travel time to apollo bay

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Your ultimate guide to exploring Apollo Bay

Discover everything this beautiful coastal region along the iconic Great Ocean Road has to offer

Just 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne is Apollo Bay, a seaside town where you can explore some of Victoria's lushest landscapes, dine on regional food and beverages and enjoy plenty of fun activities such as wildlife tours and golfing by the seaside.  It's rife with fresh  local seafood , a history of shipwrecks  and panoramic ocean views, perfect for a delicious, historic and relaxing getaway. 

You’ll also find landmarks like the Cape Otway Lightstation just a half hour's drive away, as well as the unforgettable 12 Apostles  only an hour's drive from the main street of Apollo Bay.  And in exciting news for Victoria, it was our state's only beach to make a list of Australia's best beaches . 

Looking for more weekend guides?  These are Victoria's best getaways to try .

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The best things to do in Apollo Bay

Experience the open bushland of the region and see some native animals at Wildlife Wonders . There are several tours to choose from including a Walk with Wildlife Tour and Dusk and Dawn Discovery Tours, all guided by a knowledgeable conservationist. With an enclosed area of more than 12 hectares, it is a safe haven for the many species who live in this sanctuary including koalas, bandicoots, and pademelons. 

Anyone up for golf by the water? Grab your clubs and enjoy nine or 18 holes at the Apollo Bay Golf Club . Operating year-round, this golf club is situated next to the marina so you can enjoy the beautiful coastal aspect while perfecting your swing.   

If you’re keen to learn more about the local shipwrecks and the rich history of Apollo Bay, you should stop at the Apollo Bay Museum .   Located right on the Great Ocean Road, just before entering the town, this not-for-profit and volunteer-run community organisation houses many artefacts, photographs, and pieces of the region’s history. Here you can discover what life was like for those living in the small, isolated community of the 1800s prior to the construction of the Great Ocean Road. At that time, the primary means of access to the isolated town was via ship; sadly, shipwrecks in the area were frequent and were the demise of many. 

Want a view from the top? Head to Marriners Lookout for a stunning overview of the bay, hinterland, and ocean waters. You can get to this hilltop with a ten-minute walk from the carpark or make the most out of it with a hiking trip. 

Eat and drink

You can definitely bet on a historical fishing town to have excellent fish and chips, and you’ll find it at the Apollo Bay Seafood Café . This family-owned and run business has been operating for almost two decades to bring fresh and locally sourced seafood for dine-in or take-away at your leisure. With a large assortment of seafood, you can enjoy the  Apollo Tasting Platter with natural Coffin Bay oysters, king prawns, steamed mussels, grilled lemon pepper calamari and grilled scallops all on one plate. While seafood may be the staple, the café's menu also offers a variety of options with burgers, steak sandwiches, salads and even souvlakis. In addition to its indoor dining space, there is also a secluded escape found in its rear courtyard where you can enjoy the fresh ocean air Apollo Bay has to offer. It also contains its own herb and vegetable garden which are used in its meals and recipes for that extra addition of fresh, local produce. 

One of the most popular spots in town is the Apollo Bay Bakery , aka the “home of the scallop pie on the Great Ocean Road”. It's a must-try for seafood lovers, and you can choose between the curry scallop or scallop mornay – or both! Baking seven days a week, this beloved bakery also offers pies, pasties and sausage rolls that are all handmade on-site. Many assortments are available including beef, chicken, lamb and seafood, as well as gluten-free and vegan options. Even if you’re just picking up some bread, this bakery's sourdough loaf is made from its own wild yeast with bacteria harvested from the skins of ‘Otway Red’ potatoes, making it a unique staple for locals and tourists alike. 

Discover the only gin distillery on the Great Ocean Road and one of the best local places to dine at the Apollo Bay Distillery . Located on the town’s main street, here you’ll find seasonally inspired pizzas made with local produce, an array of share plates including truffle fries, pumpkin arancini and cheese board selections, as well as its hand-crafted selection of house-made gins. These gins are distilled on-site and are linked to the nautical history of Apollo Bay and its heritage as part of the ‘shipwreck coast’.  The core range includes the SS Casino Dry Gin and Captain Chapman’s Navy Strength Gin which you can order on its own, enjoy as part of a gin flight on the menu or, even better, take a bottle home for later! (You can also order them online from Dan Murphy’s). If gin’s not necessarily your drink of choice, they also have their own Nitro Vodka with four different flavours to choose from including watermelon, lime, pineapple and blueberry. You may also want to keep an eye out for the distillery's specially made spirits but be aware you’ll only find these ones in-house! 

If you’re looking for a great place to stop in for a drink and a bite to eat, the Apollo Bay Hotel is just what you need. Originally built in 1855, this town landmark has undergone a total refurbishment and offers a warm welcome to regulars and newcomers alike. Here you can enjoy a cold beer or cocktail, order a pub classic like a chicken parm or pizza or try new items available with their seasonal menu. Cosy up by the fireplace in winter or enjoy the warm summer breeze on the outdoor alfresco dining area – there are ideal dining options to enjoy throughout the year. You can also catch the game with live sports available and live music is often on offer on weekends. 

What’s a brewhouse without good hand-crafted beer? That’s exactly what you’ll find at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse . More than 100 craft beers are on offer and it's the home of  Prickly Moses Handcrafted Beer. Be invited by the vibrant atmosphere, spacious beer gardens and roaring fires as you enjoy all that Apollo Bay has to offer. With dining options including classic pub food, modern dishes, and daily chef specials, here you can sit back and relax, or be entertained with acoustic shows every weekend, trivia nights and happy hour! You can also find Tastes of the Region, the brewhouse's dog-friendly tasting room and bottle shop located just behind the brewhouse. In addition to beer and wine tastings, it has a wide selection of local produce from the Otways and Great Ocean Road regions with cheese, chocolates, jams, chutneys and more. Take them home with you or better yet, revel in one of the picnic hampers to enjoy in one of the many beautiful spots in Apollo Bay. 

Stay your way at the BIG4 Apollo Bay Pisces Holiday Park with cabin, camping and caravan accommodations available for whatever suits you best. Located across from the beach and less than a five-minute drive to the town's main street, it makes a great place to relax after a big day of exploring the beautiful coastal regions. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the holiday park itself with an adventure playground featuring a flying fox, pump track, heated swimming pool, undercover fireplace (did someone say marshmallows?) and indoor games room. 

If a motel is more for you, you can enjoy stylish and modern rooms at the Sandpiper Motel Apollo Bay . Choose from king, queen, twin, and family apartments with free Wi-Fi to unwind and enjoy your stay. 

For something a little more spacious and self-contained, the Apollo Bay Cottages have one, two and three-bedroom cottages to choose from. Situated on four hectares of landscaped grounds and opposite the beach, this is the perfect place to stay for single travellers, couples and families.

Check out what the rest of the Great Ocean Road has to offer

Planning a visit?

Visit visitgreatoceanroad.org.au or www.wandervictoria.com to get your next Great Ocean Road escape underway.

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The PERFECT Great Ocean Road Drive Itinerary (2024)

• Last Updated: January 2, 2024

Check out our ultimate self drive itineraries for the Great Ocean Road, Australia!

One of the most iconic road trips in all of Australia, if not the world, has got to be the Great Ocean Road drive.

375km of scenic winding roads along the southern ocean will take you through some of the country’s most beautiful UNESCO-listed landscapes.

You can tackle the Great Ocean Road in one long day, or break it up over a few days, which is what we suggest doing.

Having your own vehicle is highly recommended so you can explore all the things to see on the Great Ocean Road on self-drive itineraries, as it really is one of Australia’s top destinations .

If that is not an option though, or you don’t like the idea of driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’, there are plenty of excellent tours like this one   that will take you to see all the sights including the Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell, Otway National Park and more.

The best way to get around is to rent a car and explore on your own! We recommend Rental Cars , which has the largest range of vehicles for the best value on the market.

Table of Contents

Day 1: Melbourne to Apollo Bay

Memoria arch, where to stay in apollo bay, great otway national park, the twelve apostles, port campbell national park, where to stay in warrnambool, back to melbourne, onto adelaide, how long does it take to drive the great ocean road, where does the great ocean road start and finish, is the great ocean road dangerous, great ocean road drive itinerary.

Self drive itineraries are the best option for the Great Ocean Road, Australia. With your own car, you’ll be able to stop when and where you want, spending as long as you need to check out the beaches, taking in the views and having the freedom to explore at your leisure.

Let us help you get started with planning your Great Ocean Road itinerary.

Our particular itinerary starts in Melbourne and finishes in Port Fairy over 3 days, and is the exact route we have personally done numerous times.

READ MORE: Be sure to plan your best trip to Australia by using our Australia Travel Guide!

• Distance: 195km
• Drive Time: 3 Hours
• Sightseeing Time: 5 Hours

For most people, driving the Great Ocean Road trip will  start in Melbourne  and can be done in a loop or a return journey. That’s how we’re going to structure this post for you.

Other options include coming from Adelaide, so if this is you, just read the Great Ocean Road itinerary backwards.

If you’ve hired a car you’ll most likely collect it at the airport. Stock up on essentials, fill up the car, turn up the radio and head towards Apollo Bay!

How far is the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne?

To drive direct from the Melbourne CBD to Torquay, where the road officially starts, is 104km, or 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The first stop when driving the Great Ocean Road will be  Geelong.  This port city is the second-largest in the state of Victoria and overlooks the gorgeous  Corio Bay.

Head for  Eastern Beach  first. Go for a swim in the southern ocean, soak in the sun or admire the stunning views out over Corio Bay and go for a stroll along the  Eastern Promenade . If you want one of the best views in Geelong, grab a seat on the  SkyWheel .

For a great post-drive meal check out the  Geelong Boathouse  for a classic fish & chips by the sea. While wandering around town you’ll surely spot a ton of street art, which is something Geelong is known for.

And to get your fill of more art you can visit the  Geelong Art Gallery  and  The Heritage Center .

There are also several wineries and breweries in the area worth stopping in at to pick something up to enjoy throughout the rest of your trip too.

Not too far down the coast is an iconic must-visit stop on any of the Great Ocean Road drives,  Torquay, known for its epic surf beaches.

One of the best things to do on the Great Ocean Road is going out for a paddle at some of the most famous surf beaches in Australia.

Taking  a surf lesson  is a sure-fire way to have you feeling confident on the board and in the water if you haven’t tried the sport before.

For more experienced surfers, and those looking to set foot onto a world-renowned surf beach, head to  Bells Beach .

Made famous for the  Rip Curl Pro  hosted every Easter, Bells Beach is not only beautiful but a huge part of both Australian and surf culture.

Other good breaks in addition to Bells Beach include  San Juc, Winki Pop, Bird Rock  and  Sparrows  just to name a few.

Torquay is also home to the  Surf World Museum  with tons of history about the sport and its fame in Australia. You’ll also find the  Australian Surfing Hall of Fame  here as well.

If you’re a hiker more than a surfer, you’ll be in for a treat with the  Surf Coast Walk  – 44km of trails that connect Torquay to  Angelsea  and  Aireys Inlet  along the coast.

The landscape varies depending on which route you take. But all the views are spectacular on this stretch of the Great Ocean Road Trip. For more information on routes and trails visit the website  here .

No Great Ocean road trip is complete without making a stop at  Memoria Arch , which is less than 30 minutes from Torquay and a real highlight of the journey.

Built in honour of the 3,000 soldiers who worked on this stretch of road after WWI, there is now also a sculpture there to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arch.

A great photo op spot, this is one of the most photographed spots along the Great Ocean Road.

Continue on from this point as there are tons of Great Ocean Road attractions to come.

Lorne  is the closest town from the arch and a great spot to grab some lunch at  Bottle of Milk , use the facilities and continue on towards  Kennett River .

It’s also a fantastic place if you are looking to see some native Australian wildlife.

The  Kennett River Koala Walk  is the perfect place to get your fix. The whole trail is about 15km, but your best chances for spotting the cute indigenous animals are about 6km in at  Grey River . Turn off for this road just before you reach Apollo Bay.

Make sure you visit first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon for the best koala viewing times. You’ll find them sitting up in the eucalyptus trees.

Apollo Bay is a popular place on the Great Ocean Road, so make sure you have booked your accommodation ahead of time.

Our personal recommendation for where we stay in Apollo Bay every time is The Apollo Apartment .

With great facilities, cozy apartment-style suites and great views from almost any room on site, this is your best choice if you’d like a bit of space to stretch out after a big day of driving the Great Ocean Road.

Day 2 : Apollo Bay to Warrnambool

• Distance: 160km
• Drive Time: 2 hr 30 min
• Sightseeing Time: 5 hours

Apollo Bay is a gorgeous seaside village, located at the entry to the Otways, and without a doubt is one of the most scenic and picturesque stops on our Great Ocean Road trip.

