Phillip Island Penguin and Koala Highlights Day-Trip from Melbourne

Pleasant trip with a cheerful guide

Fiona is a wonderful guide, pleasant and cheerful. Her suggestions to stay on the general admissions walking around to observe the penguins is indeed good. We had seen quite a number of the little fellows around the bushes.

Penguins and Koalas with Fiona

Fiona was a remarkable and memorable tour guide. She had the energy and passion of Jack Nicholson and the sweetness of Mother Teresa, all in one. Awesome experience!

Amazing, managed to see hundreds of Penguins!

It was amazing, just hope we had more time during lunch break to explore Philip Island (which could mean earlier departure). Fiona was amazing, she gave us tips on where to sit to watch the penguins and where's the wind direction. We get to see hundreds of penguin, don't sit by the beach for long. Walk around and you can see them walking. We saw Koalas too although they were sleeping. Please wear comfortable warm clothing if you go during winter and waterproof jackets/raincoats - in case it rains. For Muslims, there's halal kebab option if your tour stop at Cowes town. We arrived at Melbourne CBD at about 830pm. Please dont take photos after sunset guys and follow the rules, it's for the penguin's safety else you mjght hurt their eyes.

Great exciting informative. Our guide cum driver was great

Seeing the penguins coming out of the ocean and walking up to their burrows was beautiful and worth the wait

Great experience!

Great experience! The bus driver/ tour guide Vickie was so knowledgeable about the places we went to and made the trip so much more enjoyable! All aspects of the trip were explained in detail and seeing the amazing wildlife including the koalas, wallabies and penguins was incredible. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Beautiful scenery

Enjoyed seeing the beautiful scenery, koala sanctuary, the Nobbies and the penguins. There is enough time at each stop to see everything. The driver is the guide and he did a nice job explaining what we would be seeing.

Fantastic day trip

It was a great day trip experience with a very nice tour guide, Vicky. She is warm, very friendly and informative about this trip. Definitely we will book another day trip again soon. Siu

Penguins and Koalas

We very much enjoyed visiting the Koala Sanctuary as well as the Penguin Parade. The tour is well designed and well organized.

Wonderful experience...

Wonderful experience watching penguins first time in my life. Awesome. How people work hard to save the nature it's something truly appreciable.

Magical Penguin Viewing Experience

This day trip was even better than I had hoped. Our guide, Craig (and stuffed platypus Barry, who made it really easy to identify the correct bus) was amazing. Craig was very responsive to the group, unfailingly pleasant and shared just the right amount of information about what we were going to see. I appreciated that we had time to wander on our own at each location. It was amazing seeing koalas up close at the Koala Reserve and Craig made sure we knew to look out for wallabies as well. The Nobbies was a beautiful spot and we spotted several young penguins in their burrows as well as enjoying the stunning views from the boardwalk. The highlight, of course, was the Penguin Parade, and the experience was even better than anticipated. Watching the penguins come out of the ocean was truly magical and observing them even closer from the boardwalks as they made their way up the “penguin highway” or lingered outside their burrows was incredible. I found the bus seats a little uncomfortable but this did not diminish the fantastic trip that this was.

None

The tour was perfect ! It suited us well, as we got into the city early morning and we could still take this tour in the afternoon. It covered all that we wanted to see. The tour guide was very informative, pleasant, bubbly and full of energy.

Great experience

The Koala reserve was lovely and so was the penguin parade. All in all a wonderful experience. Highly recommended.

Fun outing

David, our guide, was very knowledgeable and handled the bus driving well. Driving completely around the supper location, pointing out places to eat. We were given plenty of time to see Koalas and supper, one hour each. A quick stop at the Nobbies so the David could get us back to the Penguin Parade. Allowing us time to get good seats. Side tip: sit along the outer edges of the seating area for best viewing. All seats are good but the penguins make their way up the sides. The only criticism, is the bus air conditioning didn't work the best in the back of the bus. It made the 2 hours to the first stop uncomfortable, especially the sunny side of the bus.

Amazing Phillip Island Tour

Our Phillip island tour with Koala stop was amazing. Our bus driver made the trip so incredibly enjoyable with her upbeat personality and excitement over the little penguins. Would highly recommend this tour to everyone.

Choose another one

The place was overcrowded. Poor penguins with all the noise, lights, the lady in the golf cart honking and with flashing lights.. tourists not following the instructions about photos, and guides not effectively supervising. I’ve been to many National parks and natural attractions in Australia, and I think it is now really doing any good to the local penguin population.

