Puffing Billy Steam Train & Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tour

Recommended by 100% of travelers

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Melbourne, Australia

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

14 to 17 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

It’s so tempting to explore further afield from the city when you’re on vacation, but between planning the route and the itinerary, it can feel like more trouble than it’s worth. But not so with this Puffing Billy tour Penguin Parade combo tour, which treats you to a side of Melbourne that way too many tourists don’t get to see, and with convenient pickup from a selection of hotels too.

Visit the famous penguin colony and try your luck spotting the birds
Ride the Puffing Billy Railway, which first opened in 1900
Enjoy relaxing free time at Lakeside to explore at your own pace
Guides share their unique local perspectives

What's Included

Pickup from Selected Hotels
Passionate & professional live guide (English)
One-way journey on Puffing Billy Steam Train
WiFi on board
All Fees and Taxes
Transportation by air-conditioned coach with upgraded seating
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Puffing Billy half-day morning tour
Phillip Island afternoon tour
General admission to the Penguin Parade

Food & Drink
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pickup is only available from the list of hotels provided upon checkout. Pickups are between 7am-8am. Your pickup will be between the times listed depending on your selected hotel. Your exact meeting time will be provided after a booking is placed. Tour duration varies with sunset times, with drop-offs as early as 9:30pm in winter, and after midnight in summer.

Start time
.7:00 am

Itinerary

Puffing Billy Railway

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Dandenong Ranges National Park (Pass By)

Puffing Billy Railway Lakeside Visitor Centre

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Emerald Lake Park

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Melbourne (Pass By)

Phillip Island

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Cape Woolamai Beach

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cowes

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

The Nobbies Centre

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Penguin Parade

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infant seats available

Most travelers can participate
Photography of any kind is not permitted at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Large bags, strollers, prams, baby capsules, luggage & walkers cannot be brought on board
Your Puffing Billy tour will run in the morning. You will then have free time in Melbourne city centre before meeting for your Phillip Island Express Tour the same afternoon at the Immigration Museum
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Andy_C

*Puffing Billy* We had a smooth pickup and a timely return to the city, enjoying a fun ride on the train with plenty of time to explore the scenic Emerald Lake afterward. Our guide, Jono, was very knowledgeable and even took us to another scenic spot for a short nature walk before Puffing Billy. He was friendly and helpful throughout, and when my daughter left her AirPods on the bus, he kindly took the time to help her retrieve them, which we truly appreciated. *Philip Island* Our guide, Jools, was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. She brought us to several beautiful scenic spots before taking us to the visitor centre to watch the penguins, giving us plenty of time to enjoy each stop. At the end of the trip, she even surprised us with personally handwritten gifts, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the day feel extra special.

Reviews

5.0

based on 41 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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It’s a LONG day if you’re...

Mark_S, Sep 2026

It’s a LONG day if you’re doing both, so pack some snacks and wear comfy footwear. The train ride is so much fun and beautiful scenery whether it’s sunshine or rain. Our driver David to Puffing Billy was a BLAST & he made the experience (even just the drive to the train) entertaining. Would definitely do Puffing Billy again. The change over to a new driver for our next trip to the Penguin Parade was a breeze. We stopped at some extra little places before going to watch the penguins. Just note you cannot take photos or videos of the Penguin Parade but they are adorable to watch waddle onto the shore. The tour was well worth the money.

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks so much for the fantastic review! 😊 It sounds like you made a proper full day of it! We’re especially happy to hear David brought so much fun to the Puffing Billy part of the day. When even the drive to the train is entertaining, you know you’ve got a good guide! 😄 It’s also lovely to hear that you enjoyed both the train ride and the Penguin Parade, and that the changeover between drivers was nice and easy. And yes, while the penguins definitely don’t make it easy for us to capture them on camera, seeing them waddle up the beach in person is pretty hard to beat! 🐧 Thanks as well for the helpful tips about snacks and comfy footwear. A long day is always a little easier when you’re prepared for it! We’re so glad the day felt well worth it, and hopefully there’s another Go West adventure waiting for you next time. The Great Ocean Road, Grampians or even our Puffing Billy & Redwoods experience could be a fun one to try! 😊💛

The guide, Jools is...

