Our Phillip Island tour certainly didn’t disappoint. The penguins, of course, were the stars. But the rest of the day was outstanding as well. We enjoyed the Moonlit Sanctuary, Brighton Beach, and the Nobbies. Our guide Chris was personable and excellent. We’re not usually fans of tours, but this one was excellent. I mean, you had me at penguins!!
See & Meet Native Wildlife
Visit the Twelve Apostles
Enjoy the Spectacle at Penguin Parade
We’re sorry to advise that this tour is presently only available for private group bookings. Presently we’re very short-staffed and we look forward to restarting our regular seat-in-coach services for this tour when our staffing levels allow us to do so.
Visit Two Iconic Sites on Melbourne’s Picture-Perfect Coastline
The ultimate discovery of Victoria’s breathtaking coastlines – there’s one famous attraction after another on this coastal, peninsula, and island tour.
Trip Details
Price
- Shared dormitory: $355 AUD per person
- Private 4 person room: $425 AUD per person
- Private triple room: $445 AUD per person
- Private double or twin room: $455 AUD per person
- Private single: $525 AUD per person
(Enquire for group discounts for groups of 5 people or more)
Use promo code BFDiscount to avoid additional booking fees
- Penguins Plus Viewing Upgrade – Add $30 (subject to availability during December-January) – all guests must be aged 12 years or older
- Guided Ranger Tour (formerly Private Penguin Parade Experience) Upgrade – Add $60 (subject to availability during December-January) – all guests must be aged 12 years or older
Pickup Time
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Meeting point
Inner-city pickup service from most accommodation providers and specified pickup points.
Availability
Departs Mondays & Fridays, year-round
Duration
2 days
Group size
Maximum of 24 guests
Included
- Park entry fees
- Friendly, informative tour guide
- Complimentary onboard Wi-Fi
- Access to our free translation app
- All transfers in air-conditioned comfort
- Accommodation as booked at BIG 4 Beacon Resort (Bed linen & basic toiletries included)
- Dinner (day 1) and breakfast (day 2)
- Ferry ride and standard entry to the Penguin Parade
Not Included
- Lunch (day 1 & 2)
- Dinner (day 2)
What to bring
- Snacks and a refillable water bottle
- Warm weather: sunscreen, a hat, and warm clothes for when the sun goes down
- Winter: warm clothes and layers as coastal winds can make conditions quite cold
Good to Know
- Luggage restrictions apply – 10 kg soft overnight bag.
- Children under the age of 16 years may not stay in shared accommodation. Private accommodation must be booked for children, all ages welcome.
- Portable cots can be provided on request for infants (under 4 years) but must be arranged prior to the date of departure directly with Go West Tours. Parents must provide bedding (i.e. blankets, sheets).
- Please specify any dietary requirements.
- Please note you must arrive at your pickup location at least 10 minutes prior to your allocated pickup time.
- No refunds will be issued on day of travel for failure to declare infants and all passengers must be booked.
- Download the Go West Tours app from the App Store or Google Play prior to your departure for access to our tour language commentary. Available in Arabic, Malay, Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, and Hindi.
Wonder at the famous Twelve Apostles of Port Campbell National Park
Visit Loch Ard Gorge and hear the story of our most renowned shipwreck
Explore the famous beaches of the Great Ocean Road’s Surf Coast
Enjoy a ferry ride across Port Phillip Bay to the Mornington Peninsula
Join a guided tour at the award-winning Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
See penguins at the iconic Phillip Island Penguin Parade
What You’ll Do
Day 1
Departing Melbourne at approximately 8.00 am, we’ll journey inland directly to the Port Campbell National Park and take in the wonders of this famous stretch of coastline. Be amazed by the iconic limestone formations including the Twelve Apostles where you’ll have time to wander the boardwalks and take in the views from numerous spectacular vantage points.
Descend Gibson Steps to the beach below where you’ll feel dwarfed by the towering cliffs and the enormous offshore stacks. Travel to Loch Ard Gorge to hear the tragic story of the shipwrecked Loch Ard where 52 lives were lost and only two survived. Next, follow the Great Ocean Road inland through the Otway Ranges and take a walk in the lush rainforest at Maits Rest. Returning to the ocean, we’ll drive along the most scenic stretches of the road, which wind along the cliff sides and the shorelines of Victoria’s Surf Coast, as we make our way to your overnight accommodation on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Day 2
Arise the following morning and board the ferry for an hour-long journey across Port Phillip Bay to the Mornington Peninsula. Look out for seals and dolphins which are frequently spotted during the ferry trip. The second day of our journey is a wildlife immersion. You’ll experience a guided tour of the multi-award-winning Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park where you’ll learn about an extensive array of Australia’s native fauna. Hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies, meet the cuddly koalas, and view numerous other species including the critically-endangered orange-bellied parrot.
On Phillip Island, visit Point Grant to view the Nobbies and Seal Rocks before arriving at Summerland Beach to enjoy the world-famous Penguin Parade. As dusk falls, experience the spectacle of these amazing animals emerging from the surf and crossing the sand before continuing their journey through the dunes to their homes. Explore the visitor centre before commencing the voyage back to Melbourne where your journey ends.
FAQs for the Puffing Billy and Phillip Island Tour
We don’t allocate any specific time to swimming, as most of our guests don’t want to swim during their tour, but at any time when the tour stops at a beach location, it is possible for you to have a dip. Please speak to your guide on the day as they will be able to advise you of the safe locations to swim. If you’re keen to have a swim, feel free to bring your swimming costume and a towel with you on the day in case the opportunity arises.
We do not endorse the feeding of wild animals as it can be harmful to their natural behaviour and well-being. The food often used is the equivalent of junk food causing them to have an unhealthy diet and in some cases making the animals sick. Animals that have been regularly fed by humans come to expect it and in the long term, this reduces their ability to forage for food. In the sanctuaries, guests are allowed to feed animals with advice from rangers and specific food.
We make a dinner break of about 30 minutes duration in the regional town of Colac. Guests are able to purchase meals from a number of local eateries here.
Have more questions?
Reviews From Our Previous Guests
We took a tour in February 2022. Our guide was excellent and had perfect timing which allowed us to beat the crowds. There are quite a few stops but each was unique. Twelve Apostles were excellent. And we loved the quiet & majesty of the rainforest. Also saw quite a few koalas. Guide was fun, relaxed and very informative. We took another tour to Philip Island with the same company and with the same guide and head another five star experience. All together an amazing day & would definitely recommend.
Rachael was a helpful and passionate tour guide. She remembered all our names and where we came from just in a morning! She gave us detailed and interesting information to all places we visited. She helped us to took good pictures as well as recommended restaurants for our lunch and dinner. Amazing service & highly recommended!
Our guide, Eric always had a super positive attitude and would make the group super excited by everything that was to come. Even though I have visited Phillip island before and fed kangaroos he made it feel really special. Also love all the personal stories! Thanks for a great tour, Eric!
