Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Trip with Koalas from Melbourne
Badge of Excellence
Melbourne, Australia
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Learn about Australia’s diverse wildlife on this full-day tour of Phillip Island from Melbourne, including round-trip transport. See native Aussie animals at the Phillip Island Koala Conservation Reserve. Then, take a tour of Phillip Island, visiting scenic lookouts and beaches. End the day watching the memorable sunset Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach. A must-do tour for animal enthusiasts and families, without the hassle of self-driving.
- Spot a range of Australian birds and wildlife on a nature-filled tour
- An easy way to get out of Melbourne for a day
- Includes all national park and admission fees for no costly surprises
- Provides round-trip transfers from select Melbourne hotels
What's Included
- Admission to Penguin Parade (general viewing or penguins plus viewing upgrade)
- Admission to Phillip Island Koala Conservation Reserve
- Experience world-class wildlife encounters up close
- Hosted by an experienced driver guide with live tour commentary
- Travel comfortably in a modern, air-conditioned medium-sized coach and onboard wifi
- Multilingual translation app service available in several languages
- Any meals not indicated within the itinerary - at the guest’s own expense.
- Spending money for personal items
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Immigration Museum400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
The default meeting point for this tour will be Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, corner of Market St, Melbourne @ 11:45am (winter Apr - Sep) and 1:45pm (summer Oct - Mar). Our bus will be parked on the east side of the museum on Market St for safe boarding.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Melbourne
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Phillip Island Nature Parks - Koala Conservation Reserve
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Cape Woolamai Beach
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Cowes
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
5
The Nobbies Centre
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
6
Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
7
Melbourne
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- Child fare prices apply to infants and children aged from 0 to 12 years old. Children aged 0 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult or legal guardian at all times.
- While we endeavour to operate our tours as planned, there may be occasions when rain or inclement weather affects our itinerary.
- This tour is not suitable for mobility-impaired travellers, including those using wheelchairs, walkers, prams, or strollers. If you require additional support please advise at the time of booking.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 38 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
tessaphillips89
This day trip was a main highlight of our trip to Australia. Fiona was our tour guide, and she was wonderful and incredibly thoughtful. She exceeded our expectations, and made this tour even more memorable than it already was. The Koala reserve was beautiful. We got lucky and saw a koala climbing a tree. Most koalas are curled up in a tight ball and sleeping. We also saw swamp wallabies and lots of beautiful birds. The stop at the Nobbies was thankfully brief because it was very windy and cold. There are beautiful lookouts that you only need a few minutes to take some pictures. The main highlight was the penguin parade. We upgraded to the premium viewing seats which gave us a close up viewing of the penguins as they come off of the beach. Bring blankets because it gets cold and windy after the sun sets!
Reviews
4.5
based on 264 reviews
Tracy_K, Mar 2026
We enjoyed the bus trip, but unfortunately was very disappointed with the Penguin viewing. Lucky to see 20
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for joining our Phillip Island tour! We’re glad you enjoyed the journey, though we understand it can be disappointing when fewer penguins appear. Nature can be unpredictable, but we’re happy you still had the chance to see them. We hope your next visit brings even more penguin magic!
MacKenzie_O, Mar 2026
Please make note that Wildlife Tours Australia and Autopia are the same company when meeting to get on the bus. I was waiting there for about 20 minutes while everyone was getting on their tour buses and I asked 2 other operators if the Wildlife Tours bus was coming and they said it should be and to just wait there. Another family also booked the same tour/company and was waiting. It wasn’t until the tour guide for Autopia started naming off our names and told us to get on those buses. Unfortunately that meant I was the last one on the bus in the back row and I get motion sickness. Sadly no one would trade with me though. Thankfully I brought snacks and water, motion sickness patches and Dramamine. I would advise the company to be more clearer for the meet up! Since I was one of the first people waiting, I could have not been in the back of the bus.
This tour was great and Phillips Island was beautiful. There weren’t too many penguins sadly. I think I would have preferred a small group of 10 rather than 39 people on one big bus. We couldn’t even hear the tour guide in the back of the bus either.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed beautiful Phillip Island despite the challenges. We appreciate your feedback on clearer meet-up details and group size, and will use it to improve. We hope to welcome you again for more memorable adventures!
