Semester 2 Day Trips

USU Day Trips Semester 2

Welcome to Sydney! Explore your new home with our fun sightseeing tours at USU Day Trips. The tours are the perfect chance for students to learn more about the city and make new friends along the way. 

This semester, we're running weekly Day Trips to various highlights, from an Aboriginal Cultural Tour to a Harbour Bridge Climb 🔥

Our the first half of our semester is below:

All tours have a $20 refundable fee - if you attend the tour you will be refunded the $20

3 Aug: Private Tour of the Blue Mountains + Featherdale Wildlife Park!

Slip away from the hustle and bustle of the city and discover the beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains. Indulge in the area's best vantage points with amazing vistas, stunning waterfalls, dramatic sandstone escarpments and valleys with lush, temperate rainforest home to many native species of flora and fauna. with the added advantage of visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park.

The trip will begin on Hermann's Lawns at 7am (we know its early 😴 but there is so much to see!)
You will board a tour bus which will take you to all the venues.
Please remember to bring comfortable shoes. You can bring your lunch or purchase it on the way.
You will return to Hermann's Lawns at 5:30pm (pending traffic)

10 Aug: Dreamtime Southern X Tour

Be touched by the most ancient human culture on earth on a 90-minute leisurely walkabout with an Aboriginal guide in The Rocks, and journey into Dreamtime, the culture of Aboriginal People.

Aboriginal Guide have been hand-picked by the Elders to share their cultural heritage on The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour
This tour is run by DreamtimeSouthernX Tour Guides

The trip will begin outside Hermann's Lawns at 11:30am, you will board a bus to take you to the rocks.
Please remember to bring comfortable shoes and bring any food or snacks with you.
You will return to Hermann's Lawns by bus at 3pm (pending traffic)

17 Aug: Sydney Tower Eye

Located 250 metres above the Sydney streets, you can enjoy unrivalled 360-degree views of the city and beyond. Spot iconic landmarks and hidden gems of this beautiful harbour city, plus on a clear day, you can even see the Blue Mountains, located 80km away! 

This is so much to see from Sydney Tower Eye! 

The trip will begin outside Hermanns Lawns at 3:45pm, you will board a bus to take you to the Tower Eye.
Please remember to bring comfortable shoes, you may purchase snacks at the entrance.
You will return to Hermanns Lawns by bus at 6:45pm (pending traffic)

24 Aug: Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

Experience the breath taking 360-degree panoramic views of Sydney, whilst scaling the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on BridgeClimb’s original Climb experience. Feel on top of the world as you journey along the upper arch to the peak of an Australian icon, soaking in the stories from your expert Climb Leader and the sights of the Harbour and the City skyline that surround you. 

The trip will begin on Hermanns Lawns at 10:30am, you will board a tour bus which will take you to the venue.
Click here for info on what you should wear for their Climb based on the day's weather?  You can bring your lunch or purchase it on the way.
You will return by bus to Hermanns Lawns at 4:15pm (pending traffic)

 

31 Aug: Bowling at Archie Brothers

Strap on your best bowling shoes and get ready to make a strike! Join us at Archie Brothers Alexandria for a fun game of Bowling 🎉

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 2pm. 

7 Sep: Hoyts Movie Night

Come along and enjoy a fantastic movie night, including popcorn and a drink and some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... what more could you want! 🐢

See this brand-new movie on the first day of its release!!

The trip will begin at the Hoyts Cinema Broadway at 6pm.

14 Sep: QVB Historical Tour

This QVB History Tour will take you on a journey to uncover a story of resilience, culture, and progress as you explore one of Sydney's most iconic historical buildings! 
Discover the architecture and culture that makes this building one of Sydney's most well-known attractions 🔥

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 11:20am.

21 Sep: Beauty and the Beast

It's a tale as old as time... and it has finally come to Sydney! Join us as we go see a spectacular musical performance of Beauty and the Beast at Capitol Theatre to celebrate our Festival of Creativity! 🥀

The trip will begin at the Hermann's Lawns at 5:30pm, you will board a bus to take you to Capitol Theatre at 5:45pm. Arrive on time to avoid missing the bus. 

28 Sep: Tribal Warrior Cruise

Join us on this incredible cultural cruise and learn the traditional culture, history, and stories of one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. Hear stories of the Gadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Gammeraigal and Wallumedegal people of Sydney Harbour and learn the Aboriginal names and meanings of significant Sydney landmarks, before stepping ashore on Be-lang-le-wool (Clark Island). ⚫️‍💛‍🔴

The trip will begin at the Eastern Pontoon, Circular Quay at 10:30am.

5 Oct: Sydney Observatory Tour

Join us and learn about the sky, stars and beyond... 🎇
Experience an intimate guided tour of the iconic Sydney Observatory, a heritage-listed site atop the highest natural point in Sydney Cove.

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 5:30pm.

12 Oct: Art Gallery of NSW: Asian Lantern Exhibition Tour

Join us as we discover the Art Gallery of NSW's extensive collection of Asian Art. ✨

Displayed over two floors of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ historic South Building, their Asian Lantern galleries present works from their collection of Asian art, which stretches from Indonesia to Mongolia, from Japan to Iran. Both galleries feature vibrant exhibitions celebrating the richness and depth of a collection that began in 1879 and continues to develop.

