Every one of these tours ends at the same place, on the same beach, watching the same penguins. The Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach is run by Phillip Island Nature Parks, a single not-for-profit, and its cheapest ticket is A$34 at the gate. So a Phillip Island tour is really a bus, a guide, a wildlife park in the afternoon, and a viewing ticket, and the whole A$139 to A$246 spread comes down to which of those you are getting. We priced every component on the operators' own websites and on penguins.org.au in September 2026, and the numbers under each listing are what those sites say, not what the resale listings say.
Three things decide the day. First, the ticket tier: all eight of these include General Viewing, the tiered grandstand. The closer Penguins Plus stand costs A$59 more at the gate, and the operators that sell it as an upgrade charge anywhere from A$55 to A$90 for it, and two of them do not offer it at all. Second, the wildlife stop: five tours go to Moonlit Sanctuary on the mainland (A$37 entry, kangaroos and wallabies you can walk among), two go to the Koala Conservation Reserve on the island (A$17.50, koalas from a boardwalk), and one does a winery instead. Third, the clock: the penguins arrive at sunset, so in December these tours get you back to Melbourne between 11pm and 1am, and no brochure leads with that. We also checked the Australian Business Register, because the eight brands here are six companies, and one tour is sold under a name that is not the name on the bus.
Penguin Parade Day Tour · Max 24
Go West Tours · Selected Melbourne city hotels; pickup 10-11am outside daylight saving, 11am-12pm during it
By review volume the biggest Phillip Island tour running out of Melbourne, with roughly 37,614 reviews behind this page as a whole and the largest single share of them here. The day opens with a photo stop at the Brighton bathing boxes, then Moonlit Sanctuary with its Conservation in Action show, Cape Woolamai, a dinner stop in Cowes, the Nobbies at Point Grant and the Penguin Parade with the standard ticket, on a coach capped at 24 with Wi-Fi and a sixteen-language audio app.
It is also, on the evidence of both companies' own websites, the dearer badge on the same company's coach. Go West and Bunyip are both registered names of GO WEST TOURS (VIC) PTY LTD, ABN 15 092 629 840, at the same Northcote address, and Bunyip publishes an almost identical day at A$155. The two verified differences are the bathing boxes and the Cowes dinner stop. Go West is also the only operator here whose own online checkout costs more than our link: A$185 online, A$175 by phone.
What travellers loved
- The most reviewed Phillip Island day tour we found, by a wide margin
- Brighton bathing boxes, Moonlit Sanctuary's wildlife show and a Cowes dinner stop on top of the standard itinerary
- A$175 at our link matches the operator's phone price and beats its own A$185 online checkout
Know before you book
- General Viewing only; Go West lists the standard ticket and no Penguins Plus upgrade
- Sister brand Bunyip sells a near-identical published day for A$155
- Summer returns run to 12.15am, and the operator's own page says 9 to 12 hours
- No prams, strollers, baby capsules, large bags or walkers on board; meals at your own expense
Best for: Travellers who want the most-reviewed operator and the fuller itinerary, and are not price-shopping its sister brand.
Penguin Parade & Koalas · Coach
Autopia Tours · Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street at Market Street, Melbourne, plus inner-city pickups
The Koala Reserve day with the fairest upgrade price. Autopia charges A$60 on its own site to move you from General Viewing to Penguins Plus, which is A$1 more than the gate difference, and the day itself is tidy: the Koala Conservation Reserve boardwalks, a summer wander through Cowes, the Nobbies at Seal Rocks, then the parade, on a 28 or 38-seat coach with reclining seats, Wi-Fi, USB charging and a twenty-language translation app. Tour code PI-B.
It is also the same company as Wildlife Tours Australia, whose Phillip Island day leaves from the same museum at the same times, visits the same reserve and the same boardwalk, and costs A$129 direct. Both brands belong to Get Lost Travel Pty Ltd, ABN 94 143 929 962. The differences we could verify are the coach size cap (38 against 40), the twenty-language app against a ten-language one, and A$51 on the direct fare. If the Penguins Plus upgrade matters to you, Autopia's A$60 against Wildlife's A$90 closes most of that gap.
