Melbourne · PHILLIP ISLAND TOURS

The 15 Best Phillip Island Tours from Melbourne

27 tours  ·  from $34

The island is two hours out and the whole day is built backwards from sunset. These 15 sort the wildlife-park stops, the seal cruises and the Penguin Parade seating, with prices and what time you get home.

From Melbourne: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Eco Tour - Moonlit Sanctuary: your first close look at Australian wildlife
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From Melbourne: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Eco Tour

1.Phillip Island Penguin Parade Eco Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,211 reviews · 12 hours · from $109Our pick

Spend 12 hours travelling from Melbourne to Moonlit Sanctuary, Cape Woolamai in summer, The Nobbies, and the Penguin Parade. An English-speaking guide such as Jools, Chris H, or Graeme leads the day, with air-conditioned transport, Wi-Fi, multilingual audio, and standard parade entry included.

“What an amazing day out! We had various activities - the Moonlit Wildlife Sanctuary was great - very calm environment with beautiful animals. Phillip Island and the penguin parade was spectacular - the penguins are adorable! Our guide Sherif was excellent, he gave us lots of information and useful tips.”

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Phillip Island Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour from Melbourne - Cape Woolamai brings sand and surf
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Phillip Island Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour from Melbourne

2.Phillip Island Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 867 reviews · from $111Top rated

Travel from Melbourne to Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island with a guide such as Michael, David, Bluey, or Reuben. Feed wallabies, spot koalas, walk the Nobbies boardwalk, and watch Little Penguins come ashore after dark. Expect a 12 to 14 hour day with a late return.

“My husband and I had an awesome tour with our guide, David! The day was spaced out brilliantly, with plenty of toilet, snack/coffee and walk breaks. Seeing the penguins at the official “parade” was of course amazing! But we also got to see them in their nest at the “Nobbies” and could take pictures there, which was really cool! We also saw Wallaby and Echidna in the wild! Highly recommend this tour! My only warning: when you do go to the penguin parade … head to get your food first and eat inside … or a seagull may swoop down and take your fish taco without a second thought …”

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Phillip Island Penguin and Koala Highlights Day-Trip from Melbourne - Cowes is the practical meal stop
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Phillip Island Penguin and Koala Highlights Day-Trip from Melbourne

3.Phillip Island Penguin and Koala Highlights Day-Trip from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 775 reviews · from $125

Travel from Melbourne to Phillip Island in a small-group coach of up to 38 people. Visit the Koala Conservation Reserve, Cowes, and the Nobbies before watching Little Penguins return from the sea. Guides such as Cray, Peter, Lauren, and Joel are praised for clear local commentary.

“It was really really cold, even though in the middle of the summer take plenty of warm clothes even a hat”

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From Melbourne: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Express Tour - Leaving Melbourne for Phillip Island
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From Melbourne: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Express Tour

4.Phillip Island Penguin Parade Express Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 660 reviews

Travel from Melbourne to Phillip Island with guides such as Shano, Shane, Justin, and Jason. Walk the Nobbies boardwalk, watch little penguins come ashore after sunset, and return by coach with Wi-Fi, USB charging, and a toilet.

“Great trip. Fantastic guide. Saw great views and had a great view for the penguins. Would recommend.”

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Full-Day Phillip Island Tour with Kangaroo, Koala and Penguin Parade - Moonlit Sanctuary: useful wildlife, but not a wild encounter
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Full-Day Phillip Island Tour with Kangaroo, Koala and Penguin Parade

5.Full-Day Phillip Island Tour with Kangaroo, Koala and Penguin Parade

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 658 reviews · from $104

Spend about 10 hours exploring Phillip Island from Melbourne, with wildlife at Moonlit Sanctuary, coastal stops, and general admission to the Penguin Parade. Guides such as Steve, Luke, John, Elliot, and James have led past departures, though the guide varies. Bring food, water, and warm layers.

