The 15 Best Wildlife Tours near Melbourne

1.Great Ocean Road, 12 Apostles, Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6,020 reviews · 13h 30m · from $94Our pick

Take a full-day Great Ocean Road trip from Melbourne with wildlife stops, a rainforest walk, the 12 Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge.

“Absolutely fantastic tour with Theo! We had an incredible day from start to finish. The tour was quite long, but it was 100% worth it and never felt long thanks to Theo. He is an amazing guide: passionate, extremely knowledgeable, super interesting, and very funny! He made the whole experience so enjoyable and engaging. I cannot recommend this tour — and especially Theo — enough! Thanks Fox ! Julia & Sofian”

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2.Penguin Parade, & Wildlife Encounters Eco Tour from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,774 reviews · from $118Top rated

See Phillip Island’s little penguins, koalas, kangaroos, Brighton’s bathing boxes, and the Nobbies on a full-day eco-tour from Melbourne.

“We had Alisha as a tour guide. Such a lovely person who is so knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a nice time. Beach boxes were cute and the wildlife sanctuary visit was lovely. Penguin parade was very crRead more”

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3.Melbourne Great Ocean Rd Reverse Tour London Bridge Wildlife

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,252 reviews · 12 - 13 hours · from $46

Review of Melbourne’s reverse Great Ocean Road tour, with London Bridge, Twelve Apostles, wildlife stops, coach choices, timing, and value tips.

“Such a wonderful experience! Philip was our tour guide, he was kind, & wonderful multitasker. Took good care of our group. The views were nothing short of amazing. Verry professional! 9/10”

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4.Phillip Island Penguins & Wildlife Day Tour from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 867 reviews · from $111

See Phillip Island’s little penguins, koalas, kangaroos, rugged coast, and Cape Woolamai on a long but rewarding wildlife day trip from Melbourne.

“Had a great day with Michael as our guide. He was enthusiastic and kept the day running smoothly. Penguins were so cute!! Allow yourself time to wander along the boardwalk after the penguins start to come up. Only negative was that we were in the last seats on the bus and the seats in front of us were permanently reclined so we had no room for our knees.”

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5.Penguins and Wildlife Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 642 reviews · 10 hours · from $109

See koalas, coastal wildlife, Woolamai Beach, the Nobbies, and little penguins on a full-day Phillip Island tour from Melbourne.

“A great trip, well-organized, and a very cheerful and informative guide.”

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6.Puffing Billy Steam Train & Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 640 reviews · 8 hours · from $140

Ride Puffing Billy through the Dandenong Ranges, see koalas and kangaroos at Healesville, and enjoy a full day from Melbourne.

“Our tour guide / driver Gary was super friendly and helpful! We enjoyed the tour so much, both the train ride and the sanctuary are amazing! This was the first time we tried taking a steam train where we could swing our legs off the train, we saw so many great scenery during our train ride. The bird show at the sanctuary was also beautiful, we got to see so many colorful and lovely birds! The highlight of the day was seeing the koalas in person!”

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7.Puffing Billy Train & Penguin Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 605 reviews · 12 hours · from $145

Ride Puffing Billy, explore The Nobbies, and watch Phillip Island’s little penguins return to shore on a long but rewarding Melbourne day tour.

“Nathan was amazing! Super knowledgeable and was really friendly. Thank you for making this trip one of our main highlights of Melbourne.”

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8.Penguins and Wildlife Nature Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 380 reviews · 12 hours · from $105

See koalas, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, The Nobbies and Phillip Island penguins on a well-paced 12-hour Melbourne day tour.

“Guide was outstanding think it was Mike. Brilliant knowledge and made us feel very comfortable. Always stating where we was and why we were stopping along with the history”

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9.Yarra Valley Wildlife & Wine Day Tour with Healesville Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 333 reviews · from $236

Combine Healesville Sanctuary’s native wildlife with Yarra Valley wine, a vineyard lunch, and cheese pairing on a small-group day tour from Melbourne.

“A nice day out seeing the Wild life sanctuary in the morning & two vineyards in the afternoon. The lunch was high quality & great. Rob our guide was a lovely gentleman who kept us entertained & had great local knowledge.”

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10.Great Ocean Road & Wildlife Tour for Backpackers

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 306 reviews · 1 day · from $91

See the Twelve Apostles, koalas, kangaroos, and the Great Ocean Road on a social small-group day tour for 18 to 35 year olds.

“The tour was packed with lots of stops along the great ocean road, as well as koala, kangaroo and sting ray spotting. We had a perfect day visiting all the sights and James, our tour guide, was friendly and knowledgable from the beginning to the end.”

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11.Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour with Iconic Stops & Wildlife

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 264 reviews · 12 - 13 hours · from $42

Review of a $42 Great Ocean Road reverse tour from Melbourne, with the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, koalas, Apollo Bay, and Lorne.

“Guide Daniel is absolutely wonderful. From the very beginning, he gave a briefing about the upcoming day, shared interesting facts about the region, and provided historical information. He is a smiling, professional guide. It was very comfortable to be with him. The time allocated for visiting the locations was sufficient. It was also communicated in advance that there would be no toilets at some stops. Attention to detail. Thanks for this day!”

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12.Great Ocean Road and Wildlife Tour for Backpackers aged 18-35

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 212 reviews · from $92

See the Twelve Apostles, koalas, kangaroos, and Great Ocean Road highlights on a sociable 12-hour tour from Melbourne for ages 18 to 35.

“A nice trip. The guide is very easygoing and warmhearted. The whole trip he has showed us a lot of interesting stuff. For a one-day trip, it definitely worth”

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13.1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 211 reviews · from $157

Ride Puffing Billy, explore the Dandenong Ranges, and meet Australian wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary on a full-day trip from Melbourne.

“This was such a unique experience with the train and preserve. Got to see kangaroos and many other wildlife.”

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14.Boutique Great Ocean Road, wildlife and Rainforest Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 198 reviews · from $178

Explore the Great Ocean Road in a Mercedes with coffee, local lunch, rainforest, koalas, the Twelve Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge.

“What a unique experience. When they say small group, it was a small group. I was lucky to only be with 3 other travelers. I got to seat at the front, on the passanger seat. What an amazing way to discover the Great Ocean Road. Our guide, Alex, was just amazing. He made us feel like it was a family holiday and we were all discovering together. His knowledge on the environment was spot on. He took time to show us places with koalas, kangaroos, what more can we ask? The lunch in Apollo bay way outstanding. The best fish and chips I've had in Australia! Thank you for this…”

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15.Small-Group Grampians Great Wildlife Escape Day Trip with Hiking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 160 reviews · from $111

Explore the Grampians from Melbourne with lookouts, waterfalls, kangaroos, Aboriginal culture, and guided walks on a long small-group day.

“It was OK, but I'd like to spend more time in walking and seeing more waterfalls. Also, the bus was very old and with bad stereo system - we could barely hear our guide.”

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