What travellers loved
- Penguins Plus upgrade for A$60 on the operator's own site, closest to the A$59 gate difference of any operator here
- Reclining seats, Wi-Fi, USB charging and a twenty-language translation app on a modern coach
- A 9.5-hour day with a published return, 9.30pm in winter and 11.45pm in summer
Know before you book
- Its sister brand Wildlife Tours Australia publishes a near-identical Koala Reserve and penguins day at A$129 direct
- Up to 38 passengers; the 'small group' framing elsewhere in this category does not apply
- Koala Reserve rather than Moonlit Sanctuary, so no kangaroos and no wallaby walk
- The operator's own page title still advertises the tour at A$158 while the page prices it at A$180; the A$180 is what you are charged
- Meals are not included; food is available at Cowes and the parade visitor centre
Best for: People who want the closer Penguins Plus stand at an honest upgrade price, on a comfortable coach.
Small-Group Penguins & Wine Tour · Max 15
Local Way Tours · Arts Centre Melbourne, 100R St Kilda Road, outside the Protagonist Café under the spire; South Wharf and Crown pickups by arrangement
The only tour here that feeds you, and the only one built around something other than a wildlife park. A barista coffee at the Arts Centre, San Remo, a guided tasting and grazing platter at Phillip Island Winery, a shared wood-fired lunch, free time in Cowes, a golden-hour glass of sparkling wine at the Nobbies, then the Penguin Parade with General Viewing, in a fifteen-seat midi-coach with a guaranteed window seat, Wi-Fi and charging. The company is The Local Tour Group Pty Ltd, ABN 22 131 320 655, trading as Local Way Tours since September 2024, and independent of every other operator on this page.
Two prices to know. The operator's own booking engine charges A$230 adult and A$170 child, against A$245 at our link, so it is cheaper direct. And the Penguins Plus version is the sharpest resale gap on the page: A$55 extra on the operator's own site, A$165 extra at the resale listing, where the Plus option is A$410. If you want this tour with the closer stand, book it direct, and if you want koalas, the Koala Conservation Reserve is a A$15 add-on rather than a default stop.
What travellers loved
- Lunch, a winery tasting with grazing platter and a golden-hour sparkling at the Nobbies are all in the fare; nothing else here includes a meal
- Fifteen seats with a guaranteed window, and a departure from the Arts Centre rather than a hotel loop
- Penguins Plus is a A$55 upgrade on the operator's own site, the cheapest upgrade price we found
Know before you book
- A$245 at our link against A$230 through the operator's own booking engine
- The Penguins Plus version at our link is A$410, A$165 more than standard, against A$55 more direct. Book that version direct
- No wildlife park in the base fare; the Koala Conservation Reserve is a A$15 add-on and there is no Moonlit Sanctuary stop
- Alcohol-led itinerary, so under-18s are sold a child fare and non-drinkers should read the operator's FAQ first
Best for: Couples and food-and-wine travellers who want a slower, fed day that ends with the penguins.
Small-Group Afternoon Tour · Max 11
Oceania Tours and Safaris · Selected Melbourne city hotels, door pickup and drop-off included
The shortest and the dearest day here, and as with this operator's Great Ocean Road tour those are the same fact. A maximum of eleven in a minivan, a hotel-door pickup in the early afternoon, Moonlit Sanctuary, Woolamai surf beach, the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, then the Penguin Parade with the regular viewing ticket, and home. Eight to nine hours against ten to fourteen for the coaches, which for a lot of travellers is worth more than anything else on this page.
It is A$246 on the operator's own site and at our link, with a child fare of A$131 that is close to half, and a Penguins Plus upgrade of A$69 adult and A$34 child that is the same price in both places. Spanish and Italian guided departures are sold separately at A$283, which no other operator here offers. Oceania publishes no ABN and we could not match its trading name to a Victorian ABN record, so its ownership is the one on this page we could not verify; it describes itself as a family company trading since 2003.
