Phillip Island Small-group Penguins & Wine Tour From Melbourne

The only reason i didn’t give it 5 stars was because our first booking had to be rescheduled to the next day (24hours notice). Whilst understandable that things pop up we were only in Melbourne for a few days which meant juggling a few things around. The winery was lovely and the penguins were amazing. I would recommend getting the penguin plus. Our tour guide Mike was awesome.

It was a well organised day out. Mike, our driver, gave good instructions, info, care. He was on top of details and where everyone was and needed to be, especially important at the end of the penguin viewing. He added extra detail to add a little specialness to the trip.

An amazing day. Pick up was well described, on time. Tour was exactly as expected. Wine tasting was relaxed, informal and very good. Lunch was in a great spot and plenty of it. Lots of options to stop in local towns, but I went to the Koala reserve. Great to see the space they had to roam. On to the coast and topped off with the penguins. This is a busy attraction and our guide got us there in good time. An opportunity to see nature at it's best. Our guide, Mike, was fantastic, I never felt rushed and was truly looked after. I would recommend this tour operator, they know how to do customer service!

Great way to see the little penguins if you haven’t got your own transport. Our guide Yuri was very accommodating and friendly. Everything ran smoothly and we had sufficient time at each place, watched the little guys come out of the water but couldn’t really see much but when we went back along the boardwalk there were heaps of them and very visible. They were so cute. The only thing I would say was lunch was bit late in the day and followed closely by the wine tasting with more food. Nice bunch of other travellers. Pick up was easy and we got a free coffee at the beginning. Lunch was plentiful. Over all a great day.

Great tour with lots of varied and interesting content. Our guide, Sue, was great and exactly the right level of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

We had a lovely day out. We chose to do this tour as we actually live in Melbourne but wanted to be able to have a drink and see the penguins without having to worry about driving - and to see if we'd learn anything else along the way. My only issue on what was otherwise a very relaxing, enjoyable day with a friendly guide - was that there was no mention of any First Nations history. The guide mentioned the river was also known as Birrarung, but didn't mention in what language, by which people, etc. That was the only mention of Indigenous history all day - it actually made me uncomfortable. Felt like a bizarre erasure of a really interesting and important part of the place's history.

Great day, we saw so much with our guide, Jenny. Pelican feeding, coastline walk and of course the penguins. Don’t skip the koala reserve!!

Great day out with Jenny, who was welcoming, entertaining and informative. Lots of stunning ocean-side scenery from a variety of vantage points throughout the day, a really wonderful lunch and good wine-tasting (although I would have preferred to be seated indoors for that, rather than standing in a kind of semi-open building in winter). The penguins at sunset are adorable - we went for the Penguin Plus tickets but I'm not sure that the upgrade is worth it - hard to say as we didn't experience the general viewing, but I didn't feel like we had a fantastic view where we were. (Obviously this in itself is not anything to do with the tour operator, just something to consider when booking your options). Lots of other wildlife to see too over the day - many wallabies, geese with goslings and pelicans!

Yuri our guide was excellent. A pizza and salad lunch was included and it was quite good. The views were lovely. Lots of wallabys. We stopped at a mead maker instead of the winery and it was quite good. The purveyor was lovely and it was inside this lovely multipurpose space. We enjoyed the koala sanctuary. The staff were nice and knowledgeable. We saw sleeping koalas and possums. The penguin march is an absolute mess. The tourists are really, really badly behaved. At the koala sanctuary, the signs say to be quiet and then there are screaming children, loud pushy adults and 10x worse at the penguins. It was hard to enjoy the penguins because people are so loud and do all the things the staff say not to do. On the way back, it is a very dark cattle call of people yelling, pushing, screaming young people back to the parking lot. The private penguin viewing may be worth the extra cost.

An unforgettable day trip to Phillip Island! We saw adorable koalas, pelicans, wallaby, gray geese, enjoyed a spectacular winery tasting, and finished with the amazing Penguin Parade. Everything was well organized and perfectly timed. A special thanks to our guide, Ned, who was friendly, knowledgeable, punctual, and always helpful. He made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommended!

We had a wonderful day with beautiful weather & our awesome guid Uri, funny funny friendly guy. He gave us useful tips & advice to ensure we got the most out of our tour. Thank you Uri.

Sue was an exceptional tour guide. Views were great and the penguins were SUPER cute! The pizza and wine was also amazing!

