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(488)
Joel was fantastic! Great tour and tour guide. We saw koalas at the reserve and we loved the penguin parade! The penguin parade was worth the ticket alone. There were 3 opportunities to buy food and use the restrooms. Joel is very knowledgeable and very friendly.
Fiona is a great guide, she explained really well about the trip and also gave us a lot of useful tips to make our trip an amazing experience… The whole tour, seeing the koalas, the short stop for photos at the noobies, and especially the main attraction seeing the penguins parade was absolutely amazing!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! It’s fantastic to hear that Fiona was such a great guide, providing clear explanations and helpful tips to enhance your trip. It sounds like you had some truly memorable moments, from spotting adorable koalas and capturing great photos at the Noobies to the highlight of the penguin parade-absolutely magical! We’re glad the tour exceeded your expectations and that Fiona contributed to making your adventure so special. Looking forward to more amazing journeys in the future!
Really cool experience! Lauren was the absolute best!! She had the best personality, made sure we had plenty of rest stops, gave us exact detail and instruction as to the time we had for each location and best spotting for the penguins! Lauren wasd 10/10 all around! The experience itself, I recommend doing a tour that just brings you to Philip island for the penguins. We stopped at lunch first, went to koalas and then hit the penguins (left 12am ish) and we saw the penguins from 6-8ish. It was quite a long day. Understandably it is a 2 hour drive but i feel leaving almost 2-3 hours later would make the day feel less long. OVerall though, no regrets it was a wonderful experience, comfy bus with wifi and great tour guide!
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience! We're thrilled to hear that Lauren provided exceptional service and made the tour memorable with her personality, attention to detail, and helpful instructions. It’s wonderful to know she made your day special. Your recommendation to do a dedicated tour to Philip Island for the penguins is very helpful for future visitors. It sounds like you had a full and enjoyable day, with great stops at the koalas, lunch, and the penguin viewing in the evening. Your feedback about the timing is valuable, and we'll consider it to improve the experience. We’re glad you enjoyed the comfy bus, wifi, and the overall tour. Thank you for choosing this adventure, and we hope to welcome you back again soon!
Fiona was a great guide, thoroughly enjoyed it. She was full of interesting facts.
Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed your Phillip Island day trip and had a great time with Fiona. It’s wonderful to hear her knowledge and interesting facts added to your experience. We really appreciate your feedback!
Anthony, aka Ant-Man, has been very helpful and passionate about this tour. He gave us significant hints to fully understand wildlife and nature. Thanks a lot for your support and guidance during the day!
Thanks for the lovely review! 😊 We're so glad you enjoyed the day at Phillip Island and found Anthony’s passion and insights helpful. He’ll be really happy to hear your kind words. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again soon!
Thanks Fi! Awesome trip and we had a good time
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're delighted to hear you had an awesome trip and enjoyed your time. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back for more great adventures in the future. Safe travels and see you again soon!
It was a great experience seeing penguin parade, koalas and some of other wild lives. Our driver Joel was very friendly. Thank you very much!!
Thank you for sharing your lovely feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the penguin parade, koalas, and other wildlife. It's fantastic that Joel, our driver, made your experience even more enjoyable with his friendliness. We truly appreciate your kind words and thank you very much for choosing us. We look forward to welcoming you again for more memorable adventures!
Comfortable, punctual, and very interesting to see the koalas in their protected habitat, and the penguin parade is unique. Everything is well organized. The explanations have been sufficient and interesting. I appreciated seeing the respect they show for the environment; everything is meticulously cared for to protect biodiversity and ecosystems.
Thank you for sharing your positive experience! We're delighted to hear that you found the trip comfortable, punctual, and interesting, especially the opportunity to see the koalas and enjoy the penguin parade. It's wonderful that you appreciated the well-organized nature of the tour, the engaging explanations, and the respect shown for the environment. Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems is a core value for us, and we're glad it resonated with you. We hope to welcome you back for more memorable adventures in the future!
Excellent guide, rather touristy content
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you found the guide excellent. We appreciate your honesty about the tour feeling somewhat touristic - we'll take that into consideration to improve the experience. Your input helps us create more authentic and personalized journeys. We hope to have the opportunity to make your next tour even better!
Today I had the privilege of seeing the penguins for my second time in 2years. This time I chose to go with Autopia Tours and I'm glad I did. Our driver who unfortunately I cannot remember his name, was totally amazing. His knowledge that he shared was awesome and I feel like I know a lot more about Phillip island and it's history, the animals and especially the penguins. I can definitely recommend Autopia Tours in Melbourne for tours. (I went on the Penguins parade tour on the Friday 29th May 2026. If can find his name from that Autopia Tours, he needs a huge thankyou from me)
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Autopia Tours! We're thrilled that you chose us for your second visit to Phillip Island and that your driver, whose knowledge made such an impression, helped you learn even more about the island's history, wildlife, and the penguins. We appreciate your high recommendation of Autopia Tours in Melbourne and are glad you enjoyed the Penguins Parade tour. We will pass along your gratitude to the driver-he will surely appreciate your kind words. We hope to welcome you back again soon for more memorable adventures!
