Melbourne Tours
Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Wildlife and Beach Boxes Bus Tour
4.5

Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Wildlife and Beach Boxes Bus Tour

By Wine Hop And Coastal Tours
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Ages 4-99, max of 24 per group
Duration: 12h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
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Written guide
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
: Arabic, German, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
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  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • All Entry / Admission Fees are included
  • Pick up and drop off from your CBD Melbourne accommodation
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Friendly, local, knowledgeable driver
  • Entry/Admission - Brighton Bathing Boxes Association Inc.
  • Entry/Admission - Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
  • Entry/Admission - The Nobbies Centre
  • Entry/Admission - Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade
What's not included
  • Lunch, Dinner & drinks are excluded, however there will be opportunities to purchase while on tour.
  • Pick up may be from a central Melbourne location if you're a solo traveller or book the day prior


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
    Pickup details
    • Pick up from your choice of Melbourne CBD, location and times to be confirmed once booking completed 24 hrs prior to tour. NOTE: If you are a solo traveler or book the day before you may be referred to a convenient central location. Please meet outside your lobby hotel entrance 15 minutes prior to tour departure time.
    Hotel pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
      End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

        • Not wheelchair accessible
        • Pushchair accessible
        • Near public transportation
        If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 108928P20

        • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
        • Most travellers can participate
        • Phillip Island Penguin Parade is a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue
        • Infants 3 years old and under are free provided they sit on the lap of a parent, if you wish for your infant to have their own seat please purchase a child ticket
        • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
        • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers

        • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

        If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 108928P20

        From
        AU$139.00
        per adult
        Select date and travellers
        Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

