Melbourne Puffing Billy Train and Penguin Parade Day Tour Escape

Phillip Island, Australia

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

10 to 12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

What's Included

Admission to Puffing Billy Train Ride
Admission to Penguin Parade Watch (not included in the "no penguin watch" option)
Bilingual professional driver/guide service
Comfortable vehicle transport
Toll, parking and fuel cost
Tips for the driver

Admission to the wildlife park
Meals and beverages
Other personal expenses
Personal insurance

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We will re-confirm with you about the exact pickup time one day before the tour.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

Brighton Beach

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Maru Koala and Animal Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Puffing Billy Railway

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Nobbies

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Reviews

3.0

based on 4 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Very poor tour van, very bad driving.

Phatawan_T, Jan 2026

Do not take this tour, the van condition is terrible. The driver drove really bad! (I have to cancel the tour at first stop due to car sickness). The seat in the car is not comfortable at all. Very small. Not even give me a partial refund when I requested due to medical condition.

Experience Your second Childhood on the Puffing Billy Train on a Viator Tour

Venitia_R, Nov 2025

A must for any age if you are in Melbourne. This experience is your second childhood, freedom and fun.

Great Trip to see Penguins

Jennifer_T, Oct 2025

Got to see the highlights - Puffing Billy, Melbourne Bathhouses, Maru Zoo, and of course penguins!!!!! Vance was a very nice driver and made sure we stayed on time and adjusted where needed. He even highlighted where we could plan to eat during the day which helped on a long tour like this. Great Day out and the penguins are the opportunity of a lifetime to see.

Wasted time and money

Victoria_C, Oct 2025

I'll start with the pros- puffing billy was a great experience, highly recommend. The penguin parade was incredible to see experience. Now I'll get to the reason I am giving a 1 star- I don't like to complain, because I understand the need for flexibility. The tour felt like a lot of wasted time, time that was not cheap. I opted for this tour, as there were many options for similar tours, including cheaper ones. Scheduled tour time 10am, and changed to 830, due to the train schedule, which was ok. After the train, we had an excessive amount of time at the train cafeteria. The Maru Animal Park, which felt like a sad zoo. For the cost of the tour, the $30 should have been included. We were given 2 hours to spend there, which doesn't need more than 45 minutes (as per itinerary, 1 hour). Then we were brought to an overpriced chocolate store because we had a lot of time before seeing the penguins. After we were brought to Cowes in Philip Island, and here we were given almost 3 hours. 3 hours to do what? No where on the itinerary had this listed. At 1830 we made our way to the penguin parade. The penguin parade ended late, which of course is not in control of the tour. We started our day at 830 and ended at 2300. Our driver, he was nothing close to a guide. I asked the driver why we didn't stop at two of the locations, he said oh because the train. we weren't given the option, nor were we even told we wouldn't be doing the other activities. , we spent almost 3 hours in Cowes, wasting time. I understand the need for flexibility, but it's different when the itinerary is blatantly disregarded and there is zero communication about it. When choosing tours, it's based on the itinerary. What's the point if the itinerary is different? Different without even given any options or information. If I knew this prior to booking, I would have went with a different tour option. This tour was poorly planned and orchestrated. For $122 USD a person (2 people), I would expect a lot better. Completey upset with our experience.