Phillip Island Penguin, Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary from Melbourne

Your Phillip Island adventure begins with late morning pickup at selected Melbourne hotels in an air-conditioned minivan equipped with onboard Wi-Fi. Your first stop on your Phillip Island day trip is Brighton to see the historic Brighton Beach bathing boxes, spend time at the beach and take some time to admire these iconic landmarks. 

Continue to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, where you'll learn about an exotic array of Australian animals, including cuddly koalas, and lend a hand during feeding time. Included in your visit here is the spectacular “Conservation in Action” wildlife show, which showcases a number of lesser-known Australian species in a series of interactive and engaging ranger presentations.

Afterward, head to the island’s southwestern coast for dramatic views of the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest fur seal colony.

For an enchanting finale to the day, make your way to a local beach for the famous Penguin Parade. As dusk falls, watch from a viewing platform as hundreds of adorable little penguins — also called fairy penguins, as these are the smallest in the world — emerge from the ocean and waddle across the sand and shrub to their nearby burrows. Opt for the Penguin Parade Plus or Guided Ranger Tour upgrade for an even closer view of this marvelous spectacle (see Itinerary below for more details).

Once the penguins are safely tucked into their burrows for the night, relax on the approximately 1.5-hour return drive to Melbourne, where you’ll be dropped off back at your departure point.