A day well spent

We were very pleased with this tour. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable. The stops were exactly as we’d hoped and the Penguin Parade was adorable.

Don’t skipThis one!

Out tour driver, Vicky, was knowledgeable- fun loving and kept the tour moving. The penguins and wallabies, yep- adorable and the scenic views! Worth it. Back late but the trans still run so home quickly.

Australian penguin and koalas tour

Excellent Tours, Phillips Island Penguin Parade, and koala sightings were amazing! The only downside was ignorant tourists flashing their photos at the penguins after being repeatedly told no photos because it scares and blinds the small birds at night.

Guide was amazing.

Wonderful tour -guide Fiona was amazing. Very friendly and knowledgeable. She made a point of connecting with each guest. Koala sanctuary was the best. Penguins were fun to watch but it was very cold - wish I had brought warmer clothes. Got back very late but a great day.

Great tour

Tour guide very profetional with a lot of knowledge. Great value for money. Loved the guides approach.

It’s my best tour trip in...

It’s my best tour trip in Melbourne. The weather was perfect that day. I got lucky to see a few wallabies, penguins and other wildlife animals. It’s a beautiful place. Would love to go there again one day

Philip island tour

The little penguins and koalas were very cute. Awesome experience with the most awesome views! Our guide, Fiona, was so wonderful! Her enthusiasm and cheery nature definitely made this tour awesome!

Fun, heartwarming and stunning scenery

We have the most lovely and enthusiastic tour guide and excellent driver who took us to Phillip island to see the koala and penguins.

Fantastic

Fiona who brought us on this Autopia tour was amazing from start to finish! Fiona had the most amazing insights and passion for nature which made the day so much better! A fantastic day!

Great Aussie Adventure

Our tour guide was great and made the whole experience very enjoyable! Going on a Friday during high traffic wasn’t ideal but that was the only negative. It was neat to see koalas, my fiancé burst into tears of excitement, and the penguin parade was a truly unique and fun experience!

Large crowds at penguin site

The Koalas were abundant and close up for viewing and pictures. The penguin portion of the trip was not so pleasant. Not because of the penguins themselves. It was fascinating to watch them (at a distance) congregate on the shoreline before their dash across the sand. The problem was the extremely large and rude crowds. Many people stood up, leading to a situation where others could not see. Also, the established time for the bus to leave was too early. We didn't have time to see the penguins climbing the hill to their nests.

Wonderful tour to see the penguins!

Myself and my partner did a brilliant tour to Philip Island. We really enjoyed the tour and were blown away by the natural beauty of Philip Island. We really enjoyed the stops at the koala reserve and seeing the beautiful tiny joeys! The penguin parade was a magical experience, we saw hundreds of fairy penguins, some close enough to touch! Our guide, Craig, was friendly and knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour as a great day out from Melbourne for all ages.

Disappointed

Late for pick up at designated spot and we had a fill in driver who was as not familiar with destination. The experience was very disappointing.

Well worth it

Everything from start to finish was great. IIt was so nice to have a tour guide that clearly loved what she was doing. Her passion showed throughout the whole adventure. I will definitely be recommending this to all my friends and family.

Wonderful wildlife

Fiona was our driver and guide she was lovely and passionate about the environment in this part of Australia. We had a wonderful trip with her guidance. She is a gem!

Great tour!

The whole trip was lovely! The koala park was awesome. We got to see so many koalas! Baby koala in mommys pouch included. The penguins were adorable. A great experience for sure!

Never to forget experience

Janet /J-dog our guide was fantastic, she had a great place for our lunch break, interesting stories and useful penguin viewing tips...high recommend taking the trip. Thanks for a never to forget experience

Great day excursion

Great day trip. Got to see Koalas and their Joeys in a conservatory as well as some interesting birds and Wallabies. Penguin parade lives up to the hype as the little ones return from the Ocean to their nests. Wish premium seating upgrade was available and should have spent less time in the stands and more time watching them by the boardwalks and at their nests. Not allowed to take photos and videos of the parades though many ignored the rule :-(

We loved the Penguin...

We loved the Penguin parade. Our guide gave us great insider tips on how to see the penguins best. It was a wonderful trip.

Beatiful natural sights, numerous wildlife viewings, exciting penguin parade with super friendly tour guide.

Tour was very well organized. Bus pick up was on time as were the stops. Our driver was also the tour guide! Vicki was so very friendly and helpful and knowledgeable. The koala sanctuary was as promised and we saw 5 koalas as well as numerious wallabies and assorted birds. We learned about the unique Phillip Island goose and the history of the island and its wildlife and conservation efforts. the highlight ofcourse was the Penguin Parade which didn't disappoint. There is a two hour ride back to Melbourne at night after the penguins. Perfect way to spend a day outside the dity to enjoy the wildlife and natural sights.

