Melbourne

Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform

Name: Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform
Brand: Autopia Tours
SKU: 6770P6
Price: 156.24 USD
Rating: 4.5 (70 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceMelbourne, Australia

8 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne Sights & Sounds Private Tour

from $282.56

Price varies by group size

Melbourne, Victoria

Full-Day Private Australian Wildlife Tour of Phillip Island

from $265.94

Price varies by group size

Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne Snow Trip to Lake Mountain with Chocolates visit to a Waterfall

from $99.73

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Close encounter with wildlife
See native wildlife in their natural environment
Small group ensures personal service
Informative, friendly and professional guide
Perfect for all ages and skill level

What's Included

Admission to Phillip Island (Penguins plus viewing area)
Admission to Phillip Island Koala Conservation Reserve
Expert driver guide with live commentary spoken in English

Meals not indicated
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Immigration Museum (Museums Victoria)
400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Our main meeting point for this tour is Immigration Museum - 400 Flinders St corner of Market St, Melbourne. Alternatively, if you wish to change your pickup location please contact our reservations team on +61 39393 1333.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Phillip Island Nature Parks - Koala Reserve

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Phillip Island

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cape Woolamai (Pass By)

Cowes Beach

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Nobbies Centre

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Phillip Island Nature Parks - Penguin Parade

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Our vehicles are not wheelchair, prams or child stroller accessible please refrain from bring on tour.
Not wheelchair accessible

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 39 travelers

Operated by Autopia Tours

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Danielle_N

The experience was amazing. Our tour guide/ driver was very kind, knowledgeable , helpfulz. I highly recommend this tour for those who come visit Melbourne and want to experience the beautiful nature and wildlife.

Reviews

4.5

70 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 70 reviews

Exciting and worthwhile day

Tracey_H, Apr 2024

Seeing hundreds of penguins suddenly appear out of the water was so exciting. Watching them waddle off to their homes in the cliff, quite a distance away for some of them, was wonderful. I’m glad we opted for the VIP viewing platform. Looking at The general seating platform it seemed quite a distance from the water. Before that we had seen koalas when we walked around a wild reserve. Would have liked longer there as it was a large reserve to explore.. A long day, but very worthwhile. New coach too Which added to the satisfaction of the dsy

More than expected

Audrey_G, Apr 2024

Our bus driver Fiona was fabulous! We were particularly excited because 5 (five!) koalas were awake at the Conservatory. The penguins were cute and I was super glad I paid for Penguine Plus. Great tour. Fabulous driver/guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Audrey, Thank you for the 5 star review! We're so glad you had such an amazing time in Phillip Island visiting the little penguins and koalas! Shania :)

Penguin was great

robert_f, Apr 2024

The best part was the penguin parade. That made the trip!!! The koala preserve was ok. Pay extra for premium seating

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello Robert! Thank you for your review - we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your Phillip Island Day trip. Enjoy the rest fo your trip! Eden.

The great down under

Danielle_N, Apr 2024

The penguins! The stars...

Gil_S, Mar 2024

The penguins! The stars were pretty nice to see too. That is all. Don’t ask for more compliments. It’s not nice.

Phenomenal tour and experience!

Patrick_S, Mar 2024

This was easily one of the most memorable days we had during our extended trip in Australia. We have been actively discussing when to come back so we could experience this again! For our tour, our pickup was around mid-afternoon (around 2 PM), so we actually had time in the morning to enjoy ourselves in Melbourne and stock up before heading out on the tour. Our tour guide, Fiona, was simply a delight! She knew quite a lot about our tour locations, made great effort at ensuring everyone on the tour had a great time, and also dispensed some great pearls of wisdom in terms of how best to view the penguins and experience the koala sanctuary. To start, we went from Melbourne to a koala sanctuary on Philip Island. The sanctuary had a number of koalas up among the trees, including some really adventurous ones who were fully awake and walking around the bush! We were so very lucky that we got to see as many as we did, especially the ones who were eating and were up and about. There were also a number of phenomenal birds throughout the sanctuary that made for some excellent photos and that also provided a cacophonous backdrop for the experience. After dinner in a nearby town, it was off to see the penguins! We first stopped at a lookout near the Penguin Parade, where we got some phenomenal vistas along with a few penguins poking their heads out of their burrows (including a few hiding under the boardwalk!). Afterwards, it was on to the main event: the Penguin Parade! We had the Penguin Plus tickets, which gave us access to a viewing platform near the Super Happy Penguin Highway (you'll understand when you see it), and the experience was equal parts crazy, silly, happy, and kooky. So many penguins! And they're so cute!!! I really don't want to go into too great of detail about it to save everyone the surprise, but it was just such an unusual and delightful experience. We even saw a few penguins try to follow people home! To anyone traveling through Melbourne, I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. The tour was a fantastic experience, Fiona was such a gracious and lovely guide, and the Penguin Parade was just so wild and incredible. I am so happy we booked this tour and we cannot wait to do it again some day!

A memorable wildlife day

Jennifer_A, Mar 2024

If you’re looking for an experience to explore wild life this is the perfect tour! From Koalas to Wallabies to Penguins and many more, the fun doesn’t end. While they give information on the bus on your journey, the experience is more diy.The bus was very comfy and the journey there goes by fast. I recommend to pay extra for the penguin platform to get a closer up view! I also recommend to shop at the souvenirs before the main event as after the lines are massive.