For the best panoramic views in Apollo Bay head straight for  Marriners Lookout.  From the car park, there is a short trail that will lead you right to the viewpoint where you’ll be gifted with the most incredible sweeping views of Apollo Bay and the coastline.

If you fancy trying your luck to spot some wildlife head out to nearby  Lake Elizabeth.

The lake views here are stunning and if you’re lucky you might even be able to lay your eyes on a platypus or two.

These unique and adorable local animals call this spot home and have been known to use the lake as a nesting ground when having babies so best to keep your eyes peeled.

Not even 15km from Apollo Bay is the incredibly lush and beautiful  Great Otway National Park . While the Great Ocean Road covers a ton of coastline, this national park is a gem located more on the inland route.

Covering nearly 200 hectares, this park is one of the few Great Ocean Road highlights that is not a beach. Deep lush valleys, sky-high rainforests, stunning waterfalls and tons of walking tracks make it a great spot to get off the beach and still be in nature.

One of the best walking tracks to visit here is  Melba Gulley  which is full of gorgeous giant fern trees and home to glow worm caves, which are best seen after dark.

For a shorter track check out  Maits Rest  which will take you through a beautiful section of rainforest. For more trail information in Great Otway National Park, visit this  website .

If you’re looking to do a bit of waterfall chasing, this is a great place to find them!

Stevenson Falls, Triplet Falls, Little Aire Falls , and  Hopetoun Falls  are just a few of the many highlights here. Keep an eye open as you wander the trails for koalas up in the trees and beautiful native birds soaring around too.

From here you are well on your way to having covered a ton of ground on your road trip. But one of the most incredible Great Ocean Road attractions is just around the corner.

The Twelve Apostles  are one of the most amazing sights within Australia and it’s not hard to see why as you road trip along the coast from Great Otway.

Due to crashing waves over millennia, saltwater and erosion there are now only 8 limestone stacks remaining out of 12. But that does not take away from the impressive views at all.

An absolute must-do for anyone wanting one of the best views of this part of the Great Ocean Road is to book in for a  Twelve Apostles Helicopter Ride.

Soaring high above the limestone stacks you’ll get the best views of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast . Sail through the clouds with only 1 other person for an up-close and personal adventure. This is a highlight of visiting the Great Ocean Road!

You’ll also find the end of the  Great Ocean Walk  here, which allows you to get some stunning coastal views from a boardwalk before taking to the beach to see these immense stacks from the ground.

Seeing the Twelve Apostles for yourself should be at the top of your Australian Bucket list, no matter the weather. It’s a highlight of a Great Ocean Road itinerary!

If you really want a unique perspective though, and love a bit of adventure, how does skydiving over the 12 Apostles sound?

Jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet above the ground and get the best, most exhilarating views of the entire coastline.

Make sure you book ahead though, as it’s not something you can just show up and do. Reserve your spot here .

And your Great Ocean Road route should not miss out on two other attractions nearby either.

After the Twelve Apostles, continue along the Great Ocean Road towards Port Campbell.

Loch Ard Gorge  is the first attraction on the way, just a stone’s throw from the Twelve Apostles. This stone archway once formed a natural bridge over the gorge, but unfortunately collapsed almost a decade ago.

However, Loch Ard Gorge is still a stunning place for a swim. Now 2 pillars are left standing above the sea and make for an impressive view in  Port Campbell National Park .

After the gorge you’ll pass the town of Port Campbell. It’s a small village, but Port Campbell is a nice place to stop for a snack and some fuel.

After passing through Port Campbell, you’ll pass by The Arch and London Bridge. Both are natural, offshore stone archways. The Arch is a giant archway in the ocean, and London Bridge is the same but is more square instead of arched to it looks like a bridge. Both are amazing expressions of natural beauty and are worth checking out.

The Grotto is one of the most impressive sections of the coastline, and essentially a sinkhole. What is a partial cave, archway and blowhole, The Grotto is definitely something to marvel at.

The weather can play a huge part in what is visible and how close you can get to this area. On a clear sunny day and depending on the tide you can get pretty close. However, when the winds pick up it is best to stay above the Grotto. 

Before making your way onto day number 3 of your adventure-packed Great Ocean Road trip you’ll be looking for a place to catch a good night’s sleep.

Quest Warrnambool is the perfect place to do just that. Conveniently located a little ways from Port Campbell, these serviced apartments have great rooms, a gorgeous pool area and make for a great stopover.

We personally stayed there when we travelled across Australia, and highly recommend it.

Day 3: Warrnambool to Port Fairy then Melbourne (or Adelaide)

• Distance: 30km to Port Fairy, then 312km to Melbourne
• Drive Time: 30 minutes to Port Fairy, 4 hours to Melbourne
• Sightseeing Time: 4 hours

With the last day of your Great Ocean Road itinerary upon you, there is still so much to be seen and experienced.

After a late arrival into  Warrnambool,  you’ll want to see a few of the sights the city has to offer.

To get you fueled up for your last day head to  Bohemia   Cafe & Bar  for a takeaway coffee or a wicked and delicious breakfast.

Brekkie tacos, smoothie bowls and a full lunch menu to eat in or take away will please anyone visiting.

As Victoria’s 5th largest city, Warrnambool is a lot bigger than most of the seaside towns along the Great Ocean Road drive.

However, the views aren’t affected by the bigger cityscape.

Cannon Hill  is a great place to start if you want to get the lay of the land. This lookout gives you the chance to see right out to sea and over the entire city.

The  Foreshore Promenade  is a great place for a stroll as well and stretches on for about 6 km.

From  Warrnambool Breakwater  all the way to  Logan’s Beach  this is a great spot to take in the coastal views and even pass a little penguin breeding ground. So you may get lucky to lay your eyes on some of these cute local beach dwellers.

While it is a large city the laid back beach vibe is very present here and you could wind up spending more time here than you planned.

Once you’ve had your fill, hop in the car for a quick drive and to the next and last destination of your road trip.

Your Great Ocean Road itinerary may be coming to an end, but don’t worry, you’ll finish up with a dreamy little visit to  Port Fairy .

Port Fairy is a tiny town on Victoria’s iconic shipwreck coast with a charming vibe and an exciting causeway that leads you out to an island worth exploring too.

One of the best things to do here is take a walk out on the  Port Fairy Wharves.

Head down to the Moyne River and stretch your legs along the wharves. This is a great place not only to catch some stunner views but also to watch the fisherman come in with their catch, which you likely can find in the restaurants in town.

Griffiths Island  can be accessed by a footbridge nearby to the wharf and is a great place to do a little bird watching.

There is a walking track around the island and on the most westerly point you’ll find a lovely little lighthouse and a pretty viewpoint too.

Battery Hill  is a great spot to get a view from on high of the town and see some pieces of Port Fairy history like the remnants of a Russian invasion from the 1860s.

The  Port Fairy   Botanical Gardens  are a lovely spot for an afternoon walk and to admire the plants and flowers.

What used to be a swamp was reclaimed and turned into these pretty gardens in 1858. Over time it has been improved to create a peaceful and beautiful space to be enjoyed.

One of the most adventurous things to do on the Great Ocean Road drive is to do a bit of scuba diving.

Port Fairy offers great locations for  scuba diving  including  The Thistle.  This dive spot is actually a ship that was wrecked off the eastern beach in Port Fairy in 1849.

Now you’ll be able to find the wreckage in shallow waters, which makes it great for divers to explore.

While your stop here signals the end of your epic 3 day Great Ocean Road itinerary, you’re now on to new and exciting things.

At the end of your Great Ocean Road itinerary, you can leave Port Fairy and  head back towards Melbourne  on the M8 National highway to take on your next series of Aussie fun.

Along the way be sure to stop off at one of the small towns for a late afternoon-snack or coffee, or you can take a detour up to Ballarat for the night to learn about the gold rush.

If you’d like to continue travelling Australia beyond the Great Ocean Road, you can  head northwest to Adelaide .

You can do this in one big day (it’s almost 600km direct), but we personally recommend breaking the trip up into 2 or 3 days, spending some time in Mount Gambier and Coorong National Park.

You can drive the entire length of the Great Ocean Road in one long day (about 8 hours return), but we recommend splitting the journey up into a few days.

The road starts in Torquay, and finishes in Allansford.

No, the Great Ocean Road isn’t particularly dangerous to drive, as long as you take proper precautions. The main issues can be poor visibility due to fog, slippery roads in wet weather, and traffic from vehicles and pedestrians in the busy sections.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Jarryd, thank you for talking us along the Great Ocean Road, we are coming down from Brisbane mid April 2023 and plan to self drive it. You have given us a great itinerary to get the best out of our trip. thought of doing it in one day, but now will make a stop over and take two days.. Again thank you. David & Marg.

Hi David and Marg, thanks so much for your comment. We hope you have a great time along the Great Ocean Road. Happy travels. 🙂

Perfect write up, very helpful indeed, Appreciate your work guys, Cheers.

Thank you so much. We appreciate it. 🙂

Great post guys, you have inspired me to take a trip here when I finally get to Australia again!

hi guys my husband and l are going to drive the great ocean road in early November. We want to book accommodation as we go . Do you think that will be possible that time of year or do we have to book in advance ? Can’t wait for the trip , Thanks Tracy

Hi Tracy, November is a beautiful time to travel the Great Ocean Road. We know what you mean by just taking your time and booking the day of but we would recommend booking in advance as it is so much busier now. After the last couple of years, it seems everyone wants to be out and about and go travelling. Have a great time. Happy travels.

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Great Ocean Road Itinerary – 2 or 3 Days

GREAT OCEAN ROAD TOURING – 2/3 DAY Road Trip

Page Contents

This Great Ocean Road 2 Day Tour itinerary (or 3 days) takes in all the famous sights such as the 12 Apostles and a few extra areas, including The Great Otway National Park and one of the prettiest waterfalls in the area. Read our  6-day itinerary for more touring information.

Suggested Overnight Stops

Apollo Bay or Port Campbell would be perfect towns to stop in overnight if you are driving the Great Ocean Road road trip over two/three days. It depends entirely on how long you spend along the way.

The advantage of stopping in Apollo Bay is being close to a lovely long beach plus more choice of accommodation and places to eat whereas a stopover in Port Campbell means you can view the Twelve Apostles at sunset/sunrise…

1st night – Apollo Bay

A pretty little seaside town that has escaped mass development and high-level buildings of any sort. The beach is stunning, with plenty of cafes and accommodation options as well as playgrounds and local walks. During the summer holidays, a small fairground is set up along the foreshore.

Find accommodation options in Apollo Bay

2nd night – Port Campbell

Port Campbell is a tiny fishing village that boasts a large number of accommodation options , cafes, a microbrewery, and a pretty beach plus coastal walking tracks. It is situated about 10 minutes drive from the 12 Apostles and is an ideal overnight stop, enabling people to visit the Port Campbell National Park at sunset and sunrise.

Find accommodation options in Port Campbell & Near the 12 Apostles

DAY 1 – MELBOURNE TO APOLLO BAY

Depart melbourne and drive over the westgate bridge.

This first section of the drive, following Highway One (Australia’s  National Highway ), is quite straightforward and not especially interesting.

There is a 24 hour BP Petrol Station at Little River which is about 30 mins after crossing the West Gate Bridge. A good place to fill up and grab a snack perhaps.

Geelong is Victoria’s second-largest city and is a lovely city to visit with plenty to do.

Keep following Highway One and look for the signs to the Great Ocean Road. Go via Torquay and Bells Beach or directly to Anglesea. It is about 90 minutes from Melbourne to the beginning of the Ocean Road.

What to see between Torquay and Lorne

• Torquay –    National Surfing Museum ,  Surfing Gear Outlet Shops, Great Beaches, plenty of places to stay …
• Bells Beach is close by to Torquay, home of the Rip Curl Classic Surf competition , held annually since 1961 during Easter time (during the event there is no free public access along the road or to the beach).
• Pt Addis beach and the wonderful Koori Cultural Walk.
• Split Point Lighthouse , Aireys Inlet.
• Long golden beaches and surf spots.
• Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch and numerous lookout points.

The busiest town along the coastal drive, there is a lot to do around Lorne , if you have time to stay a day or so. The town is situated on Louttit Bay, it has a beautiful beach and the forest of the Great Otway National Park comes right down to the back of the town. Lots of great cafes and restaurants, interesting shops and plenty of accommodation choices from campgrounds, to cottages and  4+ star resorts.

Erskine Falls is an easy drive or a good hike , following the Erskine River from the town. Lots of fun can be had for kids on the foreshore with a lovely beach,  swimming pool, in-ground trampolines, a skate park, and a playground.

Teddy’s Lookout is an ideal spot for a few walks and super views down along the Ocean Road. Turn right at the Lorne hotel and drive up the hill, following the signs.

