Hike Wilsons Promontory and stand on Squeaky Beach, watch the little penguins come ashore on Phillip
Island at sunset, or go looking for whales off the Prom, with free cancellation on every tour.
4.8 from 1,332 reviewsThe Penguin Parade Eco Tour, the best-rated penguin day here
Small groupsUp to 21 guests on the Wilsons Prom day tour
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before on the tours, 2 days on the Parade ticket
Time thereEach tour says where you go and how long you get
Gippsland tours
Choose your day in Gippsland
In the centre, a small-group day of walking at Wilsons Promontory. On the left, the
Phillip Island penguins with koalas and kangaroos; on the right, six hours looking for whales off the Prom.
Max 24 guestsParade ticket includedKoalas and kangaroos
A full day on Gippsland's western edge with a local guide: kangaroos and koalas at Moonlit Sanctuary, the Nobbies boardwalk over Bass Strait, and the little penguins coming ashore at sunset.
A small-group day from Melbourne to the mainland's southern tip: lookouts, a self-guided hike up Mt Oberon or another trail, Squeaky Beach, and wombats, kangaroos and emus along the way.
Humpbacks and southern rightsLunch includedMax 20 guests
Six hours along the Prom's wild east coast past Rabbit Island, Sealers Cove and Refuge Cove, looking for humpback and southern right whales, seals, dolphins and albatrosses, with lunch on board.
Three things sort most of it: whether you start in Melbourne or already in Gippsland, whether you want to
walk, sail or watch, and how many hours you can give it.
The Penguin Parade ticket cancels free up to 2 days before; every other tour here cancels free
up to 24 hours before. The cruises run subject to weather. Each tour page gives the meeting point and what is in the price.
The region
From the Prom to the lakes.
Gippsland is the rural south-east of Victoria, about 41,556 square kilometres from the edge of Melbourne to the New
South Wales border. Visit Gippsland splits it into five destinations: West, South, Central and East Gippsland, and
Phillip Island on its western edge.
The south has Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, about three hours from Melbourne,
with granite headlands, white beaches and no entry fee. Phillip Island, about 90 minutes from the city, has the largest
little penguin colony in the world. Further east come the Gippsland Lakes, Ninety Mile Beach and the caves at Buchan.
40,000
Little penguins on Phillip Island, the largest colony in the world.
Wilsons PromPhillip IslandGippsland LakesWalhalla
The view from Mount Oberon at the Prom.
01
About 3 hours
The drive from Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory.
02
A$0
Entry to Wilsons Promontory National Park.
03
6.8 km
The Mount Oberon summit walk, return, about 2 hours.
04
Sunset
When the penguins come ashore, every night of the year.
Your day
A day at the Prom, step by step
How the Wilsons Promontory day tour runs. The penguin days follow the same shape and end on the beach at sunset.
01
Early start
Pickup in Melbourne's CBD at 6:30 am, with breakfast and coffee stops on the way south.
6:30 am
02
Into the park
Lookouts over the coast and the first wombats, kangaroos and emus by the road.
Late morning
03
Your own hike
Pick Mt Oberon, Mt Bishop or Lilly Pilly and walk it at your own pace.
About 3 hours
04
Squeaky Beach
Feet in the water on the beach whose sand squeaks, then the drive back to the city.
Stay a night at Tidal River or Metung and the region opens up.
Wilsons PromFrom $104Day tour from Melbourne, 12 hours.
PenguinsFrom $24The Parade ticket on its own.
Penguin dayFrom $100With Melbourne pickup.
WhalesFrom $1796 hours off the Prom, lunch on board.
SealsFrom $812 hours to Seal Rocks.
CancellationFree24 hours before; 2 days on the Parade ticket.
Getting there
Gippsland, south-east of Melbourne
From Melbourne to the Prom and the lakes
Phillip Island is about 90 minutes from Melbourne, Wilsons Promontory about 3 hours.
The day tours here pick you up in Melbourne's CBD and bring you back the same night. The cruises leave from Port
Welshpool near the Prom, from Cowes and from San Remo. Regional trains run from Melbourne to Traralgon and Bairnsdale,
but there is no public transport into the Prom.
4.8★★★★★ 142 reviews · the Wilsons Prom day tour, our top pick Quotes below come from several tours
★★★★★
That was the best tour ever!!! Nature is incredible. We hiked up to Mount Oberon. The views are amazing. [...] After that, we went to the beautiful Squeaky Beach to cool our feet and then saw kangaroos and wallabies.
★★★★★
Had a lovely time on the whole day Moonlit sanctuary/Philip island Penguin eco tour. Our guide Rhys was extremely knowledgeable, engaging and funny. The whole tour is well organised with enough breaks to get food/drinks/toilet.
★★★★★
One of the most amazing experiences of my life, I could not believe how close the whales came to the boat! It was truly magical getting to see them play in the water and the crew were all so lovely and helpful, the onboard marine biologist was a legend too!
★★★★★
It was a wonderful experience for any nature lover. We were fortunate to see kangaroos, emus, wombats, and even a wombat baby, which was truly fantastic. Our guide, Andrew, was incredibly helpful and attentive, sharing many interesting insights throughout the day.
★★★★★
Well worth the wait. We got there in plenty of time to get front row seats. Lots of little penguins to see. [...] Make sure you take warm clothing and a rug during the cooler months.
★★★★★
Had a great afternoon saw so many seals with the pups coming over to the boat and playing, a joy to watch them all
On the water
An hour under Cape Woolamai
On Phillip Island already? Spend a morning hour on the water before the penguins come in at sunset.
