A day trip from Melbourne to Phillip Island with the Penguins Plus upgrade at the Penguin Parade, a premium viewing platform for watching the Little Penguins come ashore at dusk, plus the Koala Conservation Reserve and The Nobbies.
Days
- About 8 to 10 hours, depending on the season
Age
- All ages; under 18s with an adult
Group size
- Max 38
Start / finish
- Melbourne / Melbourne
Return
- See itinerary for details
Transport
- Air-conditioned coach with a driver-guide, inner-city Melbourne pick-up
Meals
- No meals are listed as included
Route
Included experiences
- Koala Conservation Reserve — treetop boardwalks
- The Nobbies and Seal Rocks — clifftop boardwalks and fur seals
- Penguin Parade Visitor Centre
- Summerland Beach — Penguin Parade from the Penguins Plus platform
- Cowes — food stop
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.8
Based on 10 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 10 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the tour for its combination of koala viewing and the penguin parade at sunset, which many describe as a memorable or magical experience, along with appreciation for knowledgeable and friendly guides who provide helpful information and tips throughout the day. The penguin parade itself stands out most frequently as the highlight, with visitors particularly impressed by watching the little penguins waddle ashore and return to their burrows in their natural behaviour. The most common caveat is that the penguin parade area becomes crowded, with some visitors noting that fellow travellers disregard photography rules and other guidelines, and in adverse weather conditions the indoor facilities struggle to accommodate the volume of people, though sightings can still occur.
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.
Watching the little penguins waddle in from the sea was a real experience, and the tour company were great. Bad weather sent everyone indoors and the centre struggled with the crowd, but we still saw a few penguins.
Anthony was passionate and knew so much about the wildlife, and the calm nature sounds on the bus were a nice touch. We saw loads of koalas and wallabies at the koala reserve, had dinner, then watched the penguins come ashore, a once in a lifetime moment.
We did the koala and penguin parade tour and had a blast. We saw lots of koalas at the conservation centre, and our guide's tip got us a great spot at the parade.
Joel was a great guide. At the koala sanctuary we also saw wallabies and an echidna, and the penguins were so cute to watch gathering on the beach and heading to their burrows. You can't take photos as the light blinds them, so please respect that.
The Phillip Island penguin trip was spectacular. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable, the koala centre was inspiring, and after a casual meal we walked the shore past penguin burrows before watching them waddle up the beach, which was magical. I only wish people around us had stopped taking photos.
We had a magical day seeing koalas and penguins with Fiona. Everything ran smoothly from pick-up to every stop.