Parking for long vehicles –  During the peak holiday seasons, parking for caravans or buses is limited. The streets behind Lorne are steep and not ideal for finding parking. The foreshore parking area is the best option.

Stay in Lorne?

Lorne could be a perfect alternative option for an overnight stay, it’s a funky little town with loads of attractions and things to do . Check out the best deals on Booking.com

What to see between Lorne and Apollo Bay

From Lorne it is approximately 1 hour to Apollo Bay… but with a number of worthy stops in between. These stops are directly off the main ocean road and signposted

• Artillery Rocks – A favorite of ours. Popular for fishing, the rock formations are worth seeing. They are about 12.5 km’s/under 20 minutes drive from Lorne (this is not signposted, but use the directions from the image below if you want to stop at one of our favorite spots).
• Sheoak and Carisbrook Waterfalls are both easy walks from the road.
• A number of lookout points and parking areas provide views and beach access, some are suitable for long vehicles.
• Kennett River and Koalas in the wild! The tiny community of Kennett River boasts possibly the best koala viewing in the area. Turn right towards the shop and then left up Grey River Road. Koalas can be anywhere here and it is a good spot for seeing the colorful King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas. Drive a couple of km’s up the road to escape the crowds perhaps and look for koalas. Further up is the Grey River Reserve, a pretty picnic area and well known for viewing glow worms after dark.
• Some good accommodation options are in the area, for anyone wanting to stop over and maybe see the nearby glow worms.

Such a beautiful town for a holiday. Apollo Bay is not overdeveloped and has a super relaxed feel. The long golden beach, hills coming down beyond, and a lovely foreshore area with playground, information center, sculptures, free BBQs and walking tracks.

Nearby attractions include Maits Rest Rainforest Walk , drives up into the Otways and Marriners lookout. The ‘ Great Ocean Walk ‘ starts here, 8 days and 100 km of adventure all the way to the 12 Apostles…

Accommodation in Apollo Bay

Accommodation varies from caravan parks, youth hostels, cottages, whole houses, luxury accommodation, and holiday units. There is somewhere fabulous to stay suitable for singles, couples, groups, and families.

Apollo Bay Caravan Park

Caravan and camping parks in Apollo Bay offer a range of options from campsites, powered caravan sites, and cabins.

Big 4 Pisces Holiday Park  |   Marengo Holiday Park   |    Apollo Bay Holiday Park

DAY 2 – APOLLO BAY TO PORT CAMPBELL

What to see between apollo bay & lavers hill.

• Maits Rest This is a gorgeous rainforest walk and worth taking the time to see. It is about 20 minutes from Apollo Bay and the walk is only about 15-20 minutes.
• Cape Otway   A stunning area with a dramatic coastline, shipwreck history and historic lighthouse (there is a cost to enter the lighthouse). Koalas live here in the wild and can be easily spotted in the trees. A couple of small campsites as well as fab walks.
• Johanna Beach  is a popular and well-known surf beach.
• Castle Cove  has a good viewpoint and a fairly steep walk down onto the beach.

What to see beyond Lavers Hill

Lavers Hill is at the top of the Otway Ranges and a crossroads where a couple of options are available.

• Turn right to visit Triplet Falls (about 25 mins drive) and the Otway Fly Tree Tops Walk then on to Port Campbell for the night. There are a number of beautiful waterfalls in this area of the Great Otway National Park . If you have time, stay in the area and explore further…
• Or turn left and continue from Lavers Hill to Port Campbell and the Twelve Apostles (45-minute drive), perhaps then return this way on the 3rd day. It all depends on time, weather, and daylight hours available.

If the decision is to visit Triplet Falls first:

• Turn right at the Lavers Hill junction, one of the prettiest waterfalls, Triplet Falls , is a 25 minute / 23.6 km drive away and definitely worth seeing. A number of other falls can be found in the area, check our map for more information on things to see.
• The Otway Fly is on the same road as Triplet Falls. an elevated treetops walk and zip-lining course. This is one of the most amazing treetops walks in the country and has a lookout tower that rises up above the tree canopy. There is a cost involved to enter. Read more about the Otway Fly, Zip Lining, and nearby Trees Adventure climbing course here.

What to see between Lavers Hill and Port Campbell

The drive to the 12 Apostles area from Lavers Hill takes about 50 minutes. It passes through forest and farmland before returning to the coast and all the famous sights in the Port Campbell National Park.

• Melba Gully – Another pretty rainforest walk just past Lavers Hill. Ancient Myrtle Beech Trees and a small cascade. At night, this is a popular spot to see glow worms. Maybe stay nearby if you are keen to see them.
• Moonlight Head – about 20 minutes past Lavers Hill is a place many people miss! A steep walk down to the beach at  Moonlight Head  rewards visitors with a classic scene of a ship’s anchor embedded in the rocks. The result of the shipwrecks Marie Gabrielle (1870) and Fiji (1890). Accessible at low tide only
• Princetown  – A tiny township, very close to the Twelve Apostles. Princetown has a boardwalk to the beach, a cafe, and a fairly basic campground.
• Port Campbell National Park – Home of the world-famous Twelve Apostles!
• Parking is extremely limited at Gibsons Steps. From the nearby 12 Apostles car park it is possible to walk back to Gibsons Steps if you have been unable to park.

• Twelve Apostles  – It is a very short, 2-minute drive to the 12 Apostles car park. Loads of free parking, plenty of space for caravans and motorhomes. Helicopter scenic flights leave from here and are highly recommended! Mid to late afternoon is the busiest time here. Staying overnight in Port Campbell will enable visitors to return for sunset or sunrise and when it is less busy. The walk from the car park takes a couple of minutes to reach the viewing platforms. Toilets and a basic cafe for drinks etc. Read our complete guide of what to see and do when you visit the 12 Apostles.
• Helicopter Rides  –   Book ahead to do one of these tours or just show up on the day.
• Loch Ard Gorge  – Named after one of the most famous shipwrecks along the coast, Loch Ard Gorge is… gorgeous. Walk to the ‘Razor Back’ formation, follow the shipwreck trail, and head down to the beach. Walks continue around the clifftop to the historic cemetery, Mutton Bird Island to the Blow Hole and further on to another beach. It is easy to spend a couple of hours exploring this area.
• Return on the 3rd day to see more of the area perhaps.

Port Campbell

A sweet little fishing village with good restaurants, a lovely beach, and a clifftop walk plus an ideal place to stay overnight. Lots of accommodation options.

Not far from Port Campbell, towards Warrnambool are more places to visit.

• The Arch (about 5 minutes from Port Campbell)
• The Famous London Bridge, which fell down… (a few minutes past The Arch)
• The Grotto – A sinkhole that is rather spectacular too. (another few minutes from London Bridge)

DAY 3 – PORT CAMPBELL TO MELBOURNE OR ONWARDS

Plenty of time to see more of the Port Campbell National Park, return to Lavers Hill and visit Triplet Falls or perhaps visit:

• GORGE Chocolates   GORGE Chocolates was established in 2004 in the countryside just minutes from the 12 Apostles.  A modest beginning soon gave way to a business appreciated by locals and tourists in the area.
• Apostle Whey Cheese “Dairy farmers Julian and Dianne Benson launched Apostle Whey Cheese on October 29, 2005. Since that day, Apostle Whey Cheese has taken out a number of major cheese awards and become an important tourism drawcard for the region. Just a short drive from the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road, Apostle Whey Cheese is a genuine paddock to plate operation”
• Timboon Distillery  “The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery offers a distillery experience and daily lunch service in a location with a real ‘sense of place’.  Both of the dining spaces are relaxing. Choose our covered and heated deck or the rustic and relaxed atmosphere inside the shed which is air-conditioned”
• Experience Timboon and the Rail Trail by hire bike. The Crater to Coast Bicycle Hire service specializes in hiring out mountain bikes for a fun day in the outdoors. They also have bike trailers available so the whole family including your pets or kids can come along too.

The return to Melbourne via Colac takes 3 hours / 229 km  / 142.5 miles.

Heading to warrnambool, adelaide… the grampian mountains.

Calculate distances/drive times and search accommodation in Warrnambool,   Adelaide, or the Grampians.

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Plan and get the most from your journey

Take the time to explore each destination; from their rich natural environments, their lively cafes and restaurants or enjoy the boutiques and breweries.

Destination times

Travel the Great Ocean Road and beyond for one of the world's most scenic coastal drives. Experience a diverse array of things to see and do in the region, from outdoor activities such as surfing, scuba diving and sea kayaking to arts, cultural and heritage attractions. Admire the stunning coastline on the Great Ocean Walk and enjoy fine dining, local winemakers and fresh produce along the way.

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Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.

GREAT OCEAN WALK

Great ocean walk transport., recommended great ocean walk shuttle.

As mobile phone service is difficult in this area please also email if you cannot reach Lee by phone then you can also contact him on the following address with your plans and dates. It is recommended that if you want a quote you email through an outline of your plans and Lee can then advise you on what works best:  albee@skymesh.com.au

Self guided (& guided) walk packages take away the worries of having to work out your own transfers and times. Operators provide you with notes & pick up based on their estimates of your walking distances, plus you have back up in the case of an emergency or injury which might curtail your day’s walking. Most self guided walks will include an emergency device to carry on your walk, book suitable accommodation and have meals options.

Public Transport.

Apollo Bay is also serviced by rail ( V/Line ) from Melbourne’s Southern Cross station (formerly known as Spencer Street Station) to Geelong, then a connecting bus to Apollo Bay. Travel time is an hour to Geelong by train and about 2.5 hours on the bus from Geelong.

The Great Ocean Walk finishes at Gibsons Steps / the Twelve Apostle from where you can either continue to Port Campbell for an overnight stay or backtrack to Princetown. For hikers who require public transport back to Apollo Bay, there is a V/Line bus service to Apollo Bay via the Great Ocean Road, stopping at Port Campbell , Princetown and the Twelve Apostles Car park. Alternatively, if you are heading directly to Melbourne or Geelong, V/Line services also head inland via Colac and the Princess Highway. Similarly, this service is available for those travelling further west along the Victorian coastline. Contact Christian’s Bus Co  to book your trip on (03) 5562 9432.

Most people tour along the Great Ocean Road by car. If travelling from Melbourne take the Princes Freeway to Geelong then the Great Ocean Road (B100)  for the scenic drive along the coast to Apollo Bay ( about 2.5 – 3 hours)   Or for an alternative route through the magnificent Otway forests, take  the Princes Highway to Winchelsea then turn off to Forrest.

An attractive alternative from Melbourne is to drive to Sorrento on the other side of Port Phillip bay and take the ferry across to Queenscliff. Though you’ll need more time up your sleeve for this option about 4.5 – 5 hours. For timetables, costs and other details of the ferry crossing, have a look at the  Queenscliff-Sorrento Car & Passenger Ferry Service  website.

CAR SHUFFLE.

Options depend on whether you are doing this as a group with several vehicles or a couple of people with just one vehicle. Being a linear rather than a circular walk, utilising two vehicles in a “car shuffle” will provide the most flexible and cheapest transport options. A car shuffle is a good way to provide transport to and from the start and end of the walk independent of transport timetables. Hikers can for example drive to the end of the walk with both vehicles, drop one off, and then return to the start of the walk in the other vehicle. If you have only one or no vehicles, you may have to use a shuttle service provider.

If hikers are utilising their own vehicle, it’s recommended that you leave this vehicle at the end of your walk first and get shuttled back to where you will be starting your walk. This gives you the convenience of walking towards your vehicle to your final destination; and avoiding possible glitches such as missing pick-up times arranged with transport providers because of lateness on your last day. Mobile telephone coverage is not reliable along the walk (  Telstra 3G covers about 85% of the walk )  which may make changing agreed pick up times problematic.

CAR PARKING.

Public parking in the Great Otway National Park is available at the following car parks: Shelly Beach, Blanket Bay, Parker Hill, Cape Otway, Aire River East and West, Johanna Beach, Milanesia Beach Access, Moonlight Head, The Gables Lookout, and Wreck Beach. No designated long-term parking is provided in the Apollo Bay and Marengo area, but vehicles can be parked in the foreshore car parks between Apollo Bay and Marengo.

Vehicles can be parked at the Princetown Recreation Reserve for hikers completing the “end” of the walk. This camping reserve is managed by a caretaker, providing relatively secure parking (ph:  0429 985176 ). Walkers usually drop their heavy packs off at their cars as they hike past the Reserve, before continuing on for 6 km to complete the end of the Great Ocean Walk, and returning to their vehicles.

If you’re staying at accommodation they may be able to park your vehicle for you short term, enquire with the owners to this possibility.

Owners are responsible for any vehicles and their contents left at any of these sites. As always – please remove any valuables and lock your vehicle.