Irmina_A, Feb 2026
I wasted my 12 hours for this tour! Such a long drive and saw only less than 10 Penguins. We waited too long on the Grand stand and it wasn’t even a parade of Penguins….so frustrating. One good thing, we had a very knowledgeable Tour Guide. The Italian restaurant was really good plus the Aldi nearby for some snacks.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet your expectations and that the long drive and penguin sightings were disappointing. We understand how frustrating it can be to wait for something that doesn’t quite happen as hoped, especially after such a lengthy journey.
We're glad to hear that you appreciated our knowledgeable tour guide and enjoyed the Italian restaurant and nearby shopping for snacks. Your feedback is valuable, and we’ll use it to improve our tours and ensure a more fulfilling experience for all our guests.
Thank you again for your honest review, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide a better experience in the future.
Robert_E, Feb 2026
Weather can be unpredictable! Be prepared with layers. The parade of penguins was less than spectacular. Since this was an end of summer event we had to wait until it was dark to watch the penguins appear. Many hundreds of people, maybe a few hundred penguins scattered along the beach. Koala sightings was were earlier in the trip. Weather rainy & cold, tour company can’t control that, we saw several Koalas. Dinner stop was in town of Cowes. Not too many choices since the town appears to close by 6:pm. Our tour guide was nice however her microphone wasn’t working properly & often what she was saying was hard to understand what she was saying. Still giving it four stars because it was an interesting adventure!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We're glad you found the adventure interesting and appreciate your understanding of the weather conditions and their impact on the penguin parade. It's great to hear you managed to see some koalas earlier in the trip, despite the rainy and cold weather. We apologize for the microphone issue with your guide and will pass this along to improve future tours. Your insights help us enhance the experience for all guests. We appreciate your four-star review and hope to provide even better experiences on your next adventure!
Margaret_H, Jan 2026
A great day out from Melbourne. Late return, to work with the timing to see the penguins after sun set.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad you had a great day trip from Melbourne. It sounds like the late return worked perfectly for you to enjoy the penguins after sunset. We hope the timing added to the magic of the experience.
If you have any more feedback or need assistance planning your next adventure, feel free to reach out. Safe travels and enjoy your future trips!
Theresa_A, Jan 2026
The parts of the tour-seeing the Koalas and the Penguin parade - was great! Spending an hour and a half for dinner in the town was not. This could have been reduced a lot or eliminated- maybe start the tour earlier. On the way back Joel - the driver - offered to drop some people at a different location. He was unwilling to drop me a half km off at my hotel. He also did a poor job on time management. We were always waiting for the same couple people to return to the bus.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We appreciate your honest review. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the Koala Conservation Reserve and the Penguin Parade. We regret that the dinner stop and time management detracted from your overall experience, and we’ll be reviewing these aspects carefully. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and for choosing to travel with us.
Anisha_C, Aug 2025
It's a wonderful experience! Our tour guide let us in on tips of which route was best for the penguins to be seen, etc. It was a nice cohort and depsite travelling solo, it was nice to be able to chat with other travellers from across the world visiting. We stopped off at locations: the koalas conservation, the beach & drove around the peninsula where wallabies hopped around, & the final destination being the penguin parade. If you want to head home sooner, definitely get back to your tour guide & bus when advised. Take snacks and lunch/dinner with you if you want to save spending, if not there is a restaurant at the penguin parade. You're not allowed to film the penguins with flash light, be mindful of them as they are conserved and protected.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for the lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the penguin parade and connected with fellow travellers along the way. Great tips too, your thoughtfulness about the penguins is much appreciated!
