Great tour Thanks Explore Australia Tours for fitting us in at the very last minute we thought the tour was the highlight of our Melb trip and even great for kiddos thanks again. Matt was a brilliant guide

Puffing Billy Melbourne It’s very beautiful, antique, and eye-catching, but it’s quite long and feels like a waste of time if you book the full trip. It starts at 11 a.m. and returns to Belgrave around 5 p.m. The fun part is over within the first hour, and then it gets quite boring. Make sure to bring food with you and wear warm clothing.

Puffing Billy Tour Very enjoyable. Was exciting to travel through the region on the Puffing Billy. The Nature walk could have been longer. Lili was excellent, and helpful.

Back to the history Great day out discovering the history of Ballarat at Sovereign Hill.
Volunteer guides and period costumes help with authenticity. Guides are very knowledgeable and helpful. Margaret was a excellent tour guide.

An excellent day tour with thoughtful guides This was an excellent day tour! A huge thank you to our wonderful guides Peter and Anthony, who made sure everyone had the best experience and shared just the right amount of info while keeping the spirits high throughout the day.

With three options for the hike (Mt. Oberon, Mt. Bishop, and a walk through a rainforest), we weren't sure how the guides would handle different preferences within the group, but they managed our group of 10 exceptionally well. Most travellers wanted to hike Mt. Oberon (easier terrain for the most part, taller peak, more popular). This meant that they could only reach the start of the hike by taking a free shuttle bus, as other buses weren't allowed past a certain crossing that day. Our guides made sure they all got to the shuttle bus and provided clear and helpful instructions for their return. Afterwards, they took us to the starting point of the Mt. Bishop hike, which we had opted for due to a more interesting terrain and fewer crowds (and a 0.1 stars better rating on All Trails 🙂). As required, we messaged our guides once we reached the top, and they were already waiting for us in the car park when we got back. Since there were some delays with the shuttle bus and the rest of the group could not return to the base camp on time, the guides took us to Squeaky Beach earlier and recommended that we check out an additional lookout, which the group normally does not have time for. This was incredibly thoughtful of them and, indeed, a much better way for us to spend our time than waiting for the others in the car. We are very grateful.

The Squeaky Beach was amazing too. To our (perhaps unwarranted) surprise, it really did squeak

On our way back, we made several stops to meet some wombats and wallabies. Our guides' enthusiasm was contagious, and we very much appreciated all the fun facts they shared.

The only tiny detail that could make this awesome tour for wildlife lovers even more awesome is getting that iconic purple bus powered by electricity, not diesel. :) Still worth all 5 stars though!

Not so nice bus driver 10/14/2025 She was good until she wasn’t. She drives the bus wild, I felt sick once I arrived to our destination even Life360 said our trip was dangerous. When we got to puffing Billy train ride she came into our cart yelling telling us to squeeze ourselves together so they a couple could get into our cart. We were the only people of a different race on that train and we were full already. She then threw her hands up calling us inconsiderate when she never approached any other group there. Then two monitors were placed on our train ride after her blow up as though to watch us. She made our trip unbearable. Her oral hygiene really bad. Poor behavior was not what I wanted to remember from our Australian trip. I guess people of different race are treated unfairly even across the globe.

I joined the Puffing Billy & Penguins Day Tour with my parents, and it was such a wonderful day filled with fun and memorable moments!
Our guide Jose was cheerful and energetic, keeping us in good spirits throughout the trip. He made sure everything ran smoothly, even coming to check that we were all safely on board the historic Puffing Billy steam train. My parents also felt very well cared for, which gave us peace of mind and allowed us to simply enjoy the experience together. The train ride itself was charming and rolling with beautiful forest views was truly unforgettable.
On the road, Jose also slowed down to help us spot kangaroos in the wild, which was such a thoughtful touch and an exciting surprise for my parents. In the evening, we headed to Phillip Island to see the famous little penguins returning to shore. Jose explained clearly how to spot them and gave us practical tips on where to stand and how to watch them without missing any detail. Thanks to his advice, we were able to enjoy the penguin parade up close, which felt magical and unforgettable.
I really appreciated how the day was well-balanced, with a mix of history, nature, and wildlife. Jose’s enthusiasm, knowledge, and genuine care for everyone (including my parents) made the whole experience even more enjoyable.
Overall, this was an amazing tour that combined the charm of Puffing Billy, the thrill of seeing wildlife like kangaroos, and the wonder of watching penguins in the wild. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Melbourne who wants a fun, well-organized, and family-friendly day out.