At the  end of the Walk , there is small information and parking bay suitable for day parking, and ‘dropping off’ and ‘picking-up’ hikers. This is located on the left side of the road opposite the Glenample Homestead, some several hundred metres before the Twelve Apostles ( and easily missed!). Please note that the Glenample Homestead is currently closed, and the Twelve  Apostles Car park has no overnight parking available.

G W OW INSPIRATION

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Melbourne to Apollo Bay drive

Melbourne to apollo bay road trip planner.

Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Melbourne to Apollo Bay. If you're planning a road trip to Apollo Bay, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.

11:00 am  start in Melbourne drive for about 59 minutes

11:59 am   Geelong stay for about 1 hour and leave at 12:59 pm drive for about 34 minutes

1:33 pm   Great Ocean Road stay for about 1 hour and leave at 2:33 pm drive for about 34 minutes

3:07 pm   Great Ocean Rd stay for about 1 hour and leave at 4:07 pm drive for about 26 minutes

4:33 pm  arrive in Apollo Bay

driving ≈ 2.5 hours

Where should I stop along the way?

Geelong   (7 answers) Great Ocean Road   (7 mentions) Great Ocean Rd   (18 mentions)

What are some things to do in Apollo Bay?

This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.

Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!

Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Apollo Bay.

Do I really have to go back home?

Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!

Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Apollo Bay to Melbourne drive , or go to the main page to plan a new road trip .

Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Melbourne? Try searching for places within 2.5 hours of Melbourne .

You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Melbourne to Apollo Bay . Or get a full Melbourne to Apollo Bay flight plan .

Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend.

And if you know Melbourne well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Melbourne!

More info on this route:

road conditions from Melbourne to Apollo Bay

places to eat

alternate routes

Google driving directions

9 Best Things to Do in Apollo Bay: Ultimate Holiday Guide

There are numerous things to do in Apollo Bay and many of which involve free activities. And, this regional coastal town is the perfect getaway from Melbourne. Whether or not you travel with children.

Firstly, use the travel guide for insider knowledge into travelling the Great Ocean Road, and be sure to read the additional guides for information along the coast.

Secondly, to give you an insight into this small coastal town, the population sits at around 1800 people. And, it hosts a couple of celebrations, including a music festival and sports festival.

Nonetheless, this stunning location is ideal for spending a few days away to rejuvenate before heading back to work.

Finally, continue reading the guide to discover the best things to do to ensure you enjoy this destination thoroughly.

The Best Time of Year to Visit Apollo Bay

Based on personal experience, I would recommend visiting Apollo Bay anywhere from February to April . Moreover, this is the time of year when the weather is clearest, warmest and has the lowest precipitation.

Not to mention, this is after the busy Christmas and Summer holiday period. Therefore, attractions are quieter and better to enjoy.

How to Get to Apollo Bay from Melbourne

There are a couple of ways to reach Apollo Bay from Melbourne, and this will vary depending on whether you’d prefer the scenic or quickest route.

Firstly, if you’re not interested in travelling along the Great Ocean Road, I’d recommend travelling inland. And, this ensures you reach this destination the fastest. You’ll want to use the M1 to get out of Melbourne and continue along until you’ve passed Winchelsea.

After passing Winchelsea, take a left on Conns Lane and head south until you reach Skenes Creek. Finally, turn right onto the Great Ocean Road, and you’ll arrive at Apollo Bay in no time.

Secondly, if you’d like the scenic route to this idyllic location, I’d personally recommend taking the Great Ocean Road. Not only is the drive magnificent, but there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy along the way.

Therefore, leave Melbourne the same way via the M1 route, but turn onto the C134 towards Anglesea. Soon you’ll reach the B100, and then simply follow along for another 75km until you reach Apollo Bay.

The Best Things to Do in Apollo Bay

• Visit the Apollo Bay Museum

Upon arrival at Apollo Bay, you will pass the local museum; A fantastic opportunity to look into the history of the area. Firstly, there is a low fee entry into this location, and it was the old cable station for the region.

Also, the building that it’s housed in was the first undersea telephone that connected the mainland to Tasmania. Finally, enjoy looking through newspaper cuttings, family history, shipwrecks and discover the history of the Great Ocean Road.

Opening Hours: Saturday and Sunday 2 PM-5 PM Address: Apollo Bay Museum, 6250 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay VIC 3233

• Enjoy the Views at Marriner’s Lookout

Marriner’s lookout is easily one of the best viewpoints along the Great Ocean Road. Therefore, while enjoying time in Apollo Bay, be sure to visit this magnificent location.

Moreover, enjoy amazing photo opportunities and view the Great Ocean Road from a new perspective. To enjoy this location, you will need to walk around 1km return, however, the view is absolutely worth the effort.

Address: Marriner’s Lookout, 155 Marriners Lookout Rd, Apollo Bay VIC 3233 Read more: Marriner’s Lookout, Apollo Bay: Everything You Need to Know

• Indulge in a Treat from Dooley’s Ice Cream Shop

One of the best things to do in Apollo Bay is to visit the local ice cream shop. Dooley’s Premium Ice Cream store has been in business for over 20 years, and they continue to sell quality products.

Moreover, the premium house-made dessert is one of the best ice cream locations along the Great Ocean Road. Not to mention, there are over 500 rave reviews on Google proving their quality.

Finally, the reasonable prices are great for children or an ideal afternoon family treat.

Address: Dooley’s Premium Ice Cream, 89 Great Ocean Rd, VIC 3233

• Take a Hike along the Great Ocean Walk

The Great Ocean Walk begins in Apollo Bay and finishes at the twelve apostles. However, you don’t need to walk 110km along this track to enjoy its beauty.

Therefore, choose a few kilometres to enjoy and consider a wander down to Marengo. Nonetheless, this path is beautiful whether you make it long or short.

I would recommend this track for a morning run or an afternoon stroll.

Address: 100 Great Ocean Rd, VIC 3233

• Watch the Whales Migrate

Whale watching is a popular activity to enjoy along the Great Ocean Road. Moreover, many people travel to Apollo Bay to watch the incredible phenomenon.

Every year from May to September , you may catch a glimpse of the whales. Not to mention, this is the perfect opportunity to see the Southern Right Whales .

Finally, this is a fantastic event for children as they will be wowed by these amazing creatures. And, the best place to view them is anywhere along the Southern coast. Therefore, find a high viewing location for optimal visibility.

• Discover Native Animals at Wildlife Wonders

Take a short drive out of Apollo Bay to view the beautiful and native wildlife of Australia. Moreover, this is one of the best things to do in Apollo Bay, as children will love the educational outing and adults will love the informative guided walk.

Furthermore, the tour runs for about 75 minutes , and you can bet that you’ll be entertained the entire way.

Finally, tour prices start from $24 with the profits donated to conservation programs and research ; A day out that makes a difference!

Address: Wildlife Wonders, 475 Great Ocean Road, VIC 3233

• Enjoy an Afternoon at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse

The perfect spot for lovers of craft beer with 13 local beers and 2 local ciders on tap .

Moreover, enjoy a satisfying meal with a quenching drink on a beautiful summer afternoon. Not to mention, there are a few tasty vegetarian and vegan options, making it the perfect location to include everyone.

Additionally, bring the kids along as there are a few options for them to enjoy.

Address: Great Ocean Road Brewhouse, 29/35 Great Ocean Rd, VIC 3233

• Explore the Shopping Strip

Spend a morning wandering around the main road of Apollo Bay. Considering there are multiple boutiques, eateries and shops to explore.

Besides, you’re bound to find something that sparks your interest! Not to mention, this gives you the perfect opportunity to support a small business by selecting a new souvenir or picking up lunch.

• Head to the Beach for a Morning Guided Yoga Session

I don’t think there’s a better way to start the morning than with some guided yoga on the beach. Moreover, Frances and Fabio offer a beautiful practice for their clients with a caring attitude and many years of experience.

Moreover, they offer private sessions and have a range of hours for their lessons. Therefore, making it the perfect addition to your getaway in Apollo Bay.

Visit the Coastal Yoga and Kitchen Medicine website here . Address: Shop 4/157 Great Ocean Rd, VIC 3233

Wrapping Up

Nonetheless, Apollo Bay is stacked with options for fun things to do. And, while it wasn’t mentioned in the list above, a day at the beach is easily one of the best choices. Therefore, be sure to spend some time soaking up the sun and splashing in the waves. Besides, this is an awesome beginner-friendly surfing location.

Finally, I’d recommend spending at least a few days here to explore all this area has on offer. And, be sure to venture into the Otways to discover further.

When are you visiting this beautiful location? Have you discovered something new to do?

Read more: 23 Big Things in Victoria: Including Map and Travel Guide Explore the Redwoods in the Otways: Travel Guide

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When is the next total solar eclipse in the US after 2024 and what is its path? What to know

The highly anticipated 2024 total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , giving millions of sky-gazers the chance to see a rare cosmic event that won't be viewable again for 20 years.

The eclipse's  path of totality  will travel over a portion of northern Mexico before entering the U.S. It then it will cross 13 states  from Texas to Maine, where the spectacle is expected to attract huge crowds.

If you aren't lucky enough to be in the path of totality this time around, you will have another chance - you'll just have to wait until the 2040s.

Here's what we know about the next total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S.

Eclipse playlist: Fans return to Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' ahead of total solar eclipse

When is the next total solar eclipse visible from the U.S.?

It will be 20 years before there's a chance to  witness a total solar eclipse  in the United States again.

According to NASA, after Monday's total solar  eclipse , the next one viewable from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

2044 total solar eclipse path of totality

Unfortunately, the 2044 total  solar eclipse  won't have the broad reach across the U.S. as the 2024 eclipse.

The path of totality during the 2044 eclipse will only touch three states, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach, and political space advocacy.

The eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Pets and the eclipse: Will my pets be safe during the April 2024 solar eclipse? What experts say.

2045 solar eclipse

While the 2044 total eclipse will only touch three states, a 2045 eclipse will have a more robust path across the U.S.

Expected to occur on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2045, this solar eclipse will trace a path of totality over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

A partial solar eclipse will also be viewable in 35 other states, according to National Eclipse.com

What is a total solar eclipse?

Any celestial object like a moon or a planet that passes between two other bodies can create  an eclipse  by obscuring the view of objects like the sun.

In the event of a solar eclipse, the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching a small part of our planet. Partial eclipses, when some part of the sun remains visible, are the most common, making total eclipses a rare sight to behold.

Total eclipses can lead to a period of darkness lasting for several minutes, during which time nocturnal animals stir while confused birds and insects may fall silent, NASA says.

When a solar eclipse reaches totality, people are able to see the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona, which is usually obscured by the sun's bright surface. This offers scientists an uncommon opportunity  to study the corona .

Totality also offers spectators a chance to gaze upon the spectacular sight with the naked eye, though  proper  safety  glasses  are still required for the rest of the time.

What states are on the 2024 eclipse path of totality?

Mexico's Pacific coast will be the first location in continental North America to experience totality, which is expected to occur at about 11:07 a.m. PDT,  according to NASA .

As the moon's shadow will northeast, totality in the U.S. will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. The path will then cut diagonally across the country, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.

The eclipse's path is expected to end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT before visiting the maritime provinces of Canada, according to estimates.

See  interactive maps of the 2024 path .

Contributing: Doyle Rice, Ramon Padilla & Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

25 Questions (and Answers!) About the Great North American Eclipse

The McDonald Observatory’s guide to one of nature’s most beautiful and astounding events: What you might see, how to view it safely, how astronomers will study it, how animals might react, and some of the mythology and superstitions about the Sun’s great disappearing act.

1. What’s happening?

The Moon will cross directly between Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking the Sun from view along a narrow path across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Viewers across the rest of the United States will see a partial eclipse, with the Moon covering only part of the Sun’s disk.

2. When will it happen?

The eclipse takes place on April 8. It will get underway at 10:42 a.m. CDT, when the Moon’s shadow first touches Earth’s surface, creating a partial eclipse. The Big Show—totality—begins at about 11:39 a.m., over the south-central Pacific Ocean. The shadow will first touch North America an hour and a half later, on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Moving at more than 1,600 miles (2,575 km) per hour, the path of totality will enter the United States at Eagle Pass, Texas, at 1:27 p.m. CDT. The lunar shadow will exit the United States and enter the Canadian province of New Brunswick near Houlton, Maine, at 2:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. EDT).

3. How long will totality last?

The exact timing depends on your location. The maximum length is 4 minutes, 27 seconds near Torreon, Mexico. In the United States, several towns in southwestern Texas will see 4 minutes, 24 seconds of totality. The closer a location is to the centerline of the path of totality, the longer the eclipse will last.

