Phillip Island Little Penguins Parade Evening Tour

Melbourne, Australia

Take a Phillip Island evening tour from Melbourne and see the heartwarming phenomenon of these little penguins as they emerge from the surf and waddle to the safety of their dune burrows. From your nearby vantage point you'll be able to watch the penguins feed their waiting young with the pilchards and anchovies they've caught.

The Phillip Island Little Penguins Parade Evening Tour leaves Melbourne in the late afternoon, following the Yarra River through the city to Melbourne's leafy eastern suburbs and on to Phillip Island. You'll learn about Phillip Island's wildlife at the information center and at dusk see the little penguins (the smallest penguin species there is) leave the ocean to return to their sand dune burrows.

You'll also have the opportunity to see migratory shearwaters (muttonbirds) and other seabirds on the tour, and learn about the conservation and environmental issues involved in protecting Phillip Island's wildlife.

USD $108.78

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Katherine D	March 2012
This is a great tour if you do not want or can't spend the enitre day at Phillip Island. The ride is long but comfortable and you have plenty of time to visit the visitor center and see the little penguins too!

Review by: nell	March 2012
magnificent experience

Review by: Kevin D	March 2012
A pleasant trip, but beware penguins don't cross the beach until sunset, so can be difficult to see. Also, we visited during the moulting season when most penguins don't go to sea, so don't parade back! Expected hundreds of parading penguins and saw about 40 , but we did see lots more in the sand-dunes from the boardwalks. Very good visitor centre. Cameras and lights are forbidden in the 'live' penguin areas.

Review by: Deanna C	January 2012
We enjoyed it, loved all the penguins, wish we were closed when they came out of the water but we realized it would frighten them away, no photos, I know you could have with no flash, but how do you police the 100's of people. who dont care.

Review by: Jules	January 2012
Penguin Parade was excellent - do take warm clothing though! Only downside was the quality of the food at the centre - we were a captive audience unfortunately. I would recommend taking your own food.

Review by: Elizabeth C	January 2012
Great trip. Coach driver knew exactly where he was going. Nothing was a problem. Many thanks to our coach driver Ron from my family and myself. Would highly recommend.

Review by: Richard D	December 2011
The highlight of our trip to Australia. Very moving to watch these little penguins, and know what they have to go through. It's a pity that some stupid tourists have ruined it for everyone else. Photography is banned because idiots used flash, which upset the penguins. Still go you will remember this for a lifetime.

Review by: Jennifer F	November 2011
Excellent! Magical experience great bus driver all on time

Review by: Subhashini K	October 2011
We took the penguins parade tour on the 21st of Oct 2011. We were picked up promptly from the hotel and the driver was very friendly and informative. We reached Philip Island on time and the driver took us on a little detour in the philip island so that we could see some Wallaby's. The kids were super excited to spot the animals in the wild. Penguins at philip island are a must see for every visitor to Melbourne. I highly recommend this tour !!

Review by: Ann L	October 2011
LOVED it! Bring blankets and warm clothes. No pictures allowed but they sell some at an affordable price.

Review by: Brian W	September 2011
Enjoyed seeing the penguins. Departure from Federation Sqaure was a little confusing. APT coach was supposed to collect us but we were transferred in a mini bus.

Review by: Pteer S	July 2011
My experience with viator was TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The coach driver was horribly incompetent. The organisation of the whole tour was horrible. Will never ever be using viator again or recommending them to anyone!

Review by: Paul T	July 2011
Exact pick up point was vague and not at the day trip point at federation square. Good coach and good driver. $500 for a family of 4 to see fewer than a dozen penguins raises serious issues about worthwhileness at certain times of year. Coupled with the poor food at the venue it was very poor value for money at this time of year.

Review by: Fiona B	June 2011
My trip was great, the driver picked us up a bit before the scheduled time. He gave us a brief run down of things we were passing on the way to Phillip Island and was very polite and knowledgeable. We had an excellent trip and would gladly book with you again.

Review by: Matthew J	May 2011
This was a very worthwhile trip, a little far out of the city but well worth it. Make sure you wrap up warm in the colder months but its fun!

Review by: Ed Hansen H	April 2011
The trip to Phillip Island was great. Only questionable part was the stop at the cattle ranch. It was nice to see the wambats, Kangeroos and Koalas but no cattle.

Review by: Colin C	April 2011
Excellent evening trip, very comfortable coach with a very professional and friendly driver named Joe. Would rcommend this trip.

Review by: Diane C	April 2011
Cannot fault the experience of seeing the penguins, well worth the trip and never to be forgotten. The pick up bus journey was a little bit frustrating, we were first to be picked up on Southbank, then did nearly an hours tour of the city to collect people from other hotels then dropped in Federation Square for 15 minutes free time to wait for more pick ups, so after an hour on the bus we had almost done a complete circle. Also it would have been helpful to know that there was no opportunity to get any food en route which meant that we had nothing to eat from 2pm until 10.30pm had we have known we may have picked up some sandwiches. But apart from these gripes the overall experience was very good.

Review by: raymond d	March 2011
Good trip. We had good commentary on the way to the Phillip Island and a stop to see wallabys before we got to the Penguin Parade. Only problem was that the bus was 15 or 20 minutes late - annoying to wait.

