Phillip Island Penguin Parade Express Tour from Melbourne

Recommended by 93% of travelers

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Melbourne, Australia

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

8 to 10 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Maximize your time in Australia, and check off two of Victoria's top wildlife spectacles in just one day on this comprehensive tour. From Melbourne, head to the Nobbies to soak up views of Philip Island's south coast, and check out the colony of resident fur seals. Then, it's time to spot some of the area's cutest residents, little penguins (also known as "fairy penguins"). As the night rolls in, watch as hundreds waddle along the beach and head into their burrows.

Get up close to native Australian wildlife—in a respectful, hands-off way
Entry fees are included for a seamless experience
Round-trip transport from Melbourne makes exploring beyond the city easy
Go beyond the guidebooks as you learn about the area from a local guide

What's Included

Friendly & informative tour guide
WiFi on board
Park Entry Fees
Air-conditioned vehicle
General viewing entry fees at the Penguin Parade

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Flinders Street & Market Street
Flinders St & Market St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Please wait at the corner of Flinders & Market Streets, next to the Immigration Museum. **Please do not wait at the front entry of the Museum** - Pickup is at 1:45pm if travelling during non-daylight savings times, AEST. - Pickup is at 2:45pm if travelling during daylight savings time, AEDT.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

The Nobbies

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Phillip Island Nature Parks 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 and video are NOT PERMITTED at the Penguin Parade
Large bags, strollers, prams, baby capsules, luggage & walkers cannot be brought on board
This tour returns to Melbourne at approximately 9pm-12am depending on the season
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

Paul_R

We had a great time with Angel Our guide. The trip was so much more than we expected. 2 stops at beautiful beaches along the way before we got to the penguins. Highly recommended

Reviews

4.7

based on 187 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Very very few penguins in late feb.

Amit_K, Mar 2026

Cloe was a great tour guide. And the tour itself is fun but during my visit i.e. late February there were hardly any penguins. I was traveling with friends who were locals and they said typically its a minimum of 400 penguins and as high as 32000 in one night. People over at the Milawul island knew about it when I asked the staff over there. I felt cheated that they knew about it and yet sold tickets. They could've just told people not to come or refunded their money.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your feedback and for joining our tour. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the experience and that Cloe helped make the day enjoyable. Penguin numbers at the Penguin Parade vary significantly throughout the year and from night to night, as the penguins return from the ocean in naturally fluctuating groups. While the reserve tracks approximate numbers, these are wildlife sightings and unfortunately cannot be predicted or numbers guaranteed in advance. We understand that seeing fewer penguins than expected can be disappointing and appreciate you sharing your experience.

Not the tour for the Penguin Parade

Justin_R, Feb 2026

The experience was 9 hours, 2:45pm - 11:45pm. We spent a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes at the penguin parade. We spent 30 minutes at a beach to watch surfers, 45 minutes at a nice boardwalk and then we scouted the Penguin Parade and were told where to the best seats were for when we enter. And then… we went to a town for dinner! Not the Penguin Parade, but a 1 hour trip so people could enjoy a nice dinner. We brought our dinner as to not miss any time with the penguins. The Penguin Parade facility has restaurants… they could have let those that wanted to spend time with the penguins, visit the center, go to the gift shop, enjoy the actual tour location. Instead we arrived as one of the last tour buses and had to hustle to the viewing area and all the good seats were taken. We were so late… it was so unacceptable. We just didn’t have enough time with the entire reason for the trip! A nice dinner out was more important than the penguins. The only reason the tour gets two stars is the guide was energetic, kind and did a great job outside of the itinerary.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your detailed feedback, and we’re sorry to hear the experience did not meet your expectations. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed your guide’s energy and care throughout the day. Our Penguin Parade Express Tour is designed as a half-day sightseeing experience that includes several Phillip Island highlights before arriving at the Penguin Parade in time for the evening arrival of the penguins. The dinner stop is scheduled prior to the parade as guest feedback on food options at the Penguin Parade venue has historically been very poor. Arrival times at the Penguin Parade are carefully planned around seasonal penguin arrival times and operational access windows. We regret that the timing felt rushed on this occasion and appreciate your feedback, which will be shared with our operations team as we continue refining the experience.

Penguin parade

Kathleen_G, Jan 2026

It is a very long day, but definitely worth it to see the penguins. Our guide also took us to several other places on the way that were very interesting.

Penguin Parade

Paul_R, Jan 2026

We had a great time with Angel Our guide. The trip was so much more than we expected. 2 stops at beautiful beaches along the way before we got to the penguins. Highly recommended

Nature’s Cutest Parade

Ann_L, Dec 2025

Nature’s cutest parade. Beautiful experience to see those penguins coming out from sea. Our tour driver, Chris was awesome.

memorable

Rene_C, Jun 2025

it's exciting to see those little penguins walk towards their habitat, they are all cute, it's a memorable experience

Penguins and more!