What travellers loved
- 8 to 9 hours door to door, the shortest Phillip Island day we verified, with hotel pickup and drop-off
- Maximum 11 guests in a minivan, the smallest group on this page
- Child fare of A$131 against A$246 adult, the deepest child discount here
Know before you book
- A$246 is A$71 to A$107 more than the coach tours that visit the same sanctuary and the same beach
- A minimum of two adults is required, so solo travellers cannot book it
- No infants under 3, and no meals included
- Eleven seats means the Moonlit and Nobbies stops are shorter; the operator publishes no stop durations
Best for: Travellers who will pay for a small group, a hotel door pickup and a day that starts after lunch.
Penguins & Wildlife Nature Experience · Small Group
Explore Australia Tours · Four Melbourne pickups: Mercure Melbourne Southbank, the Regent Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre and the Mail Exchange Hotel
The independent small-bus option in the middle of the market. Moonlit Sanctuary, a stroll through Cowes, the Nobbies boardwalk and the Penguin Parade with General Viewing, in a purple minibus with a local guide and a multilingual audio app, for A$169 on the operator's own site and at our link. The company is Explore Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 76 631 640 910, which also trades as Explore Phillip Island and French Island Expeditions, and it is not related to any other operator on this page.
Two things distinguish it from the coaches above it. The pickup points are named hotels and theatres rather than a kerb outside a museum, which is easier at 10am with children. And the cancellation terms are different depending on where you book: the operator's own terms and conditions forfeit the whole fare inside 48 hours, while our link carries the standard 24-hour full refund. That is one of the few cases on this page where booking through a reseller is strictly better.
What travellers loved
- A$169 on the operator's own site and at our link, with Moonlit Sanctuary and General Viewing in the price
- Named pickup points (Mercure Southbank, Regent Theatre, Her Majesty's, Mail Exchange Hotel) rather than a museum kerb
- Infant fare from A$99 and a child fare of A$129, one of the few tours here that welcomes under-3s
Know before you book
- Booked direct, cancellation inside 48 hours forfeits 100 per cent of the fare; our link refunds in full at 24 hours
- Cape Woolamai is listed as a summer-only stop, so a winter booking skips the surf beach
- The Penguins Plus version at our link is A$234, a A$65 upgrade; the operator's site says premium tiers must be pre-booked and does not price them
- Return time is not published on the operator's page; expect the same sunset-plus-two-hours the others quote
Best for: Families and small-bus fans who want a Moonlit day with named pickup points and an infant fare.
Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour · Max 24
Bunyip Tours · Selected Melbourne city hotels; pickup 10-11am outside daylight saving, 11am-12pm during it
The cheaper of two names for what its own company publishes as a near-identical day. Moonlit Sanctuary with a guided walk of the exhibits, Cape Woolamai, the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, then the Penguin Parade with General Viewing, on a coach capped at 24 with onboard Wi-Fi and an audio guide in sixteen languages. It is A$155 on Bunyip's own site and at our link, and it is a fair price for a day that carries A$71 of tickets.
Bunyip Tours and Go West Tours are registered business names of GO WEST TOURS (VIC) PTY LTD, ABN 15 092 629 840, and both websites list 10/167 Beavers Road, Northcote. The two Phillip Island pages match on the 24-guest cap, the 10am to 12pm pickup window, the 9pm to midnight return, Moonlit Sanctuary, Cape Woolamai, the Nobbies and General Viewing. Go West adds a photo stop at the Brighton bathing boxes and a dinner stop at Cowes, and charges A$20 more for it by phone and A$30 more online.
