Phillip Island Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour from Melbourne
Recommended by 96% of travelers
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Melbourne, Australia
- 12 to 14 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Travel from Melbourne to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade and other wildlife highlights of Victoria. Your full-day tour stops at Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife conservation park to see Australian natives such as koalas and wallabies. Explore the dramatic Cape Woolamai surf beach and the Nobbies boardwalk where you can enjoy views of the rugged south coast and often seals as well.
- Full-day wildlife tour to Phillip Island from Melbourne
- See the penguin parade when penguins emerge from the ocean for the night
- Enjoy the views of Phillip Island's rugged coastline from the Nobbies boardwalk
- Option to hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies at Moonlit Sanctuary
What's Included
- Friendly & informative tour guide
- Pickup from selected hotels
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entry to Moonlit Sanctuary & guided tour of the exhibits
- WiFi on board
- General admission at the Penguin Parade
- Meals other than as stated
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pickup is only available from the list of hotels provided upon checkout. Your pickup will be between 11:00am-12 midday (during daylight savings times, AEDT) or 10:00am-11:00am (during non-daylight savings times, AEST) depending on which location you select. Your exact meeting time will be provided after a booking is placed. This tour returns to Melbourne at approximately 9pm-midnight depending on the season.
Itinerary
Your day begins with pickup from one of a number of Melbourne hotels. Meet your group and guide and settle into your air-conditioned vehicle for the journey south: There’s onboard Wi-Fi if you’re not in the mood to talk.
Make a stop at the Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife conservation park, where you can spot native Australian animals, including wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, and dingoes. You can also enjoy closer encounters for an additional fee.
Upon arrival on Phillip Island set out on a tour of such landmarks as the Nobbies rock formations, where seals are often seen, and Cape Woolamai Beach. There’s time to check out the exhibits at the visitor center before the evening penguin parade.
On Summerland Beach, marvel at the spectacle of hundreds of little penguins waddling across the beach to their burrows.
After the return journey to Melbourne, your tour ends back at your departure point.
Make a stop at the Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife conservation park, where you can spot native Australian animals, including wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, and dingoes. You can also enjoy closer encounters for an additional fee.
Upon arrival on Phillip Island set out on a tour of such landmarks as the Nobbies rock formations, where seals are often seen, and Cape Woolamai Beach. There’s time to check out the exhibits at the visitor center before the evening penguin parade.
On Summerland Beach, marvel at the spectacle of hundreds of little penguins waddling across the beach to their burrows.
After the return journey to Melbourne, your tour ends back at your departure point.
Phillip Island (Pass By)
1
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Cape Woolamai Beach
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Nobbies
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Penguin Parade
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- 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.
- If travelling with an infant, please contact Tour Operator at info@bunyiptours.com directly and request infant seat.
- 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
Featured review
It is a full day to Phillip island from the Melbourne business district but so worth it! David, our tour guide, is fantastic - very accommodating and knowledgeable. This is a must-do destination to one of the MOST beautiful and pristine coastlines in the world. The penguin parade is adorable for “children” of ALL ages. We cannot say enough good things about this tour company and our tour guide David.
Reviews
4.8
based on 974 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Amazing day. Chris N gave us a memorable experience day. Definitely recommend this tour to everyone who want to know more about wildlife.
Awesome experience.. Great driver and guide, great information provided overall and on the little penguins.. Additional spots covered..
Probably one of the best trips of the year for us. Woody was exceptional, very friendly and funny though out the whole journey and gave us plenty of time at each stop to look around and take photos too. Definitely recommend to every one.
Penguin experience was disappointing.
First thing to know is that no photos or filming are allowed at night.
Second thing to know is that you should only do underground experience.
Finally bring warm clothing as it is very windy and cold. Pack hat, gloves, and wind/rain jacket as we experienced high winds and unexpected rain.
What they don't tell you is that penguins have a certain area that they like to funnel to. That is where the underground is. Guest we talked to saw hundreds of penguins there
In general seating we only saw 15 penguins come to the beach and difficult to see since approx 2k people in the stands so have to be in front rows which we were in.
Others in Penguins + area also said viewing was very limited unless in front and corner row near underground.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry the Penguin Parade viewing experience did not meet your expectations.
We would like to clarify that the viewing areas, seating arrangements, photography rules and management of the Penguin Parade are operated by Phillip Island Nature Parks rather than Bunyip Tours. Penguin numbers and the routes they take from the beach are also entirely natural and can vary considerably each evening.
