, with a retro glam Mediterranean vibe.

Lorne Hotel Bistro & Beer Garden

Lorne Hotel is the classic pub in Lorne, overlooking the town and the beach from the top of Mountjoy Parade. Get a drink in the rooftop beer garden for the best views of Lorne.

Is Lorne a good place to stay on the Great Ocean Road?

Lorne is an excellent place to stay if you’re driving the Great Ocean Road, if you don’t mind driving each day. Personally, Lorne is my favourite town on the Great Ocean Road, and I like staying here even though it’s not as close to Port Campbell National Park and Otway National Park. It has a lovely beach town vibe, with a great beach and plenty of restaurants, cafes and amenities to make your stay comfortable.

Lorne is a 2 hr 20 minute drive from the Twelve Apostles & Loch Ard Gorge if you take the scenic route along the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road drive is slower, because it’s less direct, it’s winding, and it’s the scenic route that gets busy with tourists and buses. You can save a little bit of time on the return journey by driving the inland route, but it’s still going to be around 2 hours on the drive back.

The benefit to staying in Lorne is that it’s 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne, which makes your journey to and from the Great Ocean Road a lot faster than if you stay farther west.

If you want to stay closer to the Twelve Apostles, Apollo Bay is a 1 hr 20 minute drive, and Port Campbell is only a 25 minute drive. Both are farther from Melboure.

Regardless of where you stay, avoid driving the Great Ocean Road in the evening or after dark, it is poorly lit, and the roads are winding.

Best Great Ocean Road stops on the way to Lorne

There are several great stops along the Great Ocean Road on the drive from Melbourne to Lorne.

Torquay

Torquay is the first town on the Great Ocean Road, and home to the annual Ripcurl Pro surf tournament at Bells Beach. Torquay is the surf capital of Victoria, and a popular holiday destination in its own right. The best place to stop for lunch in Torquay is Doc Hughes, a beautiful cafe & restaurant on the oceanfront.

Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery

The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie is a fun stop on the road from Torquay to Lorne. The enormous chocolate shop has a huge range of high quality, locally made chocolate, and it will be hard to leave empty handed!

Airey’s Inlet

Airey’s Inlet is a popular beach town along the Great Ocean Road, best known for the Split Point Lighthouse, which was the filming location for the 90s TV series, Round the Twist.

Further Reading

• Great Ocean Road Travel Guide
• Airey’s Inlet Travel Guide: A Hidden Gem on the Great Ocean Road
• 11 of the Best Places to Visit in Victoria

The Wanderbug is reader supported. This site may contain links to affiliate websites, which means when you buy through links on this site I may receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!