Phillip Island: Golden Hour Penguin Express Tour w/ Island Pickup
Description
***Important - this tour DOES NOT depart from Melbourne, pickup is only included from Phillip Island*** Experience the magic of Phillip Island's world-famous Little Penguins at sunset on this expertly guided small-group tour. Departing from your Phillip Island or San Remo accommodation, journey through golden-hour coastal landscapes, encounter native Australian wildlife, and witness thousands of penguins waddle ashore at the iconic Penguin Parade. Perfect for short-stay visitors and nature enthusiasts seeking an unforgettable Victorian wildlife experience with premium comfort and authentic local guiding. Skip the hassle of planning logistics and let expert local guides showcase the best of Phillip Island Nature Parks, Cowes coastal village, and Bass Strait's dramatic ocean scenery.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your adventure with convenient pickup from your nominated accommodation. Board your premium midi coach, meet your expert local guide, and settle into your guaranteed window seat for every booking with WiFi access for the journey ahead.
Explore the charming seaside village of Cowes on the shores of Western Port Bay. Stroll the sandy beach along The Esplanade, browse local shops and boutiques, and experience the relaxed island village atmosphere. There's time for optional refreshments at local cafes if desired.
Arrive at golden hour as the sun descends over Bass Strait and walk the elevated boardwalks offering spectacular 360-degree ocean views. Watch for wallabies grazing on clifftops, Cape Barren geese (one of Australia's rarest waterbirds), seabirds, and echidnas in coastal vegetation. View the Australian fur seal colony on Seal Rocks, with up to 16,000 seals visible from the boardwalk. Capture stunning golden hour photography before returning to your coach for complimentary sparkling wine as the sun sets over the Southern Ocean
Drive through one of Phillip Island's most picturesque and wildlife-rich regions as twilight descends. Spot wallabies and native animals becoming active at dusk in their natural surroundings while enjoying the scenic coastal views from your comfortable window seat. Your guide shares insights about the nocturnal wildlife that calls this area home.
Arrive at the world-renowned Penguin Parade as dusk settles over Summerland Beach. Explore the excellent Visitor Centre facilities and take time have a meal (own cost) at the onsite restaurant. Then settle into the general viewing platform to witness one of nature's most enchanting spectacles as hundreds to thousands of Little Penguins emerge from Bass Strait and waddle across the sand to their burrows. Your guide provides expert commentary about penguin behavior and the important conservation work protecting Victoria's largest Little Penguin colony.
Relax and reflect on your unforgettable wildlife encounters as your guide returns you to your original Phillip Island or San Remo pickup point, completing a perfect golden-hour adventure.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please ensure you have listed your Hotel or Airbnb with us - reach out to us if yours is not listed. We will contact you on the day of travel to confirm your exact pickup time - there is generally a 30 minute window that we allow to complete pickups in.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(63)
We booked this tour through Luxury Escapes and we were so glad we added it to our trip. It was a highlight, very well organised, communication with our driver was excellent, and the Nobbys beach walk at golden hour was amazing. There was a perfect amount of time spent at the penguins, and our driver shared many local tips to enhance our experience.
We’re thrilled to hear the tour was such a highlight of your trip! Thank you again for choosing to tour with us through Luxury Escapes. We’d love to welcome you back on one of our other tours in the future.
I know it wasn’t the company or Drivers fault We were 15 minutes late being picked up then lost another 15 plus minutes waiting for some missing guests which meant our two stops before the Penguin experience was rushed and we were not given the tips for seeing the penguins. I booked Penguin plus which was cancelled the evening before so had to in general viewing, with not good eye sight I had problems seeing the penguins from seagulls. ( My Tip after seeing the first Penguin leave the safety of the sea head left along board walk to the toilet area and all the little penguins walk along close up. We discovered this too late and it was 10 deep with people, get there first)
It was a enjoyable experience! The driver of the comfortable bus picked us up at the hotel on time, he was very friendly and told a lot of interesting facts and gave us good advices during the drive. He even offered some sparkling wine to all of the guests. The Penguine Parade itself is very touristic, but well organised.
G’day! We are so happy to hear you had fun. Thanks for being on our tour =)
Very good. Wonderful guide. Michael was very attentive. .............................................
G’day! We are so happy to hear you had fun. Thanks for being on our tour :)
Avoid this tour operator for Philip Island: Golden Hour Penguin Express tour. We booked this tour in December for today. 48 hours before the tour was due to start, Local Way Tours reached out to let us know they had recieved less tickets than they had booked and could not confirm our tour. They were then hard to communicate with and unclear - not responding to myself or Get Your Guide. I used both Get Your Guide messaging and whatsapp. We have lost out on our accomodation ($177) as this was non-refundable and we were only coming to Philips Island for this tour. We were NOT made aware when booking that the operator are only allocated a small number of tickets and rely on Penguin Parade giving them extras closer to the time. They admitted to me it had been sold out for 3 months - we booked 2 months in advance so they sold tickets knowing this. They tried to rebook us on an alternative day but as we have come from the UK and are here for a limited time this was not possible for us. I am incredibily disappointed to have missed out on both this experience and accomodation.
Wonderful tour! We had a great evening with Sue! She gave us lots of local history and fun facts about the penguins! Seeing the penguin parade was amazing! Being picked up at our lodging was an added bonus. No need to stress about parking or crowds!
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback! We’re really glad you enjoyed the evening with Sue and the penguin parade. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to her.
Fantastic experience the driver (Sue) was very knowledgeable about the history and the different wild life on Phillip Island.
G’day! Thank you for your review! We are glad you had a good time with Sue on Phillip Island :)
Overall a great tour. We were collected on time and by our lovely tour guide, Mike, who sent a text confirming details of pickup, etc on the day. The extra for the premium viewing of the penguins was worth it and delivered us a fabulous viewing and rewarding evening. Thanks to Mike for delivering great, respectful service. Our experience was all the better due to your enthusiasm and ability to welcome your guests. A wonderful memory and the penguins delighted us with wonderful memories.
Thanks so much for your kind words. We’re really glad you had such a memorable experience, and we’ll be sure to pass your appreciation on to Mike.
Great guide and really nice stops with magnificent views. We saw a lot of different animals and enjoyed the stunning views.
Thank you for the kind words! We’re so happy you had a great experience with us. Hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
The communication for the pick up and tour was excellent. Jenny was very knowledgeable and friendly. She made the trip almost as worthwhile as seeing those adorable penguins. We also saw wild wallabies and bandicoots!
G’day! Thanks for the great review. We’re really glad to hear the communication and pickup were smooth and that you enjoyed the day out. Wonderful to hear Jenny’s knowledge and friendly approach helped make the experience so memorable, and that you got to see some extra wildlife along the way too! Hope to see you again on another tour soon!
