Puffing Billy and Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tour from Melbourne

This full-day combo links two of Melbourne’s most popular day trips into one booking: a morning ride on Puffing Billy through the Dandenong Ranges, followed by an afternoon and evening trip to Phillip Island for the Penguin Parade. It’s a long day, but it covers a lot without needing to organise transport yourself. You’ll get a one-way journey on the historic steam train, general admission to the Penguin Parade, and coach transport with a live guide.

The day starts with the Puffing Billy half-day tour, including a one-way ride through the Dandenong Ranges. Along the way, you’ll pass fern gullies, tall mountain ash trees and the Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge, with the open-sided carriages adding to the experience. At Lakeside, there’s time to look around Emerald Lake Park, go for a walk, or grab a coffee. After that, you’ll return to Melbourne and have some free time in the city before meeting again in the afternoon for the Phillip Island section. Later, you’ll stop at the Nobbies clifftop boardwalk for coastal views before heading to the Penguin Parade to watch the little penguins come ashore. Keep in mind that photography is not allowed at the Penguin Parade.