Full-Day Phillip Island Tour with Kangaroo, Koala and Penguin Parade
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Melbourne, Australia
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the best of Phillip Island on this group tour from Melbourne, where all the details are taken care of so you just need to relax and take in the sites. Keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, koalas, and the adorable tiny penguins who populate the island. Make sure your cameras are charged for photos at beautiful viewpoints, like at Cowes, and more.
- Stroll through Moonlit Sanctuary to see wombats, Tasmanian devils, and more
- Spend some time relaxing at Woolamai Beach
- Look at volcanic rock formations at Nobbies and see fur seals
- Make a few new friends on this group tour to Phillip Island
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Wildlife Viewing
- Melbourne CBD Pick up and Drop off
- General admission to the Penguin Parade
- Entrance to the Moonlit Sanctuary
- Free Audio Guide App
- Lunch
- DinnerYou can purchase dinner at the town of Cowes
- Bottled waterPlease bring you own water bottles, we discourage the use of single use plastic bottles
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Woolamai Beach
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Cowes
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
The Nobbies Centre
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Unfortunately we cannot take infants under the age of 3 years old
- Please note: Evenings on Phillip Island can be cold and windy during the Penguin Parade. We recommend wearing warm clothing, such as a good jacket, to stay comfortable.
- Most travellers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 39 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 785 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Gayle_J, Jul 2026
Wonderful bucket list experience seeing the penguins. A relaxing day but make sure you rugg up as it is cold down on the beach. Our driver/tour guide Jono was an excellent ambassador, knowledgable and polite, friendly and entertaining. I would highly recommend this trip.
Eddie_T, Jul 2026
Good experience in total. Very nice and friendly driver-guide. Perfect timing too. The arrangement is great. Will surely book for other tours in the future.
Jennifer_I, Jul 2026
I was so impressed with the entire experience from start to finish! Eliot was our tour guide and had me giggling the entire time. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The views from Philip Island were breathtaking and interacting with wildlife up close was incredible. My only suggestion would be to upgrade from general viewing to see the penguins closer or bring binoculars as I saw other visitors do. Overall, I enjoyed it very much and would strongly recommend.
Lea_V, Jul 2026
Great experience exploring Aussie’s wildlife and beautiful nature - beaches and cliffs on Philip island were incredible
Craig_C, Jul 2026
Is it weird that we'd recommend this trip to others, and that the relatively worst part of it was Penguin Island? Maybe so. Yet here we are.
It was a fun day of experiencing Australia's wildlife, including a rare albino baby kangaroo, and the drive to a fun coastal town and the tour around the island were great. Seeing wallabies in the wild is a memory we'll have forever.
The only downside was the beach in the evening, where we saw maybe a dozen penguins total, and were led to believe by other tourists we'd see 200-300 coming out of the water. Now, park rangers said it wasn't the breeding season, so that may have played a role, but ultimately, we got to see a dozen penguins up close and personal, which, by my count, is about a dozen more than I'd ever seen in the wild. So it was a good day overall.
Linda_P, Jul 2026
Craig our tour guide was wonderful. He had extensive knowledge and was prepared for everything including wet weather. The trip was amazing stopping off at a sanctuary that was really enjoyable. The unforgettable experience was the penguins.
Gieselle_S, Jul 2026
It will be a long day but very fun! If you are going during the Australian winter or weather predicts rain, make sure to wear warm, rain wear. Eliot was a great guide and loved the smaller group size. Wish we saw some seals but the Penquin Parade at the end was the best!
Kathy_R, Jun 2026
It was a long day - about 11 hours in all, but worth it. The weather could have cooperated a bit more, but all our stops were beautiful. Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and of course penguins! Craig took great care of us. I would do this trip again!
Mehul_P, Jun 2026
Phillip Island does not have any koalas and kangaroos. Though penguin parade is amazing. Tour takes you to Moonlit Sanctuary and then to Phillip Island.
Rachel_Y, Jun 2026
Lovely experience. Wonderful sights, wildlife. The penguin parade was magnificent. Dress warmly because it’s breezy by the ocean.
