Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform
Description
Enjoy one of Australia's most incredible wildlife experiences on this magnificent Phillip Island tour. Witness the world famous penguin parade from the brand new exclusive penguins plus viewing platform, definitely the highlight of this day tour. Your day trip includes a visit to Phillip Island Koala Reserve where you can see the iconic Australian koalas up close.
Tour Options
Itinerary
It is only a 1hr 45min drive from Melbourne directly to Phillip Island. On arrival you will be greeted by Phillip Island Nature Parks Ranger for a guided walk through Phillip Island’s Koala Reserve. You will be given a presentation about Koalas, history and relevance of the Reserve and the last area of natural woodland on the island. Guide to accompany the group and assist Ranger with the group.
From the Koala Wildlife Park, it is a short drive to Phillip Island, a 10,000-hectare home to more than a hundred varieties of animal species. Phillip Island boasts a population of approximately 15,000 which is boosted during the busy tourist seasons. There are three main settlements being Cape Woolamai, New Haven & Cowes.
Phillip Island boasts a population of approximately 15,000 which is boosted during the busy tourist seasons. There are three main settlements being Cape Woolamai, New Haven & Cowes.
Generally, we make time to wander through the coastal township of Cowes. Sheltered alongside the calm Westernport Bay this township was named after Cowes on the Isle of White. Beautiful seaside scenery, unique stores to peak into and many nice restaurants to purchase food.
Next, we arrive at the Nobbies Rocks where we take you on an optional guided walk down the boardwalks to see the rocky coast and spot Penguins nesting in their burrows. Then we travel along the Phillip Island backroads through Phillip Island Penguin Habitat. Enjoy incredible views of the coastal cliffs on your way to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
The main attraction of Phillip Island tour has always been the Little Penguins doing their daily ritual of penguin parade. These little friends are the smallest of its kind in the world. Enjoy sunset at the Visitor Information Centre and choose the right seat to have a great view of the main spectacles of the day — the Penguin Parade!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Our vehicles are not wheelchair, prams or child stroller accessible please refrain from bring on tour.
- Only a small day pack per person with no more than 5 kg is permitted
Reviews(503)
Penguins and koalas were amazing. Giving 4 stars because the stop in torradin was a waste of time. Tour could start 2 hrs later and tell people to eat lunch before and go straight to the activities.
Wonderful guide and great tour! Our guide was GREAT, he drove the bus safely while explaining our itinerary and the sites. He gave us great tips on how to make the most of our day. The Penguin Plus seating was worth the extra money. The penguin viewing was completely sold out on the night we went and the "plus" seating helped us get the best views. Make sure to bring warm gear, be prepared to sit outside.
It was a great trip, loved the koala reserve and penguin parade. Kiwi was super helpful and his tips helped get an amazing view. Thank you team.
We really enjoyed our tour. Kiwi was a great tour guide and provided excellent commentary along our trip. He was friendly, helpful, and professional. The tour bus was comfortable, and the stops were all worthwhile. We saw tons of koalas and penguins. We’re glad to have brought warm clothes (including hat and gloves) for the penguin viewing, as it was pretty chilly. The tour was definitely worth the money, and I would highly recommend it.
A fab experience with the perfect amount of time at the koala conservation centre before heading to see the penguins. Joel was very informative at the right level for adults and children.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the time at the Koala Conservation Centre and the penguin encounter. It's great that Joel provided informative and engaging insights suitable for both adults and children, enhancing the overall experience. We appreciate your feedback and hope to host you again for more memorable adventures!
The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island was a wonderful experience and one we would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Melbourne. Watching the little penguins emerge from the ocean at sunset and make their way across the beach to their burrows was something we’ll remember for a long time. The whole experience is very well organised, with excellent viewing areas and knowledgeable staff helping visitors appreciate the importance of protecting this unique wildlife. One piece of advice for anyone booking tickets: we chose the VIP Underground Viewing experience, but in hindsight we don’t feel it offered enough extra value over the Premier Viewing tickets. The Premier option provides an excellent view, and we think it offers the best balance of experience and value. If we visited again, we’d happily choose Premier Viewing. Overall, this was a fantastic wildlife experience and a real highlight of our time in Victoria. It’s a must-do if you’re travelling to Melbourne or the surrounding area.
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a memorable experience at the Penguin Parade and that you enjoyed the organization and the staff’s efforts to highlight the importance of wildlife conservation. We appreciate your tip regarding the ticket options and will take that into consideration for future visitors. It’s great to know that the Premier Viewing offers a fantastic experience and good value — we’ll keep that in mind for next time as well. Overall, we're thrilled that this was a highlight of your trip and that it left such a positive impression. Thanks again for sharing your experience, and we hope you get to enjoy more amazing wildlife adventures in the future!
Excellent guide. Knowledgeable and more importantly fun.
Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that you found the guide both knowledgeable and fun. Providing an enjoyable and informative experience is our top priority. We hope to see you again soon!
The penguins are adorable and it is so fun to watch for them coming out of the surf and heading to their burrows. Highly recommend upgrading to the premium plus as they waddle right by you!! Please note there is no photography after the sun goes down (do not be that person they have to remind to put your camera away and annoy your neighbors 😡). Also children under 12 aren’t supposed to be allowed in the premium area (please don’t lie, the children under 5 who were there had a hard time sitting still when nothing was happening (again don’t annoy your neighbors). Getting there was nice, the driver was knowledgeable and passionate about the koala conservation as well as the penguins. Enjoyed the stop to see the koalas and the Nobbies and the drive along the waters edge was beautiful. To Autopia: Would highly recommend that this tour just stop in the Aldi parking lot in Cowes and let people get food then take them to the beach to eat or raise the price and pass out a sack lunch. Too many options allowed people to be late returning which made our stop at the Nobbies to be shorter.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the penguin viewing, koalas, Nobbies, and the beautiful scenery along the way. We appreciate your feedback about the timing and stops, and we’ll share it with our team. Thanks again for joining us!
Definitely upgrade to the Penguin Plus viewing. That’s the reason we chose this tour. I’ve seen the penguins twice and if you really want to see them close the upgrade is worth it.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We're glad you enjoyed the Penguin Plus viewing and found the upgrade worthwhile. It’s a great way to get a closer look at the little penguins. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
Our tour guide, Fiona, took a great trip and made it amazing! She clearly loves nature, people, her job, and this tour area specifically. She was so warm and joyful, and she made sure we were smiling from the moment we got on the bus. And the bus itself was fantastic. The seats were comfortable, there were charging stations at each one, and there was WiFi on-board. The semi long drive was an ease for me and my kids. The bus size was also great because it was large enough to be a tour, but not so big you felt like cattle. The whole experience still felt really intimate. We had a great day.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear that Fiona made your trip so memorable with her passion for nature, people, and her work. Her warmth and joy truly shine through, and we're glad it made your day special from start to finish. We're also pleased that you enjoyed the comfort and amenities of the bus-charging stations, WiFi, and the perfect size to maintain an intimate atmosphere. It’s fantastic to know that the whole experience was enjoyable for you and your kids. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for more great adventures soon!