4. What will it look like?

Eclipse veterans say there’s nothing quite like a total solar eclipse. In the last moments before the Sun disappears behind the Moon, bits of sunlight filter through the lunar mountains and canyons, forming bright points of light known as Baily’s beads. The last of the beads provides a brief blaze known as a diamond ring effect. When it fades away, the sky turns dark and the corona comes into view— million-degree plasma expelled from the Sun’s surface. It forms silvery filaments that radiate away from the Sun. Solar prominences, which are fountains of gas from the surface, form smaller, redder streamers on the rim of the Sun’s disk.

5. What safety precautions do I need to take?

It’s perfectly safe to look at the total phase of the eclipse with your eyes alone. In fact, experts say it’s the best way to enjoy the spectacle. The corona, which surrounds the intervening Moon with silvery tendrils of light, is only about as bright as a full Moon.

During the partial phases of the eclipse, however, including the final moments before and first moments after totality, your eyes need protection from the Sun’s blinding light. Even a 99-percent-eclipsed Sun is thousands of times brighter than a full Moon, so even a tiny sliver of direct sunlight can be dangerous!

To stay safe, use commercially available eclipse viewers, which can look like eyeglasses or can be embedded in a flat sheet that you hold in front of your face. Make sure your viewer meets the proper safety standards, and inspect it before you use it to make sure there are no scratches to let in unfiltered sunlight.

You also can view the eclipse through a piece of welder’s glass (No. 14 or darker), or stand under a leafy tree and look at the ground; the gaps between leaves act as lenses, projecting a view of the eclipse on the ground. With an especially leafy tree you can see hundreds of images of the eclipse at once. (You can also use a colander or similar piece of gear to create the same effect.)

One final mode of eclipse watching is with a pinhole camera. You can make one by poking a small hole in an index card, file folder, or piece of stiff cardboard. Let the Sun shine through the hole onto the ground or a piece of paper, but don’t look at the Sun through the hole! The hole projects an image of the eclipsed Sun, allowing you to follow the entire sequence, from the moment of first contact through the Moon’s disappearance hours later.

6. Where can I see the eclipse?

In the United States, the path of totality will extend from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Houlton, Maine. It will cross 15 states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Tennessee, and Michigan (although it barely nicks the last two).

In Texas, the eclipse will darken the sky over Austin, Waco, and Dallas—the most populous city in the path, where totality (the period when the Sun is totally eclipsed) will last 3 minutes, 51 seconds.

Other large cities along the path include Little Rock; Indianapolis; Dayton, Toledo, and Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Buffalo and Rochester, New York; and Burlington, Vermont.

Outside the path of totality, American skywatchers will see a partial eclipse, in which the Sun covers only part of the Sun’s disk. The sky will grow dusky and the air will get cooler, but the partially eclipsed Sun is still too bright to look at without proper eye protection. The closer to the path of totality, the greater the extent of the eclipse. From Memphis and Nashville, for example, the Moon will cover more than 95 percent of the Sun’s disk. From Denver and Phoenix, it’s about 65 percent. And for the unlucky skywatchers in Seattle, far to the northwest of the eclipse centerline, it’s a meager 20 percent.

The total eclipse path also crosses Mexico, from the Pacific coast, at Mazatlán, to the Texas border. It also crosses a small portion of Canada, barely including Hamilton, Ontario. Eclipse Details for Locations Around the United States • aa.usno.navy.mil/data/Eclipse2024 • eclipse.aas.org • GreatAmericanEclipse.com

7. What causes solar eclipses?

These awe-inspiring spectacles are the result of a pleasant celestial coincidence: The Sun and Moon appear almost exactly the same size in Earth’s sky. The Sun is actually about 400 times wider than the Moon but it’s also about 400 times farther, so when the new Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun—an alignment known as syzygy—it can cover the Sun’s disk, blocking it from view.

8. Why don’t we see an eclipse at every new Moon?

The Moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted a bit with respect to the Sun’s path across the sky, known as the ecliptic. Because of that angle, the Moon passes north or south of the Sun most months, so there’s no eclipse. When the geometry is just right, however, the Moon casts its shadow on Earth’s surface, creating a solar eclipse. Not all eclipses are total. The Moon’s distance from Earth varies a bit, as does Earth’s distance from the Sun. If the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun when the Moon is at its farthest, we see an annular eclipse, in which a ring of sunlight encircles the Moon. Regardless of the distance, if the SunMoon-Earth alignment is off by a small amount, the Moon can cover only a portion of the Sun’s disk, creating a partial eclipse.

9. How often do solar eclipses happen?

Earth sees as least two solar eclipses per year, and, rarely, as many as five. Only three eclipses per two years are total. In addition, total eclipses are visible only along narrow paths. According to Belgian astronomer Jean Meuss, who specializes in calculating such things, any given place on Earth will see a total solar eclipse, on average, once every 375 years. That number is averaged over many centuries, so the exact gap varies. It might be centuries between succeeding eclipses, or it might be only a few years. A small region of Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, close to the southeast of St. Louis, for example, saw the total eclipse of 2017 and will experience this year’s eclipse as well. Overall, though, you don’t want to wait for a total eclipse to come to you. If you have a chance to travel to an eclipse path, take it!

10. What is the limit for the length of totality?

Astronomers have calculated the length of totality for eclipses thousands of years into the future. Their calculations show that the greatest extent of totality will come during the eclipse of July 16, 2186, at 7 minutes, 29 seconds, in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of South America. The eclipse will occur when the Moon is near its closest point to Earth, so it appears largest in the sky, and Earth is near its farthest point from the Sun, so the Sun appears smaller than average. That eclipse, by the way, belongs to the same Saros cycle as this year’s.

11. When will the next total eclipse be seen from the United States?

The next total eclipse visible from anywhere in the United States will take place on March 30, 2033, across Alaska. On August 22, 2044, a total eclipse will be visible across parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The next eclipse to cross the entire country will take place on August 12, 2045, streaking from northern California to southern Florida. Here are the other total solar eclipses visible from the contiguous U.S. this century:

March 30, 2052 Florida, Georgia, tip of South Carolina May 11, 2078 From Louisiana to North Carolina May 1, 2079 From Philadelphia up the Atlantic coast to Maine September 14, 2099 From North Dakota to the Virginia-North Carolina border

12. What is the origin of the word ‘eclipse?’

The word first appeared in English writings in the late 13th century. It traces its roots, however, to the Greek words “ecleipsis” or “ekleipein.” According to various sources, the meaning was “to leave out, fail to appear,” “a failing, forsaking,” or “abandon, cease, die.”

13. Do solar eclipses follow any kind of pattern?

The Moon goes through several cycles. The best known is its 29.5-day cycle of phases, from new through full and back again. Other cycles include its distance from Earth (which varies by about 30,000 miles (50,000 km) over 27.5 days) and its relationship to the Sun’s path across the sky, known as the ecliptic (27.2 days), among others. These three cycles overlap every 6,585.3 days, which is 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours.

This cycle of cycles is known as a Saros (a word created by Babylonians). The circumstances for each succeeding eclipse in a Saros are similar—the Moon is about the same distance from Earth, for example, and they occur at the same time of year. Each eclipse occurs one-third of the way around Earth from the previous one, however; the next eclipse in this Saros, for example, will be visible from parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Each Saros begins with a partial eclipse. A portion of the Moon just nips the northern edge of the Sun, for example, blocking only a fraction of the Sun’s light. With each succeeding eclipse in the cycle, the Moon covers a larger fraction of the solar disk, eventually creating dozens of total eclipses. The Moon then slides out of alignment again, this time in the opposite direction, creating more partial eclipses. The series ends with a grazing partial eclipse on the opposite hemisphere (the southern tip, for example).

Several Saros cycles churn along simultaneously (40 are active now), so Earth doesn’t have to wait 18 years between eclipses. They can occur at intervals of one, five, six, or seven months.

The April 8 eclipse is the 30th of Saros 139, a series of 71 events that began with a partial eclipse, in the far north, and will end with another partial eclipse, this time in the far southern hemisphere. The next eclipse in this Saros, also total, will take place on April 20, 2042.

First eclipse May 17, 1501

First total eclipse December 21, 1843

Final total eclipse March 26, 2601

Longest total eclipse July 16, 2186,  7 minutes, 29 seconds

Final partial eclipse July 3, 2763

All eclipses 71 (43 total, 16 partial, 12 hybrid)

Source: NASA Catalog of Solar Eclipses: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros139.html

14. What about eclipse seasons?

Eclipses occur in “seasons,” with two or three eclipses (lunar and solar) in a period of about five weeks. Individual eclipses are separated by two weeks: a lunar eclipse at full Moon, a solar eclipse at new Moon (the sequence can occur in either order). If the first eclipse in a season occurs during the first few days of the window, then the season will have three eclipses. When one eclipse in the season is poor, the other usually is much better.

That’s certainly the case with the season that includes the April 8 eclipse. It begins with a penumbral lunar eclipse on the night of March 24, in which the Moon will pass through Earth’s outer shadow. The eclipse will cover the Americas, although the shadow is so faint that most skywatchers won’t notice it.

This article was previously published in the March/April 2024 issue of StarDate  magazine, a publication of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. Catch StarDate’s daily radio program on more than 300 stations nationwide or subscribe online at  stardate.org .

15. How can astronomers forecast eclipses so accurately?

They’ve been recording eclipses and the motions of the Moon for millennia. And over the past half century they’ve been bouncing laser beams off of special reflectors carried to the Moon by Apollo astronauts and Soviet rovers. Those observations reveal the Moon’s position to within a fraction of an inch. Using a combination of the Earth-Moon distance, the Moon’s precise shape, Earth’s rotation and its distance from the Sun, and other factors, astronomers can predict the timing of an eclipse to within a fraction of a second many centuries into the future.

Edmond Halley made the first confirmed solar eclipse prediction, using the laws of gravity devised only a few decades earlier by Isaac Newton. Halley forecast that an eclipse would cross England on May 3, 1715. He missed the timing by just four minutes and the path by 20 miles, so the eclipse is known as Halley’s Eclipse.

16. What are the types of solar eclipses?

Total : the Moon completely covers the Sun.

Annular : the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright ring of sunlight around it.

Partial : the Moon covers only part of the Sun’s disk.

Hybrid : an eclipse that is annular at its beginning and end, but total at its peak.

17. What are Baily’s beads?

During the minute or two before or after totality, bits of the Sun shine through canyons and other features on the limb of the Moon, producing “beads” of sunlight. They were first recorded and explained by Edmond Halley, in 1715. During a presentation to the Royal Academy of Sciences more than a century later, however, astronomer Frances Baily first described them as “a string of beads,” so they’ve been known as Baily’s beads ever since. Please note that Baily’s beads are too bright to look at without eye protection!

18. Will Earth always see total solar eclipses?

No, it will not. The Moon is moving away from Earth at about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) per year. Based on that rate of recession, in about 600 million years the Moon would have moved so far from Earth that it would no longer appear large enough to cover the Sun. The speed at which the Moon separates from Earth changes over the eons, however, so scientists aren’t sure just when Earth will see its final total solar eclipse.

19. How will the eclipse affect solar power?

If your solar-powered house is in or near the path of totality, the lights truly will go out, as they do at night. For large power grids, the eclipse will temporarily reduce the total amount of electricity contributed by solar generation. During the October 14, 2023, annular eclipse, available solar power plummeted in California and Texas. At the same time, demand increased as individual Sun-powered homes and other buildings began drawing electricity from the power grid. Both networks were able to compensate with stations powered by natural gas and other sources.

The power drop during this year’s eclipse could be more dramatic because there will be less sunlight at the peak of the eclipse.

20. What are some of the myths and superstitions associated with solar eclipses?

Most ancient cultures created stories to explain the Sun’s mysterious and terrifying disappearances.

In China and elsewhere, it was thought the Sun was being devoured by a dragon. Other cultures blamed a hungry frog (Vietnam), a giant wolf loosed by the god Loki (Scandinavia), or the severed head of a monster (India). Still others saw an eclipse as a quarrel (or a reunion) between Sun and Moon. Some peoples shot flaming arrows into the sky to scare away the monster or to rekindle the solar fire. One especially intriguing story, from Transylvania, said that an eclipse occurred when the Sun covered her face in disgust at bad human behavior.

Eclipses have been seen as omens of evil deeds to come. In August 1133, King Henry I left England for Normandy one day before a lengthy solar eclipse, bringing prophesies of doom. The country later was plunged into civil war, and Henry died before he could return home, strengthening the impression that solar eclipses were bad mojo.

Ancient superstitions claimed that eclipses could cause plague and other maladies. Modern superstitions say that food prepared during an eclipse is poison and that an eclipse will damage the babies of pregnant women who look at it. None of that is true, of course. There’s nothing at all to fear from this beautiful natural event.

21. How do animals react to solar eclipses?

Scientists haven’t studied the topic very thoroughly, but they do have some general conclusions. Many daytime animals start their evening rituals, while many nighttime animals wake up when the eclipse is over, perhaps cursing their alarm clocks for letting them sleep so late!

