Our Time Guide (this is a guide only) – based on an approximate 2 hour visit to the Penguin Parade
0-30 minutes – INSIDE THE CENTRE: venture through the Visitor Centre (takeaway available); grab a bit to eat; enjoy the displays; grab a wine (wine not)
30-60 minutes – OUT TO THE BEACH: start making your way out to the boardwalks and the Penguin beach. Take your time as you wander these beautiful boardwalks, as you will see plenty of wildlife and beautiful scenery as you do so (if you see a penguin during this time, you can take a photo). Find your seat, and settle in for the Ranger Talk, which normally starts 30minutes before first Penguin
60-105 minutes – THE PENGUINS: by now the Penguins should have started to arrive in, and the wonderous marvel begins. Changes are you wont be checking your watch much at this point, but we recommend 15-20 minutes of watching them come out of the water (at the viewing platform), and the the remaining 20-30minutes SLOWLY walking back along the boardwalks, as this is where you’ll see hundreds penguins close up, as they make their way back to their burrows.
105-120 minutes – MAKING YOUR WAY BACK: by now you should be back in the visitor centre. Maybe grabbing yourself a plush penguin to remember your time here, using the bathroom (it can be a long journey back), and then making your way back out to your bus. Its important you’re not late, as we do need to leave on time.
Before you come:
The Phillip Island Penguin Parade is a marvel to behold. Beginning its days from humble beginnings, with locals viewing our adorable Little Penguins by torchlight whilst waiting silently on the sand dunes – to now welcoming over 1,00,000 people every year from all around the world to bask in this natural wonder.
Whether this is your first time here, or you are regular Penguin enthusiast, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you come
- How you’re getting here: from Melbourne, its 2 Hours; from the main street of Cowes, its 15 minutes. Its definitely not walkable from any sort of accommodation on Phillip Island. Make sure you have your transport sorted – if you don’t, we have options for you here
- It gets cold: Even in the middle of Summer, it can get cold down on Phillip Island, especially at night when the Penguins start to arrive. Make sure you check the weather and plan accordingly. In the Winter, bring everything!
- Have your tickets sorted: This probably should have been first – as during peak season, it DOES SELL OUT! Dont be one of the 100s of people every night who are disappointed they cant get in because you didn’t pre-book your ticket. If you are on one of our tours, you’re all set though!
- Arrive Early: Best recommendation is to arrive at least 1 hour prior to the Penguins arriving – this allows you time to look through the visitor centre, enjoy a bite to eat at the Café or Restaurant here, and the of course to make your way out along the boardwalk and arrive in time to see the Penguins come in off the beach.
View the Arrival Calendar Here - Accessibility Guide: Be sure to enjoy your Penguin Parade Experience – if you require assistance, ask your guide OR click here for the Penguin Parade Accessibly Guide
- Understand that Nature comes First: This is a conservation area, the only one of its sort in the world. We are very privileged to have such an area, and generations of work has gone in to preserving this area for the Penguins so that they continue to thrive. As such there are some rules that must be obeyed here
-No Photography after Sunset
-Remain Quiet and Respectful
-No Feeding or Touching the Wildlife
-Take your Rubbish with you
With all this taken into consideration, it’s time to arrive at the Penguin Parade
Viewing the Parade from Above:
On a Local Way tour, the first site you get of the Penguin Parade will be as we make our way from the Nobbies to the Penguin Parade along the wildlife highway – where you’ll be blessed with some amazing views of the Islands southern coast as well as see plenty of our native wildlife making their way out for a feed.
Looking over the Penguin Parade and Summerland beach, your guide will cover the following
- The Viewing Platforms : you’ll see the multiple viewing platforms including the Penguins Plus (closest to us) and the General Viewing (furthest away) – see the layout above for greater detail.
- A Sense of the Layout: It can seem like a lot – between all the information you receive, whilst being wowed by the scale of the entire area, and of course the anticipation of the Penguin Parade. So viewing it from above will help to put things in perspective for you.
- The Beauty: This will also be your first look at Summerland Beach – aka. the Penguin Beach…and it is a sight to behold!
