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Located 142 kilometers from Melbourne, Phillip Island is teeming with wildlife, its most popular attraction being the Penguin Parade. Watch Little Penguins waddle back to the shore after a day of foraging for food, in this sought after activity at the island. We've curated some special experiences for you that include spotting penguins swimming up to Summerland Beach, congregating around the rocks, and waddling their way to their burrows at sunset. Keep reading to know more about the experience, and book your Penguin Parade tickets today!
See the penguins waddle up on the beach as they make their way to the burrows on the other side. If you're lucky, you may see the penguins congregating around the rocks of the beach, waiting for it to get darker, so they can head back to their burrows!
What to expect:
This open-air grandstand gives you great views of the penguins walking from the beach into the cove that houses their burrows. When you compare it with the other two viewing options, it's the best of both worlds.
What to expect:
This viewing section is located right below the Penguin Plus grandstand and lets you see the penguins at eye level, as they walk back to the burrows.
What to expect:
This viewing section is made to resemble the Phillip Island ecosystem and gives you an up close view of the penguins' trek back to their burrows.
What to expect:
Watch thousands of tiny penguins swim up to the beach and make their way to the burrows, each night of the year.
You can book your Penguin Parade tickets online or over the counter at the venue through a cashless transaction. It is best to book your tickets in advance, especially during peak season, to avoid tickets being sold out.
You have three types of viewing options available: General viewing tickets which are AU$32, Underground viewing tickets which are AU$85, and Penguin Plus tickets which are AU$80. If you are looking for a budget buy, go for the General viewing ticket. If you want the best close up views of the penguins, their arrival and walk home, go for the Underground viewing tickets.
Yes, you can opt for a From Melbourne: Half-Day or Full-Day Phillip Island Guided Tour or a Phillip Island 3 Parks Pass, both of which includes access to the Penguin Parade. By default, you get the General viewing option, but you can upgrade to an Underground or Penguin Plus viewing option.
The standard ticket prices for the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island start from AU$32 and can go higher depending on your viewing option. The 3-Parks pass starts from AU$64, and the guided tours start from AU$155.
While you may see the odd penguin or two on the boardwalks at Phillip Island, the Summerland Beach cove is where the main colony lives, and is also where the Penguin Parade takes place. You will need a paid ticket to access this zone.
We recommend booking your Phillip Island Penguin Parade tickets online as they come with a plethora of benefits.
Your Penguin Parade ticket is valid only for the day and time slot mentioned in your ticket.
Yes, your Penguin Parade tickets allow you to cancel them for free, however, the duration within which you can cancel will vary depending on the type of tickets you book. Make sure to read the cancellation policy for your tickets carefully while booking.
If you want a great 360-degree view of the penguins emerging from the sea and waddling to their burrows, go for the Penguins Plus viewing. Although, you will need to be prepared for the chilly sea winds, so dress in layers. The General viewing area also has some good spots on the beach, right below the grandstands, where you can watch the parade on a budget. Make sure to arrive at least an hour in advance to grab the best spots.
The Phillip Island Penguin Parade is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Little Penguins, the smallest species of penguins. Barring Australia and New Zealand, these species are not found anywhere else in the world and watching them waddle back to their burrows after a day of swimming and hunting in the sea is an experience that can’t be missed.
So many amazing things! You can go on a tour of Phillip Island and explore the other Nature Parks. Sign up for paid activities or find things to do for free! From surfing, cycling and whale searching to walking up beach trails and learning about aboriginal culture and wildlife, the options are endless. Head over to our guide on things to do at Phillip Island for more inspo.
With penguins arriving daily at sunset, Phillip Island Visitor Center opens daily at 4pm. You can view the penguin arrival calendar here. There is never a bad time to visit the Penguin Parade, since the penguins will parade every day of the year. Plan your visit depending on your weather and time preferences. If you prefer to see them earlier in the day and don't mind the cold, then visit between May and August. If you want a less cold climate and don't mind waiting till later in the night, then visit between November and January.
The Penguin Parade is located at 1019 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands VIC 3922, Australia. Find on maps.
The best way to get to the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island is to get your own vehicle or book a Penguin Parade ticket that includes transfers. Public transport is limited on Phillip Island, so if you visit outside of a tour, you will need to hire a taxi to get to the venue.