ChiYeung_C, Jul 2026

The guide, Jools is excellent and super friendly and helpful. What a memorable trip i had. Highly recommend

Enjoyable day with trains. Nature. Animals and the wonder of it all!

Marcia_J, Apr 2026

Both experiences are once in a lifetime trips to enjoy! The train ride is soo much fun and just beautiful. Unique. Step back in time while viewing picturesque landscapes. And the penguin parade is a wonder of nature unlike any other. Add to that all the nature and animals you see along the way - plus a fabulous guide like Alesia - well. There really is NOT anything you can’t enjoy. Being the cameras - but they MUST go away so as to not upset the very shy penguins. Enjoy every minute! We did!!!!!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed both experiences — Puffing Billy and the Phillip Island Express tour really do make for unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime moments. It’s fantastic to know you loved the charm of the train ride and the magical Penguin Parade, along with all the beautiful scenery and wildlife along the way. We’re especially happy to hear Alesia helped make the day even more enjoyable — we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words! And thank you for sharing that helpful tip about cameras — protecting the penguins is so important, and we appreciate you highlighting that for future travellers. Thank you again for travelling with Go West Tours. We hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future! 🐧🚂😊

It was a nice day ! We’ve...

lilou_g, Mar 2026

It was a nice day ! We’ve really enjoyed ! Thanks to Graeme for the puffing Billy tour and to Israel for Phillip Island !

Well worth the trip....

Sharon_D, Jan 2026

Well worth the trip. Puffing Billy was a great experience. The penguins was well worth the trip. We highly recommend.

Puffing and Penguins

Matthew_H, Dec 2025

Long day but really worthwhile. Experienced Guides were excellent. Steam train good but Penguins undoubtedly the highlight. Amazing experience. Don’t forget to take warm clothes and or coats as it gets very cold waiting for the penguins.

Puffing Billy...

Andy_C, Dec 2025

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thanks so much for your review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such enjoyable experiences on both your Puffing Billy and Phillip Island tours. Jono will be delighted to hear your kind words — from the smooth pickup and timely return to the extra nature walk and his help retrieving your daughter’s AirPods, it sounds like he went above and beyond to make the day special. We’re also so glad you enjoyed your Phillip Island tour with Jools. Her friendly, knowledgeable guidance, along with the thoughtful touches like the handwritten gifts, clearly made the day extra memorable. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences with us, and we hope to welcome you back on another Melbourne day tour in the future. Very best wishes for your onward travels.

Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade

Smita_P, Dec 2025

This was a whole day trip cut into two parts. In the morning Jess drove us to the Puffing Billy station. She was great, really upbeat and took loads of pictures for us. On the penguin parade we were accompanied by Alex’s, she was so funny and kept us up to date looking at out of our coach for wallabys. She had great banter and gave us the best recommendations for places to eat. But most importantly where we should look out for the penguins and to take the lower boardwalk, so that we were able to see hundreds of little penguins climbing up the banks to their burrows. I would recommend this trip !!!

Magical experiences with family

mhoeg08, Nov 2025

We started the morning with Alisha to head to Puffing Billy. She was very personable and we had a great time. We traveled with four children under the age of 10. The drive to Puffing Billy from the city is about 1 hour and 15 minutes. We were dropped back off in Melbourne and had some time to grab lunch before departing for Philip Island. Our guide Bluey was awesome. He provided great commentary on the 2 hour drive to the island. He also provided great tips for the penguin viewing. All in all it was a very long day but so worth it to experience both the train and penguins.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that your day started off so well with Alisha and that she helped make the Puffing Billy portion of your tour enjoyable for the whole family — especially with four young travellers onboard! It’s great to know the kids had a wonderful time. We’re equally pleased that your afternoon with Bluey was such a hit. His commentary, penguin-viewing tips, and easygoing guiding style make a long day feel smooth and rewarding, and we’re thrilled this helped you enjoy the Penguin Parade to the fullest. It is a big day out, but we’re so glad you felt it was worth it for both experiences. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope we’ll have the chance to welcome you and your family back for another adventure soon!

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