Up close with the penguins & koalas

Gary_K, Mar 2024

Fiona, our guide, was terrific. She was very informative and had several great tips for better viewing, a five star guide. The koala conservatory was very good. You really saw the koalas up close. The penguin parade was the highlight. We choose to upgrade to the Penguin Plus seating and we were just feet away. There was an underground viewing area which the penguins would walk up to and look in their curious nature.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hey Gary, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on our Phillip Island Day Trip and for your kind words about our guide. Kind regards, Santi

Absolutely amazing

Lynette_B, Jan 2024

We had a great tour guide very bubbly we had purchased the tour with special seating close by where we were up close and personal with the cute little penguins which was worth the extra cost. It was amazing and unforgettable experience. The little penguins knew which way to travel to their own burrows. Amazing!!!!!!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

G'day Lynette, The Penguins Plus option on our Phillip Island Tour is pretty special. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time on tour with us. We hope to see you on another one of our tours across Australia! Kind regards, Tayla

Exceptional adventure

cathy, Jan 2024

Amazing! Our driver was so friendly and an excellent driver. We saw 100’s of cute little penguins and about 50 wallabees.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hi Cathy, Sounds like you had some pretty great luck with wildlife! We are so glad you enjoyed travelling with us. Enjoy the rest of your travels :) Kind regards, Tayla

Wonderful day. Could have...

Frank_F, Jan 2024

Wonderful day. Could have used more time at penquins before leaving. Biggedt problem--- bus was very hot.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hi Frank, Thank you for your feedback regarding the bus being hot and feeling like you did not have enough time at the Penguin Parade. We will be sure to pass this onto our team and try our best to work on them for future departures. We're glad to hear you still had a great time on our Phillip Island Tour! Shania

A night with the penguins

Karen_L, Jan 2024

We get to see the penguins coming out from the water up close and also saw them waddling their way up to their burrows, so so cute.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hi Karen, It is the best experience seeing the little penguins in their natual habitat. Such a special thing we have here in Victoria! We're glad you had such a great time! Thanks, Shania

Save a day for this trip

Omar_Z, Dec 2023

Vickie and Jay were both very nice tour guides. Vickie was a primary and she took us all around explaining the history of Australia and details I never knew. Learned a lot on this trip. Highly recommend this outfit and tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hi Omar, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5 Star Review! We're so glad you enjoyed our Phillip Island Tour! Shania :)

Penguin Plus tour is a must-do!

ANDREE_A, Nov 2023

This was the best tour we took the entire trip. We saw koalas at the first stop. Our guide pointed out the babies with their mamas high up in the trees. We also saw many koalas close up. The next stop on our journey we saw lots of baby birds. The scenery and the ocean was so beautiful here. Then for the finale, we arrived right before sunset to see the penguin parade. I would definitely suggest the upgrade to Plus as we were right there on the beach where the penguins come out of the water. These little penguins are just so adorable. We saw about 1500 penguins come to shore. Then they take their time waddling down the path to their homes along the trail. The entire day was perfection!! Highly recommend this tour company.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi There, Thank you so much for your kind review! We really appreciate you taking the time! We are over the moon to hear about your incredible experience on our Phillip Island Tour! It is a really special and memorable one! We hope to see you again soon! Shania :)

The koala place was equally good as penguins and the nobbies were an extra treat.

Lillian_B, Nov 2023

Justin was a great tour guide. The penguins were cute. The koala place was spectacular. You can’t take any pictures of penguins after dusk though.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Lillian, Thank you so much for your kind review! We are so glad you enjoyed all aspects of our Phillip Island Tour! Our Koala's and Penguins are such a pleasure to see :) Kind Regards, Shania

Group of 5 happy

ElaineK_Y, Nov 2023

We are group of 5 in a 28 people tour the bus. We went on Nov. 3, 2022. Everything as expected, well worth the extra for VIP seats. Very memorable.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Elaine, We're so glad you had a memorable time on our tour! We hope to see you again soon! Kind Regards, Shania

Super penguins

andrew_H, Oct 2023

Great trip but would be better if it were about an hour earlier so that you can take more time before getting to the penguin parade. We on Y had time for an unscheduled stop to get sandwiches to take with us, a little more time at the Koala sanctuary would have been nice or a stop in Cowes to get food . Well worth paying the extra for penguins plus. The driver was very informative. Overall a must do trip when in Melbourne

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Hi Andrew, Thank you for leaving us a review and we are so happy you had a good time on your tour. We aooreciate all of your feedback and will take it on board to help us improve for future tours. Cody

Best penguin experience

Henry_S, Aug 2023

The drive was totally worth it to see the penguins come in for the night. We booked the upgraded pass to have a seat in which we could see the penguins marching right past us -a very memorable experience. We were also fortunate enough to visit the koala park when the had 6-month joeys in tow.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Henry, Thanks so much for leaving a 5 Star Review! We are so happy you enjoyed your tour out to Phillip Island :) Madi

Blue Penguins are Adorable

Wanita_H, Aug 2023

The penguins are just adorable and well worth the long ride. I enjoyed seeing a number of other animals too-koalas, bandicoots, walilabys, and lots of birds. Although it was a long day, it was very worth the trip!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi there, Thanks so much for leaving a review! We are so glad you enjoyed your trip to Phillip Island with us, the Wildlife out there is super amazing :) We hope you'll travel with us again! Madi

Well worth the time and price

Colin_H, Apr 2023

What a wonderful thing to see. I highly recommend, and pay the extra to get a seat on the viewing platform. The little guys will waddle right past you. Too cute.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Hey Colin, We are so glad to hear you had a great time on Phillip Island and got a great view of the penguins. Thank you for yout review and we hope to see you on another one of our tours soon. Cody

Likely to Sell Out