See native Australian wildlife, including the nightly ‘penguin parade,’ on this small-group tour to Phillip Island from Melbourne. Take in the breathtaking views of Phillip Island's rugged coastline along the Nobbies Boardwalk, then head to Summerland Beach to observe a procession of little penguins from Victoria's largest penguin colony.

Small-group wildlife tour to Phillip Island, from Melbourne
Enjoy spectacular coastal views along Nobbies boardwalk
See the penguin parade at Summerland Beach in the early evening

What's Included

Friendly & informative tour guide
WiFi on board
Park Entry Fees
Air-conditioned vehicle
Pickup from selected hotels

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pickup is only available from the list of hotels provided upon checkout or from the Immigration Museum (400 Flinders Street). Your pickup will be between 1:30pm-1:45pm (Apr-Sep) or 2:30pm-2:45pm (Oct-Mar) depending on which hotel you selected. 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.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
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 directly and request infant seat
Penguins Plus & Underground Viewing are on request. Once you have placed a booking, the Tour Operator will contact you in the event your chosen upgrade is not available

Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

Keep in mind that the initial tour advertised has upgrades giving better locations for viewing.

Reviews

4.5

88 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 88 reviews

Guided ranger visit to the penguins

Lori_C, Feb 2020

We opted for the ranger guided tour for the penguin parade. We didn’t realize all the other activities. We stopped at the Moonlit Sanctuary for an our and had time to see Australian animals up close. We then went to the Nobbies, for beautiful scenery and a stop in Cowes for dinner. I would have liked a little more time at the Penguin parade as the gift shop was very nice but no time to shop. We met our ranger and in a small group of 8 she equipped us with binoculars and headset and guided us to great seats. We saw hundreds of penguins come out of the water and later followed along the path they were taking. It was great. I do not believe the general admission folks could see what we saw, they were too far away. It was definitely worth the premium. Our guide Paul who drove us was also excellent. The only disappointment was no photos allowed.

Penguin Parade

lrobwerner, Feb 2020

Seeing the parade of Penguins is a worthwhile tourist experience. We did not realize the afternoon tour would stretch to midnight. One has to be at the Island sight at night to see them. After we did the tour, we were informed by our hotel staff that one could see Penguins on a local beach without charge. The tour would have been better and would not have taken so long if it just had the Penguin parade. The animal park we stopped at was low end and not as nice as many others. The tour director was both caring and a nervous wellie. He made us think that we would not have time to stop for dinner which led us to order poor quality food at the park. We thereafter went to a small town where we had plenty of time to order food from a variety of restaurants. Keep in mind that the initial tour advertised has upgrades giving better locations for viewing. They are worth while, but one needs to arrive early for good placement.

very nice tour with the wonderful guide

Joongil_S, May 2019

It was really good tour! Penguins! It was an amazing experience. I and my family went tour with the tour guide Mr. Rob. He was very kind and knowledgeable not only to tour spots but also to daily life in Melbourne, so we really enjoy the way to the spots. The bus was spacious and the agency prepared kid-seat for my son, and it was very helpful to take care of safety. It was a good tour.

do not recommend this trip

Steven_B, Dec 2018

poor guide no explanations re the area Moonlit animal sanctuary is a waste of time animals in cages awful

Wonderful to see the tiny penguins...

Jessica C, June 2018

Wonderful to see the tiny penguins up close! Slightly windy by the shore. Knowledgeable tour guide.

Dont miss the penguin parade! One of...

Kevin L, Mar 2018

Dont miss the penguin parade! One of the great experiences of our Australian trip! Very good Itinerary.

The wildlife tour was great, we got...

Jayson J, Jan 2018

The wildlife tour was great, we got to see a field full of kangaroo's and the penguins were so fun to watch coming out of the sea. They don't come out until dark, and can be hard to see, I recommend taking some good binoculars. Also no camera's are allowed when it gets dark as the flash shares the little ones.

it was a nice day, the guide gave a lot...

nathalie s, Oct 2017

it was a nice day, the guide gave a lot of informations. great time!

The Tour was amazing. Our bus driver...

Malessa B, Sept 2017

The Tour was amazing. Our bus driver PHIL was lovely and very informative throughout the day. The penguins did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this trip to others as it was a good way to see a bit of the Victorian countryside as well. Worth the money.

The penguin were great and the...

Noel K, Oct 2016

The penguin were great and the driver was knowledgeable, unfortunately the shuttle van was in terrible condition. The door kept jamming and worse the driver had to keep pulling over to burn off the debris in the Fuso buses Eco Filter to avaoid a break down. Not fun having to get out of the bus in 35 degrees in high wind at night.

Pick up was not on time and needless...

IsaiahJoahl_C, Aug 2016

Pick up was not on time and needless to say it ate into our time at the Moonlit Sanctuary which we only had just under an hour to brisk walk through everything and not have enough time to soak it all in. Made our way to the Nobbies, which unfortunately did not see any seals at all. Arrived at the Penguin Centre which looked like there were way too many tourists than it could fit. Massive lines for food and drinks but we just headed to the Penguin Plus Platform in hopes to get good seats anyway. Reached the platform, already packed but luckily both of us managed to squeeze in into a pretty awesome spot where we could see the penguins come up from the waters, making their way across the beach and then heading up the hills or along the walkway. Downside is that, we bought the Penguin Plus which to my knowledge was a limited seating area, but there was obviously not enough room for everyone that day. And you can't go way early to get the best choice seats because that would depend on what time the tour bus takes you there. Overall, it would have been a lot better if the tour left on time like they said they would, and if the Penguin Parade would actually do a little more for crowd control. I know it is a tourist spot and brings in good money for the conservation but if it's just going to be overcrowded like that every time, I don't think it's worth paying the Penguin Plus prices. Just take a road trip there yourself.

Very enjoyable tour. Plenty of time...

Mark H, Mar 2016

Very enjoyable tour. Plenty of time at each attraction. The penguin parade was probably the highlight for the day. Our driver graham could have provided a bit more information about the areas we were travelling through but all in all a very enjoyable but hot day.

Una jornada muy completa...

ISA M, Nov 2017

Una jornada muy completa, disfrutando primero de la reserva de animales en las que vimos canguros, wallabees, emus, koalas y mucho más. Y después con la puesta de sol culminando con la salida del mar de los pequeños pinguinos de Philiip Island. El guia estuvo muy atento durante todo el viaje, dándonos mucha información de lo que íbamos a ver. Y en ambos sitios se respira un gran respeto por los animales y el interés porque los visitantes puedan disfrutar al máximo de la experiencia del contacto con la naturaleza.