Don’t worry, you wont be seeing any Penguins just yet – they won’t arrive until the sun goes down.
It’s about this time that your guide will be giving you a run down of the evening to come – including best practices, where to go, and how to do it. We know, its a lot to take in. Which is why we’ve made this easy to follow guide for you, just in case you miss something.
Arriving at the Penguin Parade:
You don’t need to worry about much here – your guide will typically hand you your ticket (if not already) around this stage, and will then walk you into the Visitor Centre.
A few things to keep in mind here:
- Toilets : The first toilets you’ll see as you’re walking in are NOT the best ones – there are toilets inside the visitor centre, as well as outside at the beach. Don’t feel like you need to rush to these.
- Remember where we’ve parked: At the end of the night it will be dark, and there will be a lot of buses around – it’s good to remember where we’ve parked and what your bus looks like. If you are even a little bit worried, feel free to take a photo of the bus, or even grab your guides number so you can call them if you get lose.
- Your own Time: Your guide will leave you be once you are in the visitor centre, so that you will have some time to do as you please – we will talk about this in the next section.
- Our Time: The most important thing to remember, as you are part of a group tour, is that you need to be back on board the bus at the time stipulated by your guide. From arriving at the Penguin Parade, to departing, you are going to have approximately 2 hours here – which is plenty – but it is very important that we do leave on time.
Inside the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre:
Recommended time 30-45mins
Once you’re inside, and you have your ticket, you are free to do as you please.
Once you’ve entered the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre with your ticket, you’re free to explore various attractions at your leisure. You can browse the souvenir shop for gifts, enjoy a meal or snack at the café, explore the interactive educational displays to learn more about the Little Penguins and local wildlife, and attend presentations or films in the theatre for deeper insights into penguin conservation. Arriving at least an hour before the penguins’ expected arrival allows ample time to enjoy these facilities before proceeding to the viewing areas.
A few things to keep in mind here:
- Interactive Exhibits: Explore displays that provide insights into the lives of Little Penguins, their behaviours, and conservation efforts. There are some amazing displays and exhibits around the centre, and plenty of interactive areas as well.
- Eat & Drink: Enjoy a selection of meals, snacks, and beverages at the Shearwater Restaurant or Cafe here on site. During peak times these locations can get busy, so we advise to make your way here first if you are planning on getting a feed.
At the Shearwater Restaurant you will be handed a buzzer after you order, so you are welcome to wander a bit once you have this, or simply go and find a table in the lovely dining area. You are also able to get this as Takeaway so that you can take it out along the boardwalk with you (make sure to inform this when ordering).
Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
This is a licensed premises so you are NOT allowed to bring your own drinks in, nor are you able to bring in your own food.
Dining Menu can be found here - Shopping: Browse a range of merchandise, including clothing, toys, and locally made products, to commemorate your visit. We recommend purchasing your own little cut Penguin (perhaps with a knitted jacket) to take home. Proceeds from here go back to helping the Penguin conservation efforts.
- Bathrooms/Toilets: Yes, there are large and lovely bathrooms inside this centre. Please keep in mind they do get busy as all the 1,000s of people have the same idea as they make their way from the Penguins back to the buses.
- Out to the Penguins: Browse a range of merchandise, including clothing, toys, and locally made products, to commemorate your visit. We recommend purchasing your own little cut Penguin (perhaps with a knitted jacket) to take home. Proceeds from here go back to helping the Penguin conservation efforts.
Heading out to the Penguins:
Recommended time 5-10mins (to walk to the beach)
It’s time to head down to the Penguins!
You’ve had your feed, you’ve looked through the shops, you’ve admired the displays – it’s time to enjoy what you came here for!
It’s a very easy and manageable walk down along the boardwalks to the Viewing Platforms, where you’ll most likely see some more wildlife along the way.
A few things to keep in mind here:
- Accessible Options: It’s about a 250-300m walk along a flat surface down to the viewing platforms. For those with accessibility needs, please just wait at the entrance area to the boardwalk and there will be a free-cart there that will be able to take you down to the viewing area. This will also take you back at the end of the night, however, there can be a bit of a wait for this sometimes.