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 11:20am.

19 Oct: Visit TimeZone Arcade

Join us as we battle it out at TimeZone Arcade in Central Park Mall 👀

Escape into the wonderful retro world of arcade games, battle your friends, and make some new ones along the way! With 60 minutes of unlimited time play plus a featured game and 300 tickets... you'll want to accept this gaming mission!

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 10:10am.

26 Oct: Chinese Garden of Friendship Tour

Travel with us amongst the beautiful greenery at the Chinese Garden of Friendship! 🌺

Nestled between Darling Quarter and Darling Square, the gardens were modelled after ancient private Chinese gardens from the 5th Century. 

Enjoy a gentle stroll with us through the stunning green landscape, stop for a bite to eat or a sip of tea and just take some time to relax and meet some lovely new people!

The trip will begin outside Holme Building at 12:10pm

2 Nov: Holey Moley Mini Golf

Come along and put a few holes in one at Holey Moley Mini Golf! ⛳

One of the most unique and fun putt-putt venues in Sydney, with fun-filled mini golf holes inspired by your favourite media and pop-culture moments, you're going to want to grab a golf-club and putter up!

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 3pm. 

Frequently asked questions:

What is USU Day Trips? 

USU Day Trips is an event series for USYD international and domestic students to make new friends and explore all the best parts of Sydney. In semester 1, we're running weekly Day Trips to various highlights, from an Aboriginal Cultural Tour to a movie night at Hoyts, and so much more!

Who can join Day Trips?

Day Trips are open to all USU Members. If you aren’t a member yet, make sure you sign up today so you can come along and enjoy all the fun. The best part is, it's free for all USYD students! Sign up for USU membership here.

What are the Covid-19 safety requirements? 

Day Trips attendees are required to follow all of the University's Covid Safety Precautions, any Covid Safety requirements issued by NSW Health.  This may include but are not limited to wearing masks on public transport and checking in via the Health QR. 

What if I don’t receive my confirmation email? 

Please email us if you don't receive confirmation of your registration. 

What happens if it's bad weather?

Most of the USU's Day Trips will go on regardless of the weather, so make sure you pack appropriately! Make sure you have water and a hat if it's sunny, and an umbrella if it's raining. If the weather is too severe for the Day Trip to go on as scheduled, you will be notified via email and offered a refund or a change of date option. 

Tickets are sold out. What do I do now?

Please email us if you'd like to join the waitlist, and we'll contact you as soon as a spot opens. But don't worry if you miss out on this Day Trip, the next one is just around the corner!

Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims and Assumption of Risk:

By participating in this event, I agree to the terms and conditions:
1. Participants are responsible for their own behaviour and any resulting consequences. The University of Sydney Union shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or theft of personal belongings or any injury to the individual or others resulting from the event. Furthermore you agree to abide by the terms and conditions of this event.
2. By registering or participating in this event, you hereby confirm that you are over 18 years of age, or in possession of consent by a legal parent or guardian and have the authority to enter into the terms herein.
3. All attendees must adhere to all COVID-19 safety requirements, including but not limited, to wearing a mask on ALL public transport.
4. I consent to being contacted by the USU via email about upcoming events and activities. I can opt out of these communications at any time.
5. I consent to being photographed by USU during the event for future promotion content on USU socials and communication channels.

Looking for more?

🦘 Australian Discussion Groups - Sem 2!
Make new friends and practise English at USU Australian Discussion Groups!
Come along to our our fortnightly ADG sessions, where we welcome you to Sydney, teach you some slang, some common Aussie food and drink and sports 👋
Meet other international students, learn about the most iconic spots around USYD Campus and Sydney city, plus enjoy FREE lunch at The Bevery in Courtyard Restaurant & Bar. Sign up here!!

🌈 Paint & Sip - Pride Edition!
Join us once again as we host one of the most anticipated, POPULAR events on the USU Calendar! With paint, easels, and brushes (and drinks of course) present there's no doubt that you're in for an amazing time, and you'll have one of two beautiful Pride inspired artworks to take home with you!!
Grab your friends and your tickets FAST for this fantastic event, for an experience you CAN'T miss!!

💜 Wear it Purple Party
To close out Wear it's Purple Day, come down to Hermann's bar to celebrate with the USYD Queer community!Join us for a massive party and make some new friends at this once-in-a-year exciting experience, plus there’ll be plenty of amazing FREE food, drink specials, music, and more! Come to the Wear it Purple Party on the 25th of August to celebrate community and have loads of fun!!
You can grab your tickets here!

🥪 USU Eat Up! Packing Day
1 in 5 Australian children experience food insecurity. "In a country like ours, that's not really fair, is it?" (Eat Up Australia)
The USU is bringing in Eat Up Australia for a free volunteer sandwich making and packing session to provide food that will go to disadvantaged schools around Australia. Register here!

💛 Language Exchange
Want to learn new languages, make friends around the world, and share language skills? Then Language Exchange is the perfect program for you! 
You can find more on our Semester 2 Language Exchange program here!

👋 Join our V-Team! 
The VTeam is our group of enthusiastic and friendly student volunteers who help make all our amazing events and activities on campus possible!
You can read more and register here!