A great day of different experiences traveling from Melbourne to Phillip Island. Our guide, Sue, was very knowledgeable and friendly. The time at the winery was especially enjoyable with great wines, delicious food and conversation with our fellow travelers. We ended the evening with the penguin parade where we were able to see many little penguins make the journey from the ocean to their burrows. We are very glad we chose this day trip!

Sadly our trip was canceled the day prior due to low bookings. At that point it was too late to schedule another tour - I had booked this several weeks in advance. Disappointing!

Great scenery, cute koalas, a parade of penguins, and a fantastic guide. Thank you Ned for a lovely day!

We enjoyed our coffee, lunch, and stops at the koala center, Phillip Island winery, the nobbies, and the penguin parade. The group was small (4 from Melbourne), but Yuri was enthusiastic and made sure we enjoyed our time at each stop. Best for a variety of things to do on the island if you want an all-day experience.

This is a great tour! It had it all wildlife, scenery, wine and cheese!!! Ned was a fantastic guide friendly and knowledgeable, he offered snippets of information about history, flora and fauna.

Excellent The vineyard was fantastic, the food was fantastic, the penguins were adorable and great experience, the coach was lovely, and the host/ tour guide Mike was fabulous. Highly recommend

The tour was guided by Mike, who was young yet impressively kind, knowledgeable, and flexible. His professionalism and warm attitude made the experience feel very well organized and enjoyable. The schedule included wine tasting and a late lunch, timed between lunch and dinner—perhaps to avoid crowds. The tasting was at a small winery, offering 5–6 varieties of wine. While the condiments were simple, they were local and delicious. Lunch of pizza, salad, and fries was tasty, with reasonable portions, and the restaurant had a beautiful view of the sea. Although only a few penguins appeared due to the late sunset, the evening was memorable thanks to the stunning starry sky and the clear view of the Southern Cross. It was also pleasantly warm, so waiting for the parade was comfortable despite the late hour. Joining as a solo traveler, I appreciated the small group setting, which felt relaxed and stress‑free. For those traveling alone, the chance to sample wines and share food is especially valuable. Considering the content, the tour felt very reasonably priced and highly worthwhile.

This tour was a big day, but included lots of interesting stops. Mike was friendly and down to earth and provided lots of tips and tricks in relation to sighting wildlife and penguins. The tastings at the winery included some really good wines and an awesome charcuterie board. Lunch was amazing.

Absolutely amazing experience. Yuli our tour guide was very welcoming. Great shopping, coastal drive, great cafes and restaurant's. It was a beautiful experience seeing wildlife in their natural habitat.

What an awesome day. It is long day, so be aware of it. You do have a number of times to eat. We left Melbourne at 11:00 and came back at midnight. It was worth every minute! Our driver Yuri was the best. He is extremely friendly, helpful, gave us tons of information of the history and facts as we drove along. Awesome person. I did the wine option by mistake since I am not a wine drinker, however the tasting was fun and informative. The other option is to go on a short cruise which is what I recommend if you are not into wines. It was my own mistake that I chose the wrong option. Local Ways Tour company was an excellent choice for tour operator.

Although I understand that a tour may need to cancel due to low attendance, advising me at 4pm the day before lest no time find alternatives as many operators had closed off their diaries for the next day by that time.

Penguins were great but not enough time at the viewing site. We also spent a lot of time picking people up. Felt rushed.

We really enjoyed our day trip to Phillip island, and our guide, Mike was amazing. He was professional, accommodating and ensured the needs of the group were met. The coach was clean and safe, and the usb charging ports were a nice bonus. There was plenty of space for everyone. The highlights were definitely the koalas (worth the fee) and penguins. The shopping plaza at the penguin parade pavilion had lots of nice souvenirs from indigenous people, among other expected items. We enjoyed our wine tasting and charcuterie board. We took our pizza to go and enjoyed it later in the day with the champagne at sunset after being quite full from the beautiful grazing board at the wine tasting. The Nobbies were breathtaking, and we enjoyed seeing nature and the wildlife in its native home. The downside was it’s a very long day because you are on the penguins’ schedule. Haha. They didn’t walk until around 21:10 and is related to sunset timing. As such, we weren’t back in Melbourne until after midnight, so plan accordingly. Also, I would recommend skipping the stop in San Remo and allowing people more time to explore Cowes. It would feel less broken up that way, and we would have had more time to enjoy the beach. Bring lots of water, a hat and sunscreen! You can leave your day pack safely on the bus. Overall, the tour is very professional and very well done, and I would recommend for a nice day trip getting outside the city if seeing these creatures is your thing!