- Wildlife along the Way: Don’t rush to fast, as you will be able to spot plenty of wildlife as you make your way along these boardwalks; everything from Grey Geese, to Wallabies, and even some Penguins – and the great thing about these ones is that you’ll be able to photograph them as it’s not sunset yet
- The Best Way?: You are going to be met with a decision fairly early here, as the boardwalk forks off into two paths – which way do you go?!
Honestly, it does not matter – both ways will give you amazing views, and end up taking you to the same location. Also, you can always turn around and go back as well. - The Loop: We recommend doing ‘the loop’, which ideally means when you leave the Visitor Centre, keep to your left. This will take you along the Shearwater Boardwalk, which is very new, only be unveiled in Jan 2025. You will rise up a fair way here as you make your way towards the beach. At the end of the night, you take the other boardwalk back to the Visitor Centre, thus taking you along the Penguin Highway.
- NOTE: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2025 ACCESS BETWEEN THE TWO VIEWING PLATFORMS WILL BE CUT OFF, MEANING THAT YOU WONT BE ABLE TO ‘LOOP’ AROUND THE BOARDWALKS. AS SUCH, WE DO RECOMMEND HEADING RIGHT OUT OF THE VISITOR CENTRE, AS THIS MEANS AT THE END OF THE NIGHT YOU’LL COME BACK ALONG THE PENGUIN HIGHWAY
At the Penguins:
Recommended time 45mins
Here they come! The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Take your seat and immerse yourself in the natural wonder of the Penguin Parade. As dusk falls, witness the captivating sight of Little Penguins emerging from the sea and waddling up the beach to their burrows. This nightly ritual offers a unique glimpse into the lives of these charming creatures.
By no means are you expected to remain seated this whole time though – the joys of the Penguin Parade means that once you have had a bit of time watching the Penguins come in out of the water, you get up, and slowly walk along the boardwalks.
A few things to keep in mind here:
- No Photos: The Rangers will remind you, however, due to the safety of the Little Penguins you are not permitted to take any photography or video whilst here after Sunset. In fairness to everyone else, we ask that you respect this rule.
Be in the moment here, there is nothing better! - Ranger Talk: There will be rangers down at the beach doing a bit of a talk about the Penguins – be sure to listen in if you want to hear some cool Penguin facts.
- Where to Sit: This is a bit like “Which boardwalk should I take” – it’s up to you, and you are going to get a magical view regardless. When we go, we typically stick to the left (when facing the beach) and towards the back- however, things are always changing, and we’re dealing with live animals here. So there isn’t any “best seat”. If you want to sit right at the front, go for it, there’s no reserved seats in General Viewing!
- Best Practice – give yourself time: By no means are you expected (or should you) to sit down the whole time. The best views of the Penguins aren’t from the Viewing Platforms, its from the boardwalks. We typically recommend approximately 15-20 minutes watching the Penguins from the Viewing Platforms, and then spending the rest of your time SLOWLY walking back along the boardwalks – its here you’ll see the penguins the closest and at their cutest. Watching are they venture back to their burrows; find their chicks; preen themselves; and just do what Penguins do!
- Enjoy the Moment: This is a once in a lifetime type of thing – enjoy it! Take it in! Marvel at this beautiful happening of nature…it’s not often you get to see something like this!
Heading Back
Recommended time 15mins (to get back to the bus)
Eventually, it will be time to leave and head back.
If you’ve followed our recommendation, you would have started to slowly make your way back along the boardwalk anyway – so you shouldnt have far to go.
A few things to keep in mind here:
- Be on Time: It’s very important to be on time back at the bus. The time your guide gives you is our DEPARTURE TIME (ie. the time we leave). So please make sure you are back at the bus BEFORE this time.
- Use the Bathroom: For those heading back to Melbourne, it’s about a 2 hour journey back…so do what you need to do with that information. Keep in mind, many other people have the same idea, so make sure you leave yourself enough time.
- Buy a Penguin: Not a real one – but a plush one, to remember your time here. All proceeds go to a good cause too!