A 1-hour morning cruise from San Remo Jetty under the Phillip Island bridge to the granite cliffs and caves of Cape Woolamai, with commentary, tea, coffee and cake, back in time for the pelican feeding at midday. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Granite coast, penguins at sunset, lakes and old gold towns. Here is how the region fits together, and which tour gets you where.
Why Gippsland
Gippsland covers the whole south-east corner of Victoria, and it is big: about 41,556 square kilometres, from
Melbourne's outer edge to the New South Wales border. Most visitors start with the two places closest to the city. Phillip
Island, about 90 minutes away, for the Penguin Parade. Wilsons Promontory, about three hours away, for the walks and the
beaches. Both work as day trips, and both are better with someone else driving.
Guests say so. One Prom guest climbed Mount Oberon, had three hours on the trails and called the day "the best
tour ever". The Wilsons Prom day tour holds 4.8 out of 5
from 142 reviews.
Heath, granite and white sand at the Prom.
The Prom in one day
Wilsons Promontory is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia and a national park with no entry fee. Tidal River is
the hub, 30 km south of the park gate. The classic day walk is Mount Oberon: 6.8 km return from Telegraph Saddle, about two
hours, with the whole coast below you at the top. Squeaky Beach is named for the sound its fine, rounded quartz sand makes
underfoot.
About 40,000 little penguins live on Phillip Island, the largest colony in the world, and every night of the year they
come ashore at sunset at Summerlands Beach. You watch from grandstands and boardwalks, without cameras: the Nature Parks
asks visitors not to take photos after sunset. The day tours from Melbourne add the Nobbies boardwalk and a wildlife
sanctuary with koalas and kangaroos.
Little penguins coming ashore at dusk.
East to the lakes
Further east, the Gippsland Lakes are thought to be Australia's largest inland waterways, more than 400 square
kilometres of lakes behind Ninety Mile Beach. Metung and Paynesville sit on the water, Raymond Island has koalas and a free
ferry for walkers, and the caves at Buchan are a short drive inland. More in
the Gippsland Lakes guide.
Straight answers to what people ask most about Gippsland and the tours.
What is there to do in Gippsland?
Walk Wilsons Promontory and stand on Squeaky Beach, watch the penguins come ashore on Phillip Island at sunset, cruise out to the seals or, from May to November, the whales. Further east: the Gippsland Lakes, Ninety Mile Beach, the gold town of Walhalla and the Buchan Caves. More in things to do in Gippsland.
Is Gippsland worth visiting?
Yes, above all for the coast. Wilsons Promontory has some of the best day walks and beaches in Victoria and no entry fee, and the Penguin Parade is the largest little penguin colony in the world. Both work as day trips from Melbourne, and the guided tours here hold 4.6 to 4.9 out of 5.
Is Gippsland close to Melbourne?
Closer than people think. Gippsland starts at Melbourne's outer south-east edge. Phillip Island is about 90 minutes by car, Wilsons Promontory about three hours, and V/Line trains run to Traralgon and Bairnsdale. See Melbourne to Gippsland.
What is Gippsland known for?
Wilsons Promontory, the Phillip Island penguins, the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach for visitors; brown coal, power, gas and dairy farming for everyone else. The Latrobe Valley holds some of the world's largest brown coal deposits, and Lakes Entrance has Australia's largest fishing fleet.
What are the main towns in Gippsland?
Traralgon is the largest, with 26,907 people at the 2021 Census, followed by Warragul, Sale and Bairnsdale. Visitors tend to base themselves in Lakes Entrance, Metung, Paynesville or Inverloch instead. More in the Gippsland towns guide.
How big is Gippsland?
About 41,556 square kilometres, from the edge of Melbourne to the New South Wales border. It takes in six council areas, Latrobe City and the shires of Baw Baw, East Gippsland, Wellington, Bass Coast and South Gippsland, with about 300,700 people at the 2021 Census.
Why is it called Gippsland?
The Polish explorer Paweł Edmund Strzelecki named it in 1840 after his sponsor, Sir George Gipps, then Governor of New South Wales. Much of the region is Gunaikurnai Country, and the Federal Court recognised Gunaikurnai native title over much of Gippsland on 22 October 2010.
What is the best way to see Wilsons Promontory without a car?
A day tour from Melbourne. There is no public transport into the park, and Tidal River sits 30 km past the gate. The Wilsons Prom day tour picks up in the CBD at 6:30 am and, guests report, gives you about three hours to walk.
Can you take photos at the Penguin Parade?
Not after sunset. Phillip Island Nature Parks asks visitors not to take photos or video once the penguins start to come in, because light upsets the birds. Bring binoculars instead, and a warm layer. More in the Penguin Parade guide.
When can you see whales off Wilsons Prom?
Visit Gippsland gives May to November for whales along the Gippsland coast, humpbacks and southern rights among them. The whale cruise from Port Welshpool sails in spring, September to November, for six hours with lunch on board.
Where to stay in Gippsland?
For the Prom, Tidal River (484 campsites plus cabins and huts) or the towns of Foster and Fish Creek. For the lakes, Metung, Paynesville or Lakes Entrance. For the penguins, Cowes on Phillip Island. Book Tidal River well ahead in summer.
What are the best towns to visit in Gippsland?
Walhalla, a gold-mining town of 35 people with its own heritage railway; Metung and Paynesville on the lakes; Lakes Entrance for the beach and the fishing boats; Inverloch for its coast; and Yarragon for food stops on the way east.
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