Puffing Billy Steam Train and Penguins Wildlife Tour
Description
Embark on an unforgettable day tour from Melbourne that combines two of Victoria’s most iconic experiences. Start your adventure with a nostalgic ride aboard the historic Puffing Billy steam train, winding through the breathtaking Dandenong Ranges. After soaking in the beauty of lush fern gullies and towering mountain ash trees, head to Phillip Island for an awe-inspiring encounter with nature. Witness the world-famous Penguin Parade as hundreds of adorable little penguins make their way from the ocean to their sandy burrows at sunset—a truly magical and heartwarming experience you won’t want to miss!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Enjoy a 1-hour steam train journey on Puffing Billy through lush rainforests, embracing the time-honored tradition of dangling your legs out of the train.
Wander through the new Lakeside Visitor Centre, a cultural hub with top-notch facilities.
At The Nobbies, you can explore the boardwalks and enjoy panoramic coastal views of Bass Strait, stroll along the clifftop boardwalks with views out to the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. You'll be able to take in an array of stunning sights as you explore the boardwalks, and if you're lucky, you might even see the blowhole in action!
Experience the amazing sight of little penguins waddling home from the ocean to their burrows at Phillip Island. Home to the largest little penguin colony in the world, you can watch these amazing seabirds every night of the year from our general viewing platform and boardwalks.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We offer 4 pickup locations from Melbourne CDB which are listed above. Your pickup depends on the time of year you have booked. Your exact meeting times are listed below and our team will confirm this with you after a booking is placed. 12:30 pm (Oct-Mar, Daylight savings) Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour departs from our main pickup location Mail Exchange Hotel - 688 Bourke Street @ 12:30pm and below are the pickup times from our other locations: * 11.45am Mercure Melbourne Southbank - 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank * 12.05pm Regent Theatre - 191 Collins St * 12.15pm Her Majesty’s Theatre - 219 Exhibition St 10:00 am (Apr -Sept, Non -daylight savings) Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour departs from our main pickup location Mail Exchange Hotel - 688 Bourke Street @ 10am and below are the pickup times from our other locations: * 9:20am Mercure Melbourne Southbank - 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank * 9:35amRegent Theatre - 191 Collins St * 9:45am Her Majesty’s Theatre - 219 Exhibition St As the time that the penguins arrive on the beach changes significantly during the year, our return time to Melbourne also varies significantly from 21:00 to 0:00
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The remaining hours of the tour are for the travel time
Reviews(47)
A fantastic day out. Well organised from start to finish and a great tour guide who was knowledgeable and friendly. A really great day out.
Great tour and experience would 100% recommend for anyone wanted to explore Victoria and our tour guide Stuart was amazing and definitely going to book again
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂🐧 We’re thrilled you had such a great experience exploring Victoria with us. Stuart will be delighted to hear your kind words! Thank you for recommending us, and we’d love to welcome you back for another adventure soon. 💜
We had an absolutely amazing time on our tour to PuffingBilly and to the penguins. Lachie was an incredible guide who filled the day with so many fun facts and humour. He had every member of the group engaged and enjoying every moment. I’m lucky enough to have experienced Lachie as a host twice now and if we could request a particular guide I would totally do another trip with him. Best value for money and the best experience.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂🐧 We’re thrilled you had such an amazing day at Puffing Billy and the Penguin Parade. Lachie will be delighted to hear your kind words about his humour, knowledge and ability to keep everyone engaged. It’s fantastic to know you’ve enjoyed two tours with him! We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you back again soon. 💜
I was on this trip in January but didn’t share my review earlier. Catching up now! It was the most amazing day I could’ve imagined! Gary- the tour guide- was so professional and friendly. I experienced the beauty of Australia during the steam train ride and had so much fun! 🤩 the whole itinerary was wonderful and I truly recommend the penguin premium option for a truly unforgettable experience! Thank you! Thanks to this experience I still continue using the app. So positively surprised I was!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 🌟🚂🐧 We are thrilled to hear this was one of the best trips of your life! Gary will be delighted to hear your kind words about his professionalism and friendly approach. We are so glad you enjoyed the itinerary, Puffing Billy and the Penguin Premium experience. Thank you for recommending us and for sharing such a special memory! 💜
A well-deserved shout-out to our tour guide/ driver anthony! Friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly patient with the kids, making the whole experience enjoyable for everyone. Thank you for keeping the tour fun, engaging, and family-friendly. Highly recommended!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hi Thanks for the awesome review. Anthony is a ripper guide and we are lucky to have him for sure. So glad the whole family enjoyed the trip. I will pass this onto him. Have a great day. Thanks Marnie Explore Australia Tours.
