Premium Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tour with Koala Conservation Reserve


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From $146.81

81 reviews   (4.69)

Price varies by group size

Lowest Price Guarantee

Pricing Info: Per Person

Duration: 9 hours

Departs: Melbourne, Melbourne

Ticket Type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

Learn more

Overview

Phillip Island is a treasure trove of Australian wildlife; seals, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, birdlife and penguins! At Koala Conservation Reserve, look for koalas in their natural habitat and before sunset, we head to the Penguin Parade where you can wander through the "Penguin Experience" exhibit to learn more about them. Stroll out to Summerland Beach and take your seat in the main grandstand for the Penguin Parade.

Gray Line Melbourne is an Australian family owned company offering sightseeing day tours in Melbourne and Regional Victoria. Operated by the Driver family, we strive to provide professional and engaging day tours taking in the best sights and attractions.

Our service is second to none… attentive, professional and helpful from the point of booking to the end of your tour. Our sole purpose is to give you a tour that you will enjoy, learn something about Australia and fondly remember. Our premium coaches come with Wi-Fi, USB ports, comfy seats, and air conditioning.


What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

CBD central pickup and drop-off points

Driver/guide

Live commentary on board

Restroom on board

WiFi on board

What's Not Included

Food and drinks

Gratuities


Traveler Information

  • INFANT: Age: 0 - 3
  • CHILD: Age: 4 - 14
  • ADULT: Age: 15 - 99

Additional Info

  • COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
  • COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

  • 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.
  • Experience may be cancelled due to Insufficient travelers

What To Expect

Phillip Island Nature Parks - Koala Reserve
Visit Koala Conservation Reserve
Look for koalas in their leafy native bushland habitat from treetop boardwalks
Keep an eye out for wallabies (smaller looking kangaroos) grazing the woodlands floor
Afternoon tea snacks (own expense) available here or at our next stop

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Nobbies Centre
Continue to the western tip of Phillip Island to The Nobbies Centre, a rugged rocky outcrop with magnificent coastal views
Stroll down the extensive boardwalk where you may spot Little Penguins’ homes (dependant on the season)
Admire Seal Rocks – home to Australia’s largest colony of fur seals

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Phillip Island Nature Parks - Penguin Parade
Explore the Visitor’s Information Centre at the Penguin Parade
Learn about the life of the Little Penguins as you walk through the “Penguin Experience” display
Dining options available at the Penguin Parade
At sunset witness the Penguin Parade from the tiered seating of general viewing grandstands directly overlooking floodlit Summerland Beach
See penguin rookeries from an elevated boardwalk.

60 minutes • Admission Ticket Included


Reviews

Not to be missed
nyc_palomita, 21-04-2020
Terrific experience with this tour operator. Our bus driver's conversation with us was engaging with his many firsthand experiences about the area, and it sounded like he really enjoyed his work. Not boring at all! Comfortable and safe ride. I was in Melbourne November 28, 2019 and am so happy I stayed an extra day to take this tour. It was exciting to see koalas "on their level," right in the treetops with them. Cannot say enough about the Penguin Parade--that experience was awe-inspiring for this nature lover--make sure you have a heavy jacket!--not to be missed if you're in this part of the world.
Once in a lifetime experience
JoAnn_C, 04-03-2020
This was an amazing experience. Samantha our ranger was wonderful. We were able to hear everything she said and we were given binoculars to see penguins as they were coming out of ocean.
Unique experience.
Susan_S, 24-02-2020
A really fascinating event, watching the little penguins come out of the sea and walk to their burrows and nesting boxes, a long walk for some. We also saw swamp wallabies and several species of birds.

Liked that we visited Warrock, a small private animal farm/refuge where I saw Llamas, camels, Kangaroos, Emus, Rabbits and Guineas. Had a great meat pie for lunch.

I saw 6 of the Koalas, although they were sleeping high up in the trees, were visible and not hard to find.

The driver/guide, Suzi, was very friendly, helpful and informative. Would rate her the best driver ever for getting the bus around in the traffic in Melbourne and for dropping people off at or very near their accommodation, or giving information on where to get other transport for people out of town.
An amazing, unforgettable experience on Phillip Island!
megan200d, 24-02-2020
I enjoyed every moment of this day tour to see Phillip Island and the Penguin Parade. Deb, our bus driver and guide, made the entire trip very pleasant and told us lots of interesting information about everything we were seeing along the drive. We had a little extra time, so she even took a short detour to show us a pretty surf beach! The tour itself was really fun- Warrook Farm and the Koala Center were both nice, and seeing the Penguin Parade was an amazing experience that was absolutely worth it! The bus itself was comfortable and had USB ports and WiFi, which were added bonuses. Overall, it was a fantastic day and I would absolutely recommend this tour!
Great tour, worth every penny!!
sherry_s, 01-01-2023
Seeing the little penguins was so special. They were unbelievably cute. We had great seats with the premium tour. Maybe three feet away from the little guys. I had a fall on the seats/steps and the crew there took fabulous care of me. The driver of the bus was knowledgeble and helpful. We got back much later than expected, 1:30 am compared to 9:30 pm as originally thought, the driver brought us all the way back to the cruise ship. Unexpected and very kind of her. Altogether a great tour and trip! Only better would have been to take pictures, but, understand the reasons.
Fantastic!
YiaoTee_H, 23-12-2022
We love our stopover at the Koala Preserve on Phillip Island. Our tour bus driver was really friendly and knowledgeable. We wish we could have been able to take pictures of the penguins but we understand. Amazing tour and ery memorable!
Bad weather can spoil this trip
Dennis_C, 23-02-2020
Weather was bad so that somewhat taints my review. The first stop was an outdoor park with some caged animals. The rain was so bad we didn't leave the snack shop. Although Dane did an excellent job In commentary while driving, once he realized there was nothing to do there because of the rain, cutting the time might have been a better option. The ext stop at the wild sanctuary was great. Weather had improved and there were lots of animals in the wild...some within a few feet for viewing. The next stop was for lunch. The town we stopped at was great, try the Itailian restaurant that sits nearest to the water for good food at a reasonable price (Dane's recommendation) The last stop was for the pengiun viewing and it was a complete bust. We went to the visitor center about a half an hour before the penguins were to start their march. Unfortunately, lightning in the area caused the park staff to recall all the tourists back to the visitor center while the storm passed. They allowed tourists to return at 915 but the bus was to leave at 930 so seeing the march was not possible given the time constraint. No refund for the admission to the park was offered so we spent about 7 hours getting there but no penguins. Again, weather played a huge part in our experience but Dane did his best to keep us amused on trip.

My advice is cancel or.poatpone this trip if the weather is bad...too long a drive if you dont see the penguins




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