Worth it

The penguin parade and the Nobbies view point was the best part of the trip. The schedule can include a quick snack break before heading back to Melbourne.

Lovely

Vickie the bus driver and the guide was fantastic, loved every bit of it. She was a fantastic person to have along this tour

Awesome day trip to Philip Island

Fiona is awesome, very knowledgeable, passionate and professional. We saw lots of wildlife habitat and the cute penguin parade. We truly enjoyed the day trip!

Great one

Nice tour . Tour guide Vicki was nice and knowledgeable. Only one problem was tour bus had no WiFi unfortunately.

Penguins, yes...lunch, ugh!

The driver was very nice and accommodating. The stop/town where we were to have lunch was less than expected. The restaurant choices were not good. I got a burger to go...ugh. The picnic yard had high grass and trash around. The next town would have been better by the looks. The penguin experience was excellent!!!

Well worth the time and money.

Our tour guide, bus driver and bus were excellent. The penguins were spectacular. I would highly recommend this tour. And, don’t forget to dress for cold and rain in the rainy season.

Phillip Island in half a day

Pick up on time at Melbourne, modern Bus, nice Tour Guide, Stops at Koala sanctuary and Phillip Island. The rules of the Penguin Parade are a bit annoying

Island Getaway!

This was a good trip to see a beautiful island and lots of wildlife. The driver was very knowledgeable!

The tour guide was...

The tour guide was spectacular and so full of kindness and energy. The sights were a little disappointing. The Koala reserve only had a few and some of the penguin viewing was far away where you needed binoculars. Overall a good experience.

Penguins Tour

The tour guide was humorous and very kind. He made the whole experience very enjoyable for us and had a lot of knowledge. Highly recommend!

Penguin

Penguin is sooo cute！ The trip is wonderful, and the guide is very kind and careful! I love this trip!

Experienced Tourist guide

We are very happy to join the trip with experienced Tourist guide, sharing the information about the trip.

Long trip but very pleasant and unique experienc

The island tour with the visit to the koala reserve, the beautiful coast scenery, the wildlife. I think the experience about the penguins was a bit over-hyped so the thousands of penguins expected turned out to be a couple hundred during the time we were there. Seeing the penguins traversing the hill into the burrows was probably the best part of the experience. It was very cool to be so up close to them. Unfortunately, it was too dark to take pictures but the important thing is the penguin well-being so will just have to hold on to the memory in my brain.

Awesome trip to view penguins with Dandy & Autopia Tours.

Awesome day trip with Dandy. Central Melbourne pick up. Dandy was knowledgeable, friendly with a great taste in music. Kept the bus trip interesting with local indigenous and settlement history. Loved the Buckley's story. Koala stop was really good. disappointed we didn't see any copperheads...that is probably a good thing. We ate at the penguin restaurant before the viewing. Long lines but happy efficient workers, good food and prices made it a positive experience. Rangers at the penguin beach were very friendly and knowledgeable. Of course the little penguins were the highlight. Loved it. Worthwhile trip at reasonable price for the day. Do it you will love it.

Amazing afternoon and evening well spent!

Took the 8.5 hr. Phillip Island Koala Conservation center and Penguin Parade tour that starts at 1.45 pm in the afternoon from Melbourne CBD. Excellent guide (Dandy) to begin with. Quite knowledgeable and provided good information all the while during the tour. He paced/timed the whole tour very well. The visit to the Koala conservation center, the Pyramid rock, the Nobbies and the Penguin Parade - every bit of it was worth it. Importantly, got just about the right time to spend at each of these places, although you always wish you had more time! Weather was excellent and conducive...quite chilly and windy at the Penguin Parade actually, so worth carrying enough warm clothing to keep you comfortable while sitting at the beach to watch the parade. The Pyramid rock and Nobbies are simply awesome in terms of landscape. Highlight of the visit was of course the cute, small penguins emerging from the ocean and making their way in groups up the hill to feed their younger ones....and also walking in tandem with them on the way back up the board walk. Make sure you carry some food and water or have your dinner in time at the Penguin Parade information center (where options are limited). All in all, a day truly well spent in the midst of mother nature and its beauty and splendor. FYI, there's another longer tour which takes you to the town of Cowes for dinner break before heading towards the parade. I liked this one more though.