During the 2017 total eclipse, scientists observed 17 species at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. About three-quarters of the species showed some response as the sky darkened. Some animals acted nervous, while others simply headed for bed. A species of gibbon had the most unusual reaction, moving excitedly and chattering in ways the zookeepers hadn’t seen before.

Other studies have reported that bats and owls sometimes come out during totality, hippos move toward their nighttime feeding grounds, and spiders tear down their webs, only to rebuild them when the Sun returns. Bees have been seen to return to their hives during totality and not budge until the next day, crickets begin their evening chorus, and, unfortunately, mosquitoes emerge, ready to dine on unsuspecting eclipse watchers.

A NASA project, Eclipse Soundscapes, is using volunteers around the country to learn more about how animals react to the changes. The project collected audio recordings and observations by participants during the annular eclipse last year, and will repeat the observations this year. Volunteers can sign up at eclipsesoundscapes.org

22. How will scientists study this year’s eclipse?

Astronomers don’t pay quite as much professional attention to solar eclipses as they did in decades and centuries past. However, they still schedule special observations to add to their knowledge of the Sun and especially the inner edge of the corona.

Sun-watching satellites create artificial eclipses by placing a small disk across the face of the Sun, blocking the Sun’s disk and revealing the corona, solar prominences, and big explosions of charged particles known as coronal mass ejections.

Because of the way light travels around the edges of an eclipsing disk, however, it’s difficult to observe the region just above the Sun’s visible surface, which is where much of the action takes place. The corona is heated to millions of degrees there, and the constant flow of particles known as the solar wind is accelerated to a million miles per hour or faster, so solar astronomers really want to see that region in detail. The eclipsing Moon doesn’t create the same effects around the limb of the Sun, so a solar eclipse still provides the best way to look close to the Sun’s surface.

For this year’s eclipse, some scientists will repeat a series of experiments they conducted in 2017 using a pair of highaltitude WB-57 aircraft to “tag team” through the lunar shadow, providing several extra minutes of observations.

Other scientists will use the eclipse to study Earth’s ionosphere, an electrically charged layer of the atmosphere that “bends” radio waves, allowing them to travel thousands of miles around the planet. Sunlight rips apart atoms and molecules during the day, intensifying the charge. At night, the atoms and molecules recombine, reducing the charge.

Physicists want to understand how the ionosphere reacts to the temporary loss of sunlight during an eclipse. They will do so with the help of thousands of volunteer ham radio operators, who will exchange messages with others around the planet. During last October’s annular eclipse, when the Moon covered most but not all of the Sun, the experiment showed a large and immediate change in the ionosphere as the sunlight dimmed.

NASA also will launch three small “sounding” rockets, which loft instruments into space for a few minutes, to probe the ionosphere shortly before, during, and shortly after the eclipse.

Another project will use radar to study changes in the interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere, while yet another will use a radio telescope to map sunspots and surrounding regions as the Moon passes across them.

One project will piece together images of the eclipse snapped through more than 40 identical telescopes spaced along the path of totality to create a one-hour movie of the eclipse. The telescopes will be equipped with instruments that see the three-dimensional structure of the corona, allowing solar scientists to plot how the corona changes.

23. What have astronomers learned from eclipses?

Solar eclipses have been powerful tools for studying the Sun, the layout of the solar system, and the physics of the universe.

Until the Space Age, astronomers could see the Sun’s corona only during eclipses, so they traveled around the world to catch these brief glimpses of it.

Eclipses also offered a chance to refine the scale of the solar system. Watching an eclipse from different spots on Earth and comparing the angles of the Moon and Sun helped reveal the relative sizes and distances of both bodies, which were important steps in understanding their true distances.

During an eclipse in 1868, two astronomers discovered a new element in the corona. It was named helium, after Helios, a Greek name for the Sun. The element wasn’t discovered on Earth until a quarter of a century later.

An eclipse in 1919 helped confirm General Relativity, which was Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity. The theory predicted that the gravity of a massive body should deflect the path of light rays flying near its surface. During the eclipse, astronomers found that the positions of background stars that appeared near the Sun were shifted by a tiny amount, which was in perfect agreement with Einstein’s equations.

Today, astronomers are using records of eclipses dating back thousands of years to measure changes in Earth’s rotation rate and the distance to the Moon.

24. How did astronomers study eclipses in the past?

With great effort! From the time they could accurately predict when and where solar eclipses would be visible, they organized expeditions that took them to every continent except Antarctica, on trips that lasted months and that sometimes were spoiled by clouds or problems both technical and human.

During the American Revolution, for example, a group of Harvard scientists led by Samuel Williams received safe passage from the British army to view an eclipse from Penobscot Bay, Maine, on October 21, 1780. Williams slightly miscalculated the eclipse path, though, so the group missed totality by a few miles. (The expedition did make some useful observations, however.)

In 1860, an expedition headed by Simon Newcomb, one of America’s top astronomers, journeyed up the Saskatchewan River, hundreds of miles from the nearest city, braving rapids, mosquitoes, and bad weather. After five grueling weeks, they had to stop short of their planned viewing site, although at a location still inside the eclipse path. Clouds covered the Sun until almost the end of totality, however, so the expedition came up empty.

King Mongkut of Siam invited a French expedition and hundreds of other dignitaries to view an eclipse from present-day Thailand in 1868. He built an observatory and a large compound to house his guests at a site Mongkut himself had selected as the best viewing spot. The eclipse came off perfectly, but many visitors contracted malaria. So did Mongkut, who died a few weeks later.

An expedition in 1914, to Russia, was plagued by both clouds and the start of World War I. The team abandoned its instruments at a Russian observatory and escaped through Scandinavia.

The eclipse of July 29, 1878, offered fewer impediments. In fact, it was a scientific and social extravaganza. The eclipse path stretched from Montana Territory to Texas. Teams of astronomers from the United States and Europe spread out along the path. Thomas Edison stationed his group in Wyoming, where he used a tasimeter, a device of his own creation, to try to measure the temperature of the corona. Samuel Pierpoint Langley, a future secretary of the Smithsonian, was atop Pikes Peak in Colorado. Maria Mitchell, perhaps America’s leading female scientist, decamped to Denver. And Asaph Hall, who had discovered the moons of Mars just the year before, journeyed to the flatlands of eastern Colorado.

Thousands of average Americans joined the festivities, paying outrageous prices for some of the best viewing spots. Some things, it seems, never change.

25. What about lunar eclipses?

While solar eclipses happen during new Moon, lunar eclipses occur when the Moon is full, so it aligns opposite the Sun in our sky. The Moon passes through Earth’s shadow. In a total eclipse, the entire lunar disk turns orange or red. In a partial eclipse, Earth’s inner shadow covers only a portion of the Moon. And during a penumbral eclipse, the Moon passes through the outer portion of Earth’s shadow, darkening the Moon so little that most people don’t even notice it.

Lunar eclipses happen as often as solar eclipses—at least twice per year. This is a poor year for lunar eclipses, however. There is a penumbral eclipse on the night of March 24, with the Moon slipping through Earth’s faint outer shadow, and a partial eclipse on the night of September 17, in which the Moon barely dips into the darker inner shadow. Both eclipses will be visible from most of the United States.

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What time the 2024 solar eclipse starts, reaches peak totality and ends today

By Sarah Maddox

Updated on: April 8, 2024 / 12:23 PM EDT / CBS News

The 2024 solar eclipse will be visible across North America today. As the moon's position between the Earth and sun casts a shadow on North America, that shadow, or umbra, will travel along the surface from west to east at more than 1,500 miles per hour along the path of totality . 

That means the eclipse will start, peak and end at different times — as will the moments of total darkness along the path of totality — and the best time to view the eclipse depends on where you are located. Some places along the path will have more totality time than others.

In Texas, the south-central region had clouds in the forecast , but it was better to the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. The best eclipse viewing weather was expected in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, as well as in Canada's New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

What time does the 2024 total solar eclipse start?

The total solar eclipse will emerge over the South Pacific Ocean before the shadow falls across North America, beginning in parts of Mexico. The path of totality , where onlookers can witness the moon fully blocking the sun (through eclipse viewing glasses for safety ), is expected to first make landfall near the city of Mazatlán around 9:51 a.m. MT. 

The total solar eclipse will cross over the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, where it will emerge over Eagle Pass at 12:10 p.m. CT.

In Dallas, NASA data shows the partial eclipse will first become visible at 12:23 p.m. CT. The next states in the path of totality are Oklahoma and Arkansas, where the eclipse begins in Little Rock at 12:33 p.m. CT. 

Cleveland will see the beginning of the eclipse at 1:59 p.m. ET. Darkness will start spreading over the sky in Buffalo, New York, at 2:04 p.m. ET. Then, the eclipse will reach northwestern Vermont, including Burlington, at 2:14 p.m. ET. Parts of New Hampshire and Maine will also follow in the path of totality before the eclipse reaches the Canadian mainland  at 3:13 p.m. ET.

Although the experience won't be exactly the same, viewers in all the contiguous U.S. states outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial eclipse. Some places will see most of the sun blocked by the moon, including Washington, D.C., where the partial eclipse will start at 2:04 p.m. ET.  

New York City will also see a substantial partial eclipse, beginning at 2:10 p.m. ET. 

In Chicago, viewers can start viewing the partial eclipse at 12:51 p.m. CT. 

In Detroit, viewers will be able to enjoy a near-total eclipse beginning at 1:58 p.m. ET, and in Boston it will begin at 2:16 p.m. ET.

The below table by NASA shows when the eclipse will start, peak and end in 13 cities along the eclipse's path.

What time will the solar eclipse reach peak totality?

Millions more people will have the chance to witness the total solar eclipse this year than during the last total solar eclipse , which was visible from the U.S. in 2017. 

The eclipse's peak will mean something different for cities within the path of totality and for those outside. Within the path of totality, darkness will fall for a few minutes. The longest will last more than 4 minutes, but most places will see between 3.5 and 4 minutes of totality. In cities experiencing a partial eclipse, a percentage of the sun will be obscured for more than two hours.

Mazatlán is set to experience totality at 11:07 am PT. Dallas will be able to see the moon fully cover the sun at 1:40 p.m. CT. Little Rock will start to see the full eclipse at 1:51 p.m. CT, Cleveland at 3:13 p.m. ET and Buffalo at 3:18 p.m. ET. Totality will reach Burlington at 3:26 p.m. ET before moving into the remaining states and reaching Canada around 4:25 p.m.

Outside the path of totality, 87.4% of the sun will be eclipsed in Washington, D.C. at 3:20 p.m. ET, and Chicago will have maximum coverage of 93.9% at 2:07 p.m. CT. New York City is much closer to the path of totality this year than it was in 2017; it will see 89.6% coverage at 3:25 p.m. EDT. 

Detroit is another city that will encounter a near-total eclipse, with 99.2% maximum coverage at 3:14 p.m. ET. Boston will see 92.4% coverage at 3:29 p.m. ET.

What time will the solar eclipse end?

The eclipse will leave continental North America from Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NT, according to NASA.

At the beginning of the path of totality in Mazatlán, the eclipse will be over by 12:32 p.m. PT, and it will leave Dallas at 3:02 p.m. CT. The eclipse will end in Little Rock at 3:11 p.m. CT, Cleveland at 4:29 p.m. CDT and Buffalo at 4:32 p.m. ET. Burlington won't be far behind, with the eclipse concluding at 4:37 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, the viewing will end in Chicago at 3:21 p.m. CT, Washington, D.C. at 4:32 p.m. ET, and New York City at 4:36 p.m. ET. 

In Detroit, the partial eclipse will disappear at 4:27 p.m. ET, and in Boston, it will be over at 4:39 p.m. ET.

How long will the eclipse last in total?

The total solar eclipse will begin in Mexico at 11:07 a.m. PT and leave continental North America at 5:16 p.m. NT. From the time the partial eclipse first appears on Earth to its final glimpses before disappearing thousands of miles away, the celestial show will dazzle viewers for about 5 hours, according to timeanddate.com . 

The length of the total solar eclipse at points along the path depends on the viewing location. The longest will be 4 minutes and 28 seconds, northwest of Torreón, Mexico. Near the center of the path, totality takes place for the longest periods of time, according to NASA.

Spectators will observe totality for much longer today than during the 2017 eclipse , when the longest stretch of totality was 2 minutes and 32 seconds.

The moon's shadow seen on Earth today, called the umbra, travels at more than 1,500 miles per hour, according to NASA. It would move even more quickly if the Earth rotated in the opposite direction.

What is the longest a solar eclipse has ever lasted?

The longest known totality was 7 minutes and 28 seconds in 743 B.C. However, NASA says this record will be broken in 2186 with a 7 minute, 29 second total solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse visible from parts of the U.S. won't happen until Aug. 23, 2044.