Despite the weather's best attempt to spoil it, we had a fantastic day under Jose's guidance on the Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade tour. It's a long tour at nearly 12 hours but it seems to disappear in minutes. The bus too was excellent with ample leg room (I'm 6"), comfortable seats, each with USB charging, and perfect onboard climate. Can highly recommend Explore Australia!

So nice trip!!! We have a really great time with Matt.He is a really nice guy.Matt told us a lot of creatures about the national park.This trip was so interesting.I really love it!

Wonderful Puffing Billy steam train tour Great tour and very nice tour guide, Lee Lee. Very kind and clear instructions for tour details. Drive very stable and smoothly in mountain roads!! Very nice experience and recommend!!

Puffing Billy Highly recommended. Lee Lee was very informative and able to give us recommendations on where to go around in melbourne. She was very cheerful. The puffing billy was a great experience. The animals were also very cute

Lovely day out. Great day out. Jose was a good guide and driver and very calm and thoughtful. Puffing billy was fun and the penguins were gorgeous.

Awesome experience with EA Excellent curated tour, plus our tour guide, Jose, is very kind. He provided very clear instructions and a very informative time while cruising on the road.

Amazing 🤩 Awesome experience and Michael was a great guide. Would recommend to everyone who is wanting to experience the train ride and penguins

We were very satisfied with our Explore Australia Tours experience on August 16, 2025. We are from Perth and we joined the Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade tour, and our driver Stuart truly made the trip both knowledgeable and enjoyable.

Not only did he share insights about Puffing Billy Train and the Penguin Parade, but he also gave us interesting information about the places we passed along the way. Stuart was very friendly, approachable, and even gave us great tips on where to visit in Melbourne for the rest of our stay.

Thumbs up to Explore Australia for having such an excellent guide—good job, Stuart!

A truly unforgettable experience with Explore Australia Tours!

We joined the tour on July 14th and had the pleasure of being guided by Michael, who was absolutely fantastic from start to finish.

Pick-up was perfectly on time, and the ride was smooth and comfortable throughout the day. Michael took great care of every group on board and shared his deep knowledge about the local wildlife and surroundings, making the journey both educational and engaging.

The itinerary was incredibly well-organized. From the charming Puffing Billy Steam Train ride to the magical Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, everything ran like clockwork. We had front-row views of the penguins returning to shore — a truly breathtaking moment!

What made this tour stand out was how worry-free it was. We didn’t have to plan a thing — just sat back, relaxed, and soaked in the amazing sights.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a smooth, fun, and well-managed day out in Victoria. Thanks again, Michael and the team!

It was a lovely time exploring outside Melbourne where we went to the Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade. Our guide Adam has very knowledgeable on everything we need to know about the places. He was very approachable and offered us in taking photos. Great experience!

We took the French Island/Philips Island tour and greatly enjoyed ourselves! Scott, Lee and Celia were very friendly and accommodating to us. Lee was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in sharing about French Island. His home-cooked meal, as well as Scott’s extensive knowledge about koalas and the island as a whole, really added a sense of authenticity to our experience! Scott also stopped at every opportunity to let us take pictures of the wild koalas. Darren, our Philip Island guide was also incredibly friendly and shared much interesting information about the wildlife on the island. He also very kindly pointed out as much of the wildlife for us to see, and was very punctual, which we greatly appreciated.