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        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Wine Hop And Coastal Tours
          524
          Australia
          Joined in December 2018
        • merieleedvirgema
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Beautiful place
          Puffing Billy is really fun, staffs are kind and helpful. Lorraine was great. I had a really good time. .......................
          Written 4 February 2025
        • GrandTour28426961237
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great tour
          Great tour guide, actually loraine was also our guide at sydney. She is an asset to your company. She discuss in details for specific stop .
          Written 4 February 2025
        • Osmund_Dcunha11
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Unforgettable Adventure in Melbourne with Marty!
          "WOW, what an unforgettable day in Melbourne, Australia! I was blown away by Marty's exceptional guiding skills and his genuine passion for sharing his knowledge with us. As a solo traveler, I felt so welcomed and included when Marty invited me to sit up front with him - it totally made my experience even more special! The train ride and wildlife sanctuary were absolutely breathtaking, and Marty's expert commentary brought everything to life. What really stood out, though, was Marty's kindness and thoughtfulness. He even took the time to take amazing photos of us during the trip, which was such a lovely touch! I'm so grateful to Marty and Wine and Hope Tours for creating an unforgettable adventure in Melbourne. If you're looking for a truly worthwhile experience, look no further! Marty, thank you again for an incredible day - I'll always treasure the memories"
          Written 31 January 2025
        • Departure703821
          0 contributions
          3.0 of 5 bubbles
          Attractions good, tour logistics poor
          The actual experiences of the train and penguins were good but the logistics of the tour were not. We booked in Dec for a Jan tour. It was advertised as starting at 10.15am, returning approx 10-11pm. The itinerary said would be a chance to have dinner at the restaurant before the penguin parade. So we planned our trip on that basis. You could also cancel up to 10am the day before the trip. Just after the cancellation period expired we got a text message saying tour now leaves at 1.45pm as the penguins are coming in later. As they come in after sunset, surely this info had been known for a while? Why communicated so late? The text did not specify a return time, which was important for anyone needing public transport to get back to accommodation. When we got to each attraction we had to wait for the tour guide to queue up for tickets than hand them out to each of the 54 bus passengers. These had been prepaid but there was no system to hand them out in the bus. We were squeezed onto the last train for the day (4.15) with an over-officious conductor who insisted on one ticket per person (inc small children) rather than let a family through. Everyone on the tour buses had pre purchased tickets so it was clear those passengers had the right tickets, but he was really rude, and not understanding of the fact that most passengers did not speak English as their first language. He deliberately made everyone wait which made the train late. After that everything was rushed, with only 10 mins to queue for the toilet or check out the train station before a 1hr 40 bus ride to Philip Island. There were a couple of stops to take photos. With hindsight, that made us one of the last buses to arrive before the road was closed. We arrived in the car park after 8pm and into the visitor centre at 8.25. There was a huge queue at the food counter (it’s not a restaurant) and a sign saying food would take at least 30 mins. That’s once you get to order. So we’d be lucky to get food by 9.10 and therefore miss the penguins coming in at 9. We made our way hungry down to the viewing platform. No one was taking any notice of the instructions to sit and be quiet or the photo ban after dark. That needs to be communicated much better in various languages. We watched the penguins about half an hour then started the walk back to the car park as the bus would leave at 10. Back to the city at midnight, with very few options to eat. Thankfully we could still catch a tram. There was no need to delay the trip by 3.5 hours. We could have been on an earlier train then had a much more leisurely time at Philip Island and taken in the information displays, eaten and shopped, it should not have been a big rush. We also may have chosen not to go if the change in times had been communicated earlier as it had a knock on effect on plans the next day. Disappointing as I was excited about the whole penguin experience.
          Written 29 January 2025
        • danielmodol
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great tour with Koala Dundee Warren🐨🦘😁
          Great tour with our guide Warren. Really funny guy, with a lot of information about Melbourne and things around. Best guide so far in Australia. Even funnier than Mick Dundee 🐊
          Written 27 January 2025
        • BostonTraveler79
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Diverse and well-organized experience
          We mainly booked this tour because of the Puffing Billy, but we ended up being so glad it included the sanctuary and ice cream/chocolate shop too! Overall, a well-organized day with three very different stops—all enjoyable. The meeting point was easy to find in the center of Melbourne. The boarding process was a bit disorganized but this was mostly due to the rudeness of the other guests - everyone was in a line based on what time we had arrived at the meeting point, and some guests who arrived late walked up to the front of the line and gave the driver their names and got on the bus, disregarding everyone patiently waiting. This actually happened not once but several times! The driver could have asked them politely to go to the end of the line. Instead he just allowed the late guests to go first, resulting in some parties traveling together not being able to sit next to each other, even though they'd arrived early. All this was forgotten once we got to the Puffing Billy. The train is a great experience - fun for kids (and adults) to sit with their legs hanging off the side. We all took lots of pictures and videos. People were mostly very nice about stepping back to let others film for a little while since not everyone could sit by the windows. The train is very punctual, and our driver got us there with plenty of time for a bathroom stop beforehand - much appreciated! Very nice visitor center at the end of the journey - good food and strong air conditioning - nice spot for lunch. We were pleasantly surprised by our time at Healesville Sanctuary - what a wonderful experience! We were at the end of our trip and had already visited several animal sanctuaries, so we weren't expecting much - we kind of felt like we had already seen all the animals we wanted to. But this was the nicest sanctuary of all the ones we visited! The animals were in large spaces, similar to a natural environment, and with plenty of shady spots for resting on a hot day. They seemed very content compared to other animal sanctuaries we'd been at. There were a variety of educational programs happening, about one every 30 minutes - we simply followed the schedule and walked around to the next one, and learned about almost all of the animals that way. The staff were so helpful and alerted us to different opportunities to see the animals at feeding time when they would be more active, etc. It was a hot day and the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie was super crowded when we walked in, so we didn't expect that we'd be able to get ice cream in time to get back on the bus—but despite being very long, the line moved quickly! My husband had time to pick out some gifts while I waited in the ice cream line. Nice bathrooms here too.
          Written 25 January 2025
        • T741GOchristinee
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Wonderful tour with a wonderful guide
          Delightful driver full of enthusiasm. Train ride fun and stop at Emerald lake great for lunch. Healesville sanctuary amazing . Choc shop great ice cream. Just as a suggestion a portable extra step would be great for either young children or a not so agile adult for ease of getting on and off bus.
          Written 24 January 2025
        • Samantha S
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Good
          It's was fantastic day recommend this to do especially if you have bus drive Warren he really look after you. They take time look after you make feel good
          Written 22 January 2025
        • 667reggieg
          0 contributions
          1.0 of 5 bubbles
          DO NOT BOOK THRU GETYOURGUIDE!!!
          I booked two tickets to the puffing billy months ago and have requested leave from work for the said date. I used my card to book the tour and last December that card was blocked by the bank due to hacking, the bank replaced the card. A day before the tour, I received an email saying the payment was not processed and that I must pay it 28hrs before the Tour. I provided my new card details to pay for it thinking this is an easy fix, but Getyourguide won’t accept it and told me the only way to pay for it is to request a FORMAL LETTER FROM THE BANK that says the old card was blocked, I rang the bank and they said the letter usually takes 24-48 hrs to be emailed but they processed it as urgent which was excellent, they couldn’t even understand why a travel agency will request a letter from a major bank for this small issue, anyway, so I got the letter, I sent it to Getyourguide and now they replied to me saying they can’t use this letter because it needs a signature from the bank, and told me to contact the bank AGAIN and ask for a new letter. The letter that was provided to me has all the sensitive information and is written in a standard format with the name and position of the representative and the bank name and address. We rang the customer service center and they keep saying “we can’t help as this will be an ESCALATION TEAM issue”, this escalation team cannot be contacted via phone, no phone number at all, and will only respond via email hours apart. This is the horror story of booking thru Getyourguide. We suspect that they do not have enough tickets to sell and now they do this to their clients so they would give up the booking, what a waste of annual Leave, Time and stress. This day has been horrific thanks to Getyourguide which by the way does not have any helpful contact number in Australia AT ALL.
          Written 22 January 2025
        • Steve H
          0 contributions
          1.0 of 5 bubbles
          Trip was canceled with less than 24 hours notice by the company
          The company canceled the trip due to a lack of tickets sold. I was notified less than 24 hours therefore I was unable to get a refund.
          Written 21 January 2025
        • 936ruedigerb
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great Ocean Road Tour
          Ruediger B. Great Ocean Road 16.1.2025 Couple We visited the Ocean Road with Mark K. on 16.1.25. It was a very nice tour with additional stops as we had a hard time seeing a koala at the first stop, many thanks to Mark for making this possible. He told us a lot about Australia and was able to explain everything to us in German. It was a perfect tour with a very good guide.
          Written 21 January 2025
        • Tour44439267880
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Wonderful day of site seeing.
          This was a great tour. Our guide Warren was knowledgeable, funny and a good driver. We saw Kangaroos and Koalas, which was amazing. We had wonderful weather and stopping in Apollo Bay for lunch was great.
          Written 20 January 2025
        • B8738TBpetera
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Must do if you want to see the animals and enjoy a wonderful train ride
          One of the most memorable excursions. Not too long of a bus ride and a beautiful view then we took the train which was quite the experience. It was only hour long, but such a beautiful country. Then the animal sanctuary was the best love seeing the animals so close, including koalas, kangaroos, and all of the native animals in a verynatural environment.
          Written 20 January 2025
        • Vacation287935
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great Ocean Road
          We went down the Great Ocean Road today with Warren. The tour was well-organised and Warren added in additional stops so we could see Koalas in the wild - his enthusiasm was contagious! The tour was great as the sights were breathtaking. Warren's energy, wealth of information and personality made the entire trip a lifetime memory.
          Written 19 January 2025
        • 432yvonne
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing scenery, fantastic tour guide. Value for money
          We chose this operator because of the small bus size and competitive price. Theo was a very well informed tour guide, who kept us entertained throughout the day. There is a good amount of time given at each of the stops along the route and the scenery is just spectacular. Will definitely book one of Wine Hop's other tours the next time we are in Melbourne.
          Written 19 January 2025
        See all 524 reviews
        These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

        Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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        4.5
        4.5 of 5 bubbles28 reviews
        Excellent
        23
        Very good
        1
        Average
        1
        Poor
        2
        Terrible
        1

        Megan C
        19 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Excellent coordination and itinerary management with this tour. This is a large bus (~45 ppl) trip and we generally do smaller / private tours, but they had availability on the date (Jan 1) we needed to go. Matt was our expert local guide and we didn’t learn until the end of tour he was the owner / operator. We were very glad to support a smaller, local company. Matt had lots to share about the locations we visited (Brighton Boxes, Moonlit Sanctuary, Woolomai, and of course the Penguin Parade). Our tour was a “general viewing” and we didn’t seem to miss much from the premium / underground upgrade. Note that you can’t take photos or video after sunset to protect the penguins’ sight, so don’t bother to load up your fancy cameras and go pro. The wildlife center offers free pictures for download on their site, so we just really enjoyed being in the moment and felt very fortunate to witness this natural marvel.
        Written 1 January 2025
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Elena
        1 contribution
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        I booked this trip very last minute, literally the night before however Matt was very efficient and called me 10 mins after to confirm the booking!
        Our tour guide, Warren, was absolutely amazing and hilarious. He kept the long bus rides entertaining and informative.

        I would definitely recommend this tour group in particular to avoid the large crowds as the other tour buses seem to travel together as they are all part of one big company.

        I recommend checking the weather before you go, it was raining A LOT when we went and you will need rain wear to get through comfortably. Would also recommend you buy a rain poncho at Maru ($5) or the penguin parade ($6). Also, pack food - there are opportunities to buy food on the tour but we found it was best to not waste time on food at the stops but to pack food and eat on the bus to get as much of the experience as possible!

        We were picked up in a convenient location in Melbourne cbd, then the first stop of the tour was the St Kilda Beach Boxes. Warren very kindly pointed out the famous beach box where the tennis stars all take their photos. Then we were off to Maru Koala & Fauna Park where we got to feed Kangaroos in a large free open space! We also saw 2 albino kangaroos and got to take many photos.