The Penguin Parade is completely wheelchair-accessible. Complimentary wheelchairs are available on request. Additionally, the venue has accessible parking and toilets for those with limited mobility. There are designated wheelchair accessible viewing areas right next to the path of penguins, and along the boardwalks.
It is advisable to wear comfortable clothing and footwear to the Penguin Parade. Dress in layers as it can get cold and breezy in the evenings, especially during the winter months.
The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island is a popular attraction for all ages, especially children. We suggest that you book Penguin Plus or Underground viewing tickets to ensure that you get the best views of the penguins for your young ones.
Ticketing was easy to follow and information and maps for the three activities were good. The staff at all three were really helpful, pleasant and made the experiences fun. It was fun getting close to the animals at Churchill Island and the highlight was milking the cow. Walking around the koala reserve and again getting to see them up close was special. The highlight of the afternoon was the penguin parade, particularly getting to see them as they went to their burrows, from the boardwalk. We all agreed that we had a great day. We self drove.
The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable, making our experience a great one. And the penguins were so cute and adorable when they came into the beach.
Loved every bit of Churchill island and the activities they host and the penguin parade is soo cute.
Everything and it was great and my cousins loved seening the penguins as they were from America
The penguins were great. The guides were great. The foreigners kept disobeying the rules...not sitting down and always using their phone
Had a great time. Needing an app for the tickets was a bit of a pain, but luckily all the staff at the three parks were very helpful and understanding about our not wanting the hassle.
We absolutely loved where we were sitting. The penguins came out straight in front of us and it was awesome. Loved seeing them swim in and wait for their friends to come join them before they headed up the beach.
The ticketing system was easy as! Ticket, simple and fast. The experience was awesome watching the penguins roll in after dusk.... very special indeed, wish we could have stayed longer than the 50mins of lights though!
Seeing the little penguins and spending time observing them in their environment. We also got to see the bandicoot and a few possums :)
It's really well set out and organised and the educational piece at the start was useful. Ticketing was easy although I don't download the app and didn't need to so could have done without being told I needed that extra step.
A wonderful experience seeing the little penguins exiting the ocean under a full moon! Witnessing this natural phenomenon was a real privilege. The event was very well organised by the co-ordinators.
The walk to watch the parade was very good, seating was really good, guides were great even when they had people still wanting to take photos they had great patience, the facilities where first clss, great evening that we recommending to all our family and friends.
My first time taking my 2 kids 12 and 8 to the penguins. The kids loved seeing the penguins up close and fearing their sounds as they found their burrows. . There were a lot of disrespectful people there standing up and taking photos and videos. It was a sold out evening so we barely got to see any penguins coming on to shore, maybe 4. Thank goodness their experience was made so much better as we walked back along the boardwalk. . The staff were great but constantly having to tell people to sit down and stop using their phones for photos and video.
I enjoyed the experience of waiting and watching the penguins to return home. I had no expectations, so it made the experience more joyful as I waited in anticipation for the arrival of their return. One of nature's amazing gift to us.
Ticketing via your website was very easy. Your commentary from Sue was fantastic, she knows her stuff. Thank you. We spoke to a few guides and they were all great to have chat about the penguins with.
We enjoyed the penguin parade and the staff were so helpful and polite.
It has been an overall positive experience and we're so glad we did the tour.
The koala conservation reserve was fantastic! Staff was very friendly and eager to answer questions my group had.
What a wonderful experience. Definitely worth spending the extra for vip section.
Penguins are cool. Other tourists didn't follow rules
Incredible birthday experience for me and my husband. 🐧 🐧 🐧
The experience was quite good.
Seeing the penguins in their habitat.
it was great We arrived late but we saw them.. so beautiful ❤️
Not that too exciting. We couldn't see clearly
See the world’s only wild penguin parade!
Inclusions
Entry to Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park
Access to boardwalk and visitor center
Access to general viewing platform
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Access to Penguins Plus viewing platform
Closest penguin pathway viewing
Limited-capacity beachfront stand
Underground Viewing (if option selected)
Access to underground viewing platform
Eye-level penguin encounters
Weatherproof indoor platform
3 Parks Pass (if option selected)
Entry to Koala Conservation Reserve
Entry to Churchill Island
Catriona
Graham
Tracey
Peguins were a very nice experience in my life and for my family.
Lock in your summer 2025 getaway (June to August 2025). Book by Aug 31, 2025 and grab exclusive 10% off!