A fantastic day Very long but we'll worth it. Well organised and lead by guide 3rd we had a great time. Wine tasting was enjoyable as was lunch and the boardwalk. Interesting information given by Ned through out the day. Slightly underwhelmed by the penguin parade- saw 6 But was a great experience

This company is the best I have experienced in a long time. Professional, with a fully knowledgeable guide who was extremely helpful and caring to all the passengers in his group. The content of the tour is spread out over a long day due to the penguins not arriving until after dark, I did my research and this tour was definitely the best offered in Melbourne.

Our guide, Yuri, was fantastic. He kept us informed at all times. It was a long day but, ultimately, worth every minute. The wine element was a late substitution due to weather conditions forcing cancellation of the seal tour. This proved very interesting. The Penguin Parade was amazing and well organised. Thank you

Our tour guide, Yuri, was wonderful. The day was fun! Everything was well planned, and bus was comfortable with USB charging at every seat. The wine tasting and lunch was great. The koala sanctuary was educational and we were able to get very close to the koalas. The view at the Nobbies was amazing. The penguin parade was a little disappointing as we only saw a handful of penguins, but maybe if we had paid for the upgraded viewing area we could have seen more. We would definitely recommend this tour, and Yuri did a fantastic job.

First class experience with tour guide Mike. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. We were uplifted from our chosen pick up point in the city and our first stop was at San Remo for a refreshment break and walk around - the local bakehouse is well worth a visit. From there we crossed over the bridge to Phillip Island and stopped off at a viewpoint with beach and amazing oceans views, with great opportunity for some photography. Thereafter we headed to Phillip Island Winery for a tasting experience and some lunch which gave us as opportunity to get to know the other members of our tour (there were seven of us in total). After this we headed to the optional trip to the koala bear sanctuary which was definitely worth visiting, seeing them in the natural habitat (far better than the trip we did from Sydney to see them at Symbio Park). Finally we stopped off at another viewing point before heading to the penguins (we chose to upgrade to the premium option). This was an experience of a lifetime seeing them emerge from the water at sunset and waddle up the beach to their burrows for the night - definitely the best highlight of my trip to Australia. All in all a great day out with an amazing knowledgable guide who made it even better, amazing scenery and wildlife spotting. Ten out of ten!

It was a wonderful experience. We were very glad that we had the wine tasting and lunch. People who went on a boat whereas we went to the tasting— they were famished afterwards. We saw koalas, echidnas, wallabies,endangered birds. Were from the US, it was great to see the animals in their natural environment. Penguins are so adorable. Im glad we booked Local Way Tours

Beautiful scenery, wine tasting and lunch in a great setting, koalas, echidnas, wallabies and penguins - what else could you ask for! The tour was excellent and Yuri was a great guide and driver - he even had a battery pack to loan me as my phone was going dead and I forgot my backup power! It is a long day but it will go quickly and it’s so worth it!

The guide Uri was very good and made us on the trip very comfortable. The stops over the day were good. The only drawback was that your business inflicted us with a party of 8 young children and accompanying adults. This to me is not in keeping with the tour titled Boutique Wine and Dine with penguins on Phillips Island. Had we known this, we would have booked another tour. The party were over half an hour late back to the bus and were only based in Cowes. We were subsequently delayed back to Melbourne. You should state that this trip advertised on Get My Guide could be mixed with children so people can decide when booking. The word “Boutique” and Children do not go together. Please don’t get me wrong, I have children and have been there but all five of us adults on the trip were disappointed to be “inflicted” with this party and not to be told of this before hand.

We had the most wonderful experience on this tour. Our tour guide, Sue was amazing! I would highly recommend!

This is a great way to spend a day out of Melbourne. Good food, great wine, and beautiful scenery. The koalas during the day and tiny penguins at nught

Wonderful day out with Yuri. All went well and wine tasting with cheese platter and pizza was fabulous. Beautiful setting makes it even more enjoyable. I post my rolled up waterproof jacket that day, may have rolled out of my bag in the bus.

What a great experience. Penguins, Pelicans and Wallabies with a drop of vino en route with a bite to eat too. Our tour guide SUE was a lovely informative lady who delivered the trip with consummate ease. My friend and I had a smashing day. Thank you.