We were in Melbourne for just a few days and booked two tours. The Philip island penguin parade was terrific, seeing the little penguins emerge from the sea in their hundreds was heartwarming. The journey to it included a visit to the Moonlit Sanctuary where hand feeding kangaroos and wallabies was a completely unexpected lifetime moment our lady guide whose name I can't remember was great. The other tour to the Puffing Billy train was equally good and included a visit to the lovely Healesville Sanctuary with more kangaroos and koalas. Our Guide Darren was great and took the trouble to take and share videos of the train journey.

As a tourist with limited days and a lot to do, organized day tours are a great way to feel more sorted and make the most of your time.
I joined the Great Ocean Road trip with Explore Australia Tours. While I would have loved to spend more time at each spot and truly soak it all in, doing so would require multiple days and overnight stays, which wasn’t feasible for me.
In that case, day tours like this are perfect when you want to experience the highlights within a limited timeframe.
Our tour guide and driver, Andy, was an amazing host — sharing history, fun facts, and important details about each location before dropping us off to explore.
We were a small group of 11 and traveled in a comfortable minivan. I was lucky to get the front seat, and it made the trip even more enjoyable with the stunning views along the water!
Highly recommend if you’re looking to experience the Great Ocean Road efficiently and with a knowledgeable guide.

Very exciting & Fabulous trip , food & wine.& tea & pastries & beer , 🍺 Nice Good trip & excellent Guide cum Driver , Very Polite & smile & Supportive, Thank you Explore India , I am visitor from India ,

Blackadder: "Baldrick, I want you to take this and go out and buy a turkey so large, you'd think its mother had been rogered by Would happily follow Matt wherever he was leading, however wacky or dangerous. No danger here though, with excellent choice of venues and photo stops, other than over-indulging and laughing and learning too much. Highly recommended.

A Puffing Good Time Great mix of outdoor forest and wildlife reserve activities centred around the unmissable Puffing Billy steam train ride. Perfectly scheduled and driven by Margaret whose enthusiasm and experience exelled.

Strongly recommend Gina is very informative and good at photography. We absolutely had a great day. Strongly recommend this tour to everyone who’s visiting Melbourne.

Funny Matt A day on the Puffing Billy Railway is absolutely worth it!

The historic steam train departs from Lakeside and weaves through the vast Dandenong Ranges. With a unique experience and lots to see, there is no going wrong with a Puffing Billy train ride.

Puffing Billy steam train Great trip up to the Dandenong hills. Coach driver Matt was a laugh a minute, great personality and informative too. Puffing Billy steam train ride through the hills then a stop at Healesville wildlife sanctuary

It was a great tour for puffing billy and penguin parade. Though we started a bit late, Sam was able to catch up with the last train for Puffing Billy. He's a nice tour guide in which he really waits for the people to be back, there is a given time, good thing there is no pressure and people are back with no rush. Thanks Sam for the wonderful tour!

Sam is both a good driver and a person willing to share his favourite 12 Apostles alike spot (first photo) and fun stories. He tried to drop us as many spots as possible and managed to get us to see a koala closely.
However it’s a very packed agenda and long ride, the lunch place wasn’t really good, so you may prepare some snacks and go to toilet as much you needed. Also the tour was not very guided, so you could do some homework before you go.

Had a great day with Sam on the Puffing Billy trip. The train is an amazing experience, well worth the day on its own. I wish we'd had a little more time at Healesville as there's so much to see. Awesome day out.

We booked the great ocean rd tour for 10/09/2024 via klook and it was amazing. We got Margaret as our tour guide and she was fantastic. She arrived early at the pick up point and was full of energy eventhough it was an early call time at 6.30am. She navigates the road very well and we arrived at the destinations with fewer people. For the forest tour, she was knowledgeable and walked with us throughout. She gave ample of time for us to explore the areas and did not rush us all. Overall, it was an amazing journey with her.

