A small-group afternoon and evening from Melbourne to Phillip Island: kangaroos and koalas at a wildlife park, the village of Cowes, the boardwalk at the Nobbies, then a grandstand seat as the little penguins come ashore at sunset. Park entry and Penguin Parade general admission are included.
Days
- About 12 hours
Age
- All ages
Group size
- Small group, max 11
Start / finish
- Melbourne / Phillip Island / Melbourne
- Melbourne city centre, about 9pm (winter) to 11:30pm (summer)
Return
- Melbourne city centre, about 9pm (winter) to 11:30pm (summer)
Transport
- 12-seat minibus with city hotel pick-up
Meals
- No meals are listed as included
Route
Included experiences
- Wildlife park — kangaroos, koalas and other native animals
- Cowes — free time in the island's main village
- The Nobbies — boardwalk with views to seal rock and the ocean
- Penguin Parade — little penguins coming ashore at sunset
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
5.0
Based on 15 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 15 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the close and intimate viewing of Little Penguins during the penguin parade, which they describe as enchanting and a memorable highlight, along with opportunities to see and feed kangaroos and wallabies at other stops on the tour. The small group format, knowledgeable guides, well-organised itinerary with good spacing between stops, lack of queuing compared to larger venues, and the professional and attentive service throughout the day stand out most often in the reviews. The most common caveat mentioned is that some tourists disregard ranger instructions by holding phones close to the animals, which detracts from the experience.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
“Phillip Island full day excursion”
A great full day, feeding kangaroos and seeing animals in their habitat, with lovely coastal views. The penguin parade was well worth it even slightly off season, and Walter was awesome.
“A great way to get close views of Little Penguins”
A wonderful upgrade to the ranger tour at Phillip Island, so close to the little penguins. I much preferred this small group to a big one I'd done before, and Walter shared lots of information.
“Penguin parade”
A terrific day with koalas and a nice tour of Phillip Island. Watching the penguins come out of the sea at night to their burrows was enchanting, though tourists pushing phones in their faces despite the rangers' warnings was awful.
“Amazing”
Walter knew so much about everything and the penguins were incredible, a once in a lifetime experience.
“I will go to with Around and About again”
Very good service, a clean car, clear instructions and a happy journey with the driver.
“A memorable day!”
Walter drove, informed and answered questions, but the animals were the stars: feeding kangaroos and wallabies, and lots of penguins returning at night, with amazing calls. He showed us all the wonders while respecting the fragile ecosystem.