What travellers loved
- A$155 on the operator's own site and at our link, for a day whose sister brand charges A$175 to A$185
- Moonlit Sanctuary entry with a guided walk of the exhibits, plus Cape Woolamai and Seal Rocks, all in the fare
- Capped at 24, with onboard Wi-Fi and a sixteen-language audio guide
Know before you book
- General Viewing only; Bunyip does not sell the Penguins Plus upgrade, so if you want the closer stand this is the wrong operator
- The operator's own page says 10 to 14 hours, and the summer return runs to midnight
- Meals are not included; most guests buy lunch at Moonlit Sanctuary
- Large bags, strollers, prams, baby capsules and walkers cannot be brought on board; ask for an infant seat by email in advance
Best for: Travellers who want the classic Moonlit-plus-penguins day at the lower of the two prices its company charges for it.
Penguin Parade with Koala Reserve · Coach
Wildlife Tours Australia · Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street at Market Street, Melbourne (bus parks on the Market Street side), plus inner-city hotel pickups from 40 minutes earlier
The lowest all-in price on this page if you book it in the right place. The Koala Conservation Reserve, the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, an off-road coastal wildlife drive and the Penguin Parade with General Viewing, on a modern coach with Wi-Fi and USB charging, for A$129 on Wildlife Tours' own website. That is A$16 less than any other fare here, though it carries the cheaper wildlife park: the Koala Reserve is A$17.50 at the gate against Moonlit's A$37, and you look at koalas from a boardwalk rather than walk among wallabies.
The catch is that it is A$157 through the resale channels, the largest direct-versus-reseller gap we found in this category. Wildlife Tours Australia and Autopia Tours are registered business names of the same company, Get Lost Travel Pty Ltd, ABN 94 143 929 962, and their two Phillip Island tours share the Immigration Museum meeting point, the 11.45am and 1.45pm departures, the Koala Reserve, the Nobbies and General Viewing. Autopia sells its version at A$180 with a 28 or 38-seat cap; Wildlife's runs to 40.
What travellers loved
- A$129 on the operator's own website, the lowest fare in this category by a clear margin
- Back in Melbourne about 10pm, the earliest published return of the full-day tours here
- Onboard Wi-Fi, USB charging, reclining seats and a ten-language translation app
Know before you book
- A$157 is what you pay through a reseller; the same seat is A$129 direct, so check the operator's site first
- Up to 40 passengers, the largest vehicle here; this is a coach day, not a small group
- The Penguins Plus upgrade is A$90 direct, A$31 more than the A$59 gate difference; the resale option at A$218 works out A$61 extra
- Koala Reserve rather than Moonlit Sanctuary: no kangaroos, no wallaby walk, about 45 minutes on a boardwalk
Best for: Anyone who wants the penguins at the lowest price, is happy with koalas on a boardwalk, and will book direct.
Full-Day Phillip Island with Penguin Parade · Large Coach
Sightseeing Tours Australia · Nomads St Kilda, 17 Carlisle Street, then the Immigration Museum, corner of Flinders and Market Streets, Melbourne
The cheapest full day on this page, and it includes the dearer wildlife park. Moonlit Sanctuary, Cape Woolamai surf beach, the Nobbies boardwalk and the Penguin Parade with General Viewing, for A$139 at our link and A$125 on the operator's own site. Take the A$71 of Moonlit and parade tickets out of that direct fare and you are paying about A$54 for a coach seat and a guide, which is the lowest bus cost we found. Pickup is from St Kilda as well as the CBD, which none of the others offer as standard, and the audio guide app is free.
The line to read before you book is 'Operated by Ozzie tours', which the operator prints on its own page. It looks like Sightseeing Tours Australia is an agent reselling someone else's bus. On the Australian Business Register, Ozzie Tours and Sightseeing Tours Australia are both registered business names of the same trust, ABN 53 204 539 966, so it is the same company under two names, and reviews of either name are reviews of this coach.