We offer General Viewing as standard, with Penguins Plus and Underground Viewing upgrades available subject to availability. We also recommend that guests bring warm clothing, as conditions on Phillip Island can change quickly after sunset.
We appreciate your comments, although we’re disappointed that your rating of our service appears to be based entirely on aspects of the experience outside Bunyip Tours’ control.
It is a once in a lifetime experience! Our tour by Rhys was amazing! The experience with the koala at the Monastery was just so enjoyable
The tour was ok but in August some of the sites were chilly and it could have been skipped totally ( beach ones).
The Sanctuary was good. Get the animal Experience tickets. But we went late afternoon and animals were in not interested in food.
Penguin Parade was the highlight. It would be nice if tour operators could suggest warm clothing for this outing as you sit outside to view the penguins return from sea. They did come right by you. Be respectful of this time and enjoy up close view of this. Most of the tourist were unruly and disturbing the penguins as they returned. It would be good to simply enjoy the sight without disturbing the environment.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the Sanctuary and that the Penguin Parade was the highlight of your day, particularly seeing the little penguins passing so close by.
We were a little surprised to see a 1-star rating accompanying your comments, as much of your feedback appears positive. If the rating was selected unintentionally, we’d be very grateful if you would consider updating it to reflect your overall experience.
Phillip Island can certainly be chilly in August (it's a winter month), particularly after sunset, and our confirmation messages do recommend warm clothing for the Penguin Parade. We also wholeheartedly agree with your comments about respecting the penguins and allowing them to make their way home without disturbance.
Thank you for travelling with Bunyip Tours and for sharing your experience.
The tour was excellent. Peter our guide was constantly telling us about local bits of history of facts. That was very informative and fun to hear. Phillips Island was beautiful.
Incredible experience, Robbo was the perfect guide. Had plenty of knowledge to share and is a funny, easy to get along with guy. Also had all the inside knowledge for how to get the best experience
What a fantastic day! Our guide Kevin helped us feel welcome from the first hello, gave excellent narrative, brought all of us 'bus people' together despite any language barriers. He truly loves Melbourne and wanted us to appreciate the city and environs through his eyes.
The music playlist an entertaining touch...
I enjoyed his playful yet passionate approach to his work, clearly his calling, and his expertise throughout the day as we anticipated the penguin experience.
The crowds there were less daunting thanks to Kevin's skillful navigation and artistic white board visuals! This was a day and night to remember, made even more memorable thanks to Kevin’s first-rate guiding and of course innate GENIUS!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks so much for the fantastic review! We’re so glad you had such a memorable day and night with Kevin.🐧
It sounds like Kevin really brought the whole group together, even with the different languages in the mix. We love that his passion for Melbourne came through so clearly, and that his stories, music and playful approach kept everyone entertained along the way.
And we have to give a special mention to the whiteboard! 😂 It sounds like Kevin’s Penguin Parade tactics came in very handy once you arrived. Navigating the crowds can definitely be part of the experience, so we’re happy his little visual guides made things a bit easier.
As for “innate GENIUS”... we’ll make sure Kevin sees that part! 😂 We’re sure he’ll be very pleased with himself.
Thanks again for spending the day with us and for such a wonderfully enthusiastic review. We’re really happy Kevin helped make your Melbourne and Penguin Parade experience one to remember! 🐧✨
This was a wonderful tour. Kevin was a great guide, full of information about what we were seeing. He also gave us great tips to get the most out of our penguin parade experience. One thing to be prepared for- the penguin parade is very popular and they sell thousands of tickets per night. I didn’t realize it would be so crowded. But thanks to Kevin, I had good seats and knew where to go on the boardwalks to see them waddling to their burrows. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Driver was fantastic
Due to a bad storm with lightning they had to close the penguin viewing areas when the penguins started coming ashore
We only got to see 2 penguins
Response from Host, Jul 2026
While we're delighted to hear that your tour guide & driver was fantastic, it's certainly disappointing to hear that your experience at the penguin parade was so badly affected by the weather and that this clearly had a negative impact on your tour experience. Fortunately, these events are very rare (we could count on one hand how many times over 25+ years we can recall this happening) but we're sorry that you were unfortunate enough to have this happen on the night of your visit. We hope you might one day have an opportunity to revisit Phillip Island with us, as the Penguin Parade is something we'd love you to remember for all the right reasons!
Fun and a great way to spend the day saw the beautiful Nobbies and the cute little penguins as well as some fun outings before which included a koalas at a wildlife sanctuary and walk on the beach. Our guide Woody was wonderful.