Paula_H, Jun 2026
Great wildlife day with our tour guide, Elliot, who educated and entertained us. The Moonlit Sanctuary was a pleasant surprise to walk among so many animals or be so near them. My husband got to pet a kangaroo and you can feed them. The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island Nature Park is a great surrounding and experience but please note that the penguins are on their schedule - not yours - so don’t be surprised about a wait or the possibility of not seeing many as viewers jostle for positioning.
We enjoyed our guide’s tips and info about Melbourne and other towns including great restaurant suggestions. Our only disappointment was we thought this was a smaller tour (rather than a large busload). Will pay closer attention next time to avoid the hassles of a large group.
Joanne_F, Jun 2026
This tour was an absolute waste of time and money. Although the bus arrived on time for my sister and me, every other stop was a disaster long delays, constant waiting around for late passengers, and a tour guide who made zero effort to stick to the schedule.
Moonlit Sanctuary was nothing more than a pointless filler activity. The advertising makes it sound like part of the Phillip Island experience, but it’s nowhere near it and adds nothing except wasted hours. Because people didn’t follow the timings and the guide didn’t enforce them, we lost valuable time at the Nobbies Boardwalk and had no chance to visit the Penguin Parade information centre, grab food, or even look around.
To make it worse, after finally seeing the penguins, we were told to be back on the bus within an hour completely unrealistic and unfair given the chaos earlier in the day.
When I requested a refund for this poorly run, misleading tour, I was offered a 25% of the ticket price.
Save yourself the frustration. Skip this tour entirely. Hire a car and do the trip yourself, you’ll have a far better experience without the incompetence and time‑wasting.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi,
We're sorry to hear that the tour didn't meet your expectations.
Moonlit Sanctuary is a scheduled part of our advertised Phillip Island itinerary, and while delays caused by late returning guests can occasionally affect the time available at later stops, our guides always do their best to keep the day running as smoothly as possible while ensuring no one is left behind.
We appreciate your feedback and are sorry that the resolution we offered did not meet your expectations.
Kind regards
Jane_S, Jun 2026
Great bus driver/guide. Loved the stops on the way, especially Moonlit sanctuary. We should have had more time there. I was upset that the penguin parade was so commercialized. Too many people at one time. I felt we were infringing on the penguins territory.
Tapan_M, Jun 2026
The tour itinery is good but the satisfaction depends on the guide which was not visited ble here.
The tour guide is rubbish in information sharing to make the tour interesting
He is over smart than required
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi,
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience with the guide did not meet your expectations. Our aim is for every guide to provide an engaging and informative tour, so we're disappointed this wasn't your experience.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your comments, and we'll pass your feedback on to the relevant team.
Kind regards,
Anonymous, Jun 2026
You should stick to the plan obviously, if the flight is cancelled and you've got delay, they wont wait for you even for 15 minutes but that's fine, al least I learn something.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi,
Thank you for your feedback. We understand your disappointment. While we do our best to wait for late guests where circumstances allow, this isn't always possible. Every situation is different and depends on factors such as the day's schedule, traffic conditions, and the impact on other guests. We appreciate that this can be frustrating, but we're always trying to balance the needs of everyone on the tour.
Kind regards,
Beatriz_R, Jun 2026
Quick overview of Phillip Island. We stopped at the Moonlight sanctuary on the way there where we could see a bunch of Australian animals. I'm not a big fan of zoos but I enjoyed this visit.
I also loved the Nobbies, where we could see some penguins in their burrows. Very cute!
And then the reason of the trip: the penguin parade! At this time of the year they don't come in thousands but in hundreds. Yet it was a thrilling experience to see them emerge from the water and group before marching.
I just wish we could have had an extra hour or so to spend 30 mins more in the sanctuary and at the Nobbies.
Justin_S, Jun 2026
The penguin experience was the highlight of the day, for sure. We also enjoyed the Moonlit Sanctuary as we were able to see and get videos of the koala feeding. Cowes was a nice city but the beachside area that we went to was under construction and many of the shops/ restaurants were closed.
