What's Included
- Get up to $15 cash back per person when you book with us
- Full-day guided tour to explore the amazing wildlife & scenery of Phillip Island
- Standard Entry to the Penguin Parade to witness the penguins make their waddle back to their burrows at night
- Snap a shot at the famous Brighton Beach bathing boxes
- Enjoy entrance fees to the award-winning Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
- Experienced & informative driver/guide providing commentary along the way
- Convenient return transfers from selected Melbourne accommodation
What's Excluded
- Meals
What to Expect
Explore one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations, Phillip Island, on this ideal wildlife and nature lover's day out. Snap a shot at the famous Brighton Beach bathing boxes, meet and view local wildlife at a multi-award-winning conservation park before reaching the highlight of the tour – the adorable nightly Penguin Parade.
Departing Melbourne around midday, we make a stop at the city’s most colourful attraction – the iconic Brighton Beach bathing boxes – for an opportunity to visit the beach and take some time to admire these historic landmarks.
Continue your journey through Melbourne’s bayside suburbs on the way to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Here, we enjoy a guided wildlife walk with the opportunity to meet and hand-feed many species of native Australian animals. Learn about iconic species such as kangaroos, koalas, emus, and wallabies, as well as some lesser-known favourites including quolls, owls, bandicoots, and Tasmanian devils. Included in your visit here is the spectacular “Conservation in Action” wildlife show, which showcases several lesser-known Australian species in a series of interactive and engaging ranger presentations.
Continuing to Phillip Island, a visit to Point Grant and The Nobbies gives us an opportunity to enjoy stunning views over Westernport Bay and Bass Strait, including Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest population of fur seals. From here, it’s onwards to the main event, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade at sunset.
Just after dark every night, the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore and pass right before your eyes on their journey back to their homes. You will be truly enchanted by these stars of the show, and your experienced guide will ensure you get the best vantage point to enjoy the Penguin Parade.
After the parade, we allow plenty of time to explore the visitor centre before beginning the journey back to Melbourne.
Where We Visit
- Brighton Beach
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - Pearcedale
- Point Grant & The Nobbies
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Frequently Asked Questions
- Bathing suit & towel if you fancy a dip
- Dress appropriately for all weather conditions
- Snacks & a refillable water bottle
- Warm weather: sunscreen, a hat, & warm clothes for when the sun goes down
- Winter: warm clothes & layers as coastal winds can make conditions quite cold
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park is home to many common and rare Australian animals including kangaroos, wombats, emus, Tasmanian Devils (and more). The kangaroos and wallabies can be fed with food purchased from Moonlit Sanctuary’s counter. Please do not feed any animals inside enclosed areas.
Koala handling is not included on this tour. You will, however, still see these furry little guys in their habitats at Moonlit Sanctuary. From here, you will also be able to take photos of them munching away on eucalyptus or sleeping throughout the day!
Photos are permitted at all locations except the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Penguins’ eyes are very sensitive, and any bright or sudden flashes can frighten them. Please do not use cameras of any kind including phones and camcorders at any time during your visit to the Penguin Parade.
Only a very small proportion of our guests have expressed interest in swimming during the tour. However, if you’re keen to have a dip, this is possible at Brighton Beach, as well as at the town of Cowes (when we visit here in the summer months).
Please note that we do not make any special “swimming stops” so if you’re keen to have a swim you’ll need to do this in the available time, rather than expecting time to be allocated for this purpose. We also note that changing facilities are not available, so you will want to keep this in mind if planning to enter the water at all.
We do not include meals on this tour, but there are opportunities to purchase meals at appropriate times throughout the day. Guests are also welcome to bring food with them if they prefer.
As the time that the penguins arrive on the beach changes significantly during the year, our return time to Melbourne also varies significantly.
On an indicative basis, this tour returns to Melbourne at approximately the following times:
- Nov – Feb: midnight
- March: 11:00 PM
- April: 10:00 PM
- May – Aug: 9:00 PM
- September: 9:30 PM
- October: 10:30 PM
Reviews for Phillip Island Penguin Parade Small Group Eco Tour (with Brighton Beach Boxes & Moonlit Sanctuary Entry)
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Policies
- Please arrive at your pickup location at least 10 minutes prior to your allocated pickup time
- No large items such as prams, strollers and luggage will be allowed on board
- Cancellations less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours prior will result in a 50% cancellation fee
- Cancellations within 24 hours will result in a 100% cancellation fee
All customer cancellation & refund requests are also subject to our website’s own refund conditions.
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