Sarah Maddox has been with CBS News since 2019. She works as an associate producer for CBS News Live.

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Honest tourism information about Australia

Lorne to Apollo Bay road trip guide: Distance, driving time & stops

• David Whitley
• Practicalities

The Lorne to Apollo Bay drive is 45.5km in distance, with a driving time of around 53 minutes. Things to do on this stretch of the Great Ocean Road include koala-spotting at Kennett River and swimming at Skenes Beach.

The drive from Lorne to Apollo Bay covers one of the most beautiful stretches of the Victoria ’s Great Ocean Road . It’s not a long distance, but you can easily turn it into a day trip, stopping off for walks and beaches along the way.

Find the best deals on Apollo Bay accommodation .

Lorne to Apollo Bay distance and driving time

The Lorne to Apollo Bay drive is 45.5km long. That makes for a driving time of around 53 minutes if you do it in one stint . But chances are, you’ll want to stop somewhere on the way.

3 great experiences to try in Lorne

• Learn to surf – with a beginner’s surfing lesson at Lorne Beach.
• Swing, clamber and balance through the tree tops – on the Live Wire Park super circuit .
• Travel through the trees at 40km/h – on the Shockwave Zip Coaster .

Best places to stay in Lorne

The top Lorne accommodation options are:

• For overall quality: Cumberland Lorne Resort .
• For adults-only apartments with spa baths: Lorne Surf Apartments .
• On a budget: Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park .
• For an affordable, good quality motel: Lorne Anchorage Motel and Villas .

First, you might want to venture inland from Lorne into the  Great Otway National Park forests . There are several excellent bushwalks here. The 7.5km  Erskine Falls  walk from the town passes several Great Ocean Road waterfalls on the way to the 30 metre cascade, but it’s much quicker if you drive up and take the short walk from the Erskine Falls car park. Sheoak Falls is also worth visiting, and you can go ziplining through the forest at  Live Wire Park .

Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne

• For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
• To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour .
• For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip .
• For backpackers : One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
• For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
• For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour .

Lorne to Apollo Bay road trip stops: Kennett River

On the way out of Lorne, stop at Teddy’s Lookout for superlative views of the coastline.

About halfway along the drive from Lorne to Apollo Bay is Kennett River . Here, you’ll find dozens of brazen cockatoos strutting outside Kafe Koala . Kennett River is best known for its koala population, though. Take a walk along Grey River Road and you’ll spot plenty of  koalas up trees .

The Cape Patton Lookout offers fabulous coastal views about 5km further along.

Lorne to Apollo Bay drive attractions: Skenes Creek

The next major stop is Skenes Creek, where Skenes Beach is a popular swimming spot. You can also camp right next to the beach. The Skenes Creek Road heads inland from here for a series of worthwhile attractions. Try canoeing with  platypus  on  Lake Elizabeth , tackling the Otway Fly treetop adventure course and walking to  Hopetoun Falls  in Beech Forest .

From Skenes Creek, it’s about 8km to Apollo Bay . And a cold beer awaits at the Apollo Bay Hotel .

Apollo Bay accommodation options include the budget-friendly Apollo Bay Eco YHA , the in-town Dolphin Apartments and the romantic Beacon Point Ocean View Villas on the hilltop.

The other legs of the Great Ocean Road journey worth knowing about are: Melbourne to Torquay | Torquay to Lorne | Apollo Bay to Warrnambool | Warrnambool to Portland .

7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences 1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour . 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb . 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster . 5. Guided wildlife walk . 6. Budj Bim National Park tour . 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike .

More Victoria travel

What is the Melbourne to Singapore flight time ?

Taste wines at  Yering Station ,  Balgownie Estate ,  Innocent Bystander  and  Rochford Wines  on a  Yarra Valley wine tour .

Take the Arthurs Seat Eagle cable car from Dromana to the Enchanted Adventure Garden and Arthurs Seat State Park .

Play golf at the prestigious Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Bentleigh East .

What are the best Cape Schanck walks on the Mornington Peninsula?

Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024 facts: Path, time and the best places to view

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality.

Scroll down to see the list of U.S. cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be visible, the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com .

"Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms.

On April 8, 2024, a historic total solar eclipse will cast a shadow over parts of the United States, prompting a mass travel event to the path of totality -- from Texas to Maine and several states and cities in between.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the sun, according to NASA .

The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path. To discover when to see the solar eclipse in totality or the partial eclipse in locations across the U.S. outside of the path, check out NASA's Eclipse Explorer tool .

Eclipse travel

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality, bringing the celestial phenomenon to their doorsteps, Michael Zeiler, expert solar eclipse cartographer at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told ABC News.

MORE: Eclipse glasses: What to know to keep your eyes safe

But for individuals outside of the path, investing time and money are needed to experience the event in totality.

Eclipse chasers, or umbraphiles, are individuals who will do almost anything, and travel almost anywhere, to see totality, according to the American Astronomical Society .

"There's a very active community of solar eclipse chasers and we will go to any reasonable lengths to see solar eclipses anywhere in the world," Zeiler said. "All of us are united in pursuing the unimaginable beauty of a total solar eclipse."

MORE: The surprising reason why a Texas county issued a disaster declaration ahead of April total solar eclipse

Bringing together both eclipse experts and novice sky watchers, the total solar eclipse on April 8 is projected to be the U.S.'s largest mass travel event in 2024, according to Zeiler, who likened it to "50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation."

"When you look at the number of people expected to come to the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate those numbers are roughly the equivalent of 50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation, from Texas to Maine," he said.

Eclipse map, path of totality

In the U.S., the path of totality begins in Texas and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to NASA.

Best times, places to view eclipse

Below is a list of some American cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be most visible -- pending weather forecasts -- the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

• Eagle Pass, Texas, 1:27 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Uvalde, Texas, 1:29 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 16 seconds
• Kerrville, Texas, 1:32 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Austin, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 1 minute, 53 seconds
• Killeen, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 17 seconds
• Fort Worth, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 34 seconds
• Dallas 1:40 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 47 seconds
• Little Rock, Arkansas, 1:51 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 33 seconds
• Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1:55 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
• Poplar Bluff, Arkansas, 1:56 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1:58 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 6 seconds
• Carbondale, Illinois, 1:59 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Mount Vernon, Illinois, 2:00 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Evansville, Indiana, 2:02 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 2 seconds
• Terre Haute, Indiana, 3:04 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 57 seconds
• Indianapolis 3:06 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 46 seconds
• Dayton, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 46 seconds
• Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 55 seconds
• Toledo, Ohio, 3:12 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 54 seconds
• Cleveland 3:13 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 50 seconds

Pennsylvania

• Erie, Pennsylvania, 3:16 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 43 seconds
• Buffalo, New York, 3:18 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 45 seconds
• Rochester, New York, 3:20 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Syracuse, New York, 3:23 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 26 seconds
• Burlington, Vermont, 3:26 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 14 seconds
• Island Falls, Maine, 3:31 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 20 seconds
• Presque Island, Maine, 3:32 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 47 seconds

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Will solar eclipse be visible in Florida? How much will you see? Enter ZIP code for answers

The 2024 solar eclipse is five days away.

For those still unsure, or have been focused on other news, Florida won't see a total eclipse where the moon totally blocks the sun, but will see a partial eclipse on April 8. How much of the sun will be blocked depends on where you are in the state.

Enter your ZIP code to see specifics on what you will be able to see from any Florida location, along with when the eclipse will start, end and maximum coverage of the sun.

Countdown clock to 2024 solar eclipse

What time will the solar eclipse be visible in florida.

While Florida isn't in the path of totality,  residents will be able to see a partial eclipse.  Here's  when you can watch  the eclipse from any Florida location.

Click on your location in the map to see:

• When the eclipse starts at your location
• What the maximum coverage will be
• What time maximum coverage will occur
• When the eclipse ends at your location
• Chances for clear skies based on historical averages for April 8

Roughly speaking, the peak of the eclipse will happen about 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola and 3:02 p.m. EDT on Miami Beach.

Can't see the map?  Open in a new browser.

➤  See exact times to go outside to see the eclipse across Florida

Interactive map: Enter your ZIP code to see when the eclipse starts, peak coverage, when it ends

Can't see our graphics? Click here to reload the page.

Enter your ZIP code to see:

• When the eclipse starts at your location.
• When the peak coverage will be.
• What the peak coverage will be.
• When the eclipse ends.
• How long the partial eclipse will last.
• How are you are from the path of totality.

The time lapse graphic shows what the eclipse will look from Orlando.

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Pineville, best viewing location in Florida

All times are local.

• Start: 12:36 p.m.
• Peak: 1:55 p.m.
• End: 3:13 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 78.6%
• Total time: 2 hours 37 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Pensacola

All times are local. ZIP code 32501.

• Start: 12:35 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 76.6%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Fort Walton Beach

All times are local. ZIP code 32547.

• Start: 12:37 p.m.
• Peak: 1:56 p.m.
• End: 3:14 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 75.4%
• Total time: 2 hours 36 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Panama City

All times are local. ZIP code 32401.

• Start: 12:38 p.m.
• Peak: 1:57 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 72.2%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Tallahassee

All times are local. ZIP code 32301.

• Start: 1:42 p.m.
• Peak: 3 p.m.
• End: 4:16 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 70.1%
• Total time: 2 hours 34 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Jacksonville

All times are local. ZIP code 32034.

• Start: 1:48 p.m.
• Peak: 3:05 p.m.
• End: 4:20 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 65.2%
• Total time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in St. Augustine

All times are local. ZIP code 32080.

• End: 4:19 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 61.8%
• Total time: 2 hours 31 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Gainesville

All times are local. ZIP code 32601.

• Start: 1:45 p.m.
• Peak: 3:03 p.m.
• End: 4:18 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 63.4%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Ocala

All times are local. ZIP code 34470.

• Peak: 3:02 p.m.
• End: 4:17 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 61.4%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Leesburg

All times are local. ZIP code 33585.

• Maximum coverage: 59.8%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Daytona Beach

All times are local. ZIP code 32114.

• Peak: 3:04 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 59.3%
• Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Melbourne

All times are local. ZIP code 32901.

• Maximum coverage: 54.7%
• Total time: 2 hours 29 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Vero Beach

All times are local. ZIP code 32960.

• Maximum coverage: 52.8%
• Total time: 2 hours 28 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Orlando

All times are local. ZIP code 32789.

• Start: 1:46 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 57.9%

All times are local. Timing of 2024 solar eclipse at Disney World

All times are local. ZIP code 32836.

• Maximum coverage: 57.6%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Lakeland

All times are local. ZIP code 33801.

• Start: 1:44 p.m.
• Peak: 3:01 p.m.
• End: 4:15 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 57.2%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Winter Haven

All times are local. ZIP code 33839.

• Maximum coverage: 56.6%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Fort Pierce

All times are local. ZIP code 34946.

• Maximum coverage: 52.2%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Stuart

All times are local. ZIP code 34957.

• Maximum coverage: 51.1%
• Total time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in West Palm Beach

All times are local. ZIP code 33401.

• Maximum coverage: 49.1%
• Total time: 2 hours 26 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Naples

All times are local. ZIP code 34102.

• Start: 1:43 p.m.
• Peak: 2:59 p.m.
• End: 4:12 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 50.6%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Miami

All times are local. ZIP code 33101.

• Start: 1:47 p.m.
• End: 4:13 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 46.2%
• Total time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Key West

All times are local. ZIP code 33040.

• Peak: 2:56 p.m.
• End: 4:09 p.m.
• Maximum coverage: 45.5%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Fort Myers

All times are local. ZIP code 33901.

• Maximum coverage: 52.3%

Timing of 2024 solar eclipse in Sarasota

All times are local. ZIP code 34230.

• Maximum coverage: 56.1%

• Solar Eclipse 2024

What Happens if It’s Cloudy During an Eclipse?

T oday, crowds will flock into cities like Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Dallas for a chance to view a total solar eclipse, a rare event which occurs when the moon completely covers the sun for a few short minutes.

There is one factor that could complicate the experience for eclipse watchers: clouds. Cloudy skies are known to dull the effects of total eclipses, making them less dramatic. That could spoil a celestial event people in the U.S. won’t get to see again for two decades.

Read More : Why These Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse

But that doesn’t mean you should give up altogether if the area you plan on viewing the eclipse from has a cloudy weather forecast. 

Here’s what happens if the eclipse occurs on a cloudy day—and how to try to maximize your viewing experience.

What to expect during a cloudy total solar eclipse

“If you are under the clouds, it’s still going to get dark,” says veteran solar eclipse traveler and expert Patricia Reiff. Reiff is a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, and over the course of her career she has seen 20 eclipses. 

