Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour from Melbourne
Recommended by 95% of travelers
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Melbourne, Australia
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Combine visits to two prominent nature attractions outside Melbourne without having to organize your own transport with this full-day shared tour to Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula. Drive to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park to see its broad range of Australian wildlife. Then head to Phillip Island for the evening penguin parade, stopping at several coastal spots along the way.
- Melbourne wildlife and nature tour with a small group
- Admission to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
- Entry fee to watch the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island
- Choice of pickup locations in central Melbourne
What's Included
- Entry into Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
- General entry to Phillip Island Penguin Parade
- Small-group Phillip Island experience
- All National Park fees
- Air-conditioned vehicleTravel in modern air-conditioned vehicle
- Friendly and knowledgeable local guide
- Multilingual audio commentary via the Explore Australia app-based (code provided by your guide)
- Selected Melbourne pick-up and drop-off
- LunchLunch is available to purchase at Moonlit Sanctaury
- DinnerDinner is available to purchase at Phillip Island
- SnacksSnacks at own expense
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
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End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Cape Woolamai
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Esplanade
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
The Nobbies Centre
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
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
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 27 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
Featured review
We had the most incredible experience!! I couldn’t recommend it enough!! Our tour guide Peter was so great!!
Reviews
4.8
based on 161 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Must Visit Experience. Do try it out. Mark was great at his work. An All-In-one person who handled everything well.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback 🌟🐧 We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour 😊 Mark will be so happy to hear your kind words and that he helped make the day run smoothly. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon 💜
An unforgettable wildlife experience and one of the best introductions to Australia we could have asked for. Moonlit Sanctuary gave us the opportunity to see and interact with Australian wildlife up close, while the Penguin Parade felt genuinely magical once the little penguins began returning ashore at sunset.
The entire tour was very organized and balanced wildlife experiences with scenic stops throughout the day. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Michael was a wonderful tour guide and driver as well.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback 🌟🐧 We are thrilled to hear the Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour was such a memorable introduction to Australia 😊 It is fantastic that you enjoyed the close wildlife encounters at Moonlit Sanctuary and the magical experience of watching the little penguins return ashore at sunset 💜 Michael will be so happy to hear your kind words about his guiding and care throughout the day. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Great experience viewing wildlife at the animal sanctuary and the penguin march is one of the best things I have ever seen. As you walk out to the ocean keep an eye on the holes and caves because that is where the penguins are headed.
One thing I would recommend is that you carry masks because both tours I have taken people are obviously ill and cough profusely. My family got sick after the tours. I think the tour operators should require the people that are continuously coughing to wear a mask or prevent them from going on the tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much, Michael.
We are really glad to hear you enjoyed the wildlife sanctuary and the penguin march on the Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour. It is such a special experience watching them come in from the ocean.
We are very sorry to hear about your concerns regarding other guests being unwell during the tours. That is not the experience we aim to provide, and we appreciate you raising it. Your feedback is important and will be passed on to our team for review.
We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you and your family again for a smoother experience in the future.
The sanctuary was nice but obviously the real highlight was seeing the penguins! They were soo adorable! I also really loved the Nobbies- when you get there walk to the left side (the path splits)- very magical place :)
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you had a beautiful day on the Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Wildlife Tour and that the penguins were the highlight for you. It’s wonderful to hear you also enjoyed the Nobbies, it really is a magical spot. We appreciate your helpful tip for future guests and hope to see you on another tour soon!
We had the most incredible experience!! I couldn’t recommend it enough!! Our tour guide Peter was so great!!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are so glad you had an incredible experience on the Penguins and Wildlife Nature Tour. Peter will be thrilled to hear your kind words about his guidance. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another memorable adventure soon!