The tour guide/driver is really nice and funny, the trip itself is very chill, the sceneries are breathtaking, highly recommended. Good thing the tour has multiple pickup spots instead 1 fixed one, so we can choose the nearest to our place
Benjamin was an excellent guide who also drove the small bus we were riding in. There were about 20 people but Benjamin made sure we all knew what we were doing and when to return to the bus. He also gave us lots of information about the sights and the animals that we were seeing. Excellent value for the price paid. I f I did it again I would definitely pay for the premium seats for the Penguin Parade.
Great tour. Got to see a lot of wildlife on the tour and the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island was the best part! Amazing! Robbo, our guide, was super! He was very knowledgeable and made the tour even better.
Phillip Island is worth going to see, and I have learnt a lot about Melbourne because of Ben. Thanks for all the info and trivia you shared.
We were comfortable and entertained the entire time. Rhys was a great guide. I highly recommend this tour!
A nice day seeing the sights at Brighton Beach, the Moonlit Sanctuary, and Phillip Island. The sanctuary was my favorite, getting to see the animals close up. Not too many penguins, so that was a little disappointing, but you can’t control Mother Nature. Our guide was terrific!
It was a wonderful experience from start to finish. I had the opportunity to see Australia’s unique wildlife and visit some truly breathtaking scenic locations. The Penguin Parade was an unforgettable highlight, and the entire experience was made even more enjoyable thanks to our tour guide, Tim. His insightful commentary and interesting information about the places we visited added great value to the tour and made it both engaging and memorable.
Woody, our tour operator, was a dynamo: a skilled driver, knowledgeable guide, and clear communicator for a group representing visitors from Asia, Europe, and North America. He clearly loves Melbourne, Phillip Island, Victoria, and Australia, and has a real passion for conservation, especially the native animals and the penguins of Phillip Island.
The wildlife sanctuary was such a hands-on treat. You walk freely among a few dozen kangaroos and wallabies (some areas are off limits so they can rest and get away from us pesky humans), and you can buy food to feed them straight from your palm, which was an amazing experience. I expected to view wildlife from a distance, not interact with it this closely. We upgraded to the on-site koala experience (it was off-season, so they had room), and got to take pictures with and pet the back of “Cyclops,” a female koala. The seven-minute session moved fast: the staff are pros at snapping a ton of photos in both portrait and landscape, and even managed to sneak in a short video. Note: Victoria state law doesn’t allow picking up or holding a koala, so if that’s on your list, you’ll need to do it in another Australian state.
It’s hard to put into words what it’s like watching the penguins come ashore. As we settled into our seats, they were already arriving in waves, and it’s startling how close you are to them. The board at the entrance reported 860 penguins the previous night, and there were at least that many the night we visited. They keep coming in waves, and just when you think it’s over, another group arrives.
We upgraded to the Penguins Plus tour, which gave us a smaller platform with fewer seats on the right-hand side of the bay, closer to where the penguins come ashore. The platform was lower to the ground, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house; we had a clear view of the water and the shoreline. The boardwalk ramp up to the Penguins Plus seating area is barely three feet off the ground and well lit. After the waves of penguins came in, we watched them cuddle together and waddle into their little burrows.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review.
Reading your experience brought a smile to our faces, especially your description of the Penguin Parade. You're right — it's one of those experiences that's difficult to put into words until you've seen it for yourself. Watching the little penguins emerge from the ocean and make their way home never fails to leave an impression.
We're also so pleased to hear that Woody helped make the day special. His enthusiasm for Victoria, its wildlife and the places we visit is completely genuine, and it's wonderful to hear that came through during your tour. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to him.
It sounds like you made the most of the day, from meeting some of Australia's unique wildlife up close to enjoying the Penguins Plus experience in the evening. We loved reading about your encounter with Cyclops too!
Thank you again for choosing us and for sharing your experience in such a thoughtful way. Reviews like yours are a pleasure to read, and we're delighted that Phillip Island became such a memorable part of your Australian adventure.
The bus ride takes you on a scenic tour of Melbourne’s southern suburbs and deposits you on boardwalks for grand walk-abouts of Phillip Island. The Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes are a cool sight to behold. It’s nice knowing they’re being preserved as part of Australia’s cultural heritage. Viewing the small penguin parade is for sure a major highlight of one’s visit to Phillip Island. Our Go West driver/guide Tom is well-versed on the more distant and contemporary history of Melbourne / Phillip Island. Tom is a knowledgeable, friendly chap who made for a wonderful tour host. Try to pick a warmer, sunnier day, if you can. Overcast skies and southerly winds can make for a cold, uncomfortable evening on the island if you’re unprepared for such weather conditions. All in all, well-worth the time and money!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks very much for your review!