        Then we had a short stop off at the Nobbies lookout which is movie levels stunning. We took many scenic shots there, definitely recommend that you walk at least part of the trail to get as close to the cliffs as possible!

        Last stop was the Phillip Island Penguin parade. This was an amazing experience. Don't expect to see thousands of penguins appear on the beach at once - it's more small little groups that pop up every 5 mins or so (and you have to be seated very well to see them somewhat closeby) but it was still amazing seeing them fight their way out the water. Don't worry though, you get to see the penguins up close when you follow them along the walkways (Warren kindly pointed out a good spot for us).

        After that it was home time. Was a very smooth and quiet trip back to the Melbourne cbd.

        Overall, was a fantastic tour! Would highly recommend this to everyone who would like to see the famous penguin parade! Thank you Warren for a great day, you put a big smile on our faces through the tough weather :) Hope to tour with you guys again!
        Written 26 June 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Clodagh S
        6 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Aug 2024 • Friends
        We had a fabulous day in August, Dirk, our guide, was helpful, funny, thoughtful and professional, he made the day fun, Interesting and entertaining! Thank you. I would highly recommend this day, we packed a lot in but never felt rushed.
        Written 7 August 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        HappyJacks
        Marazion, UK14 contributions
        3.0 of 5 bubbles
        I am an older traveller accompanied by my daughter. We were last to be picked up and the only two seats were the front seat next to the driver which had to be accessed through climbing over the console. Which I was not able to do. My seat was a single lower seat at the back with no headrest with a box stored which meant I could not put my feet down. The venues we visited were good as was the driver but after every stop I dreaded getting back on the bus. My advice is make sure you are not on the last stop. My view is this vehicle was comfortably a 22 seater and that profit over passenger comfort was clearly the driver for the company. The penguin march was probably worth the discomfort but only just.
        Written 3 August 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Sharon K
        1 contribution
        2.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jan 2025 • Couples
        We have a few complaints about the tour yesterday. First of all we had to wait for the bus, 30 minutes past pick up time. Reason for that what the diver said was a spontaneous tour earlier.
        Then, after our first stop at the Brighton beach, our bus broke down. The driver said that this has happened before, couple of times. That is a no go to give a broken bus to a group of people. This caused a waiting time of 1h30 min and resulted in the cancellation of the moonlit sanctuary visit, which was the reason we booked the trip in the first place.
        After the new bus arrived the driver said he won’t drive to the sanctuary, since, we would’ve only had 15 minutes there. Therefore, if the driver had been on time in the first place, for the pick up we would’ve at least had 45 minutes left.
        That’s really a shame.
        Written 8 January 2025
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Mark_James101
        4 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Gavin is a brilliant guide. Very entertaining and knowledgeable. He got us to the Penguin Parade early so we were able to secure excellent seats to watch the penguins arrive on the beach. One tip, take something warm to wear as it can get chilly by the beach at night. It was a magical experience.
        Written 14 January 2025
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Lozmarie
        Caringbah, Australia7 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        The tour was great! I was a solo traveller, but did not feel left out! The guide was super informative (he was the owner), and gave good info throughout the tour.
        We got 2 c the penguins up close on their walk up from the beach to their "home". It was a great up close experience.
        The native animals at the sanctuary portion was lovely. We gor ro feed kangaroos, and a close encounter with a koala and dingo.
        I would recommend this tour highly.
        Written 26 April 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Hi Lozz, Thanks so much for the kind review. Glad you had a good time.
        Written 26 April 2022
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Samuel W
        4 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        The itinerary was good. We could covered a lot of attractions in short period of time
        It was so fun to watch the tiny penguins ... Dirk was great driver and tourist man. His worked is appreciated.I can recommend it to my friend.
        Written 14 November 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Carol H
        1 contribution
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Sept 2024 • Couples
        Excellent tour. Cloe, our guide, and Bianca, our driver, were so friendly. Cloe gave us so much information throughout the tour. The stops on the tour gave us enough time to see the sights. Moonlit Sanctuary was a great stop to see and learn about some of Australia's incredible wildlife. The penguins were the highlight. Cloe told us where to sit to get the best views, and the where to stand to see the birds once they came ashore. Exceeded all expectations!
        Written 9 September 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Andy
        Jakarta, Indonesia4 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        June 2024 • Family
        Amazing scenery with nice experience for children. Our tour guide, Raphael conducted the tour very well with some interesting stories and tips. Too bad there was an incident resulting in late start of the trip, however it was managed quite well. Overall, it was a great tour for us. Recommended.
        Written 24 June 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Showing results 1-10 of 27
        *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

        Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Wildlife and Beach Boxes Bus Tour provided by Wine Hop And Coastal Tours

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