“1) The biggest CATCH of this whole Penguin Parade thing is this: Photos are NOT ALLOWED during the parade, not just flash camera, but ALL cameras - you will be constantly reminded and monitored to ensure no photo taking. This - we should note that - is NEVER communicated on their website nor by the tour guide (at least not by our tour guide Luke) whatsoever - meaning that we were all told literally 30mins before the parade took place. 2) Massively disorganized cluster-mess of a picking-up / onboarding experience - truly the worst I’ve ever had so far out of tons of day-tours I did: Instead of proactively checking…”

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Small-Group Phillip Island Afternoon Day Trip from Melbourne - A short coastal pause at the Nobbies
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Small-Group Phillip Island Afternoon Day Trip from Melbourne

6.Small-Group Phillip Island Afternoon Day Trip from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 566 reviews · from $150

Leave Melbourne in a small group of up to 11 for Moonlit Sanctuary, where koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, and native birds are close at hand. Continue to the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, then watch Little Penguins return to shore at dusk. Guides such as Travis, Josh, Adam, and Gary add wildlife insight along the way.

“With an experienced guide Gary from Oceania Tours and Safaris, we had great fun! He provided insider information for the penguin watch, which made our trip more valuable! strongly recommend!”

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Phillip Island: Penguins and Wildlife Full-Day Tour - Koalas in the Phillip Island bush
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Phillip Island: Penguins and Wildlife Full-Day Tour

7.Penguins and Wildlife Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 539 reviews · from $102

Travel from Melbourne to Phillip Island by air-conditioned bus with an English-speaking guide such as Fiona, Vicky, or Graham. Visit the Koala Conservation Reserve, Woolamai Beach, Nobbies, and Seal Rocks, then watch little penguins return from the sea at the Penguin Parade.

“Just fabulous in every way! Fiona was so knowledgeable and really made sure we got to see the best of everything.”

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Phillip Island & Penguin Parade Afternoon Eco Tour from Melbourne - Cape Woolamai Beach, a summer-only coastal stop
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Phillip Island & Penguin Parade Afternoon Eco Tour from Melbourne

8.Phillip Island & Penguin Parade Afternoon Eco Tour from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 428 reviews · from $111

Join Go West Tours for an afternoon ride from Melbourne to Phillip Island, led by guides such as Lisa, Chloe, or Shane. See The Nobbies, stop at seasonal Cape Woolamai and Cowes, then watch little penguins come ashore at sunset. Entry, Wi-Fi, and return transport are included.

“Easy, last-minute booking with good communication about meeting location. Our tour guide, Shane, was knowledgeable, had a good sense of humor, and went out of his way to drop us off close by to our hotels after a long day. The Little Penguins were the highlight, but we also saw a lot of Wallabies and Cape Barren Geese with their chicks.”

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Phillip Island: 1-Hour Cape Woolamai Scenic Cruise - The San Remo departure keeps the morning easy
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Phillip Island: 1-Hour Cape Woolamai Scenic Cruise

9.1-Hour Cape Woolamai Scenic Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 415 reviews · 1 hour · from $34Best value

Join Wildlife Coast Cruises at San Remo Jetty for a one-hour morning trip toward Cape Woolamai. Your English-speaking guide shares wildlife and coastal facts as you pass under Phillip Island Bridge, watch for seabirds and seals, and enjoy tea, coffee and cake aboard.

“What a great experience! Such lovely crew, friendly and informative. Would definitely recommend.”

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Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform - Koalas among the boardwalks
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Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform

10.Phillip Island Day Trip from Melbourne with Penguin Plus Viewing Platform

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 383 reviews · from $172

Spend about 9.5 hours with Autopia Tours visiting the Koala Conservation Reserve, Cowes, the Nobbies, and Phillip Island’s famous penguin parade. Guides such as Fiona, Craig, Vicky, and Ben provide live commentary, while Penguin Plus gives you a closer view of the little penguins returning after sunset.

“Best part of our Aussie journey! Ben, our driver/guide, was professional, informative, friendly and helpful in every way. Everything we had hoped for. Just the best!”