What travellers loved
- A$139 at our link and A$125 direct, the lowest fare here, with Moonlit Sanctuary and General Viewing both in the price
- Pickup from Nomads St Kilda as well as the Immigration Museum, the only tour here collecting outside the CBD as standard
- Upgrades priced on the operator's own site: Penguins Plus A$57, Underground Viewing A$67, Guided Ranger Tour A$72
Know before you book
- Summer returns run to 1am by the operator's own timetable, the latest published return on this page
- No children under 3, no strollers and no wheelchairs
- Lunch, dinner and bottled water are all at your own expense, and the koala photo at Moonlit is extra
- A$149 at our link from 4 October 2026; the operator's own A$125 does not change with the season
Best for: Budget travellers who want the full wildlife-park day and can cope with a late night.
Details change. We verify every price, duration, departure point and inclusion against the operator's own website, and we date every check, but operators can change them at any time without notice. Always confirm the details that matter to you with the operator before you book.
Good to know
What does a Penguin Parade ticket cost if I buy it myself, and what does each tour actually include?
On penguins.org.au in September 2026: General Viewing A$34 adult, A$17 child (4-15), A$85 family; Penguins Plus A$93 adult, A$46.50 child; Underground Viewing A$103 adult; Guided Penguin Tour A$108 (ages 12+); Penguins Premium A$85 (ages 12+). Every tour on this page includes General Viewing and nothing more, which is the tiered grandstand overlooking Summerland Beach. The Koala Conservation Reserve on the island is A$17.50 self-guided, and Moonlit Sanctuary at Pearcedale is A$37. So a tour that includes Moonlit Sanctuary and the parade is carrying A$71 of tickets, and one that includes the Koala Reserve and the parade is carrying A$51.50. Subtract that from the fare and you have what you are paying for the bus and the guide, which is the honest way to compare these.
Is Penguins Plus worth it, and what does the upgrade really cost?
The gate difference is A$59 (A$93 against A$34), so anything close to that is a fair upgrade price. Local Way charges A$55, Sightseeing Tours Australia A$57, Autopia A$60 and Oceania A$69 on their own websites. Wildlife Tours Australia charges A$90 for the same upgrade on its own site, A$31 more than the gate difference, though the Penguins Plus option on its resale listing works out at A$61 extra. Go West and Bunyip do not sell the upgrade at all: both list only the standard ticket, so if you want the closer stand you need a different operator. Penguins Plus is, in the Nature Parks' own words, an 'extra special' grandstand closer to the penguins with capacity limits, so on a summer weekend it is the difference between seeing penguins and seeing the backs of heads. In winter, with General Viewing half empty, it matters less.
Which of these companies are actually the same company?
Three pairs, all confirmed on the Australian Business Register in September 2026. Go West Tours and Bunyip Tours are both registered business names of GO WEST TOURS (VIC) PTY LTD, ABN 15 092 629 840, which also holds the name Penguin Island Tours; both websites give 10/167 Beavers Road, Northcote. Autopia Tours and Wildlife Tours Australia are both business names of Get Lost Travel Pty Ltd, ABN 94 143 929 962. And Sightseeing Tours Australia's page says its tour is 'Operated by Ozzie tours', which reads like a separate company: it is not. Ozzie Tours and Sightseeing Tours Australia are both registered business names of the same entity, The Trustee for The Ward Family Trust, ABN 53 204 539 966. So the eight brands here are six companies. Explore Australia Tours (Explore Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 76 631 640 910), Local Way Tours (The Local Tour Group Pty Ltd, ABN 22 131 320 655, which also registered the name Phillip Island Explorer in June 2025) and Oceania Tours and Safaris are independent of each other and of the rest. Oceania publishes no ABN on its website and we could not match its trading name to a Victorian ABN record, so its ownership is unverified rather than suspicious.
Moonlit Sanctuary or the Koala Conservation Reserve: which wildlife stop is better?