Nicole_D, Jul 2025
This day activity was more exciting than the Great ocean road. If you’re a person that doesn’t think like “Journey is better than the destination” then this is for you. Only One and half hour away from the city, you get to see animals at conservation center which also had cool souvenirs (fees from your purchase goes towards raising the koalas and little blue penguins. Must read the tags to see which products) You also get to see some wallaby and geese known to live in the Summerlands. You must! Be very patient if you would like to see the little blue penguins parading at the beach and from their burrows. number 1 rule when visiting the penguins: No photography after sunset and flash as these will damage the eyes of the animals. Consequence is 365 days of blindness for these little guys. I love seeing native animals of Australia and would like to see more of them. We had friendly Vicky as our host , knows a lot about the area and gave us extra time to see the penguins
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks so much for the fantastic review! We're thrilled you had such a memorable time with Vicky and the adorable little blue penguins, and we couldn’t agree more about the importance of respecting their space. From native wildlife to meaningful conservation efforts, it’s heartwarming to hear how much you appreciated every moment. Hope to welcome you on another nature-filled adventure soon!
Scott_K, Jun 2025
So much fun and the guide was so sweet! Loved how knowledgeable she was about the animals and sights.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you had fun and enjoyed the company of our lovely guide. It means a lot to hear the trip was worth it for you. 🐧🌿
Daniel_P, Apr 2025
I wish I could remember our tour leaders name cause she did a great job. Very knowledgeable and available to answer questions and point out koalas. My 3rd trip to Penguin Parade and I was disappointed by the masses of tourists. Extremely rude, ignoring the staffs instructions about flash photography. This is such a wonderful place they need to either limit the amount of people coming in and staff adequately so people who violate the rules are asked politely to leave. March was a little late to go since there are fewer penguins. Always opt for the Premier seating area. The tour company did great. My criticism is strictly about the visitors at the Parade.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that your tour leader made a positive impact with their knowledge and attentiveness. We’re thrilled that you enjoyed the tour itself and hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future! - MC🐨🐧🐨🐧🐨🐧
Veronica_C, Mar 2025
It was an amazing experience! Everything was on time and just as described on the website. Visiting the koala sanctuary and seeing the penguins was lovely! Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hi There,
Thank you for the awesome review!
We’re stoked to hear you had such a great time with us on the tour. It was fantastic having you along, and we’d love to show you even more exciting spots on your next adventure with us!
Until then, all the best!
Cody
Kim_M, Feb 2025
Our tour guide Graham was excellent. The tour delivered on seeing penguins, wallabies and other wildlife.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Cheers for the awesome review!
We’re stoked to hear you had a ripper time on the tour. It was great having you with us, and we’d love to have you join us again for another adventure down the track!
Catch ya next time!
Cody
Starla_S, Feb 2025
This was a great experience. Peter, our driver/guide was extremely knowledgeable and even better very personable and helpful to all on the trip. He went above and beyond to help us get a taxi back to our hotel as we were not traveling back to Melbourne with the rest of the group..
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We can’t thank you enough for the kind words!
It’s awesome to hear you had such a great time on the tour. We really enjoyed having you along, and we’d be stoked to see you on another tour soon.
Until next time!
Cody
Arin_P, Jan 2025
Amazing amazing trip - great gude, fantastic sites, beautiful nature, the animals were such a highlight and I'd recommend to everyone!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Big thanks for the review!
We’re stoked you had an amazing time with us on the tour. It was awesome having you along, and we’d love to show you more next time. Hope to see you on another adventure soon!
Take care and catch ya later!
Cheers,
Cody
Julia_P, Jan 2025
We had a great time with a very fun and knowledgeable tour host “Fiona”. We learned a lot and it was a fun day.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
G'day Julia,
Thank you for leaving a wonderful review about the tour and our knowledgable tour guide, Fiona!
We are glad you had a fun day and we hope to see you back for more tours in the future!
Kind regards,
Wildlife Tours
Shirish_V, Jan 2025
Well planned trip with enough time for all activities. We had to rush back from penguin viewing as it was getting late for bus. Since it was summer, penguins came back home after late sunset☹️
Response from Host, Jan 2025
G'day,
Thanks for your feedback! 😊 We're glad to hear you found the trip well planned with enough time for all the activities.
However, we understand that having to rush back from the penguin viewing due to the late summer sunset was a bit disappointing.