Inclusions
Exclusions
Ticketing was easy to follow and information and maps for the three activities were good. The staff at all three were really helpful, pleasant and made the experiences fun. It was fun getting close to the animals at Churchill Island and the highlight was milking the cow. Walking around the koala reserve and again getting to see them up close was special. The highlight of the afternoon was the penguin parade, particularly getting to see them as they went to their burrows, from the boardwalk. We all agreed that we had a great day. We self drove.
Loved every bit of Churchill island and the activities they host and the penguin parade is soo cute.
Had a great time. Needing an app for the tickets was a bit of a pain, but luckily all the staff at the three parks were very helpful and understanding about our not wanting the hassle.
We enjoyed the penguin parade and the staff were so helpful and polite.
It has been an overall positive experience and we're so glad we did the tour.
The koala conservation reserve was fantastic! Staff was very friendly and eager to answer questions my group had.
Phillip Island’s ultimate wildlife and heritage trio.
Inclusions
Entry to Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park
Access to boardwalk and visitor center
Access to general viewing platform
Entry to Koala Conservation Reserve
Entry to Churchill Island
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Access to Penguins Plus viewing platform
Closest penguin pathway viewing
Limited-capacity beachfront stand
Underground Viewing (if option selected)
Access to underground viewing platform
Eye-level penguin encounters
Weatherproof indoor platform
Catriona
Tracey
Lynn
Amazing trip,, kind and well-informed guide; a pity the mic on the bus did not work though. Also, a teeny bit chaotic sorting people into three different coaches. But it alk worked out perfectly in the end. Puffing Billy and the penguins are definitely well worth the time and money.
The guide John was fantastic. He was knowledgeable and really keen to give everyone the best experience possible. He went above and beyond from his photography skills to ensuring his passengers had a way to get home.
Our driver Phil was down to earth, full of info, prompt and got us in and set for the activities on the itinerary with no dramas :)
Ride with Puffing Billy was good, despite the rain. Animal "spotting" and the pinguins were also good. Gavin, the driver, had a lot of knowledge that he willingly shared.
Great weather, great sights and sweet guide.
To be honest I loved everything about it. It's went exactly as I expected. I should've brought a warmer jacket with me to the penguins though. I can't remember our guides name but he was really good and informative. I'm very glad that I did the tour and I would recommend it.
The app showed pick up time 10:15 However the tour guide sent us a text message saying that pick up time 8:30 but i did't see the message…
Ride the Puffing Billy and see the Penguin Parade—all in one seamless day with coastal views and wildlife encounters.
Everything you get: Get scenic transfers from Melbourne to the Dandenong Ranges and ride the Puffing Billy steam train through forested landscapes. Enjoy free time at Emerald Lake Park, visit the Nobbies boardwalk, and watch the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. Includes round-trip transfers in an air-conditioned coach and an English-speaking guide.
Why choose this: See two top Victoria sights in one day—steam train ride & penguin parade—with expert guide and easy Melbourne transfers.
Inclusions
Puffing Billy steam train ticket (Belgrave to Emerald)
Entry to Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Return transfers from Melbourne CBD
Hotel pick-up and drop-off from meeting point
English-speaking professional guide
Air-conditioned coach transport
Exclusions
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Ticketing was easy to follow and information and maps for the three activities were good. The staff at all three were really helpful, pleasant and made the experiences fun. It was fun getting close to the animals at Churchill Island and the highlight was milking the cow. Walking around the koala reserve and again getting to see them up close was special. The highlight of the afternoon was the penguin parade, particularly getting to see them as they went to their burrows, from the boardwalk. We all agreed that we had a great day. We self drove.
The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable, making our experience a great one. And the penguins were so cute and adorable when they came into the beach.
Loved every bit of Churchill island and the activities they host and the penguin parade is soo cute.
Everything and it was great and my cousins loved seening the penguins as they were from America
Cruise was alright but the highlight for me was the penguin parade it was adorable to see little penguins waddle towards their nest and headout app was really easy to use just needed to show the barcode to the staff!
The penguins were great. The guides were great. The foreigners kept disobeying the rules...not sitting down and always using their phone
Had a great time. Needing an app for the tickets was a bit of a pain, but luckily all the staff at the three parks were very helpful and understanding about our not wanting the hassle.