Not to be missed! We got to see lots of animals at the wildlife preserve, and the penguin parade was incredible. Alan, our driver/guide, was excellent.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your review! We are so glad you enjoyed the wildlife preserve and the penguin parade. Alan will be happy to hear your kind words. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
A relaxing, no-hard-selling tour experience. A very comfortable trip for us to wind down indeed. Our guide Stuart was always on time, gave lots of best practices tips on what to do/ look out for on site and during the road trip, good music in the bus, knew when to speak/ when to be quiet, passionate about preserving the nature and the animals. No rush from one place to another. We got to touch the koala and feed the kangaroos/ werribees/ ducks in Moonlit, witness the magnificent waves and wonderful little penguins in Philip island. Though meals are not included in the package, we got to buy nice food on premise and in the Cowe town.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review. We are so glad to hear that you found the tour relaxing, well-paced, and great value for money. It is wonderful to know that Stuart made your day memorable with his professionalism, knowledge, and care for nature and wildlife. We are also happy you enjoyed meeting the animals and seeing the penguins at Phillip Island.
We enjoyed the day- it was an easy pickup from the Mail Exchange hotel, then a seamless drive to the Moonlit Sanctuary (we got to feed so many wallabies and kangaroos), a few other less memorable stops, then Phillip Island for the smallest penguins in the world. We had a wonderful time seeing the animals, and I also appreciated that our guide/driver gave us an additional information about the city sights as we drove to the different drop-off locations.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed meeting the wildlife at Moonlit Sanctuary and seeing the little penguins at Phillip Island. It is great to hear the extra insights from your guide made the day even more enjoyable.
A very good tour . Driver and guide was awesome . Enjoyed the tour and the penguins . It was a delight to see them walking together
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We are so glad to hear you had such a memorable day. It is wonderful that you enjoyed both the tour and the magical sight of the penguins walking together. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
I glad I took the tour, it was lovely experience to feed kangaroo, see the ocean..thank you for organizing everything so well. Taira
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you, Taira, for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed feeding the kangaroos and taking in the beautiful ocean views. We are so pleased the experience was a memorable one for you.
Make sure you dress as warm as possible. We bought some extra knit hats at one of the souvenir shops. The souvenirs were cheaper in Cowes than the penguin center too. We regretted not paying for the Penguin Plus option as we couldn’t see anything with general admission though we did see a few penguins along the boardwalk.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your helpful tips and for sharing your experience. We agree that dressing warmly is essential for the Penguin and Wildlife tour, especially in cooler months. We appreciate your feedback about the Penguin Plus option — it is definitely a great choice for a closer, more immersive experience. We hope you still enjoyed the magical sight of the penguins along the boardwalk and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon.
The bus was very small. Sanctuary was ok, have to pay extra for encounters with animals. Nobbies were so busy could hardly walk down walkways. Penguin parade fun but people were continually walking by and standing up so hard to see penguins and even when asked to not take pictures they would try and do it, very rude.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your feedback, and we're sorry to hear that the experience wasn't as smooth as expected. We appreciate your understanding regarding the bus size and the sanctuary encounters. We'll also take note of the busy areas and ensure we're constantly working to improve the experience for everyone, including encouraging respectful behavior at the penguin parade. We value your input and hope to welcome you again in the future!
I booked this trip to get out of the City and into nature for the day. I'm so pleased that I did and enjoyed every minute of it. Spending time with the animals and by the ocean. The penguin parade was beautiful and I loved not only seeing them but watching the sun go down by the ocean. Fantastic day!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your day out in nature, and it’s fantastic that the animals and the beautiful ocean views made such an impact on you. The penguin parade at sunset is always a special experience, and we’re so glad it lived up to your expectations.
It means a lot to us that you took the time to share your positive experience, and we’re grateful for your kind words. We hope your time with us offered the perfect escape from the city, and we’d love to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
We recently took the Full-Day Penguins and Wildlife Nature Experience from Melbourne, and it was an unforgettable adventure! Although the pickup from the Regent Hotel was slightly delayed, it didn’t affect our schedule, and we made it to the first destination on time. The tour offered excellent value for money, especially compared to another tour we took the previous day, which included Puffing Billy, Healesville Sanctuary, and the Chocolate Factory. That tour was $300 more and ended early at 3:30pm, partially due to storm damage on the tracks, though this was no fault of the organizers.
The highlight for the kids was the Moonlit Sanctuary. They loved getting up close to feed kangaroos, wallabies, and the many ducks (that would pick up the scraps). We spent most of our time feeding the animals, we bought 3 portions of kangaroo feed which was plenty. A local we met mentioned that the Moonlit Sanctuary is a hidden gem and offers a more intimate experience for kids compared to other places. I couldn’t agree more!
