Puffing Billy Steam Train and Penguins Wildlife Tour
Overview
Available languages
12 hours
Mobile ticket
Embark on an unforgettable day tour from Melbourne that combines two of Victoria’s most iconic experiences. Start your adventure with a nostalgic ride aboard the historic Puffing Billy steam train, winding through the breathtaking Dandenong Ranges. After soaking in the beauty of lush fern gullies and towering mountain ash trees, head to Phillip Island for an awe-inspiring encounter with nature. Witness the world-famous Penguin Parade as hundreds of adorable little penguins make their way from the ocean to their sandy burrows at sunset—a truly magical and heartwarming experience you won’t want to miss!
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The remaining hours of the tour are for the travel time
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Puffing Billy Railway
Enjoy a 1-hour steam train journey on Puffing Billy through lush rainforests, embracing the time-honored tradition of dangling your legs out of the train.
Wander through the new Lakeside Visitor Centre, a cultural hub with top-notch facilities.
What‘s Included
All fees and taxes
1 hour train ride on Puffing Billy
Licensed Guide
General admission into Penguin Parade
Return transport to/from Melbourne
Lunch
Dinner is available to purchase at Phillip Island
Snacks at own expense
Pickup points
Mercure Melbourne Southbank
9 Riverside Quay, Southbank Melbourne Australia
Options
Penguins Plus
Upgrade to Penguins Plus: Superb up-close viewing from the tiered seating in Penguins Plus.
Pickup included
General Viewing
Pickup included
Reviews
32 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
More fun than I expected
MontanaCole,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful views. Train was fun. The penguins were awesome. The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Great tour.
The penguins were absolutely adorable. Highly recommend this tour!
229sakuray,Mar 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I joined this Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade tour as a solo traveler and had a great time. The guide was very friendly and made the whole experience enjoyable. The driving felt very safe, and I also appreciated how they pointed out wildlife along the way. The penguins were absolutely adorable. Highly recommend this tour!
A wonderful experience!
pjpuddle,Mar 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely wonderful experience. Darren our driver was excellent timing things perfectly. We loved Puffing Billy and the Penguin Parade, but itwasa couple of other bits that made it extra special. We were a bit early for the train so Darren took us for a top in the rain forest. You could go to he cafe or Darren said there was a short walk in the rainforest. We did this a d saw a Lyre Bird, which absolutely thrilled me. Again when we reached the Penguin Parade Darren took us first to Bobby's point where we saw penguins in daylight, wallabies an echidna and lots of Cape Barren Geese. Wonderful! Excellent vehicle as well. Highly recommend
Lame train, but cool penguins.
Timmy C,Feb 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00The train is complete waste if your arent a kid. Dont see much from one side except peoples houses, then the train is too full to move around. The rest was alright. Loved the nobbies, and rhe penfuins were cool.
We loved the Penguin Parade!
Sophie C,Feb 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Puffing Billy... it’s nice, beautiful scenery, quiet little hike The Penguin Parade with Option Plus is amazing! Penguins pass 50 cm from us.
Puffing Billy and Penguins tour
Donna H,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful experience. Bring some hardy snacks cause it's a long day 12 hours. Our guide Alan was fantastic. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. The steam train was so much fun, and the penguins were amazing. What a sight to see, and they are tiny and blue black on their backs. We also saw some lovely views along the way. Well worth the trip I would advise anyone not to hesitate, jump on this tour.
A Wonderful Experience
Lorraine K,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had an amazing day on Puffing Billy and Penguins wildlife tour. Gina, our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful the whole day through. Puffing Billy is an amazing experience and watching hundreds of penguins come in from the ocean to their Burroughs was something else. Do yourself a favour and pay for upgrade to penguins plus. WELL worth the money for being so close to the penguins 🐧. You can take photos until it gets dark, then no photography or videos allowed. Just live in the moment and the experience. It's a long day but with a guide like Gina, it doesn't seem like it. An amazing day. Thank you.
Amazing tour! Definitely recommend!
S2040ZToliviac,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a great tour! It is the perfect amount of activity/ travel. Our tour guide Mark was an absolute LEGEND! He gave a good amount of informative information and humour! As well as recommending places along the way when we stopped. Overall would recommend to others and use them in future. We had a high tide with the penguins- sadly didn't see as many come out of the water, but saw so many in the grass and burrows. Puffing Billy was also a great experience! Highly recommend a wind proof/warm jacket as the weather is unpredictable.
Must do trip if visiting Melbourne
Bex159,Dec 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the most wonderful day on the Puffing Billy Train and Penguin Parade. Our tour guide was Michael who was absolutely fabulous. He guided us around the day, made us a video of the day and was just generally fab! We loved the Puffing Billy train - what an experience to ride with your legs hanging out of the train. For the best views sit on the right hand side of the train. The Penguin Parade was spectacular - we saw hundreds of penguins. Penguin Plus is 100% the extra money and make sure to take lots of layers - it was very cold. We would highly recommend this tour and would like to especially thank Michael for making the day even more special. Jamie and Rebecca
Wonderful day on the...
laura b,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful day on the railway and watching the penguins coming in from the sea and waddling to their burrows
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Operated by Explore Australia Tours