They are different things, and the fare difference partly reflects it. Moonlit Sanctuary is a private wildlife park at Pearcedale on the mainland, about an hour before the island, with a wallaby walk where the animals come to you, kangaroos, koalas, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and a ranger presentation; entry is A$37 and the tours that go there spend about 90 minutes. Go West, Bunyip, Sightseeing Tours Australia, Explore Australia and Oceania all use it. The Koala Conservation Reserve is a Nature Parks property on the island with elevated boardwalks through eucalypts where you look at wild koalas from a distance; entry is A$17.50 and the tours allow about 45 minutes. Autopia and Wildlife Tours use it. Local Way visits neither by default and sells the Koala Reserve as a A$15 add-on. If you want to stand among kangaroos, book a Moonlit tour. If you only care about the penguins, the Koala Reserve tours are shorter and cheaper for a reason.
How late will I get back to Melbourne?
Later than you think, because the penguins arrive at sunset and the bus does not leave until they have finished. In winter, with sunset around 5.30pm, most tours are back between 9pm and 10pm. In summer, with sunset after 8.30pm, the operators' own published returns are: Bunyip 9pm to midnight, Go West 9pm to 12.15am, Sightseeing Tours Australia 9pm to 1am (its resale listing says 12am to 1am in summer), Autopia 11.45pm, Oceania 11pm to 11.30pm, Wildlife Tours 10pm. Every operator moves its pickup by about two hours when daylight saving starts on 4 October 2026, so a tour that leaves at 11.45am in September leaves at 1.45pm in October. Do not book a summer departure on the evening before an early flight.
Is it cheaper to book direct?
For three of the eight, yes, and we publish the fare you will be charged at our link with the operator's own number underneath. Wildlife Tours Australia is A$129 on its own website against A$157 at the resale price, the largest gap on this page. Sightseeing Tours Australia is A$125 direct against A$139 (A$149 from 4 October). Local Way is A$230 adult through its own booking engine against A$245 (A$235 from 4 October). Go West is the reverse: A$175 by phone, which matches our link, but A$185 through its own online checkout because it adds a booking fee. Bunyip, Autopia, Explore Australia and Oceania are the same price either way.
Is there a cheaper tour that skips the wildlife park and just does the penguins?
Yes, and we have left them off the ranking because they are a different product rather than a cheaper version of this one. Bunyip's Penguin Parade Express is A$135 (from A$125 on its own site), leaves the Immigration Museum at 1.45pm (2.45pm in daylight saving) and does the Nobbies and the parade only. Go West's Afternoon Eco Tour is the same company's version at A$155. Both include General Viewing only. If the penguins are the whole point and you have already seen a kangaroo, either is a sensible saving of A$20 to A$40 and two or three hours.
Which operators did you leave out, and why?
Wine Hop and Coastal Tours runs a Phillip Island, Moonlit Sanctuary and Brighton Beach Boxes day at A$159 on its own booking engine (A$155 at the resale listing until 30 November, then A$174 to A$189 over summer), but its own tour page publishes no price, no group size and no vehicle, so there was less to verify than we publish for the others, and its penguin-only product has fewer than a hundred reviews. Its better-known tour is a Puffing Billy and penguins combination at A$216, which is a different day. We also left out the Puffing Billy combinations sold by Go West, Sightseeing Tours Australia and Explore Australia, the private tours, the Chinese-language departures, and Local Way's cruise and penguins day at A$335, for the same reason: they are not this product.
Can I take photos of the penguins, and can I bring a pram?
No photography or filming of any kind at the parade, on any ticket, and the operators say the rangers enforce it; the penguins' eyes are sensitive to flash. Photos are fine everywhere else on the day. On prams and luggage, read the operator's line before you book: Go West and Bunyip state that large bags, strollers, prams, baby capsules, luggage and walkers cannot be brought on board; Autopia and Wildlife Tours limit you to a 5 to 7kg day pack and say their vehicles are not pram or wheelchair accessible; Sightseeing Tours Australia does not carry children under 3 and cannot take strollers or wheelchairs; Oceania does not take infants under 3. Local Way is the exception and says infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Explore Australia sells an infant fare from A$99.