I had an amazing experience on the Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade tour with our guide, Sam! His enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge made the journey truly memorable. Sam shared fascinating stories about Puffing Billy, adding context to the beautiful scenery. At the Penguin Parade, he ensured we had the best spots and highlighted the importance of wildlife conservation. His friendly demeanor created a warm atmosphere for the whole group. I highly recommend Sam as a tour guide for anyone looking to explore these iconic attractions!☺️☺️

Penguins Rock and Koala's Rule! The tour company was amazing, the bus was top-notch and Ryan & Scott were incredible tour guides! If you're going to spend money on anything, spend it on the Ranger Guided tour @ Phillip's Island - where the penguins are at a must see!

Gorgeous day at hot water springs! Had an amazing experience going on the Hot water springs tour with Gina! She went out of her way to make this day a really great one, giving us some very interesting facts about Melbourne and Australia as well as about the places we were headed to (she’s a great storyteller!), always being very happy to take photos and enriching the experience with some wildlife viewing on our way back!
Gina also very kindly lent me her powerbank when I needed to charge my phone! I was surprised to learn she was new to tour guiding because she’s done a fantastic job, again thank you so much for everything Gina!!

Mid-experience...not worth it There were many aspects of this tour that give me reason to not give it 5 stars. First, our tour guide was sick and coughing up a storm the entire time, which is not a good idea if you're going to be driving a small vehicle with a total of 6 people. I am now sick as well.

Second, I feel like the timing of everything was not allocated well. We had two hours at Moonlit Sanctuary, which was way too much time. We finished walking around in about 45 minutes, even with two school groups there. There was not enough time at the Noobies or Cowes. I would've specifically liked to have more time in Cowes to have time to check out more shops and cafes.

I reckon the day was just overall poorly planned. Which lunch not included, the price isn't worth it. I wouldn't do it again.

Fun day trip on Puffing Billy train. Vintage train ride was fun. Animal sanctuary was very interesting. Driver/guide was friendly and helpful. Nice scenery along the way.

Best Trip & Guider Ever Amazing guider!
He made the trip so much better and fun, he got us into the train even though they cancelled our ticket the same day. He also knew everything about all the places and gave us directions on how to enjoy it to the max. Nice type of music too, all the best my brother Safaripete.

Amazing experience and a very memorable trip with Peter as our guide Peter is an amazing guide. He thoroughly entertained us and provided us with very useful information through his commentary. He made our journey very comfortable and enjoyable. The tour had regular stops in between which provided us with ample time for refreshment and for breaks. I would say this was for me and my family the best tour we had and Peter had a big hand in it. I am already looking forward to having future tours with Explore Australia and hopefully with Peter :)

Incredible Mornington Peninsula Wine & Food Tour with Margaret!

Our guide Margaret was simply outstanding - her passion for the region, deep knowledge, and caring nature made this tour an absolute delight. Margaret expertly guided us through wineries, where the wine was consistently excellent. She also took us to hidden gem foodie hotspots, including Jack Rabbit where the cuisine was exceptional. Throughout the day, the stunning natural beauty of the Mornington Peninsula was on full display. Margaret's thoughtful recommendations and personal touches made the experience truly special. If you want an exceptional wine and food tour, be sure to request Margaret as your guide!

P.S. love every songs Margaret playing in car!

I did the Full-Day Penguins and Wildlife Nature Experience from Melbourne!! Such an incredible day! Pick up was easy, we stopped for lunch and the Moonlit Wildlife Sanctuary + the Penguin Parade was amazing! Our tour guide, Gina was exceptional and had in-depth knowledge of the local area. Gina really knew extensive details about Australia’s history, including its native ancestors, and about the extraordinary local wildlife including the wallabies, koalas, kangaroos, emus, penguins, and so much more. The tour itself was spectacular, but with Gina’s amazingly warm attitude and expertise really pushed it over the top. Thank you again for a wonderful and memorable tour!

We had a great time with our host Margaret during the healsville and puffing Billy tour.
Very hospitable and welcoming. A local from Victoria so she helped us squeeze in some lesser known knowledge about eucalyptus trees with a national park stroll.
I had a 4 year old and explore Australia was totally responsive through out.

