Local Way Tours

We booked the “Phillip Island: Golden Hour Penguin Express Tour” with Local Way Tours, and it was an excellent experience from start to finish. One of the main reasons we chose this tour was the hotel pick-up, which made the whole trip very convenient—especially as we were travelling with my elderly mum, who uses a wheelchair. Our guide, Michael, was extremely helpful and thoughtful. We brought along a foldable wheelchair, and he assisted with storing and deploying it whenever needed, which made a huge difference to our comfort and peace of mind. The tour itself was well planned and comprehensive. We visited several scenic lookout points near The Nobbies, explored the Nobbies area, and then headed to the Penguin Parade. The tour company also managed to secure Penguin Plus tickets for us, which really enhanced the experience. Michael shared interesting background information about Phillip Island and its wildlife, and even showed us how to spot penguins in their burrows—something we wouldn’t have noticed on our own. Overall, it was an enjoyable, well-organised, and very inclusive tour. We truly appreciated the care shown to our family and would highly recommend this tour to anyone!

Absolutely fantastic tour. We did the fur seal cruise, koala reserve, walk at the nobbies, and penguin parade. Mike was our tour guide and he really made our day. The pickup was super convenient, and we stopped for lunch when we got to the island. You have maybe 30 mins for lunch so a quick sandwich is the best option. The chicken schnitzel sandwich from Sunny Bakehouse was really good. The fur seal cruise was amazing they were so playful and the island and cruise was gorgeous. Koala reserve was amazing too, you observe them living their natural lives, no touching or feeding, and we saw maybe 8 koalas. The nobbies walk was also gorgeous along with the drive. You have time for dinner at the cafe at the penguin center which was pretty good. The penguin parade of course was incredible. So cute, and very well regulated. Overall fantastic day tons of wildlife and Mike was an absolutely incredible guide providing us with commentary, and overall super friendly and great to talk to. Really made our day special. Thank you Local Way!

An amazing day! Definitely plan on having snacks and sea sick tables to see the seals, so worth it! I couldn't believe how close our boat was to the seals. Our driver Perry was excellent, informative, funny, and kind. Would recommend this as an excursion from Melbourne for anyone.

Absolutely amazing tour – highly recommended! I joined the Phillip Island tour with Local Way Tours and it was truly an incredible experience. Everything was perfectly organised from start to finish, and the whole day ran smoothly. The team was professional, friendly, and clearly passionate about what they do. What impressed me the most was how sustainable and animal-friendly all the stops were. Every place we visited treated the animals with real respect. I especially appreciated that you weren’t allowed to touch or disturb the koalas, which shows that they put the animals’ wellbeing first. It felt good to be part of a tour that chooses locations you can genuinely stand behind. The nature, the wildlife encounters and the whole atmosphere made this day one of the highlights of my stay. I can wholeheartedly recommend Local Way Tours – I’d book with them again anytime!