Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comPhillip Island: Penguins, Koalas and Kangaroos Day Tour from Melbourne
based on 54 reviews
Duration: 10 hours (approx.)
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Product code: 2230M10
54 reviews of Phillip Island: Penguins, Koalas and Kangaroos Day Tour from Melbourne
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Phillip Island: Penguins, Koalas and Kangaroos Day Tour from Melbourne. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
The penguins are adorable!
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, August 2008
This was a fun trip! The days are shorter in the winter so I'd suggest that the day starts earlier, so that you don't have to rush through the stops. I also recommend the Private Penguin reservation, you have your own tour guide!
Reviewed by: Paul A, United States of America, July 2008
We stayed in Melbourne so the ride to Phillip Island was long: close to two hours. Be prepared for a lot of bus time on this tour. The stop at the cattle farm is not very worthwhile unless you have yet to see any Australian wildlife. The koala stop was better than the cattle farm, as we saw several koalas. However, stopping at these places makes the ride to Phillip Island better. If you don't want these stops, I would suggest the Phillip Island Express Tour. The stop for dinner provided for many options, which was nice, but we also were there at the end of the high season, so choices may be fewer in the low season. All that being said, the penguin parade, which is why we went on the tour, was great! We upgraded to the private viewing platform and I'm glad we did. Instead of being with several thousand people, we got to watch the parade with less than two hundred people. We were within a few feet of the penguins as they strolled up the beach. Our driver, who was quite the entertaining character, decided to give us more time to watch the penguins as opposed to getting caught up in traffic which was much appreciated. Some tours leave shortly after the first groups of penguins come out of the water. We got to see penguins for about an hour, which was plenty of time. Highly recommended!
Reviewed by: Alison F, United States of America, April 2008
I would recommend paying extra for the platform, it is a great experience.
Reviewed by: Marnie J, New Zealand, March 2008
It was good! The upgrades are not essential. You can actually look at the penguins up close when they walk by the path-walk. Nice tour. The kangaroos were cool.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, August 2007
Brilliant! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided an interesting and informative commentary along the way. We all enjoyed the three venues visited, especially the little penguins. Thank you.
Reviewed by: John W, Australia, August 2007
It was an excellent trip, because the penguins were real stars and you could get so close to them without upsetting them. The Cattle Ranch stop was awful. A few overfed Kangaroos and wallabies in an enclosure looked at us with disinterest and I was given the worst cup of tea I have ever had. The Koala sanctuary was nice, as it gave a good view of koalas in their natural environment. Make sure you wrap up warmly!
Reviewed by: Janet D, United Kingdom, August 2007
The Phillip Island direct would be good if you are going to see animals at Healesville.
Reviewed by: Marlene C, United States of America, March 2007
The skybox was not worth doing - you can get really close to the penguins from the platforms and from the skybox you need binoculars to even see them. Your own private ranger is not worth having if he doesn't talk to you. On the other hand it does give you access to the separate viewing platform for 150 people. The overwhelming majority of the penguins come ashore at that end of the beach, away from the main 150 person stand and floodlights, and there is plenty of room once people get up and start wandering around the boardwalks. The skybox option includes entry to the separate platform and that is where we had the best experience. There were no fur seals to see - wrong time of year, and Warnock farm was the real lowlight of the tour. Only worth doing if you are from overseas and won't get any other opportunity to see any animals. The koala park was worth visiting as you can see them up close, but you don't get to hold them. The APT bus driver was great, good commentary and helpful throughout.
Reviewed by: Lyn W, Australia, March 2007
We enjoyed the trip! The extra for the special viewing platform was definitely worth it for penguin viewing. The farm visit was a bit of a waste of time.
Reviewed by: George C, United States of America, February 2007
It was an excellent day out but found the penguin bit at the end disappointing. There were far to many people to get a view of the penguins. This was particularly disappointing for my 18 month old daughter who had waited all day to see them!
Reviewed by: Nicola L, United Kingdom, January 2007
The Phillip Island tour is great! I upgraded to the Ultimate Penguin experience. I was with my own fantastic personal guide and had a brilliant seat to view from. I was so lucky to see wild animals up close!
Take some money with you for the return journey as they stop for dinner, which is not included. The driver was great and the whole day very enjoyable. You never felt rushed. I recommend this tour 100%. Just do the upgrade!
It's all about the penguins. The first stop at some sad "wildlife" petting zoo off the highway was really bad. The second stop at the koala "sanctuary" was better, but again it was a tourist trap with a parking lot full of tour buses. The penguin experience was amazing though. I would recommend people either drive themselves directly to Phillip Island or join a tour which skips the tourist traps. The door-to-door hotel drop off upon return was a welcome relief after a very, very long day.
Reviewed by: Richard Y, Japan, January 2009
The trip was ok. First of all, the penguins were amazing. Very cute and cuddly. Best piece of advice I can give is to pay the extra $40 or so and get to the platform that only has 150 people or so. Much better views and the majority of the penguins come by the boardwalk that leads to the small viewing platform. Otherwise, you are with 2,000 of your friends watching from a distance. The Koala adventure center was very nice, well done and pleasant. My biggest complaint was the Warrook Animal center. There were 4 very over-touristed kangaroos and hundreds upon hundreds of tourists trying to force feed them. On top of that, many of the animals were behind several layers of fencing and you couldn't get good views. Finally, the place smelled awful. It is a farm, but it smelled worse than your typical farm. We went to other conservatories that were delightful, but this one was not. If the evening only penguin tour skips this step, then I would recommend the koalas and penguins only.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, January 2008
I didn't realize we couldn't take photographs of the penguins, and that was one of the main things I was looking forward to taking back wtih me. Other than wallabies, there wasn't much else to see.
Reviewed by: Laura B, United States of America, November 2007
