Melbourne: Puffing Billy Steam Train & Penguin Parade Day Tour

Steam Train Ride & Hundreds of Penguins Waddling Home at Dusk

You ride a 100-year-old steam train through rural Victoria, then drive to Phillip Island to watch hundreds of little penguins return from the ocean at sunset. The tour includes train and Penguin Parade tickets, transport, and a guide. You don't arrange any of it yourself. It's a full day that works for families and anyone curious about Australian wildlife and heritage in one trip.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Puffing Billy Railway1h · entry included
2. Penguin Parade2h · entry included

Steam train and penguin parade tour

• Ride Puffing Billy steam train
• Visit Maru Animal Park
• Explore Nobbies Cape coastal views
• Watch Phillip Island Penguin Parade

The experience

The steam engine whistle catches you off guard: louder than you'd expect, and suddenly you're standing on a platform watching actual smoke billow from a locomotive that's been running since 1900. Puffing Billy Railway isn't a museum piece you walk through. You're riding it, sitting in vintage wooden carriages while the engine pulls you through green valleys, past quiet riversides and small towns that look like they've stayed still for decades. The whole ride takes around 30 to 60 minutes, and there's something about the rhythm of the wheels and the smell of coal that makes you forget you're still in Victoria, just outside Melbourne.

After the train, the day shifts. You're driven to Phillip Island, about an hour from the city, and the guide points out Nobbies Cape on the way, where the southern coastline gets rough and dramatic, all jagged rocks and wind. But the real reason you're here is the Penguin Parade, and it happens at sunset. You stand on a viewing platform with maybe a hundred other people, all of you quiet, waiting. And then they come: hundreds of little penguins, no taller than your knee, waddling out of the ocean in groups, shaking off water, heading inland to their burrows. It's not staged or rushed. It just happens, every night, the same way it has for years. Your guide talks about conservation, about how these penguins navigate back to the exact same burrow, but mostly you're just watching them move across the sand in that determined, slightly comical way.

The whole day is structured so you don't have to think about logistics: pickup from Melbourne, the train ticket, entry to the Penguin Parade viewing platform, the air-conditioned van between stops, a guide who knows the animals and the history. You show up, and the day unfolds. It's not rushed, but it's not slow either. By the time you're back in the city, you've crossed two of Victoria's most recognizable experiences off in one afternoon.

What’s included

• Puffing Billy Railway steam train ticket for a one-way ride through rural Victoria.
• Penguin Parade standard viewing platform ticket at Phillip Island.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport from Melbourne to both attractions.
• professional guide throughout the day.
• stops at Maru Animal Park and Nobbies Cape coastal viewpoint.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or Chinese10:00

Guide in English or Chinese10:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00Last departure this season: 20 Dec

AgesAdult (16 to 75 years) · Child (4 to 15 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by BD Holiday

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want two of Victoria's most famous experiences (a heritage steam train and the Penguin Parade) in a single day without arranging separate bookings, transport, or timing between stops. The fixed schedule and included tickets mean you show up and the day runs itself.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 15 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

How long is the Puffing Billy steam train ride?

Around 30 to 60 minutes, riding in vintage carriages pulled by a working steam locomotive.

What time does the Penguin Parade happen?

At sunset. The exact time shifts with the season, but the tour is timed so you arrive for the parade.

How many penguins do you see?

Hundreds of little penguins emerge from the sea each evening and waddle to their burrows. The exact number varies nightly.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are wheelchair accessible.

What's included in the tour price?

Puffing Billy train ticket (one-way), Penguin Parade standard viewing platform ticket, air-conditioned transport, and a guide.

How long is the full day tour?

The itinerary covers a full day, including the steam train ride, stops at Maru Animal Park and Nobbies Cape, and the Penguin Parade at sunset.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the train station?

No. Air-conditioned transport is included, and the tour picks you up from Melbourne.