Afterward, we drove to the Nobbies, where we walked along the boardwalk, taking in the stunning views while trying to spot penguins in their burrows. The scenery was breathtaking.
The Penguin Parade was next, and sitting in the front rows made it even more special. The seating was divided into two sections, and some penguins wandered right between them. If you go, I recommend bringing a mat to sit on the sand and get as close as possible.
The best part of the tour had to be our driver and guide, whom my kids affectionately named Captain Bill. He was amazing with the kids, engaging, and shared plenty of information for the adults during the drive. Hearing my kids say, “This is the best holiday ever!” was a true testament to how well he entertained them on the way back from the Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne. My 8-year-old even declared him the “best captain in the history of captains,” and my 6-year-old wholeheartedly agreed.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that the Full-Day Penguins and Wildlife Nature Experience exceeded your expectations and provided such memorable moments for your family. It's fantastic that the Moonlit Sanctuary and Penguin Parade were highlights, and we're delighted that Captain Bill made the journey so enjoyable for your kids. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on another adventure with us soon!
The trip was great overall but the schedule was way too rushed. There was a couple who need to go to the French island instead of the moonlit sanctuary, and so the tour guide need to use extra time to pick them up somewhere else. The rest of us were left in a place to wander around the souvenir shops with not much to do for 45 minutes. That made the schedule quite rushed and we didn’t really have enough time for the nobbies and the penguin parade tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hi Sabrina,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip overall, but we’re sorry to hear that the schedule felt rushed and that the adjustments affected your experience.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the extra time spent picking up the other couple. We understand how important it is to have ample time at each stop, and we regret that this impacted your time at the Nobbies and the Penguin Parade.
We appreciate your insights as they help us improve our tours. We’ll review the schedule and logistics to ensure a more balanced experience for all our guests in the future.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.
Best regards,
The Explore Australia team
The penguins were just delightful. However seeing a wombat at Moonlit Sanctuary and an echidna while driving along was special. Ryan was informative, cares about the environment and showed us why Philip Island is special.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi Jo,
Thanks for traveling with Exploure Australia and the great review.
Ryan is a great guide and really informative. So glad you got to see Wildlife at Moonlit and in the Wild - thats lucky.
I will pass this onto Ryan.
Feel free to recommend us to your freinds.
Enjoy your travels.
Marnie
Explore Austraila Team
Ryan made our day fantastic good job Ryan, will come back go support you all. A fantastic team to arrange this
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi
Thanks for traveling with Explore Australia and the great review.
Ryan is a great guide and so helpful and friendly. So glad you had a good time with him. I will pass this onto Ryan.
Feel free to recommend us to your freinds.
Enjoy your travels.
Marnie
Explore Austraila Team
We really enjoyed this tour and our driver very much, and highly recommend it. In the Moonlit preserve you see (and can feed) animals up close. The Phillip Island and the penguins coming out of the ocean in the dark was magical. Bring a warmer jacket for the evening.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi
Thanks for traveling with Explore Australia and the great review.
Glad you enjoyed the tour and guide. Definately a good idea bringing a jacket at this time of year to see the Penguins.
Feel free to recommend us to your freinds.
Enjoy your travels.
Marnie
Explore Austraila Team
Seeing the tiny penguins waddling to shore. Amazing resilience. Well worth the time . Will be a most memorable experience of the Australian trip.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi
Thanks for traveling with Explore Australia and the great review.
We are very lucky to see the penguins coming in and glad it was a great experience for you.
Feel free to recommend us to your freinds.
Enjoy your travels.
Marnie
Explore Austraila Team
I went on this tour with family to see wallabies, roos, koalas and penguins. What we got was that plus multiple opportunities to explore little towns and beautiful beach areas. We were very comfortable in the tour bus and Ryan was an amazing tour guide. Would very much recommend this day trip to anyone visiting Melbourne!!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed seeing wallabies, roos, koalas, and penguins, along with exploring charming towns and beautiful beaches. It’s great to know you were comfortable and well taken care of by Ryan. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another fantastic day trip soon!
