Phillip Island Half Day Tour

“Impressed by A Petite Tour with the professional tour service provided. They are flexible, making good recommendations to the tailored itineraries at our pace. Good knowledge on history, culture, scenery and local authentic experiences. Sharing interesting facts about wildlife” – Kue Chin

Tour Highlights

Phillip Island express tour allows you to explore Melbourne city at your own pace in the morning and still see the best of Phillip Island. Be mesmerised by the gorgeous sunset views at The Nobbies and adore cute little blue penguins returning back to shore after twilight.

Spend afternoon with native Australian animals, observe lovely koalas, kangaroos and wallabies at Maru Koala Park; enjoy dinner in Cowes in summer; watch the adorable little penguins waddle back to their burrows.

  • Maru Koala and Animal Park – optional

  • Seaside town Cowes (in summer)

  • The Nobbies (best sunset views)

  • World Famous Penguin Parade

Start time

3-4 hours before Penguin Parade begins

Finish time

8 – 12 pm (depends on sunset time)

Inclusion

  • Transport
  • Hotel Transfers
  • Friendly Guide
  • Bottled Water
  • Child Safety Chair (if required)
  • Heaps of Fun
  • Car Park
  • Toll Fee

Hotel Transfer

Guide will greet you at the hotel in the afternoon. Upon return to Melbourne, you can choose to be transferred to either hotel or any restaurant within CBD

Price

AUD $779

for 8 Seater Mercedes

(Suitable for 1 to 7 passengers)

AUD $979

for 12 Seater Vehicle

(Suitable for 8 to 11 passengers)

For a group booking of more than 11 people, please contact us for a quote.

Have more questions?

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Tour Itinerary

1

Philip Island

In the afternoon, our tour guide will greet you at the hotel 3-4 hours before penguin parade begins.

Tourists have been flocking to Phillip Island to watch penguins since early 20th century, home to resourceful natural habitats and the world’s largest number of little blue penguins. Many of the attractions on Phillip Island are not-for-profit organisations owned by Phillip Island National Park. Proceeds from ticket sales will be used to protect the flora and fauna and preserve the ecosystem on and around the island.

2

Maru Koala & Animal Park

Maru Koala and Animal Park is a family-operated zoo en route to Phillip Island, it exhibits a variety of Australian animals. including: koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, Tawny Frogmouth, alpacas, dingos and more. You can get up-close views of friendly kangaroos and wallabies, or snap a picture with cute koalas.

Optional fee-paying activities include: koala close encounter, dingo close encounter. The animal park also features daily shows and animal talks throughout the day, such as: sheep shearing at 2:30 PM. In addition, The adjacent mini-golf course is great fun for a whole family to take part in.

Maru Koala & Animal Park admission ticket: Adult $32 / Child $16

You can also choose Brighton Beach Boxes, Churchill Island Heritage Farm or Koala Conservation Centre to replace Maru Koala & Animal Park.

3

Cowes – in summer

Cowes is the largest township on Phillip Island, it offers many excellent restaurants and is a popular stop for travellers on Phillip Island tour. The communal beach becomes lively in summer teeming with locals and tourists. On daylight saving times, our Phillip Island private tour includes generous dinner time in Cowes, you can pick from a range of quality eateries,  including Italian, Thai, local pub food, Chinese and other table service or fast food restaurants.

The grass area next to the beach is pleasant to chill out after dinner, indulge in the cool sea breeze and balmy afternoon sun.

4

The Nobbies

Located at the very end of Phillip Island. The Nobbies forms a part of  “Summerland” nature reserve where the world’s largest population of little blue penguins inhibit and thrive. Their neighbours, a colony of more than 25,000 fur seals nestle on a small island situated 1.5 km  from The Nobbies coastline.  Humpback whales can also be spotted in the waters between May and October during their annual migration.

