Phillip Island is home to the biggest colony of little blue penguins on earth! We had recently visited a large colony in New Zealand which was amazing, and I guess we were expecting something similar. We had no idea that the numbers on Phillip Island run into the thousands and that what we were about to witness was a penguin highway! It was magical and comical all at once as we watched their hilarious antics.
In this guide we want to share all the things we didn’t know before visiting, such as what the experience in the cheap seats is like, whether you should splash out on the more expensive tickets and if it’s possible to see penguins for free.
This unsponsored guide is everything you need to know before visiting the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
Phillip Island Penguin Parade
What to expect
The Phillip Island Penguin Parade takes place each evening around sunset and access is via tour only. You can see the approximate time they arrive month by month in this calendar.
The numbers tend to be higher in summer than winter, but to be honest, it’s such a big colony there is no bad time to come. In summer you will have to wait much later to see the penguins, as they don’t start arriving until around 9pm, so that might be an issue if visiting with young children.
In terms of seating, there are lots of different options, which all come with different price tags.
We opted for general seating, which is the least expensive, and we were worried ahead of time we might not get a good view (particularly when we found out the capacity for visitors is 4000, although limited to 2400 at time of writing).
Happily I can tell you that the view was amazing and will be for you too if you follow our advice for exactly where you need to sit!
However, there is more to it than just a good view, there are also parts of the beach (which is huge) that tend to see more penguin action and we’ll go into that too.
It can get pretty windy on the beach so bring some layers with you, even in summer.
Our top tips for general seating, AKA the cheap seats
There are two general seating areas which both consist of tiered concrete benches just behind the beach. There is a rope which separates a small area of beach from the wider area that the penguins arrive on. Here are our top tips for ensuring you get a great view.
My number one tip is to bring a picnic blanket. We were one of only two people that did and it makes a huge difference! It allows you to comfortably sit on the beach - important when you’re there for quite a long time and also marks out your space a bit - and believe me that’s needed! People won’t hesitate to almost sit on you when the penguin action starts!
If you are in the larger general seating area you want to walk to the far left and put your blanket right in the corner at the edge of the rope. It may feel awkward if there are people behind you on the stand, but if you don’t do it someone else will (staff announce just before the penguins arrive that this is the best spot!). If you’re in the smaller general seating area you want to do the same but on the right corner.
This is because many penguins come up that avenue of beach in-between these two seating areas and this is by far the best place in general seating for viewing.
I assume as the penguins go back to the their burrows that the route is the same every night, but you’ll always want to sit on the beach at the edge of the rope closest to the other seating area as the seating is set up to allow the penguins space.
If visiting in peak season arrive a good hour before sunset to ensure you get this spot, or at least the spot next to it. I’ll admit I was pretty reluctant to arrive so early, but when I got there I realised that we didn’t have to sit on the rock hard concrete seats (although everyone but us was at first) and with a picnic blanket you’re basically spending an hour on a beautiful beach. It was no hardship! We were even entertained by a seal surfing in the shallows and of course the sunset going on behind you!
Arriving early also allows for the chance that you may get to photograph a penguin, although sadly it didn’t happen for us (but had happened the day before). No photography is allowed from sunset onwards (all photos of the actual penguin parade in this guide were given to us by Phillip Island Nature Parks) but if any penguins come in before that you can take pictures because there is no issue with flash. It’s by no means a guarantee, but it does work out for some people!
If you’re visiting with young kids who might get a bit angsty over a long wait, bring a bucket and spade. There is plenty of room for kids to have a play before the penguins start arriving.
If something goes wrong and you find yourself stuck in the back of the stands don’t worry. Whilst your view of the penguins coming up the beach from the sea won’t be as good, you will still be able to get up close and personal with the penguins. After watching them come up from the sea you are also able to stroll the boardwalks behind the seating area.
The penguins walk past these boardwalks as they make their way to the burrows. You will be extremely close to the penguins, close enough to see every little detail!
Whilst I think it’s very much worth coming early to ensure you get the best view at the beach (it really is special seeing them come out of the water), if you don’t like hanging around, the penguin boardwalks won’t disappoint.
Are the more expensive seats worth it?
Obviously we didn’t buy the more expensive tickets, so we can’t give a really detailed breakdown, but we knew we were going to write this article so we chatted to the staff on the ground about it and were able to observe a little in person too.
The beach that the penguins arrive at is really big and you’ll never see all the penguins that come in that evening. However, we did notice that even higher numbers of penguins come in from the sea near the premium viewing area.
If your goal is to see maximum numbers coming out of the sea, then it’s worth paying that bit more and we would do that next time - but I do want to stress you will see hundreds even in the cheaper seats so don’t worry about that.
The other benefit of paying more is that the more expensive seating areas have a smaller capacity, and this will make it less manic. I absolutely loved watching the penguins and it was something I’ll never forget, but you do need to bring some patience with you.
It becomes a bit chaotic in general seating when the penguins arrive, especially when they announce you can sit on the beach - that’s why you should sit on the beach the minute you arrive to ensure your spot!
On our visit there were less than 1,000 tickets sold (which to me sounds like loads, but that was a quiet day) and we had people almost sitting on us and kids pouring sand all over the blanket and our stuff! It was hectic! And also very noisy.
I’m not trying to sound grumpy about it because - as mentioned - I had a brilliant time, but I’d have preferred the lower numbers over in premium if I’m honest.
In the premium seating area there are two options, outdoors and indoors (where you look out via a glass viewing window). Personally I’d always pick outdoors to feel more a part of it, but the indoor option will suit if you don’t want to be exposed to the elements!
There is also an option for a ranger led tour, which is the most private and secluded of all the options, and if you go for the ultimate adventure tour you are taken away from the parade and onto a quiet part of the beach. They also have night vision binoculars which sounds pretty incredible to me! If you’re looking to treat yourself I’d go for this one and it’s something we hope to do one day!
Can you see penguins on Phillip Island for free?
The answer is yes. But it’s nothing like the penguin parade. Although thousands of penguins come into the peninsula each night, it’s all shut off from the public to protect them, so your chance of seeing vast numbers is nil.
It’s wonderful to see any number of penguins, but it’s simply incredible to see hundreds and hundreds of them! However, you can get lucky and see a small handful along the Nobbies Boardwalk.
We personally saw two, but we were moving quite fast as we were walking here just before the parade, so we didn’t have a lot of time. The penguins will likely be by the burrows which are scattered all around the boardwalk. Check underneath the boardwalk as you move along and you’re likely to see at least a couple.
Please don’t go anywhere near them though, never leave the boardwalk or use flash photography. They are really anxious birds as you’ll see at the parade; the way they start up the beach, panic and return to the sea before repeating it all again looks really funny, but does show how timid they are.
Enjoy seeing the penguins at close quarters from the boardwalk but please, please respect them by keeping your distance and also remaining quiet.
The boardwalk is a beautiful walk in its own right and you’re also likely to see wallabies and maybe even an echidna!
Incidentally if you’re going to be in Melbourne before or after Phillip Island, then you can see more penguins for free at St Kilda, which we give tips for in our Melbourne itinerary guide.
Booking tickets
We’d recommend booking tickets in advance so you don’t have to queue and to make sure it doesn’t sell out in peak season.
You can book your tickets via the Klook website for the exact same amount as booking directly with the Phillip Island Nature Parks who run the Penguin Parade. If you do use Klook we make a very small commission at no cost to you and it helps us to be able to pay for all the activities we write about ourselves and therefore offer 100% honest advice.
Either way thanks for reading and we hope this helps you plan which ticket option works best for you : )
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