Penguin Parade guide

What is the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island?

The nightly return of little penguins to their burrows at Summerlands Beach, watched from grandstands and boardwalks. It has operated formally since the 1920s and runs every night of the year.

The penguins spend the day at sea and come back at sunset, cross the beach in small groups and walk up through the dunes to their burrows. Once they are off the sand, you can often watch them pass close to the boardwalks.

The Nature Parks uses the name Milawul for Phillip Island, which is Bunurong Country. The address is 1019 Ventnor Road, Summerlands, with free parking. Burrow and boardwalk upgrade works are under way, but the penguins still arrive every night, per the Nature Parks.

Julia wrote in Jul 2026: "Being able to see the penguins after they leave the beach, going to their burrows was truly amazing."

What time do the penguins arrive at the Penguin Parade?

At sunset, every night of the year, so the time moves with the season: late on summer evenings, early in winter. Phillip Island Nature Parks publishes a penguin arrival calendar with the time for each date.

Arrive at least 1 hour before the penguin arrival time with a General Viewing or Penguins Plus ticket, and 30 minutes before with Underground Viewing. Guided tours have fixed start times printed on the ticket. The Visitor Centre opens from midday, though the same official page also mentions later winter and summer openings, so check the times for your date.

The Parade is wildlife, not a show with a fixed start and end. The first groups can be quick or slow to land, and penguins keep crossing for a while after. The ticket listing allows about 2 hours on site. Rashelle wrote in Jun 2026: "The anticipation waiting for the penguins to come out of the water was such a great experience."

How much are Penguin Parade tickets in 2026?

General Viewing costs A$34 for adults, A$17 for children aged 4 to 15 and A$85 for a family of two adults and two children. Penguins Plus is A$93 and Underground Viewing A$103 for adults.

The 2026 prices from Phillip Island Nature Parks:

An Australian Pensioner General Viewing ticket is A$23.80, and there is no student rate. Everyone, infants included, needs a ticket, and the venue is cashless. Bookings are essential, per the Nature Parks, and it recommends booking ahead at any time of year.

If you are driving yourself, the General Viewing ticket is on GetYourGuide from $24, with free cancellation up to 2 days before.

General Viewing at the Penguin Parade, for when you drive to Phillip Island yourself. Free cancellation up to 2 days before.

★ 4.2 · 2 hours · from $24

Explore the Penguin Parade ticket → Tour details

Which Penguin Parade viewing area is best?

General Viewing suits most people: tiered grandstands over Summerlands Beach. Pay more for Penguins Plus or Underground if you want the penguins closer, or for Penguins Premium's beachfront stand.

• General Viewing: tiered grandstands overlooking the beach. In December and January seats are limited and not guaranteed; there is standing room. Get there early for a front row.
• Penguins Plus: a grandstand built for close-up viewing as the penguins come past.
• Underground Viewing: a window at ground level, where the penguins waddle right past at eye height.
• Penguins Premium: a guided presentation, then a limited-capacity viewing stand on the beach front. Ages 12 and up.
• Guided tours: the Guided Penguin Tour and the Ultimate Adventure Tour, the latter with a walk of up to 1.5 km each way on soft sand.

From any area, the boardwalks after the landing are where many people get their closest look. Teena wrote in Oct 2026: "We got there in plenty of time to get front row seats. Lots of little penguins to see." For wheelchair users, the Nature Parks has a designated viewing area next to a penguin path and free wheelchairs on request; the accessibility buggy is out of service during the works.

Can you take photos at the Penguin Parade?

No. Phillip Island Nature Parks asks visitors not to use cameras, camcorders or camera phones after sunset at the Penguin Parade.

The reason is the birds: penguins have sensitive eyes, and a bright, sudden flash can frighten or disorientate them, per the Nature Parks. It does not grant permits for recreational photography at the Parade. Take your photos of the beach and the boardwalks before sunset. For the penguins themselves, the Nature Parks offers free professional images.

Put the phone away and use your eyes. Tilo's tip from Jul 2026: "For the General Viewing Tickets, it is recommended to bring binoculars."

What should you wear to the Penguin Parade?

Warm layers, a hat and a rain jacket in any season, plus a rug or cushion for the seats. Evenings on the beach are colder than the day's maximum suggests.

The Parade is outdoors and goes ahead in any weather. Phillip Island Nature Parks suggests warm clothes and a raincoat if rain looks likely, and a rug to sit on. The Bureau of Meteorology's figures for the Phillip Island Penguin Reserve give a mean maximum of only 23.8 °C in February, the warmest month, and 13.5 °C in July, and you will be sitting after sunset with a wind off Bass Strait.

• Clothes: a warm jacket even in summer, a hat and gloves from autumn to spring.
• Shoes: closed and comfortable, for the boardwalks in the dark.
• Bring: binoculars and a card or phone to pay: the site is cashless.
• Leave: torches and camera flashes off once the penguins arrive.

The Visitor Centre has a cafe with coffee, snacks and full meals, so you can eat before the Parade.

How do you get to the Penguin Parade from Melbourne?

By car, about 90 minutes to Phillip Island plus about 20 minutes from the bridge to Summerlands. By public transport it does not work: the V/Line coach stops in Cowes, and there are no return buses after the Parade.

Phillip Island Nature Parks says it directly: the V/Line bus does not go to the Penguin Parade, and there are no return buses to Melbourne after it. That leaves three options: drive yourself and buy the ticket, an island taxi, or a day tour with the ticket included. If you drive, take it slowly on the way home; the Nature Parks asks drivers to take care at dawn, dusk and at night, when wildlife is most active.

The tours and the ticket side by side, with lengths and from-prices from the listings:

Both day tours include Melbourne hotel pickup, entry to the Parade and a stop at the Nobbies, per the listings. The eco tour adds Cape Woolamai in summer and has a maximum of 24 guests. Angela wrote of it in Jun 2026: "This tour is perfect if you don't have a car, as everything is well organised and easy to follow." And Lucie, in Oct 2026: "The whole tour is well organised with enough breaks to get food/drinks/toilet."

Kangaroos and koalas at Moonlit Sanctuary, the Nobbies boardwalk, then the Penguin Parade at sunset, with Melbourne hotel pickup.

★ 4.8 · 12 hours · from $109

Explore the Penguin Parade Eco Tour → Tour details

What else is there to see near the Penguin Parade?

The Nobbies boardwalks a few minutes away, the fur seals of Seal Rocks by boat from Cowes, koalas at the Koala Conservation Reserve, the farm on Churchill Island and the granite cliffs of Cape Woolamai.

• The Nobbies: clifftop boardwalks looking out to Seal Rocks. The boardwalks and car park are open; the Nobbies Centre, cafe and toilets are closed for now.
• Seal Rocks: the Seal Cruise from Cowes Jetty visits one of Australia's largest fur seal colonies, with an average of 5,000+ seals sighted, per the Nature Parks. The 2-hour seal cruise includes tea, coffee and cake, per the listing.
• Koala Conservation Reserve: two treetop boardwalks of 800 m and 600 m, about 20 minutes each. Adults A$17.50, open 10 am to 5.30 pm.
• Churchill Island: a heritage farm with daily cow milking at 2.10 pm and sheep shearing at 2.30 pm. Adults A$17.50.
• Cape Woolamai: granite cliffs and caves, seen from the water on the 1-hour cruise from San Remo.

A morning cruise, an afternoon at the koalas and the Parade at sunset make a full island day. Want more of Gippsland? Our things to do in Gippsland guide goes area by area.

Frequently asked questions