Your comments are valuable, and we'll take them into consideration to enhance the experience for future tours.
Thanks again for joining us, and we’d love to welcome you back soon.
Kind regards
Wildlife Tours
Caitlin_X, Jan 2025
This was a really fun experience and so amazing to see the penguins come in! My friend and I had a great time experiencing Australian wildlife and the tour guide/bus driver also gave us lots of interesting information. Thank you for a great tour!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
G'day Caitlin,
Thank you for your lovely review! 😊
We're so happy to hear that you and your friend had a fun time and enjoyed seeing the penguins come in—it’s such a magical experience!
We truly appreciate your kind words and are so glad you had a fantastic time experiencing Australian wildlife.
Kind regards
Wildlife Tours
Benjamin_S, Jan 2025
Nice experience especially during the summer. Dinner time is great. And so loavely to see Koala. Thanks
Response from Host, Jan 2025
G'day Benjamin,
Thanks for your lovely review!
We're so glad you had a nice experience, especially during the summer.
We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon.
Kind regards
Wildlife Tours
Wendy_M, Dec 2024
The penguin parade is so impressive words cannot describe the special moment we got to be a part of. It was magical and definitely suggest the splurge of getting to access to plus area viewing!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
G'day Wendy,
We are so pleased you had great time at the penguin parade. We hope you will join us for another tour in the future.
Kind regards
Wildlife Tours
fmistry, Oct 2024
The driver was very helpful. He was also very entertaining. The bus was nice and clean. The penguins of course were the stars. Highly recommend this tour
Response from Host, Oct 2024
G'Day!
We are so glad you enjoyed the Phillip Island Tour with us, and that you got to see the wonderful Little Penguins! You're right, they are the stars of the show!
We'd love to see you out on tour again one day!
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours
tessaphillips89, Oct 2024
This day trip was a main highlight of our trip to Australia. Fiona was our tour guide, and she was wonderful and incredibly thoughtful. She exceeded our expectations, and made this tour even more memorable than it already was. The Koala reserve was beautiful. We got lucky and saw a koala climbing a tree. Most koalas are curled up in a tight ball and sleeping. We also saw swamp wallabies and lots of beautiful birds. The stop at the Nobbies was thankfully brief because it was very windy and cold. There are beautiful lookouts that you only need a few minutes to take some pictures. The main highlight was the penguin parade. We upgraded to the premium viewing seats which gave us a close up viewing of the penguins as they come off of the beach. Bring blankets because it gets cold and windy after the sun sets!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Hey Tessa!
We are so glad the Phillip Island tour was such a highlight for you! It's so wonderful seeing the Little Penguins in their natural habitat.
We love that Fi was able to exceed your expectations, she really is a fantastic guide!
It's great to hear you liked the Penguins Plus option we offer, it really does give you a more private look at the penguins.
Let's travel again soon?
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours
Kevin_N, Oct 2024
Driver Fiona was great, very cheerful and informative. Fiona pointed out the best was to view the koala, the penguins and the local restaurant options.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
G'Day Kevin!
Thanks for such wonderful feedback on our guide Fiona! It's lovely to hear she helped give you the best information whilst out on tour!
Maybe we will see you on another tour soon?
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours.
Amy_h, Oct 2024
Tour guide Ilkay was great, funny and gave a good commentary for parts of the tour. We were a little late leaving as some people couldn’t get themselves to the meeting point on time, but Ilkay did his best to make that time up. Our time at the koala sanctuary was a bit rushed, but was lovely none the less. We were lucky in so much as we saw two little penguins by the side of the road going in to a burrow on our way to the penguin centre, there was lots of other wildlife about though which was nice to see. Unfortunately, there was an electrical storm and after an hour of waiting, we were told it would not be safe for us to be let out to view the penguins, so we somewhat despondently went back to the coach. There was nothing anyone could have done to change things, there was only one boardwalk open and I guess they could not guarantee the safety of everyone. Overall, despite not seeing all the penguins, we had a lovely day.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
G'Day Amy,
We really apprecaite such wonderful feedback despite the unpredictable weather you faced on the day. It's a shame that you were unable to see the penguin parade, but I'm so glad the rest of the tour was worthwhile for you. Thanks so much for understanding that sometimes these things are out of our hands!
