Phillip Island Penguin and Koala Highlights Day-Trip from Melbourne
Description
Take in the spectacular Phillip Island Penguin Parade as you watch the colony of Little Penguins crosses the shoreline from the ocean. Heading out to Penguin Parade, we begin our day at a Koala Reserve to meet some furry Australian favourites. Take a tour and get up close and personal with our native Australian wildlife. Travel to Phillip Island Nature Parks, known for its natural beauty, sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and unique wildlife experiences. The island is home to a colony of around 32,000 little penguins. Phillip Island Tour is one of the popular and must-watch tourist attractions in Victoria.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our coach will depart from Melbourne City and head southeast for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, with our first stop being the Koala Conservation Reserve on Phillip Island.
At the Koala Conservation Centre on Phillip Island, guests will have 45 minutes to explore the lush surroundings and stroll along the elevated boardwalks that wind through the treetops. Here, you’ll have the chance to get up close to koalas in their natural habitat, spotting these iconic creatures as they rest in the eucalyptus trees. The knowledgeable staff will provide fascinating insights into the conservation efforts that protect these beloved animals. It's a peaceful and educational experience, offering fantastic photo opportunities and a chance to immerse yourself in the beauty of Australia's wildlife.
Phillip Island boasts a population of approximately 15,000 which is boosted during the busy tourist seasons. There are three main settlements being Cape Woolamai, New Haven & Cowes. Our stop at Cape Woolamai beach is seasonal subject to weather permitting and mostly visited during summer season.
During summer time we often make time to wander through the coastal township of Cowes. Sheltered alongside the calm Westernport Bay this township was named after Cowes on the Isle of White. Beautiful seaside scenery, unique stores to peak into and many nice restaurants to purchase food. This stop is only due to timing restrictions in winter as there are less hours of day light.
Next, we arrive at the Nobbies Rocks where you can take a walk down the boardwalks to see the rocky coast and spot Penguins nesting in their burrows. Then we travel along the Phillip Island backroads through Phillip Island Penguin Habitat. Enjoy incredible views of the coastal cliffs on your way to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
The main attraction of Phillip Island tour has always been the Little Penguins doing their daily ritual of penguin parade. These little friends are the smallest of its kind in the world. Enjoy sunset at the Visitor Information Centre and choose the right seat to have a great view of the main spectacles of the day — the Penguin Parade!
After the Penguin Parade, we will begin our journey back to Melbourne, with the return time varying depending on the penguins' arrival time. As the penguins make their way back to their burrows, we’ll allow time to fully enjoy the experience before heading home. Please note, the timings for the day trip may vary to maximise the sunset experience, particularly in line with the time of year and daylight savings.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- No photography or filming is permitted at the Penguin Parade. Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin.
- Child and infant fare prices apply from 0 to 12 years old. Child protective seats are free of charge, subject to availability and must be requested at time of booking.
- Limited storage space on our vehicle, baggage kept to 1 x 5-7kg day bag per person. Our vehicles are not wheelchair, prams or child stroller accessible please refrain from bring on tour.
- Please ensure you have checked the average temperatures for the time of year you are travelling and have packed adequate clothing.
Reviews(876)
What an amazing trip! Our guide/driver/experience guru, Fiona, was outstanding! She is friendly, personable, and incredibly knowledgeable. I upgraded to the premium penguin viewing and it was absolutely worth it! I have friends coming to Australia later this year and I will definitely recommend they take this excursion!
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic feedback! It’s wonderful to hear that Fiona provided an outstanding experience and that the upgraded premium penguin viewing was worth it. Your kind words about her friendliness, personality, and knowledge mean a lot. We’re delighted you enjoyed the trip so much and truly appreciate your recommendation to your friends. We look forward to hosting more memorable adventures for you and your friends in the future!
Fiona is so knowledgeable and made the tour fun. She's very passionate and shared so many cool facts about Australian wildlife and the area! The penguin parade was an amazing experience and the koalas were so close to you.
Thanks so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled you had such a great day with Fiona and enjoyed learning about Australia's amazing wildlife. The penguin parade and koalas really are unforgettable, we hope to see you again soon!
Great day out! I can absolutely recommend the trip. Our guide, Kiwi, is very knowledgeable about history, nature and how to assure that his guests are getting the most out of the trip.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear you had a great day out and enjoyed the trip. Kiwi truly is a gem-his passion for history and nature shines through, and we're glad he was able to make your experience memorable. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon for more adventures!
loved the Koala habitat and could have used another 15 minutes or so there! it was a foggy evening and we did not see the 450 penguins that were predicted to come out of the water to their burrows. we saw about 20, and that was at too much of a distance.
It sounds like you had a memorable visit! The Koala habitat must have been adorable, and it’s understandable you wanted a bit more time there to enjoy it fully. The foggy evening adds a mysterious touch, even if it limited the penguin sightings. Witnessing about 20 penguins from a distance still must have been a special experience, even if the full predicted number didn’t appear. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Thanks to Joel (our guide) for a very informative and well organised trip. Got some good pictures at the Nobbies and saw a lot of penguins at Philip Island (sat in the general viewing area at the front).
You're very welcome! We're glad to hear that Joel provided an informative and well-organized trip. It sounds like you had a fantastic time capturing great photos at the Nobbies and enjoying the penguins at Philip Island. Sitting in the front viewing area must have offered a perfect vantage point! Thank you for sharing your experience, and we hope to host you again for more memorable adventures!
This was a great day out! Joel was a fantastic driver and host, he was so informative and kind! Really recommend! The Penguin Parade can get quite chilly so I suggest bringing an extra jumper!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had a great day out. It's fantastic that Joel was a fantastic driver and host, and that his informativeness and kindness made the experience special. We appreciate the tip about bringing an extra jumper for the Penguin Parade – helpful advice for future visitors! We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!
Excellent trip and Joel is a very experienced and nice guide
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear you had an excellent trip and that Joel provided a great experience as your guide. His experience and friendly attitude truly make a difference. We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
Thank you Fiona for the great experience. She told us where to find the best viewing spots for the “Penguins Plus” option.
Thank you for your kind review! We're so glad you enjoyed your Phillip Island experience and that Fiona helped you make the most of the Penguins Plus viewing spots. We really appreciate your feedback and hope to see you on another tour soon!
We had a wonderful day trip to Phillip Island, including visits to the Koala Reserve and the famous Penguin Parade. The entire experience was well-organised, enjoyable, and perfect for visitors wanting to experience some of Victoria’s unique wildlife. A special thank you to our tour guide, Anthony, who was friendly, warm, and incredibly accommodating throughout the trip. He shared interesting information along the way, made everyone feel welcome, and was always happy to answer questions. Anthony also gave excellent recommendations on how to make the most of the Penguin Parade experience, His tips really enhanced the experience and helped make the evening unforgettable.
Thanks so much for the lovely review! 😊 We're thrilled you had such a great day at Phillip Island and got to enjoy the Koala Reserve and Penguin Parade. Anthony will be really happy to hear your kind words, he’ll be glad his tips helped make the evening even more memorable. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again on another adventure!
Great day out with an informative friendly guide (Joel😃)
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear you had a great day out with our informative and friendly guide, Joel . We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Looking forward to welcoming you back for more memorable adventures!