Our driver was very informative and helpful. Connected us with rangers who provided experienced information about the penguins’ patterns. Such a unique experience.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your positive feedback! We’re delighted to hear that our driver’s informative and helpful approach added to your experience. It’s fantastic that you enjoyed the unique insight from the rangers about the penguins. We’re glad you had such a memorable visit and look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back for more special experiences!
Loved, loved, loved this small group tour! It was a fabulous, special tour and we had an amazing tour guide.
This tour was a perfect mix between receiving information about the sights we were seeing and having time to explore the places we visited on our own…perfect!
I have never been to Australia so hanging out with and feeding the wallabies and kangas at the sanctuary and petting the koalas was magical and heartwarming. The penguin march at end of the day was the icing on a triple chocolate layer cake! It was so incredible to be a part of that and witness their journeys from the ocean back to their burrows in the hills.
Some people complain on these reviews that the penguin march overrated, but I entirely disagree! It’s wonderful: you get to see the penguins close, even as you walk back to the parking lot on the boardwalk, when they are convening around their burrows and chatting about their day at sea.
If you know anything about animals at all then you will understand the fact that we are guests on their land and we must respect them and their life processes with calm, reverence, and joy.
I recommend this tour to everyone who loves animals and nature and wants to experience, first hand, a day that gets you up close and personal with some of the special creatures we share this planet with. Simply marvellous!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your heartfelt review! We’re delighted to hear that you loved the small group tour and found it to be a perfect mix of information and exploration. It’s wonderful that feeding wallabies, interacting with koalas, and witnessing the penguin march made such a magical impression. We appreciate your respectful perspective on the penguin experience and are thrilled you enjoyed it so much. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to have the pleasure of hosting you again for more unforgettable moments!
Our day started with a happy greeting from Brook, who was a phenomenal guide. She was very knowledgable about the areas we visited, as well as the wildlife we saw.
The tour was great from start to end. Very organised and definitely worth it. Our tour guide Margaret was amazing sharing details about Melbourne and each place we visited that gave us sufficient background to understand What we were visiting. Super chatty and friendly. I could tell she loves her job! Thanks Margaret! :) Laura and Silvio.
A fantastic tour! Our lovely guide, Brooke, was super funny, knowledgeable, and passionate about her job. The guided tour she gave us at the Nobbies was, for me, the highlight of the day! The view was so gorgeous, and we even found wild penguins! Later we also stopped to see wild echidnas as we drove to Phillip Island!
I think the penguin parade itself was overrated, because the viewing platform is pretty far from where the penguins actually land which is on the faaaar right side. But once the little ones go onto the grass, you get to see them very closely from the boardwalks.
Overall, it was a pleasant tour. Thanks to Brooke for giving us all a wonderful day! :)
Very good organizing and the guide lady is very imformative about the tour moonlit and pinguin and and very happy to bring us to the destination
Moonlit is a good sanctuary but somehow the animals, kangaroo specially were not so keen to meet us. Phillip Island penguins were quite far to see in the sunset. We expected closer look and experience with the penguins.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello Adri_D,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We're glad you enjoyed Moonlit Sanctuary. Your tour included the general viewing at the Penguin Parade, we do offer upgraded viewing experiences which may have enhanced your time at the Penguin Parade.
Enjoy the rest of your travels.
Great travel guide, efficient time for the places we went to, also Moonlit sanctuary is great - would have wanted to stay longer tbh
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you for your feedback! We're pleased you enjoyed your guide and well-paced itinerary. We hope you can experience another tour with Explore Australia.
Matthew is a fantastic guide.
The tour was wonderfully organized and we had a fantastic company of people around us. Thank you so much for the tour!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thanks for your kind words! We're delighted that your Matthew made your experience fantastic. We're glad you enjoyed the tour's organisation and the company of fellow travellers. Your appreciation means a lot!
Matt was awesome. Great stops along the way. Highly recommend. This is our 4th time to Melbourne and this was the best tour of any we have done.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello Dana, Thank you for your kind words! We are delighted to have provided the best tour during your visits and that our guide Matt made your experience great. Hope to see you again soon!
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per personWas $121.57(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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