This was our first visit to the Phillip Island. We were looking for a tour where we could visit a winery and also see the Penguin Parade, and found this amazing tour. Special thanks to Yuri; he was not just an excellent driver but also a very entertaining guide. We had a great time!

Great trip! Overall great experience! Sue, the tour guide, was phenomenal. This is my first solo vacation and the entire experience was seamless and didn't feel like I was traveling alone. The wine tasting and pizza was delicious, seeing the Pelican feeding was a plus and we had the pleasure of catching koalas awake and actually chasing each other. Ending it all with watchint penguins waddle off the beach. Overall great experience from pick up to drop off. Would definitely recommend this!

Great day trip down to Philip Island. Everything you need to see on the Island in one trip. Yuri was a great tour guide who provided excellent service. I would certainly recommend this tour to a friend.

Really glad we booked this trip. Yuri is a great tour guide who made sure our day went perfectly. Everything was as described and the Penguin Parade made the trip unforgettable. Highly recommended tour

Top notch tour with excellent guide. The tour delivered everything described in the package and more. Great lunch followed by visit to a picturesque winery with tasting . Penguin encounter was exactly as described and a very unique experience.

I took because I'm a penguin lover and wanted to get to see them come in at dusk on Phillips Island. But the tour isn't just to the penguins, it's a whole experience. First stop is small town to stretch your legs/get coffee; a choice to see koalas in a natural habitat (I picked this one - extra cost above the tour), or a town for shopping, or a chocolate factory; then a pretty winery where wine tasting and a lunch take place (included in the tour price). Finally, you are off to a lookout point before getting to see the penguins come in from the water. For the penguins, the tour ticket is for regular seating, I would absolutely recommend paying a little extra to get premium penguins experience. You will see WAY more penguins coming in together on that side.

We had such a blast throughout the day on this tour! We absolutely loved seeing the penguins and getting outside of the city this trip! We got to see such wonderful sights and so much wildlife. Jordan was a great tour guide!

Such an incredible trip. Shout out to our amazing tour guide Michael! We saw a lot of wildlife including koalas and the penguin parade is so cute and fun. Winery was beautiful and tasted a lot of unique flavored wines

Where do I start? We had a great guide, Mike who was very friendly, knowledgable and approachable. No request was too difficult for him. The time in San Remo and Cowes was just enough. Lunch was wonderful at the winery, lots of delicious food following a wine sampling session. The penguin parade was the highlight, we saw so many of them waddling up towards us - how cute and spectacular! The real hero was Mike - give this guy a raise/promotion already will you! He's the backbone of the tour. Thank you Mike and Local Way Tours, I'll definitely be using your services again.

The Local Way Tour to Phillip Island was a true 10 out of 10 experience. Every aspect of the experience was first class. Our tour guide, Mike, was incredible. He was very personable, knowledgeable and very easygoing. He even dropped us off right at our hotel. Throughout the tour there was ample time to enjoy each stop without a time pressure. The wine experience far exceeded my expectations, and seeing the penguins was absolutely incredible. I’d highly recommend Local Way Tours to anyone looking for an intimate experience that you’ll never forget. Thanks again Mike for making this a great day for Lisa and me.

The wine tatsting was pleasant, but the wine was just mediocre. The person who schedules the penguin parade should be aware of the molting period when only a few brave penguins venture out and return. While noting the dates in the description of the tour might cause fewer customers to sign up, it seems "truth in advertising" would be the more ethical choice. Seeing so few penquins was very disappointing. The koala conservation reserve was well worth the admission price! Our tour guide (Josh? sorry, not good on names) was a ray of sunshine and quite knowledgable. However, even he was surprised at the posted sign regarding the 17 day period of molting, leading to the disappointing show of the penguin parade. Scheduling a somewhat earlier arrival at the Phillip Island parade site would have been better - an extra 15-30 minutes would have made a difference. Due to the crowds, we barely had time to grab food and then get to the viewing area. One more note: we read the "fine print" regarding drop off at hotels in the Melbourne CBD at the end of the tour due to the late hour and happily took adavantage of that option. Most of the guests did not notice that was offered and had to then go from the original pick up at the Art Center to their hotels at 11:00 pm, some carrying sleeping children through an unfamiliar city late at night. Perhaps a more noticeable placement of that option would be appreciated.

This is a good full day experience from Melbourne. Lots of information, nice places visited and a comfortable ride there and back. Nice visit to the winery, topped off by the penguins!