Review by: Robert David A	March 2011
Good views of penguins on board walk after they come ashore.

Review by: Anita B	March 2011
Great tour - expected to see more Little Penguins, but what we saw was great!!

Review by: Greg A	February 2011
Excellent - a trip not to be missed.

Review by: eileen c	January 2011
chaotic in restaurant- too many people for small area. Long journey for short time viewing penguins.

Review by: Giuseppina P	January 2011
See the Penguins Parade was an amazing thing.

Review by: CHUN KI C	January 2011
Evening tour suited our schedule best. Professional staff, especially the driver. The tour was great, the little Penguins are so cute!!! Absolutely worth the money.

Review by: Xiaolu X	December 2010
good services, respect language-using, thoughtful driver, useful recommendation about where to see the penguins, understanding for late arrival.

Review by: Glen W	December 2010
Worth doing once. Very cold, wear warm clothing even in summer.

Review by: Roger B	November 2010
Didn't realise coach trip takes 2 hours (after all pick ups) to Phillip Island, but worth it to see penguins hiding amongst the rocks before storming the beach!!.

Review by: Michael E	October 2010
We really enjoyed our trip to see the little penguins coming home. I felt the evening was handled well with the least interference to the penguins while we could observe and appreciate their habits. The bus driver was very informative and helpful. Thanks

Review by: Karen R	October 2010
I loved this! It was worth upgrading to the Penguin Plus to get so much closer to the penguins. We even got to watch a movie on the bus ride back to Melbourne.

Review by: Vivia F, United States of America	April 2010
Great experience, only disapointment we were not allowed to take pictures but since it was in the best interest of the penguins I got over it.

Review by: VIVIA F	April 2010
Great experience, only disapointment we were not allowed to take pictures but since it was in the best interest of the penguins I got over it.

Review by: Robyn H, Australia	March 2010
I had a lovely time and the bus driver was very informative. It was a lovely experience to see the penguins in their natural environment.

Review by: Peter R, United Kingdom	March 2010
Magical experience.

Review by: J S, Indonesia	January 2010
We really liked the tour to Phillip Island! We were picked up by bus on time, the driver was very nice, and the bus was also comfortable. We really liked the experience to see the cute penguins, but unfortunately it was raining, so we were wet and cold. But overall we liked it very much. Thank you!

Review by: John Katapi S	January 2010
We really liked the tour to Phillip Island! We were picked up by bus on time, the driver was very nice, and the bus was also comfortable. We really liked the experience to see the cute penguins, but unfortunately it was raining, so we were wet and cold. But overall we liked it very much. Thank you!

Review by: Peter J, United Kingdom	December 2009
A humbling experience not to be missed. 2000 little penguins coming home close by you. Make this your number 1 tour.

Review by: Jonathan P, United Kingdom	December 2009
The express tour was quick and easy get in and get out. The penguins were great, just be weary that if you want to spend a lot of time viewing the penguins this may not be for you, especially if the penguins are late out of the water we got about 50 minutes actually with penguins!

Review by: JONATHAN P	December 2009
The express tour was quick and easy get in and get out. The penguins were great, just be weary that if you want to spend a lot of time viewing the penguins this may not be for you, especially if the penguins are late out of the water we got about 50 minutes actually with penguins!

Review by: Anonymous	September 2009
We were a party of 3 and our unanimous opinion was that of total dissatisfaction with this tour. It is definitely an over-sell and over-promotion of this tour. We were told by the driver that the journey is usually 90km but he was taking the longer route. It was freezing on that date and even the coffee counter was a disaster -1 person at the counter tending to several bus loads. The penguins were a joke - 36 cms -- we could not even see them - a TV show would have served a better purpose. I would not recommend this tour to anyone. A thorough waste of 9hrs whilst in Melbourne -time better spent at a museum.

Review by: Anonymous, Hong Kong	July 2009
A good trip that was worth the money.

Review by: Anonymous	June 2009
Its worth to upgrade to premium seating as those penguins smallest breed are too small to see at dark and from the distance. Don't sit too long in the bench, its better to walk side-by-side with them as they return to their burrows and see them up closed and personal.

Review by: Michael E, United Kingdom	May 2009
It's a couple of hours drive to Penguin Island but well worth it to see the little penguins parade across the beach to their nests. We were amazed how close we got to the penguins as there were board walks across the dunes, where the penguins nested.

Review by: Anonymous, Singapore	February 2009
Great trip!! Just remember to wear warm clothing.

Review by: Anonymous, South Africa	January 2009
It was an amazing experience where you are able to get to such a close contact with the little penguins, and you are also able to see a part of a little penguin's life that nobody realises happens unless they see it for themselves!

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	October 2008
Weren't close when seeing penguins coming out of water, but definitely were when walking back up walkway. Very cute, enjoyed tour.

Review by: Ove F, Denmark	April 2008
Fantastic penguins!

Review by: Marilyn Y, Singapore	April 2008
Amazing sight which one should not miss.

Review by: Rochelle S, United Kingdom	April 2007
Enjoyed it. It was fascinating watching the penguins making their way from the sea to their burrows.

Review by: Jill-Ann V, Japan	February 2007
The penguins were great. I would recommend staying on the walking platform to get a closer view of the penguins.