We absolutely loved where we were sitting. The penguins came out straight in front of us and it was awesome. Loved seeing them swim in and wait for their friends to come join them before they headed up the beach.
The ticketing system was easy as! Ticket, simple and fast. The experience was awesome watching the penguins roll in after dusk.... very special indeed, wish we could have stayed longer than the 50mins of lights though!
Seeing the little penguins and spending time observing them in their environment. We also got to see the bandicoot and a few possums :)
It's really well set out and organised and the educational piece at the start was useful. Ticketing was easy although I don't download the app and didn't need to so could have done without being told I needed that extra step.
A wonderful experience seeing the little penguins exiting the ocean under a full moon! Witnessing this natural phenomenon was a real privilege. The event was very well organised by the co-ordinators.
The ticketing experience was very disappointing I had so much trouble trying to downsize my group booking . It took so long to get any real answers & help as AI didn't understand my request. It was very frustrating and took so long to get answers that we ran out of time . The real person was very helpful explaining , however it was too late to change the booking by the time I got any sense in how to do it. Not her fault .. the company needs to improve their website re:!ticket changing and refunds.. I was frustrated and annoyed with the whole process ....but we did have a good trip even though the weather wasn't the best.
Both the Penguin Parade and the cruise were very good -- well organised, very well informed, and with friendly and competent staff. We enjoyed the information shared by the staff, seeing the penguins, and being out on the boat (and on a sunny morning).
I really enjoyed being out on the water, seeing the penguins. I thought the staff working both venues were amazing! So kind, welcoming and handled difficult people really well
The walk to watch the parade was very good, seating was really good, guides were great even when they had people still wanting to take photos they had great patience, the facilities where first clss, great evening that we recommending to all our family and friends.
My first time taking my 2 kids 12 and 8 to the penguins. The kids loved seeing the penguins up close and fearing their sounds as they found their burrows. . There were a lot of disrespectful people there standing up and taking photos and videos. It was a sold out evening so we barely got to see any penguins coming on to shore, maybe 4. Thank goodness their experience was made so much better as we walked back along the boardwalk. . The staff were great but constantly having to tell people to sit down and stop using their phones for photos and video.
I enjoyed the experience of waiting and watching the penguins to return home. I had no expectations, so it made the experience more joyful as I waited in anticipation for the arrival of their return. One of nature's amazing gift to us.
Ticketing via your website was very easy. Your commentary from Sue was fantastic, she knows her stuff. Thank you. We spoke to a few guides and they were all great to have chat about the penguins with.
We enjoyed the penguin parade and the staff were so helpful and polite.
It has been an overall positive experience and we're so glad we did the tour.
The koala conservation reserve was fantastic! Staff was very friendly and eager to answer questions my group had.
What a wonderful experience. Definitely worth spending the extra for vip section.
Penguins are cool. Other tourists didn't follow rules
Incredible birthday experience for me and my husband. 🐧 🐧 🐧
Dolphins by day, penguins by night!
Inclusions Phillip Island Cape Woolamai Morning Cruise
1-hour Cape Woolamai morning cruise
Wildlife spotting and bird watching
Tea & coffee with cake
Expert local commentary
Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade
3 Parks Pass (if option selected)
Entry to Koala Conservation Reserve
Entry to Churchill Island
Exclusions Phillip Island Cape Woolamai Morning Cruise
Phillip Island Cape Woolamai Morning Cruise
Nature Parks Penguin Parade
Heather
Catriona
Graham
An all day tour went so quickly as James C our driver and tour guide was fantastic. Good driver and good historian. Got lots of info about Australia and Melbourne and Victoria. Tour bus comfortable and interesting group of co travellers. Loved all four of our stops. The stops also broke up the bus travel and just loved the penguin parade plus bandicoots, geese, wallabies and a possum who all showed up for the parade too. We will book with Go West again next time in Melbourne perhaps for the great ocean road tour.
Great guide with Bluey giving us lots of information along the way and when we got there the best places to see the penguins. A must see trip.
Ticketing went very smoothly .Chris our guide ,was very informative about the areas we visited and gave excellent advice on how to get the best out of our visit to the penguin habitat. Chris is full of life and entertained us and made sure even the children on board a fun experience. A wonderful afternoon and evening
Nice trip, we have lots of fun.