Trip as good especially our guide Anthony ❤️
Hi Thanks for the great review. Anthony is a fantastic guide, i will pass this message onto him. Have a great day. Marnie Explore Australia Tours.
Puffing Billy was great……absolutely loved it……but not much to do before going to the penguins. A few stops, and some interesting local information. Unfortunately the weather gods were not on our side and it rained just as the penguins were coming ashore. Despite being told multiple times to not use umbrellas or take photos, everyone around us did which made it difficult to see anything. Pretty disappointing.
Hi Allie, we really appreciate your feedback! It is great to hear you loved the Puffing Billy adventure, even though the weather tried to put a damper on the penguins. We're sorry to hear about the umbrella and photo situation overshadowing the experience a bit. It is frustrating when some guests do not follow the guidelines. Your insights are important to us, and we'll keep them in mind to improve our next tours. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Allie.
Got to spend the day with our tour guide, Stuart, who was absolutely phenomenal. He provided detailed and engaging commentary throughout the entire trip, explaining every area we traveled through and always giving clear directions whenever we had free time to explore on our own. Our group consisted of seven people, and every single one of us agreed that Stuart elevated an already incredible experience to another level. Highly recommend him! The Puffing Billy Steam Railway through the rainforest was the perfect length and truly unforgettable. The scenery was breathtaking, and the train itself was fantastic. Many passengers chose to sit on the ledge with their legs dangling outside the carriage — completely safely, of course, as that’s part of the authentic Puffing Billy experience. For those who prefer to stay seated inside, the seats were very comfortable and didn’t take away from the experience at all. The Penguin Wildlife Tour was a genuine bucket-list experience. Coming from Canada, seeing penguins in the wild is something we simply don’t get to experience back home. Most of our group, myself included, upgraded to the Penguins Plus package, and it was absolutely worth it. We were seated right on the beach and witnessed hundreds — possibly over a thousand — little penguins waddling right past us, only feet away. It was incredible. Even after about 30 minutes, we had already watched four separate waves of penguins come ashore. On the walk back to the main building, several hundred meters from the beach, we were still able to walk alongside these amazing little animals as they waddled up the hillside toward their burrows. Photos and videos are not allowed because penguins are extremely sensitive to light, and protecting their environment is important. Honestly, though, this experience is something that will stay with me forever regardless. I HIGHLY recommend Explore Australia and especially Stuart to anyone considering this tour. Thank you all for an unforgettable experience! Best regards, Mike from Canada
What a joy it is to read your amazing review, Mike! 😊 We are absolutely thrilled to hear that Stuart was able to elevate your experience and make the day unforgettable for you and your group. The Puffing Billy Steam Railway truly offers breathtaking scenery, and we are so pleased you found it memorable. The Penguin Wildlife Tour sounds like a dream come true, especially for someone coming from Canada, and we are delighted you enjoyed the Penguins Plus package. Witnessing those little penguins up close really is a bucket-list experience. Your recommendation and lovely words mean the world to us. Thank you for choosing Explore Australia Tours, and we hope to welcome you back for another incredible adventure soon! 🐧🚂✨
Our tour guide Michael was the best—such a cool guy! He even remembered everyone’s names. I’m a big fan of Michael.
Hi Louisa thanks for the great 5 star review!! I will make sure i pass this onto Michael, he is an absolute legend and we are so lucky to have him at Explore Australia Tours. Hope you enjoyed the Puffing Billy and Penguins as well lol. Have a great time for the rest of your travels. The team @ Explore Australia Tours
The tour delivered above our expectations. Our tour guide Gina was enthusiastic, professional and very knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this tour. Book with Explore Australia
Natalie, what a delight to read your thoughts! 😊 We are so pleased to hear the tour exceeded your expectations and that Gina made everything so enjoyable with her enthusiasm and expertise. Your high recommendation means a lot to us, and we are thrilled you had such a fantastic experience. Thank you so much for choosing Explore Australia— we look forward to welcoming you back for another unforgettable adventure soon! 🌟