The boardwalk at the Nobbies is stunning at sunset. Take a stroll, you will be impressed by the natural beauty along the coast. Scattered around the area are many wooden boxes that were built by Phillip Island Nature Park staff to house the little penguins (More than 4,000 homes have been built for those little penguins so far). The dark-coloured rocks along the coast were formed by lava from volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago.

5

Penguin Parade

The world famous Penguin Parade is the most visited attraction on Phillip Island. Hundreds of thousands of travellers around the world come and admire penguins’ charm. Unlike emperor penguins that live in the Antarctica, Phillip Island is home to the largest population of little blue penguins, a total of approximately 33,000 so far. Also known as fairy penguins, they are 33 centimetres in height on average. They are found only in certain parts of the southern hemisphere. Thanks to the penguin protection and research projects conducted by the Australian government since 1980s. Summerland has remained as a fertile natural habitat for fairy penguins.

Little penguins are early risers, submerge into the Southern Ocean and return after sunset, some may take a longer trip before returning home. Penguin Parade occurs after twilight, hence the time varies considerably throughout the year, e.g. 9 pm in January and  6 pm in June.

There are three types of admission tickets for Penguin Parade,

1) General Viewing Platform (Photo 2), outdoors spectator benches, up to 3,000 seats, further from where the penguins emerge from the shoreline, generally less penguins traffic in comparison to Penguin Plus & Underground Viewing. Tickets: Adult: $ 32 / Child: $ 16

2) Penguin Plus (Photo 3), outdoors viewing platform, right above the Underground Viewing platform, a total of 300 seats for spectators, you will generally see more penguins wiggle past you, wider viewing angle in comparison to the Underground Viewing platform, suitable for summer & autumn. Ticket price: Adult: $ 80 / Child: $ 40

3) Underground Viewing (Picture 4), The only indoor viewing platform accommodates up to 80 visitors each day. Watch the little penguins right from eye level, a raised platform purposely built for children. It is a great option during winter and offers more comfortable viewing experience. Ticket price: Adult: $ 90 / Child: $ 45

In summer, General Viewing and Penguin Plus tickets are recommended, however if you fear the chilly wind and rain, Underground Viewing is highly recommended.

Little penguins have sensitive and delicate eyes, strong light from camera flash can potentially cause damage or disorientate them, so please ensure that no camera or video devices are used while watching the penguins. Let us bring back only the incredible memories and keep these cute penguins returning back to Phillip Island for more to relish.

ADDITIONAL TOUR OPTIONS:

Koala Conservation Centre – Two boardwalks crisscross in the woods, allow visitors to watch koalas in close distance from different angles.

Admission tickets: Adult $16 / Child (4-15 years old) $8

Churchill Island Heritage Farm provides exciting farm shows and exhibits from 2 PM onwards daily, such as: sheep shearing, cow milking, whip cracking and working dogs. The track to the farm is scenic and yaks can often be seen  grazing by the roadside.

Daily farm shows timetable:

  • 10.30am Blacksmithing
  • 2.00pm Cow Milking
  • 2.30pm Sheep Shearing (weekends only)
  • 2.45pm Working Dogs
  • 3.00pm Whip Cracking

Tickets: Adult $16 / Children $8

Sweet and Personal

Sweet & Personal

A Petite Tour creates fun and memorable travel experience by providing quality tour services! Every trip is bespoke to what you would like to see and do. With flexible itinerary and attention for detail, we want to create happy moments for more families, a trip that is right for everyone!

Local Expertise

Travel Experts

Our guides are friendly and fun, tap into our expansive knowledge about Australia and travel, tailor an unforgettable travel experience. English, Mandarin & Cantonese tour service are available.

Comfort & Convenience

Comfort & Convenience

Travel in comfort and style, Mercedes Benz luxury vehicles , free hotel & airport transfers on full-day tour. Ticket pre-booking to secure your spot in advance, restaurant recommendations and more!

Family Oriented

Inclusive Culture

Organise a holiday for a big group is hard-work, we do our best to help, no overtime surcharge or compulsory tips,  bottled water, child safety chairs/wheelchair, umbrellas and more. You can count on us!