The only thing that can be improved on this tour is to squeeze in 15 mins for lakeside walk and picture during puffing Billy trip.
Great playlist of songs too ;)

Had an incredible tour experience with guide Matt! He effortlessly interacted with the team, creating a friendly and engaging atmosphere throughout. His knowledge about Australia penguins was impressive, providing us with fascinating insights and making the tour educational as well as enjoyable. What stood out was Matt's ability to handle unexpected situations with ease. When some team members forgot the meet-up time, he remained calm and quickly adjusted the itinerary, ensuring we still had a fantastic time. I highly recommend Matt as a tour guide for his exceptional interpersonal skills, informative commentary, and adept management of unexpected circumstances.

The Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade day tour was a fantastic experience for our family. It was the main highlight of our week long stay in Melbourne. Our tour guide cum driver, Jai and Alex were both professional and informative. They gave very useful tips making our trip even more enjoyable.

Great Tour What an excellent Trip with a guide who was of full and jokes and very knowledgeable.

Jai made every minute of the tour worth it.
Thanks heaps explorer Australia and JAI Jai

Great way to spend the day in Melbourne! The tour was fantastic! Our tour guide Hunter (and trainee, Leah) were very friendly and personable. The Moonlit sanctuary was amazing as we were able to meet the koalas (paid extra) and hand feed the kangaroos and wallabies. A couple of extra stops that let us stretch our legs were very welcome. Lovely dinner at Isola in Cowes, followed by the Penguin Parade. We didn’t get the best seat (maybe Penguin Plus is worth the upgrade) but after ten-fifteen minutes, people had moved so we could get a better view. Walking back along the boardwalk we saw so many penguins which was lovely (hard to resist the temptation to take photos, but lots of people didn’t). Back home around 12:15am in Melbourne, so it was a very long day, but worth it. Would highly recommend!

Margaret made the trip Exceptional and an asset as a tour guide We did a full day tour to Mornington Peninsula and Ferry Lunch we visited Bathing Boxes Arthur’s Seat with an amazing view of the bay, through Portsea lunch on the ferry and a sampler of beers at St Andrew’s Beach Brewery.
What made our trip exceptional and stand apart from other tours was Margaret with her infectious passion for the country, her knowledge and absolute willingness to make our day exceptional Thank You Margaret you are a breath of fresh air as your incredible commentary

We went on a fantastic Puffing Billy tour with Margaret from Explore Australia Tours. From start to finish this was an amazing experience with a knowledgeable , energetic and friendly guide that lead us to the best spots and how to get the most from our tour. An amazing walk through a wet rainforest with some very tall trees. Puffing Billy was great fun and for those able to hang their legs out the window it was even better. I mean what can be better than having your legs hanging out from a moving choo-choo train? Not much. And the visit to the Healesville sanctuary gave us parrot attacks as well as cool Kangaroos. A well spent day.

Amazing tour with fantastic guide Well planned tour indeed. Our guide Margaret is nice, always around and willing to help at anytime. Reasonable time was given at each stop albeit a day tour setting. The Healesville Sanctuary was amazing and I really hope we could stay there a bit longer to look at the amazing animals before getting back to Melbourne for dinner!

Brilliant day exploring countryside with warm guide! Trip included a stop in the temperate rainforest in Sherbrooke, before heading into the Puffing Billy railway, and finally an afternoon at Healsville Sanctuary.

Margaret was our guide for the day and her warmth, passion and love for nature truly impressed us. She was also knowledgeable and gave us a lot of useful tips and information - guiding us through the forest walk and what to look out for the zoo. She even managed to catch our Puffing train at the intersection and shot amazing photos for us!

Overall, a brilliant day, beautiful countryside and warm human touch. Truly Aussie experience.

