Tourists Will Be Charged to See the Twelve Apostles From Later This Year

Visitors to Victoria’s Twelve Apostles will have to pay to witness the iconic coastline from later this year, thanks to the introduction of a new booking and fee system.

The Victorian Government has announced that when a new and upgraded $126 million Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre opens in late 2026, a booking and fee system will be introduced for visitors to see the state’s world-renowned Twelve Apostles.

The fees are intended to cover the cost of operating and maintaining the new tourism precinct that’s currently in the works, as well creating additional revenue for more visitor infrastructure and environmental conservation along the Great Ocean Road.

In September 2025, the Corangamite Shire Council and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism board published a joint statement, urging the state government to introduce a user-pays system that they labelled as ‘essential’ to maintain the coastline’s environment and infrastructure.

The number of visitors to the Twelve Apostles is expected to hit 4 million people a year by this year.

How much will it cost to see the Twelve Apostles?

Although the specific cost of a booking hasn’t yet been disclosed, at the time of the proposal, Chief Executive of Corangamite Shire, David Rae, suggested that the fee may be in the range of $10-20.

‘We’ve got to find the sweet spot the market is willing to bear’, he said at the time.

The entry fee scheme will be determined after consultation with local government, tour operators, and residents, although The Guardian has reported that there’s a strong belief in the Victorian Government that the fee should below $20.

Victorian Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, has said that a fee won’t be charged to people who live near the Twelve Apostles or the Eastern Maar First Nations community, and that ‘every single cent spent’ will stay within the region.

What does a booking at the Twelve Apostles include?

For those visiting the Twelve Apostles once the new fee system is implemented, they can expect to be ensured a parking spot at a specified time, a less crowded experience, and for their contribution to be put back into maintaining the local environment and infrastructure.

It’s unclear yet how long the allotted time for each booking will be and if the booking is on a per person basis.

The fee and booking specifically covers access to the new Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre, meaning access to the Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge will go unchanged.

Feature photo by Leah Furey