Penguin Parade times

What time do the penguins arrive at Phillip Island?

At sunset, every night. That is about 8:30 to 8:45 pm in December and January, about 5:15 pm in June, and somewhere in between the rest of the year.

These are approximate monthly times as published by ticket resellers in the official calendar format. They move a few minutes through each month, and the official PDF calendar on the Nature Parks site has the exact time for your date. Daylight saving in Victoria runs from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, which is why October and April each have two times.

What time should you get to the Penguin Parade?

At least an hour before the penguins arrive for General Viewing, Penguins Plus and Premium, and 30 minutes before for Underground Viewing. Guided tours leave at the time on your ticket.

The hour is not padding. You need it to park, get through the gate, walk the boardwalk to the stands and find a seat before the light goes. In December and January General Viewing seating is "limited and not guaranteed", and late arrivals stand. The terms allow entry up to the last advertised entry time; anyone later can be refused without a refund.

The drive is the other variable. Nature Parks puts it at 90 to 120 minutes from Melbourne, plus 20 minutes from the bridge to the parade, and asks for extra time from mid-December to late January, on long weekends and in school holidays. Our advice for summer: be on the island by late afternoon and eat there.

How long does the Penguin Parade go for?

Plan on about two hours on site. Most penguins cross in the first hour after dark, and the walk back beside the burrows takes another 30 to 60 minutes.

Nature Parks doesn't publish a running time, because the penguins set it. On the record night of 3 May 2022, 5,219 penguins crossed the beach in about 50 minutes, and Nature Parks reported more than 5,000 out of the water in under an hour. Quieter nights come in smaller, slower waves.

Tour itineraries give the same picture: most allow 1.5 to 2 hours at the parade. You can leave the stand whenever you like. Many people go when the beach empties, and the boardwalk back to the visitor centre is where you see penguins up close, calling and squabbling outside their burrows.

What time do the penguins start, and when are they most active?

They start coming ashore just after sunset, once it is properly dusk. On land they are most active in the first couple of hours of darkness.

By day the adults are at sea feeding. Breeding birds forage around 30 km from the colony; outside the breeding season trips can cover more than 1,000 km. As sunset approaches they gather in rafts just beyond the surf. Nature Parks suggests binoculars to spot the rafts forming before the first group lands.

Darkness gives them cover from predators, which is part of why bright light and camera flashes are banned. Once ashore they head for their burrows, feed chicks in the breeding season and call loudly to each other. The noise on the walk back is half the experience.

Which month is best to see penguins on Phillip Island?

Spring and early summer, October to December, for the biggest numbers on most nights. Winter for the earliest arrivals and the quietest stands.

Penguins come ashore all year, but numbers swing. In 2021 the average crossing was about 700 a night in July against about 2,300 in November. Breeding runs from August to February: eggs hatch after 33 to 37 days, and chicks first go to sea at about 8 weeks. In late summer the adults moult, replacing every feather in about 17 days ashore, usually peaking in February and March, according to Nature Parks.

The pattern isn't rigid. The two record nights of 2022 both came in autumn. Our pick is late October or November: big numbers, chicks in burrows, arrivals before 8:30 pm and none of the January crowd. Winter is good for families with small kids, with a 5:15 pm start and an early night. Numbers are never guaranteed in any month.

Is the parade different in summer and winter?

Yes. A summer visit is late, busy and warmer; a winter visit is early, cold and quieter, and tours get you back to Melbourne hours sooner.

• Summer (December to February): penguins about 8:30 to 8:45 pm, the stands full, sell-outs on many nights. Tours return about 11 pm to midnight.
• Autumn (March to May): the times fall fast once daylight saving ends. Fewer visitors, and record nights do happen.
• Winter (June to August): penguins about 5:15 to 6 pm. Cold, often wet and windy. Tours return about 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
• Spring (September to November): numbers build, breeding is under way, and the time jumps an hour in early October.

The return times are from the Penguins & Koalas tour listing, and other tours give similar windows ("9 pm to midnight"). Dress for the beach after dark in every season: see what to wear and bring.

Leaves central Melbourne at 1:45 pm in winter or 2:45 pm in summer, stops at The Nobbies, and reaches the parade for sunset.

★ 4.8 · 9 hours · from $95

Explore the afternoon tour → Tour details

Does the Penguin Parade happen in rain or bad weather?

Yes. It runs every night of the year in all weather, and rain is not a reason for a refund on official tickets.

Nature Parks calls it an all-weather outdoor event and asks you to dress for sun, rain, wind and cold. Only extreme conditions stop it: the terms let Nature Parks cancel for extreme heat, high winds or heavy rain, generally without a refund. Bad weather and low penguin numbers don't qualify for a refund or a date change.

Penguins don't mind rain. You will. Bring a waterproof jacket rather than an umbrella, which blocks views on the stand.

What time do Penguin Parade day tours leave and get back?

Most leave Melbourne between late morning and early afternoon, and get back between about 9 pm and midnight, depending on the season.

The listings move their start times with the sunset. The Penguin Parade Eco Tour picks up from hotels between 10 am and 12 pm, with the exact time emailed. The afternoon tour meets at the corner of Flinders and Market Streets at 1:45 pm (AEST) or 2:45 pm (AEDT). Both return between 9 pm and midnight.

The full-day tours fill the afternoon with Moonlit Sanctuary, the Koala Reserve or a Puffing Billy ride. Compare them in the tours from Melbourne guide.

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