We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed your Phillip Island experience and that Tom helped make the day both enjoyable and informative. It's wonderful to know that his knowledge of Melbourne and Phillip Island, along with his friendly approach, added to your experience throughout the journey.
It sounds like you were able to enjoy many of Phillip Island's highlights, from the iconic Brighton Beach Boxes to the spectacular Penguin Parade. We're glad these experiences helped make the day a memorable one.
Phillip Island certainly likes to remind visitors that it's a coastal destination, and your advice about dressing for the conditions is a great tip for future travellers!
We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Tom, who will be delighted to hear your feedback.
Thank you again for travelling with us and for taking the time to share your experience. We hope to welcome you back on another Victorian adventure in the future.
It brings to your knowledge some of natures wonderful moments.witnessing the merging of the tiny Penguins out of the wave ,and their funny marching up the hill.
A well-organized trip. Our driver/guide Lisa is amazing. I would remind everyone please do not take pictures of the penguins. Any light from your phone or camera will harm them. There are beautiful professional pictures for you to download for free.
Alex (I do apologize if I spell ur name incorrectly) is professional in guide tour. She is on time and have got a trick for the course, especially penguin parade. The tour price is much expensive than another but we could get 24 seats minibus which picking up & drop you at the decided hotel in the list. We can communicate the agent anytime by Viator chat. There is not much stops for toilet along the trip. If you would like to go toilet, you may need to tell the driver in advanced. There is no USB charging port nor bottle of water available on the bus.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks very much for your review! We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed your Phillip Island Penguin Parade tour.
It’s great to know that Aleks made a positive impression and helped guide the day smoothly, especially when it came to making the most of the penguin parade experience.
We also appreciate your feedback regarding the facilities and comfort on board, as well as the timing of stops. This is helpful for us as we continue to review and improve our tours.
We’re glad you found the smaller group size and pickup arrangements convenient, and that you were able to enjoy the overall experience.
Thanks again for your review, and very best wishes for your onward adventures.
Lucy our tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed the tour. Will go again with Lucy
Excellent tour. Our tour guide Micheal was great. He explained everything very well. He was friendly and helpful. He was very knowledgeable about the history and interesting facts about animals and their habitats. Overall a very pleasant experience with Micheal.
The trip had sufficient number of experiences well paced. The driver/ tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly and provided clear instructions and helpful tips to make the whole experience more enjoyable
What a fun day exploring and getting up close and personal with many of the exotic Australian Animals! Our tour guide Aleks was the best! She gave us a lot of history about the different areas we visited that day and included some fun stories. We never felt rushed and she made our day very enjoyable. She gave us some good info on where to stand or walk to see different animals…she also made sure that our bus was visible and easy to find at each stop—loved her twinkling lights on the bus at night so we could find it easy too— very much appreciated! I really enjoyed our time at the moonlit sanctuary and feeding the kangaroos and wallabies. The informational show the staff puts on was very interesting too. We enjoyed seeing the beach swim boxes and beaches. The cliff area was interesting where the penguins also live, & she showed us some wild kangaroos too, but my favorite excursion was the penguin parade on Phillips Island! Aleks told us what was the best scenario so we had time to get dinner, shop, and see the penguins come out of the ocean. She also told us to walk over to one side on way out to hear and possibly see the penguins in their burrows. The entire experience is one I will always cherish as a lifetime memory! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys seeing animals in nature! It was amazing!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a fantastic time on our Phillip Island Penguin Parade tour.
It’s fantastic to know that Aleks made your day so memorable — her knowledge, organisation, and those thoughtful touches (like making the bus easy to find!) really do make a difference.
We’re so pleased you enjoyed the variety of experiences along the way, from Moonlit Sanctuary and the beach boxes to spotting wildlife and, of course, the unforgettable penguin parade. It sounds like a truly special day.
Having experienced Phillip Island with us, we hope you might join us again one day to explore more of what Victoria has to offer.
Thanks again for your kind words & very best wishes for your onward adventures.
We enjoyed the small, casual tour. Peter with Go West tours was funny, knowledgeable and kept us on task. Great day!
An amazing day tour! The guide, Ben, was excellent—he gave a thoughtful introduction to Melbourne's culture and attractions. The itinerary was very well-organized, with plenty of time allowed for taking photos and sightseeing at each stop. The guide also thoughtfully prepared little stools for us—absolutely loved it!
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