Disappointed with customer services Unfortunately our flight got cancelled and I was really disappointed to hear that there are no policy for situations like this to at least refund the amount that has been paid for transportation as the hot spring tickets only worth max. $150 for two people, and we paid $370 it would've been great to get at least half of our money refunded as the flight cancellation was absolutely out of our control, we even offered to reschedule for another time and the gentleman from the team said he will look into it and let us know on the same day, we emailed the team to get an update but we didn't receive any phone calls or email
This was not the customer service we expected from tripadvisor and we still hope someone from the team call us and help us with this matter and solve the problem

Booked Around the Bay Food and Wine taste trail but it was cancelled and substituted with Mornington Peninsula Food and Wine Trail. The sail in the former tour was replaced by a visit to another winery in the latter tour. Was a little disappointed as I booked the former, as I didn't want too much wine tasting. Anyway, the tour was good and Matt was excellent throughout, very engaging and informative.

Daytrip - Aussie animals and vistas - south from Melbourne. The Key to the day was our guide - Margaret. It was her growing up area - I think she mentioned Cranbourne - but every year to Phillip Island with her family. Her passion for the place was infectious - as much as her concern for the welfare of the animals and the environment. And her choices of music when not giving commentaries on where we were to go and on what we had seen. The Moonlit Sanctuary was excellent - and the perfect place for overseas visitors. And then crossing the bridge from San Remo onto Phillip Island. - visiting various points - looking out to Bass Strait - to Cowes and to The Nobbies - and finally to the beach for post-sunset Little Penguins' experience. My wife and I were in Melbourne where we married 50 years ago on Dec 15, 1973. Our first time to Phillip Island. Would highly recommend this Explore Australia visit to anyone visiting Melbourne without a car. Around 300+ kms round trip. Ask for Margaret!

Loved it! Great views of the little penguins. Our tourguide was very caring and explained a lot about the animals. Even though P. I. was very touristic and I worried a little about the penguins being distracted, as so many people took photos after dark although it was strictly prohibited. French Island was pure nature. We saw many koalas in their natural environment and had nice lunch on a farm. HIghly recommended tour!

Amazing experience with heaps of wildlife Had an amazing time! Alena was very knowledgeable and helpful. With each destination we got plenty of time to explore the place on our own, and on the bus we got to learn about the area we were visiting.

Touring with Matt Matt was a fantastic guide! Tour was exactly as described and highly recommended. As a solo traveler he made me feel welcomed and went above and beyond with travel tips during my Melbourne stay.

Great experience This was an amazing tour. Our guide was Margaret and she is great. We went to some nice places and saw a lot of local wildlife both during the trip and in our destinations. Our guide told us lots of interesting stuff both about the places and the animals.

penguins good itinerary bad The five stars are for the driver (a former surfer who used to live on Phillip Island). She did an outstanding job managing a full van and creating an atmosphere that was informative and fun.

The tour program leaves a lot to be desired. The "Moonlit sanctuary" is a glorified petting zoo with a few cages of unhappy-looking eagles, owls and dingoes, a few wallabies and kangaroos sauntering among dead branches surrounding a muddy lake. Access to most facilities was forbidden without a special pass. The stop is useless to anyone who has ever visited an Australian zoo or a real sanctuary a la Currumbin yet takes 1-2 hours. This means that you run out of time for gems like the Woolamai Beach (15 min stay, ridiculous).

The penguins were great.

We booked Phillip Island and French Island tour ,Matthew was our tour guide fantastic so funguy,We saw lots of Koalas in French Island and also had a free lunch in one of the cottages and saw Koalas in an oak tree,amazing experience ,penguins in Phillip island overall experience fantastic, highly recommended

We had an amazing day trip to Philip Island. Our guide was funny, knowledgeable and very kind. The stop at Moonlit Sanctuary was great, we were able to feed some kangaroos and wallabies.
And what a better way to end the day than to watch the adorable small penguins coming from the water. Amazing day!

Wonderful tour guide Our tour guide Matt, is very friendly and funny.. Giving us detailed trip explanation and making us laughed during whole day tour. Its memorable and wonderful experience .. thank you matt

Special experience for first-timers The weather was nice. We couldn’t see the Lyrebird at the first spot. But the sun came out just the right time while we’re traveling on the Puffing Billy. The train staff were super friendly and everyone waved their hands to the passengers. Our Guide Matt was friendly, chatty and he greeted everyone and cheered us up. I’d recommend this trip to all first-timers.