David_H, Jun 2025

Our guide/driver Sophia is the best. Entertaining and informative, with an encyclopedic knowledge of her city and state, including its eateries. She saved the best for last: the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. A long day, but a perfect one.

Great experience!

Amruta_P, Apr 2025

Excellent experience! We loved seeing the little penguins. The weather was terrible, but everything else totally made up for it. Special shoutout to our incredible tour guide and driver James C! We were traveling with our whole family with kids and grandma- he took very good care of us. We liked all the stories about Australia, Philip island and the food recommendations. He was also very kind to drop us off very close to our hotel to make our journey very very comfortable. 10/10 would recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such an excellent experience on your Phillip Island Penguin Parade tour, despite the challenging weather. It’s fantastic to know that James C took such great care of you and your family, helping to make the day so memorable and comfortable for everyone. We’re so pleased you enjoyed the stories, recommendations, and of course, the magical sight of the little penguins! Thanks again for travelling with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future. Very best wishes for your onward journey!

Simon was a great guide,...

Debra_E, Apr 2025

Simon was a great guide, safe driver and informative. Tour left on time and Simon provided information along the way. Only 14 on the tour, maximum was 24 so we had room to spread out on the bus. Despite the afternoon traffic and slightly longer journey time we still had plenty of time to walk along the boardwalk and explore the shop at The Nobbies. Simon showed us the viewing area for the parade and best place and time to sit. We had eaten before the start of the tour so didn’t need to buy food at the information centre. There were long queues. Gift shops had plenty of selections. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate as it started to rain and was windy as the penguins came ashore, luckily we were prepared. Simon had allowed plenty of time for us to view the penguins before having to rejoin the bus for the trip back to Melbourne. We were dropped off closer to our hotel in the way home as it was around 11pm. Would happily do another tour with GoWest as they were very professional.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that Simon made your Phillip Island Penguin Parade tour enjoyable and that you felt safe and well-informed throughout the journey. It’s great to know that you appreciated the smaller group size and the time you had to explore The Nobbies and enjoy the penguin parade. We’re also glad you were prepared for the weather – it can be unpredictable at times, but we're happy Simon made sure you had plenty of time to enjoy the experience. If you’re ever back in Melbourne, we’d love to welcome you on another tour, whether it’s to the Great Ocean Road or the Yarra Valley! Thanks again for your kind words, and we hope to see you on another adventure soon!

Riding for the Penguins

Doraiswamy_R, Jan 2025

The bus ride itself was a unique experience with Alisha driving us all the way and telling us about the different places on the way. And the penguin parade at the end was just spectacular

Loved it!

Andrea_G, Oct 2024

We really enjoyed this experience. Our driver/guide was excellent and the Penguin Parade was so amazing I don’t have words. Loved it.

Penguins parade Phillip Island

Ramunas_K, Sep 2024

Absolutely worth it, experience of a lifetime to see world's smallest penguins returning from the sea to their burrows after sunset.

Fantastic

John_C, Mar 2024

Excellent experience! Really enjoyed it. A brilliant afternoon/evening out from Melbourne. Superb scenery, too.

A great experience!

Shirley_S, Mar 2024

Phillip island is a beautiful spot, developed keeping wildlife in mind, while allowing people to get close to see them. Our guide Frank was very entertaining and knowledgeable!

Great experience

Cristiana_B, Feb 2024

Great excursion with Go West tours! Bluey our guide made the whole experience even more entertaining and informative!

Super cool but a bit hard to see

Lauren_H, Feb 2024

Great trip overall and got to see the town and a few extra sights. Nice if you want a half day trip. We got to the parade about 45 minutes before the penguins came out of the water and it was already packed so we didn’t get the best seats. I’d recommend paying extra for the exclusive view if you really want to see them and bring binoculars or go on your own and arrive pretty early.

Best trip ever

Yueer_J, Aug 2023

This trip is incredible. It’s safe and you can observe the wild lives along the way. Our guide John is very professional and keep us back to city on time. Do not drink too much water before the trip as it takes around two hours to get to the first stop on the island. Must bring warm clothes as the wind on the island at night is killing.

Guided ranger visit to the penguins

Lori_C, Feb 2020

We opted for the ranger guided tour for the penguin parade. We didn’t realize all the other activities. We stopped at the Moonlit Sanctuary for an our and had time to see Australian animals up close. We then went to the Nobbies, for beautiful scenery and a stop in Cowes for dinner. I would have liked a little more time at the Penguin parade as the gift shop was very nice but no time to shop. We met our ranger and in a small group of 8 she equipped us with binoculars and headset and guided us to great seats. We saw hundreds of penguins come out of the water and later followed along the path they were taking. It was great. I do not believe the general admission folks could see what we saw, they were too far away. It was definitely worth the premium. Our guide Paul who drove us was also excellent. The only disappointment was no photos allowed.