Reiff says that she has been “clouded out” from seeing a planned eclipse three times, and that while the effects of the eclipse are dulled when there are clouds, there still may be interesting things for viewers to observe. “You can still experience the eclipse with your skin because it will be cooler and the winds are going to change,” she says. “You can still experience it with your ears because the birds might change their roosting songs. You might experience it with your eyes because the dogs and other animals are lying down and acting as though it’s the evening.”

Read More : How Animals and Nature React to an Eclipse

Carolyn Addison, the head of product at the Black Tomato, a travel company that designs solar eclipse trips, agrees. “If clouds are present, the eclipse will still be evident and it should still be incredible to experience, with a dramatic change in the atmosphere when the daylight darkens to night, the temperature noticeably drops, and with it, birds and other typically vocal wildlife become quiet, changing to their nighttime behavior. It’s intriguingly eerie and a unique event to witness,” she said via email.

If it’s just an overcast or partly cloudy day, Reiff still recommends making the journey, since lighter clouds have a tendency to thin out as totality starts due to the way the sunlight is scattered. “It adds to the suspense,” says Reiff. “There were several times when it was raining that morning and we didn’t think we would see it, but the cirrus clouds became more transparent as totality approached because of the scattered sunlight, and just as totality approached it cleared.”

That said, Reiff says the ability to view an eclipse during cloudy weather depends on the extent of the clouds. “If there’s widespread thunderclouds, I’m going to stay where I am,” she says. “Only if you can see through the clouds will you get the experience of the solar corona and the true experience of totality.”

Read More : Where to Find Solar Eclipse Glasses—And Spot Fake Ones

How to reduce the chances of encountering clouds

There are ways to minimize the chances of encountering cloudy skies with enough planning. One useful thing eclipse watchers can do is have a backup plan if the place from which they intend to view the eclipse is cloudy.

By now, weather forecasts provided by local media stations should be fairly accurate, so you should have some idea if the place you plan on going will have clear skies. Approximately 24-48 hours before the eclipse starts, the weather forecasts will be accurate enough for you to make a decision about which places near you within the path of totality will have the best weather, says Reiss. It’s best to keep your plans flexible until then if your goal is to view totality under clear skies.

More Must-Reads From TIME

• Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
• Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse
• Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
• Essay: The Complicated Dread of Early Spring
• Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise
• The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
• The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected]

You May Also Like

30 Best Stops Between Warrnambool and Apollo Bay

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

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How long is the drive from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay?

The direct drive from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay is 102 mi (164 km) , and should have a drive time of 2 hrs 21 mins in normal traffic.

If you’re going on a road trip from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way — with top places to visit like Breakwater Rock Pier and Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground, or the ever-popular Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve.

Best stops along Warrnambool to Apollo Bay drive

Tower hill wildlife reserve.

Breakwater Rock Pier

Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground

Flagstaff hill maritime village, logans beach rd.

Track your travel spending and split costs with friends

Plan your trip. Keep your budget organized. Split the cost between tripmates. Wanderlog does it all.

Cheese World and Museum

Bay of islands, bay of martyrs, berry world pyo strawberries and berry good thai restaurant, london bridge, lake bullen merri, tandarook botanical gardens, camperdown clock tower, loch ard gorge, port campbell national park.

Don’t forget to pack anything

Stay organized with a to-do list, packing list, shopping list, any kind of list.

Twelve Apostles

12 apostles helicopters, apostle whey cheese, great ocean road wildlife park, colac botanic gardens, prickly moses brewing co, otway fly treetop adventures, otway e bikes, hopetoun falls, cape otway lightstation.

All travel reservations in 1 place

Never dig through your emails again — access all your flights, lodging, and any reservations in 1 place.

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk

Treetops adventure yeodene park, great ocean walk, carisbrook creek.

• Kennett River

Other popular road trips from Warrnambool

Explore nearby places.

• Great Otway National Park
• Hordern Vale
• Beech Forest
• Weeaproinah
• Lavers Hill
• Wattle Hill
• Barongarook
• Deans Marsh
• Moggs Creek
• Aireys Inlet

All related maps of Apollo Bay

• Map of Apollo Bay
• Map of Great Otway National Park
• Map of Hordern Vale
• Map of Wongarra
• Map of Beech Forest
• Map of Cape Otway
• Map of Ferguson
• Map of Weeaproinah
• Map of Barramunga
• Map of Kennett River
• Map of Glenaire
• Map of Wye River
• Map of Johanna
• Map of Lavers Hill
• Map of Forrest
• Map of Gellibrand
• Map of Lorne
• Map of Wattle Hill
• Map of Barongarook
• Map of Yeodene
• Map of Elliminyt
• Map of Deans Marsh
• Map of Simpson
• Map of Colac
• Map of Birregurra
• Map of Moggs Creek
• Map of Warncoort
• Map of Bambra
• Map of Fairhaven
• Map of Aireys Inlet
• Map of Cororooke

Apollo Bay throughout the year

• Apollo Bay in January
• Apollo Bay in February
• Apollo Bay in March
• Apollo Bay in April
• Apollo Bay in May
• Apollo Bay in June
• Apollo Bay in July
• Apollo Bay in August
• Apollo Bay in September
• Apollo Bay in October
• Apollo Bay in November
• Apollo Bay in December

Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Apollo Bay?

Get inspired for your trip to Apollo Bay with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:

• 1-Day Apollo Bay Itinerary
• 2-Day Apollo Bay Itinerary

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i drive from warrnambool to apollo bay.

Yes! You can drive from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay.

How far is Apollo Bay from Warrnambool by car?

The drive from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay is 102 miles (164 km).

How long does it take to drive from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay?

Driving from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay should take you 2 hrs 21 mins in normal traffic.

How much would gas cost from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay?

Gas from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay would cost around $9 to $21 , depending on your vehicle's fuel efficiency.

Where should I stop on the way from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay?

You could check out Breakwater Rock Pier and Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground, or the always popular Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve!

What's the weather like in Warrnambool?

It depends on when you visit! We've compiled data from NASA for each month of the year: see the links below for more information.

• Weather in Warrnambool in January
• Weather in Warrnambool in February
• Weather in Warrnambool in March
• Weather in Warrnambool in April
• Weather in Warrnambool in May
• Weather in Warrnambool in June
• Weather in Warrnambool in July
• Weather in Warrnambool in August
• Weather in Warrnambool in September
• Weather in Warrnambool in October
• Weather in Warrnambool in November
• Weather in Warrnambool in December

What are some other road trips from Warrnambool?

There are plenty! Below you'll find links to all the road trips we've assembled for Warrnambool.

• Warrnambool to Melbourne drive
• Warrnambool to Sydney drive
• Warrnambool to Adelaide drive
• Warrnambool to Ballarat drive
• Warrnambool to Canberra drive
• Warrnambool to Torquay drive
• Warrnambool to Hobart drive
• Warrnambool to Greater Bendigo drive
• Warrnambool to Mount Gambier drive
• Warrnambool to Halls Gap drive
• Warrnambool to Launceston drive
• Warrnambool to Summerlands drive
• Warrnambool to Katoomba drive
• Warrnambool to Apollo Bay drive
• Warrnambool to Pokolbin drive
• Warrnambool to Healesville drive
• Warrnambool to Echuca drive
• Warrnambool to Strahan drive
• Warrnambool to Coles Bay drive
• Warrnambool to Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park drive
• Warrnambool to City of Greater Geelong drive
• Warrnambool to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park drive
• Warrnambool to Broken Hill drive
• Warrnambool to Port Phillip drive
• Warrnambool to Port Arthur drive
• Warrnambool to Tanunda drive
• Warrnambool to Dubbo drive
• Warrnambool to Devonport drive
• Warrnambool to Victor Harbor drive
• Warrnambool to Shoalhaven drive

• Itinerary + map in one view
• Live collaboration
• Auto-import hotels and reservations
• Optimize your route
• Offline access on mobile
• See time and distance between all your places

The Best Time to Visit Apollo Bay, VC, Australia for Weather, Safety, & Tourism

The best times to visit Apollo Bay for ideal weather are

November 5th to April 29th

based on average temperature and humidity from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Read below for more weather and travel details.

Apollo Bay Travel Guide

Temperature.

• Perceived Temperature
• Rain and snow
• Humidity and wind
• The busiest and least popular months
• Overall travel experience by time of year

Other Apollo Bay Travel Info

Weather in apollo bay.

Average temperatures in Apollo Bay vary little. Considering humidity, temperatures feel nice most of the year, excluding some cold weeks in the winter, with a fair chance of precipitation about half of the year. The area is somewhat temperate — in the 46th percentile for pleasant weather — compared to tourist destinations worldwide. Weeks with ideal weather are listed above . If you’re looking for the very warmest time to visit Apollo Bay, the hottest months are February, January, and then March. See average monthly temperatures below. The warmest time of year is generally early to mid February where highs are regularly around 72.3°F (22.4°C) with temperatures rarely dropping below 60.3°F (15.7°C) at night.

Apollo Bay Temperatures (Fahrenheit)

Apollo bay temperatures (celsius), “feels-like” temperatures.

The way we experience weather isn’t all about temperature. Higher temperatures affect us much more at higher humidity, and colder temperatures feel piercing with high winds. Our perceived temperatures factor in humidity and wind chill to better represent how hot or cold the day feels to a person.

Apollo Bay Perceived Temperature (F)

Apollo bay perceived temperature (c), average apollo bay temperatures by month.

Daily highs (averaged for the month) usually give the best indication of the weather. A significantly lower mean and low generally just means it gets colder at night.

Show Fahrenheit

Show celsius, precipitation (rain or snow).

If dry weather is what you’re after, the months with the lowest chance of significant precipitation in Apollo Bay are February, January, and then December. Note that we define “significant precipitation” as .1 inches or more in this section. The lowest chance of rain or snow occurs around late January and early February. For example, on the week of January 29th there are no days of precipitation on average. By contrast, it’s most likely to rain or snow in early August with an average of 3 days of significant precipitation the week of July 30th.

Chance of Precipitation

The graph below shows the % chance of rainy and snowy days in Apollo Bay.

Snow on the Ground

The graph below shows the average snow on the ground in Apollo Bay (in).

Average Rain and Snow by Month

Show inches, show centimeters, humidity and wind.

Apollo Bay has some very humid months, and above average humidity throughout the year. The least humid month is September (63.4% relative humidity), and the most humid month is June (71.1%).

Wind in Apollo Bay is usually stronger than many places . The windiest month is August, followed by September and July. August’s average wind speed of around 13.6 knots (15.7 MPH or 25.2 KPH) is considered “a moderate breeze.” Maximum sustained winds (the highest speed for the day lasting more than a few moments) are at their highest in late September where average top sustained speeds reach 21.8 knots, which is considered a fresh breeze.

Relative Humidity (%)

The graph below shows the average % humidity by month in Apollo Bay.

The graph below shows wind speed (max and average) in knots.

Average Wind Speeds

Show wind speeds.

All wind speeds are in knots. 1 knot = 1.15 MPH or 1.85 KPH.

Show Relative Humidity by Month

Is it safe to travel to apollo bay.

Our best data indicates this area is generally safe. As of Dec 04, 2023 there are no travel advisories or warnings for Australia; exercise normal security precautions. Check this page for any recent changes or regions to avoid: Travel Advice and Advisories . This advisory was last updated on Nov 30, 2023.

The Busiest and Least Crowded Months

The busiest month for tourism in Apollo Bay, VC, Australia is February, followed by June and December. Prices for hotels and flights will be most expensive during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in advance. Tourists are unlikely to visit Apollo Bay in July. Those willing to visit at these times will likely find it the least expensive month.

Estimated Tourism by Month

Most popular months to visit, overall apollo bay travel experience by season, fall (march through may).

Humidity and temperatures combine to make this season feel moderate. Highs range from 72.2°F (22.3°C) and 58.2°F (14.6°C) with colder temperatures in the later months. Rain is somewhat common with 6 to 9 days of significant precipitation per month. Fall is the slowest for tourism, which makes it a good time for those looking for deals.

Winter (June through August)

The middle-year months have cold weather with high temperatures that are brisk. These months see the most precipitation with 9 to 11 days of precipitation per month. June – August is the second busiest season for tourism in Apollo Bay, so lodging and other accommodations may cost slightly more.

Spring (September through November)

Spring daily highs range from 68.3°F (20.2°C) and 59.3°F (15.2°C), which will feel comfortable given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a significant amount: 5 to 9 days per month. Tourism is fairly slow during these months due to the weather, so hotels may be lower priced.

Summer (December through February)

Weather is somewhat cool this time of year in Apollo Bay to be enjoyable for warm weather travelers. The average high during this season is between 72.3°F (22.4°C) and 66.6°F (19.2°C). On average, it rains or snows a smalll amount: 2 to 5 times per month. These times of year are the busiest with tourists.

Best Times to Travel › Australia › Apollo Bay, VC, Australia

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