We had a great experience. There was a bit of chaos at the pickup. But after that it was smooth overall. Our guide/driver Jordan was great too.
This was a wonderful experience. Fiona was very knowledgeable about the area and navigated us around so we could see everything! Highly recommend going with this family run business! You will not be disappointed!!!
Tour guide Bill is awesome!!! He's kind and caring
Over all excellent tour and guide is very good
Good half day your. Bluey, our guide was entertaining and full of useful information
Your pace, your penguin adventure—half or full day.
Inclusions
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Exclusions
Joanne
Paul
Karen
From platypus pools to penguin shores in one day.
Inclusions
Full-day tour to Philip Island
Round-trip transfers from Melbourne
English-speaking guide
Entry to Healesville Sanctuary
Entry to Point Grant & The Nobbies
Entry to Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park
Access to boardwalk and visitor center
Access to general viewing platform
Very efficient and fun. Tour guide was fantastic.
Penguins, very much. The animal park was just ok. The amount of time on the bus, while perhaps unavoidable, was not enjoyable. Very, very long day. Would have loved the opportunity to swim. Brighton beach houses were a bust, didn't even have time to kick off shoes and wade in the beautiful water.
The tour was amazing! Definitely recommend if you're wanting to see the beautiful views victoria has to offer. Moonlit sanctuary homing an incredible range of native animals offering close up experiences. Phillip Island did not disappoint, being able to see the penguins in their natural habitat was a once in a lifetime experience. Our journey made even better by our tour guide Jonno who was friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about his job.
The tour guide Graeme was great and went out of the way to stop the bus and help us spot roos, wallabies and other wild life on our journey.
Sunrise at Melbourne’s beach boxes to sunset with penguin viewing!
Inclusions
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Underground Viewing (if option selected)
Great experience much better than I thought!
The bus operator guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the tour. We got some very helpful tips about the Moonlit Sanctuary and the Penguin Parade. We really enjoyed this experience and would recommend it to others.
At Penguin Parade, Officials at Entry Gate not able to scan my Ticket with Upgrade Underground and not allowed me but Miss Eliza from Go West supported us with Normal Ticket to See Penguin Parade. Overall experience was Good. Will Headout provide me refund of tickets?
Hand-feed kangaroos before penguin magic at dusk.
Inclusions
Full-day tour to Philip Island
Round-trip transfers from Melbourne
English-speaking guide
Entry to Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park
Entry to Point Grant & The Nobbies
Entry to Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park
Access to boardwalk and visitor center
Access to general viewing platform
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Access to Penguins Plus viewing platform
Closest penguin pathway viewing
Limited-capacity beachfront stand
Underground Viewing (if option selected)
Access to underground viewing platform
Eye-level penguin encounters
Weatherproof indoor platform
Exclusions
Ticketing was easy to follow and information and maps for the three activities were good. The staff at all three were really helpful, pleasant and made the experiences fun. It was fun getting close to the animals at Churchill Island and the highlight was milking the cow. Walking around the koala reserve and again getting to see them up close was special. The highlight of the afternoon was the penguin parade, particularly getting to see them as they went to their burrows, from the boardwalk. We all agreed that we had a great day. We self drove.
Loved every bit of Churchill island and the activities they host and the penguin parade is soo cute.
Had a great time. Needing an app for the tickets was a bit of a pain, but luckily all the staff at the three parks were very helpful and understanding about our not wanting the hassle.
I thought the place was bigger and had more activities.. it is beautiful but I expected more. Also the staff was not friendly at the entrance and in the cafe .
We enjoyed the penguin parade and the staff were so helpful and polite.
It has been an overall positive experience and we're so glad we did the tour.
The koala conservation reserve was fantastic! Staff was very friendly and eager to answer questions my group had.
Loved the closeness with farm animals
This experience is perfect for
Step into 1850s farm life on a scenic island.
Inclusions
3 Parks Pass (if option selected)
Entry to Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park
Penguin parade from general viewing platform
Entry to Koala Conservation Reserve
Penguins Plus (if option selected)
Access to Penguins Plus viewing platform
Closest penguin pathway viewing
Limited-capacity beachfront stand
Underground Viewing (if option selected)
Access to underground viewing platform
Eye-level penguin encounters
Weatherproof indoor platform
Catriona
Tracey
Lynn
You can cancel these tickets up to 29 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
You can cancel these tickets up to 29 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