We would love for you to travel again with us some day, whether back to the penguins, or to see some of our other wonderful landscapes!
Kindest Regards,
Wildlife Tours.
Janette_L, Aug 2024
Wow what cutie penguins parade together with closer viewing recommend go there before go to phillip island and saw baby koala with mother koala
Response from Host, Oct 2024
G'day!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the cute penguin parade and had a close-up experience. We also think it's amzing you've seen a koala with it's joey! That must've been a very special moment.
We'd love to see you soon on other tour!
Cheers,
Wildlife Tours
Ray_G, Aug 2024
Great trip lovely drive and to see the koalas and the amazing penguins popping out of the sea to find their burrows was awesome.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Hi there!
Phillip Island is an amazing place to spot some penguins! We're glad to hear you've had a lovely trip there.
Cheers,
Wildlife Tours
LYNN_H, Jun 2024
Driver was very polite patient and professional
Koala stop was excellent
Penguins come in small groups so be patient and stay to the end
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi Lynn,
Thank you for sharing your feedback!
We're delighted to hear that you found our driver polite, patient, and professional. It's great that you enjoyed the excellent Koala stop as well. Your advice about patience during the penguin parade is spot on—waiting until the end often rewards with a magical experience.
We look forward to welcoming you back for more memorable adventures!
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours
LeonaLalonde, Jun 2024
Excellent guide (Fiona) with an obvious passion for the environment and the conservation work underway on Phillip Island. The tour includes a lunch stop in Cowes, followed by a stop at a Koala conservation forest with an opportunity to view the Koalas in their natural environment, then sight seeing along the southern peninsula of Phillip Island where the wallabies and geese inhabit the area by day, and ends with the penguin parade which is really quite magical! An action packed day that is so worth the $. If visiting during the winter months, do dress in layers and bring a beanie/toque/winter hat along with a pair of gloves. You’ll need them!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi Leona,
Thank you for your wonderful review!
We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and appreciated Fiona's passion for the environment and conservation efforts on Phillip Island. It sounds like you had a fantastic day exploring Cowes, the Koala conservation forest, and the southern peninsula, culminating in the magical penguin parade. Great tip on dressing warmly for winter visits—layers, a hat, and gloves are definitely a must.
We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Kind Regards,
Autopia Tours
Sam_L, Jun 2024
The tour guide was amazing. Very passionate and engaging.. both the coal-a bears and seeing the penguins was a great experience.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience with our passionate and engaging tour guide. It's great to know that you enjoyed seeing the koalas and penguins. We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours
Lauren_L, Jun 2024
Loved the whole day! Learned a lot from our tour guide Doug, and his trusty friend Barry the platypus. Besides the weather and the no photo rule at the Penguin Parade, the tour was well worth the money! A definite must do if in Melbourne.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your lovely review!
We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the whole day and learned a lot from Doug and his trusty friend Barry the platypus. Despite the weather and the no-photo rule at the Penguin Parade, it's great to know you found the tour well worth the money.
We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again on another adventure in Melbourne!
Kind Regards,
Wildlife Tours
Thomas_T, May 2024
Craig who was our driver and guide did an outstanding trip. The main concern was safety of the passages. Several 5 star items..pickup at selected hotels, no rush stops, bus driver/guide interaction with the guest's, bust locations to go when stopped at visited locations and having a great personality. Thank you
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi Thomas,
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that Craig provided an outstanding trip for you. Your safety and comfort are our top priorities, so we're glad to know that you felt well taken care of throughout the journey.
It's wonderful to hear that you appreciated the attention to detail, such as pickup at selected hotels and well-paced stops without rushing. Craig's interaction with guests, his knowledge of the best locations to visit, and his great personality truly contribute to a memorable experience.
Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back on another adventure soon!
Warm Regards,
Wildlife Tours
From $132.04
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Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Trip with Koalas from Melbourne
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