Can you visit Phillip Island and French Island in a day?

Phillip Island and French Island are great ways to escape the city to see the coastal views and meet Aussie wildlife.

Phillip Island and French Island take over an hour to reach from Melbourne city which includes a drive and a ferry. French Island takes longer to get to and you also cannot drive on the island unless you’re a permanent resident.

It’s safe to say that yes, you can visit Phillip Island and French Island in a day! You can do this on your own or through a tour.

What to do on French Island

French Island is a peaceful island that you can explore to see the wildlife and scenery.

See the wildlife
French Island has all kinds of different wildlife to see, including over 200 species of birds! Most people love to try to spot koalas as French Island is home to one of the largest populations of koalas!

Other wildlife you can see here include the eastern barred bandicoot, echidna, and the long nosed potoroo.

Cycle around the island
Aside from walking, the best way to get around French Island is by cycling! You can hire a bike on the island or even bring your own.

Ideally, you will want a mountain bike as it’s easier to get through more terrains the island has.

French Island National Park
You can easily spend most of your time visiting French Island in the national park.

What to do on Phillip Island

Phillip Island is a very popular day trip destination out of Melbourne. People from all over love Phillip Island for the range of wildlife you can see here!

The Nobbies
The Nobbies is home to Australia’s largest colony of fur seals! Not only you can see the fur seals, but you can also stop by the Nobbies Centre and experience the Antarctic Journey with interactive activities and displays.

Phillip Island Wildlife Park
The wildlife park is a great place to go to see all the Aussie animals from koalas to dingoes, wombats and much more! You can also hand feed and pat the kangaroos and wallabies.

Penguin Parade
The Penguin Parade is easily the most popular attraction on Phillip Island. Without a doubt, at sunset every day you’ll experience little penguins returning to Summerland Beach after their day in the ocean.

As the Penguin Parade is at the end of the day, we highly recommend visiting Phillip Island after French Island!

A great way to save yourself some time planning, you can book a tour of both islands here.

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.