The Penguin Parade Eco Tour

About this experience

Bunyip Tours is a family-owned Melbourne company, and this is its main penguin day. A coach collects you from one of six central hotels (the Savoy on Little Collins, Rendezvous, Crown Promenade, the Hotel Windsor, Europa and the Victoria Hotel) between 10 am and noon, depending on the season, and the exact time arrives by email. The first stop is Moonlit Sanctuary in Pearcedale, a wildlife park in 10 hectares of bush where you meet koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and rarer natives such as quolls and bettongs. Kangaroo food is sold on site and isn't part of the price.

From there it's about an hour to Phillip Island. You walk the boardwalks at The Nobbies above Bass Strait, and in summer the guide adds Cape Woolamai's surf beach. Then comes the parade itself, with a Standard Viewing seat, the same thing as General Viewing: the big tiered stands over Summerlands Beach. The guide speaks English, and a free app carries commentary in 16 languages if you bring headphones.

Now the caveats. This is a 12-hour day for roughly an hour of penguins, and the listing puts you back in the city between 9 pm and midnight, later in summer when sunset is late. The Nobbies Centre building has been closed since a storm in May 2025, so there's no café or toilet at that stop; the boardwalks are open. The tour isn't suitable for wheelchair users, and strollers and big bags aren't allowed on board. If you'd rather sit closer to the beach, the Koalas Highlights tour offers Penguins Plus, and so does the small-group van.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off at six central Melbourne hotels
• Moonlit Sanctuary entry: koalas, kangaroos and wallabies
• The Nobbies boardwalks, plus Cape Woolamai in summer
• General Viewing seat on the stands over Summerlands Beach
• A group of 24 at most, Wi-Fi and audio in 16 languages

How the day runs

1. 10 am to noonHotel pickup

   Wait in front of your chosen hotel at the time in your email. Pickup is earlier in winter, when the penguins arrive around 5:15 to 6 pm.

2. About 1.5 hoursMoonlit Sanctuary

   A guided walk and free time with koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. Lunch and animal food are extra, so bring a sandwich if you want to save.

3. About 1 hourOver the bridge to Phillip Island

   Across the bridge from San Remo, then out to the western tip of the island.

4. Late afternoonThe Nobbies (and Cape Woolamai in summer)

   Boardwalks over the cliffs, with views to Seal Rocks. The centre building is closed, the walks are open.

5. Sunset, about 2 hoursThe Penguin Parade

   Take a seat on the General Viewing stands an hour before the penguins land. Phones and cameras go away after sunset.

6. About 2 hoursBack to Melbourne

   Drop-off at the same hotels, between 9 pm and midnight depending on the month.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Check your pickup email the night before. The start moves with the season because the tour follows sunset.
• Pack a warm layer and a rain jacket even in summer. The stands are open to the wind off Bass Strait.
• Bring a power bank and headphones if you want the commentary in another language.
• Eat a big lunch: the parade comes before dinner, and the parade's restaurant and café are the only food after dark.
• In winter the penguins land early (about 5:15 to 6 pm), so you're usually back in the city around 9 pm.

Read next:

• Tours from Melbourne
• Arrival times
• Photos & rules

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

Penguin Parade & Wildlife TourTwo hours at Moonlit Sanctuary with a wallaby feed, then The Nobbies and the parade. Four central pickup points.★ 4.8 · 12 hours · from $107Penguin Parade & Koalas Highlights TourKoala Conservation Reserve, The Nobbies and Cowes, then the parade. Penguins Plus is an option at booking.★ 4.7 · 9.5 hours · from $125Penguin Parade Afternoon TourLeaves after lunch from the Immigration Museum corner: The Nobbies, then the parade. The cheapest tour on this site.★ 4.8 · 9 hours · from $95