USU Day Trips Semester 1

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 a Blue Mountains Tour to a visit to the theatre 🔥

The semester 1 Trips are below:

23 Feb	7:30am - 5:30pm	Private Tour of the Blue Mountains + Scenic World + Sydney Zoo
1 Mar	9:20am-4pm	Treetops Adventure Western Sydney
8 Mar	8:40am-4pm	Taronga Zoo
15 Mar	10am-1pm	Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Tour
22 Mar	1:15pm-4pm	Australian Museum: Ramses Exhibit
12 Apr	6pm-9pm	Hoyts Movie Night: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
19 Apr	6pm-11pm	& Juliet at Sydney Lyric Theatre
26 Apr	5:40pm-9pm	The Rocks Ghost Tour
3 May	11:15am-4pm	Cockatoo Island Tour
10 May	12pm-3pm	Chinese Garden of Friendship Tour
17 May	7am-5pm	Royal National Park Hike
24 May	12:15pm-4pm	Whale Watching Cruise

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

23 Feb: Private Tour of the Blue Mountains + Scenic World + Sydney Zoo!

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 Scenic World AND Sydney Zoo (where you get to feed some jumpy kangaroos!)

The trip will begin on Hermann's Lawns at 7:30am (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)

1 Mar: Treetops Adventure Western Sydney

Come join us as we walk through the sky in this exciting treetop adventure rope course! Spend 2.5 hours amongst the trees with your dedicated instructors, having fun on all the different ropes courses the park has to offer.

The trip will begin outside Hermann's Lawns at 9:20am, you will board a bus to the Treetops Adventure Park.
Please remember to wear comfortable shoes and clothes as you will be doing a lot of climbing! And bring any food or snacks with you.
You will return to Hermann's Lawns by bus at 4pm (pending traffic)

PLEASE NOTE: You are required to sign a waiver prior to this trip. Upon sign up, you will receive an email with your waiver to complete, please do this prior to the trip. If you are under 18 years of age, you need a parent or guardian to sign the waiver for you.

8 Mar: Visit Taronga Zoo

Come see all the incredible animals that are housed at Taronga Zoo, and join a workshop led by Taronga's animal experts to learn about Australian wildlife!

The trip will begin outside Hermanns Lawns at 9am, you will board a bus to take you to Taronga Zoo.
Please remember to bring comfortable shoes, you may purchase snacks inside.
You will return to Hermanns Lawns by bus at 3pm (pending traffic)

15 Mar: Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Walk

Be touched by the most ancient human culture on earth on a 60-minute leisurely walkabout with an Aboriginal guide in Sydney's Botanic Gardens, and journey through the culture and land of Aboriginal People.

The trip will begin outside Hermann's Lawns at 10am, you will board a bus to take you to the Botanic Gardens.
Please remember to bring comfortable shoes and bring any food or snacks with you.
You will return to Hermann's Lawns by bus at 1pm (pending traffic)

22 Mar: Australian Musuem - Ramses Exhibition

Transport yourself back 3,300 years, across the sands of the Sahara Desert where you reach the heartbeat of Ancient Egypt ruled by the most celebrated pharaoh in the country's storied history. Experience one of the greatest collections of its kind in this Australian-first exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 1:15pm.

12 Apr: Hoyts Movie Night

Come along and enjoy a fantastic movie night, including popcorn and a drink and some Ghostbusters!... what more could you want! 👻

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters.

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

19 Apr: & Juliet at Lyric Theatre

Come experience the magic that is the musical "& Juliet" in it's first ever showing in Sydney!

The Emmy®-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek flips the script on Shakespeare in this hilarious and poignant story of self-discovery and second chances.

The trip will begin at the Hermann's Lawns at 6pm, you will board a bus to take you to Lyric Theatre

26 Apr: The Rocks Ghost Tour

Come and see the underground, spooky side of Sydney's history... with ghosts and ghouls and the macabre side of Australia's history you'll be in for fun and fright! 👻

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 5:40pm.

3 May: Cockatoo Island Tour

Explore the lower island, including the cathedral-like Turbine Shop, convict-built Fitzroy Dock and towering Powerhouse chimney.

Along the way, your lovely guide will share stories and anecdotes that paint a vivid picture of the island throughout the ages.

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 11:15am.

10 May: 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 12pm (The location has changed due to weather. Please check your email for updates. )

17 May: Royal National Park Hike

Strap on your walking shoes and get ready for this magical hike that takes you right through national parklands to Wattamolla beach!

Including lunch and a cosy bus ride to and from the hike, you don't want to miss this! 👀

The trip will begin at the Hermann's Lawns at 7:10 am, you will board a bus to take you to the national park.

24 May: Whale Watching Cruise

Climb onboard Captain Cook Cruises to experience the magic of whale watching in Sydney!

Enjoy this relaxing cruise, see some whales and make some friends along the way! 🐳

The trip will begin at the Holme Building at 12:15pm.

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. All attendees must adhere to all COVID-19 safety requirements, including but not limited, to wearing a mask on ALL public transport.
3. 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.
4. I consent to being photographed by USU during the event for future promotion content on USU socials and communication channels.

Looking for more?

🦘 G’day Gatherings
Make new friends and practise English at USU G’day Gatherings!
Come along to our fortnightly Tuesday 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 Manning Bar. Find out more 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 1 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!

🎭 Join our the 2024 USU Revues Season!
Whether you're an aspiring actor, a passionate musician, a comedy genius, or simply an aficionado of the arts, the USU Revue season offers you an extraordinary opportunity to showcase your talents on and off the stage and build lasting connections with fellow artists and enthusiasts.
Find more about Revues here!

🎶 Weekly Bar Programs across Campus
Still looking for some fun things to do in-between classes or in the evening? Whether it be Trivia Nights, Lunchtime Bingos, Games Nights, Music Sessions, or Comedy Nights – we got you covered! Check out the full list of what we have on offer here!

Contact the host of USU Day Trips Semester 1 2024