Private Tour: Phillip Island, Penguin Parade and Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park from Melbourne

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Melbourne, Australia

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Journey to Phillip Island for a day filled with spectacular vistas and amazing wildlife encounters. On this private tour from Melbourne, visit the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park to observe sleepy koalas in their natural habitat and meet several Australian native animals such as wallabies, kangaroos and colorful birds and reptiles. As dusk falls, witness one of nature’s most adorable spectacles at the Penguin Parade, when hundreds of tiny fairy penguins waddle out of the ocean and make their way across a local beach to their burrows. Enjoy the personalized attention of your guide and request customized stops to suit your interests.

Private tour to Phillip Island from Melbourne
Travel along the coastal highway with stunning ocean views
Stop at the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park and see the koalas and other Australian wildlife
Watch the nightly penguin parade

What's Included

Transport by private vehicle
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
Local guide/driver
Live commentary on board
Penguin Premium access
Moonlit Sanctuary access
Dinner

Two course dinner with a glass of wine/ beer or soft drink

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please be ready for departure at the pick up time given to make the most of the day ahead

Itinerary

A beloved day-trip destination for Melbournians, Phillip Island offers a combination of rolling farmland, windswept cliffs and unique animal encounters. After pickup at your Melbourne hotel in the afternoon, enjoy a scenic drive through the city’s leafy suburbs as we head south-east of Melbourne to visit the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park at the top of Mornington Peninsula. You will meet endangered Australian native wildlife such as koalas, wallabies, kookaburras and dingoes. Look out for a variety of bright colored birds and reptiles.

Cross a bridge to access Phillip Island, where the Australian Motor Grand Prix and home of our famous Little Penguins. Upon arrival on the island depending on the time of year and your interest, we will visit Woolamai Beach to admire surfers gliding along the waves. We will then head to the southern tip of the island to view the rugged windswept cliffs of the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, home to a large fur seal colony.

In the warmer months between October to March we will spend time on the island town of Cowes where you might dine (own expense) in one of the delicious restaurant options and browse local shops. In the cooler months between April to September, you will return to Melbourne after the Penguin Parade visit to indulge in one of Melbourne City's decadent restaurants.

As dusk approaches, make your way to a local beach and settle in to a shoreline viewing platform for the world-famous Penguin Parade. Every night, hundreds of petite fairy penguins — the smallest in the world — emerge from the water here after fishing all day. Watch the awe-inspiring spectacle as the adorable penguins waddle across the sand and through the bush to tuck into their burrows for the night. Your tour includes an upgraded Penguins Plus experience for a VIP boardwalk view of the parade.

Once all penguins have gone home for the night, relax on the approximately 2-hour return drive to Melbourne.

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

The Nobbies Centre

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Penguin Parade

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Cowes

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Adult pricing applies to all travelers 4yrs and above
Infants 0-3yrs please request car seat at time of booking
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

No photo or video of penguins allowed
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 92 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Excellent private tour....

Shan_V, Jul 2022

Excellent private tour. John was a very knowledgeable guide. The Moonlit sanctuary was great for feeding the kangaroos and seeing wallabies, wombats, koalas, Tasmanian devil and dingoes. The penguin island experience was very good but would have preferred to have a penguin-plus ticket for the experience having paid for the VIP private tour