Penguin Parade

lrobwerner, Feb 2020

Seeing the parade of Penguins is a worthwhile tourist experience. We did not realize the afternoon tour would stretch to midnight. One has to be at the Island sight at night to see them. After we did the tour, we were informed by our hotel staff that one could see Penguins on a local beach without charge. The tour would have been better and would not have taken so long if it just had the Penguin parade. The animal park we stopped at was low end and not as nice as many others. The tour director was both caring and a nervous wellie. He made us think that we would not have time to stop for dinner which led us to order poor quality food at the park. We thereafter went to a small town where we had plenty of time to order food from a variety of restaurants. Keep in mind that the initial tour advertised has upgrades giving better locations for viewing. They are worth while, but one needs to arrive early for good placement.

very nice tour with the wonderful guide

Joongil_S, May 2019

It was really good tour! Penguins! It was an amazing experience. I and my family went tour with the tour guide Mr. Rob. He was very kind and knowledgeable not only to tour spots but also to daily life in Melbourne, so we really enjoy the way to the spots. The bus was spacious and the agency prepared kid-seat for my son, and it was very helpful to take care of safety. It was a good tour.

do not recommend this trip

Steven_B, Dec 2018

poor guide no explanations re the area Moonlit animal sanctuary is a waste of time animals in cages awful

Wonderful to see the tiny penguins...

Jessica C, Jun 2018

Wonderful to see the tiny penguins up close! Slightly windy by the shore. Knowledgeable tour guide.

Dont miss the penguin parade! One of...

Kevin L, Mar 2018

Dont miss the penguin parade! One of the great experiences of our Australian trip! Very good Itinerary.

The wildlife tour was great, we got...

Jayson J, Jan 2018

The wildlife tour was great, we got to see a field full of kangaroo's and the penguins were so fun to watch coming out of the sea. They don't come out until dark, and can be hard to see, I recommend taking some good binoculars. Also no camera's are allowed when it gets dark as the flash shares the little ones.

it was a nice day, the guide gave a lot...

nathalie s, Oct 2017

it was a nice day, the guide gave a lot of informations. great time!

The Tour was amazing. Our bus driver...

Malessa B, Sep 2017

The Tour was amazing. Our bus driver PHIL was lovely and very informative throughout the day. The penguins did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this trip to others as it was a good way to see a bit of the Victorian countryside as well. Worth the money.

The penguin were great and the...

Noel K, Oct 2016

The penguin were great and the driver was knowledgeable, unfortunately the shuttle van was in terrible condition. The door kept jamming and worse the driver had to keep pulling over to burn off the debris in the Fuso buses Eco Filter to avaoid a break down. Not fun having to get out of the bus in 35 degrees in high wind at night.

Pick up was not on time and needless...

IsaiahJoahl_C, Aug 2016

Pick up was not on time and needless to say it ate into our time at the Moonlit Sanctuary which we only had just under an hour to brisk walk through everything and not have enough time to soak it all in. Made our way to the Nobbies, which unfortunately did not see any seals at all. Arrived at the Penguin Centre which looked like there were way too many tourists than it could fit. Massive lines for food and drinks but we just headed to the Penguin Plus Platform in hopes to get good seats anyway. Reached the platform, already packed but luckily both of us managed to squeeze in into a pretty awesome spot where we could see the penguins come up from the waters, making their way across the beach and then heading up the hills or along the walkway. Downside is that, we bought the Penguin Plus which to my knowledge was a limited seating area, but there was obviously not enough room for everyone that day. And you can't go way early to get the best choice seats because that would depend on what time the tour bus takes you there. Overall, it would have been a lot better if the tour left on time like they said they would, and if the Penguin Parade would actually do a little more for crowd control. I know it is a tourist spot and brings in good money for the conservation but if it's just going to be overcrowded like that every time, I don't think it's worth paying the Penguin Plus prices. Just take a road trip there yourself.

Very enjoyable tour. Plenty of time...

Mark H, Mar 2016

Very enjoyable tour. Plenty of time at each attraction. The penguin parade was probably the highlight for the day. Our driver graham could have provided a bit more information about the areas we were travelling through but all in all a very enjoyable but hot day.

Una jornada muy completa...

ISA M, Nov 2017

Una jornada muy completa, disfrutando primero de la reserva de animales en las que vimos canguros, wallabees, emus, koalas y mucho más. Y después con la puesta de sol culminando con la salida del mar de los pequeños pinguinos de Philiip Island. El guia estuvo muy atento durante todo el viaje, dándonos mucha información de lo que íbamos a ver. Y en ambos sitios se respira un gran respeto por los animales y el interés porque los visitantes puedan disfrutar al máximo de la experiencia del contacto con la naturaleza.