Julie_K, Jun 2026
The entire journey was well laid out and our driver/guide (Craig) was fantastic! He took such good care of us and made the trip so fun! He shared so much of his knowledge at the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park with my friend and me. It made us feel very welcomed and we appreciated this gesture of kindness. Each stop on the tour he was very clear with the return time which kept everything on track. The Penguin Parade was a definite highlight! A perfectly wonderful day!
RAFIDAH_D, Jun 2026
Good experience. Good tour operator. great places visited throughout the day visit. had an incredible experience at penguin parade.
Klara_V, Jun 2026
Stunning views, cute penguins, extremely nice and wise guide Craig. The wild ocean with foamy waves cought me most.
Amanider_S, Jun 2026
I loved the experience and Elliot was very funny and informative. I would recommend everyone to go on this beautiful trip.
Niroshan_S, May 2026
This is a really great tour packing in a number of things but just felt so hurried at every place. Better communication about pick up time would have enabled me to have not rushed getting there for 9.45 am when the pick up was in fact at 10.50am... There was a few of us who had not got any messages.
No Headcounts - I was left at one place and coach had to come back. Viator and The zoo was excellent in getting the coach to come back and pick me up. I got a free voucher to use at the zoo cafe , but unfortunately I had already eaten ...so gave it to the driver....
Passengers should have been told to remain in same seat throughout the journey. This caused some friction amongst some passengers during trip which I don't think driver was made aware off.
30 Mins for a dinner stop off- hardly had time to eat .
We should have been warned that no photos would be allowed where the penguins were to be seen.
I had some excellent Viator trips during this holiday and feel with a few minor operational adjustments, it could easily be a 5 star review. ..simple things like headcounts, passengers asked not to move seats ( seat numbers should be allocated ) and an hour for dinner as well as a bit longer duration at zoo .. The beach spot was lovely but cafe was shut...
Nellyfreed, May 2026
It’s a long day so ve prepared. Viator scheduled this through another provider and therefore we did not get the message if the derailed tine fir pick up. Also we did not have an option to upgrade our seating to watch the penguin parade through our reservation with Viator
Tyrone_F, May 2026
A full day out of the city to explore the beautiful Phillip island and the lovely seaside town of Cowes before ending the tour watching the penguins during twilight.
The first stop at Moonlit Sanctuary was a great start feeding the Ozzie wildlife before we continued on the tour.
Overall a very enjoyable day out in the capable hands of our driver and tour guide Craig. He did an excellent job indeed!
Manmohan_N, May 2026
John was excellent as our tour guide. He was good with clear communication and timings and had enough time for sight seeing
Cheryl_T, May 2026
The guide made very inappropriate jokes some of which were transphobic, sexist, and ethnic. He started 20 minutes late and never gave us a chance to really eat. At the Moonlit Sanctuary, he left one of the passengers behind because he never bothered counting and then blamed the rest of us for not realizing the person was not there. We finally got to the penguin parade but by then it was pretty much dark and the person at the park told me that we had missed the bulk of the penquins coming out of the water. The guides attitude was, "as long as you see some, that's good enough". He just doesn't seem to care about the quality service he provides.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're very sorry to hear about your experience.
The comments you've raised regarding the guide's conduct are concerning and do not reflect the standard of professionalism we expect from our team. We also regret that delays impacted your experience and that you felt rushed at the Penguin Parade.
We appreciate you bringing these matters to our attention, and your feedback will be reviewed internally.
Kind regards,
Digvir_J, May 2026
It was too much hyped activity. We saw few penguins. It was not worth the money and time. Will not recommend to anyone.
Jose_P, Apr 2026
There was confusion about the time of the activity. A message was sent that the activity was to begin at 1120 but the tickets received later said 1030. So had to wait for almost an hour. They should tell the customers that the penguin parade is quite chilly at this time of year in order to bring warm clothing !
Annette_S, Apr 2026
Great trip overall and very well organized. Elliott was a terrific guide - very funny, informative and engaging.
Kenneth_B, Apr 2026
John is an excellent guide with a lot of information about Melbourne and the wildlife in the area. Get to the viewing stands early so you get a good seat on the right side or middle of the stands. Walk along the left side of the boardwalk when leaving as you will see more penguins in their natural habitat.
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