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Puffing Billy And Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour - A long transfer to Phillip Island
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Puffing Billy And Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour

11.Puffing Billy And Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 351 reviews · from $171

Join Wine Hop And Coastal Tours for an approximately 11-hour trip from Melbourne to Puffing Billy, The Nobbies, and Phillip Island. Guides such as Lorraine, Matt, Terry, and Russel lead the day, with train admission, park entry, transport, and Penguin Parade admission included.

“From the time we were picked up with guide Lorraine it was a very interesting and fun day. The Puffing Billy train raid was like going back in time and the hour went by fast. On the drive to Phillip Island Lorraine told us a lot about the Island and the animals living there and of course about the penguins. Before we saw the penguin parade we drove around and got to see wallabies, geese and we were lucky enough to see a penguin in his burrow. The penguin parade was very interesting, seeing the penguins in real life.”

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Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Trip with Koalas from Melbourne - Koalas among the trees at the conservation reserve
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Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Trip with Koalas from Melbourne

12.Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Trip with Koalas from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 253 reviews · from $111

Spend about 10 hours with guides such as Fiona, Graham, Peter, or Craig, visiting the Koala Conservation Reserve, Cape Woolamai, Cowes, the Nobbies, and the Penguin Parade. Transport, entry fees, commentary, and Wi-Fi are included. Bring warm layers and patience for the late penguin viewing.

“This day activity was more exciting than the Great ocean road. If you’re a person that doesn’t think like “Journey is better than the destination” then this is for you. Only One and half hour away from the city, you get to see animals at conservatiRead more”

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Phillip Island Penguin Parade with Expert Local Guide - Brighton Beach boxes: a quick Melbourne photo stop
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Phillip Island Penguin Parade with Expert Local Guide

13.Phillip Island Penguin Parade with Expert Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 245 reviews · 12 hours - 1 day · from $116

Travel from Melbourne in a small group with an English-speaking local guide to Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary, Cape Woolamai in summer, the Nobbies, and the little Penguin Parade. The $116 tour runs about 12 hours, with general parade viewing and late return.

“The fairy penguins were amazing! The cutest creature I've yet witnessed Bill did a fantastic job of leading the tour I was on. He shared plenty of insightful details and overall great guy This tour is quite long, and so it finished quite late”

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Philip Island: Seal Watching Cruise - Seal Rocks and the main wildlife encounter
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Philip Island: Seal Watching Cruise

14.Seal Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 213 reviews · 2 hours · from $81

Join Wildlife Coast Cruises from Cowes for a two-hour trip to Seal Rocks, home to more than 7,000 Australian fur seals. The captain and crew provide wildlife commentary, tea, coffee, and cake, with sheltered viewing, child-friendly activities, and possible dolphin, penguin, seabird, or whale sightings.

“Overall the entire event was wonderful! Everyone was very helpful and answered all the questions that was asked!”

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Melbourne: Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Parade - Moonlit Sanctuary starts the animal day
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Melbourne: Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Parade

15.Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Parade

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 202 reviews · 9 hours · from $113

Spend nine hours exploring Phillip Island with an English-speaking guide. Visit Moonlit Sanctuary, Woolamai Surf Beach and the Nobbies before watching little penguins return from sea. Guides such as Terry, Sarah and Sam are praised for lively commentary, while the small-group van keeps the day personal.

“My guide Dandy was so good, very friendly. He had made a playlist for the journey. The wildlife sanctuary was a little smaller than I thought, all but one kaola was awake which was brilliant. The penguin parade was nice but the seat didn't give much of a view the way there built. People kept standing up and it lashed rain. Which was unfortunate.”

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New in Phillip Island Tours

★ 4.5Melbourne City Tour and Phillip Island in One DayFrom $24346 reviews
★ 4.7Phillip Island Penguin Parade Afternoon Tour from MelbourneFrom $10947 reviews
★ 4.4Dolphin and Whale CruiseFrom $9548 reviews
★ 5.0Golden Hour Penguin Express Tour w/ Island PickupFrom $9354 reviews
★ 4.5Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Wildlife and Beach Boxes Bus TourFrom $11189 reviews
★ 4.7Boutique Phillip Island Wine, Dine & Penguin TourFrom $16287 reviews

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