Planning Your School Excursion | SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium school excursions provide place-based and curriculum-aligned learning.

Centrally located in the centre of Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct, the aquarium is easy to get to either via public transport or bus, with short-term parking available.

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Plan your excursion

Enjoy a complimentary visit in order to plan your excursion and complete a risk assessment. Please request your pre-excursion visit via our teacher pre-visit booking form. One visit per year is permitted.
Book your excursion as early as possible to ensure your first choice date is still available. Please note, your booking is not confirmed until you have been contacted by a booking agent. As some periods are busier than others, please make sure you have a few date options in mind when booking.
Bookings are essential and should be made at least two weeks in advance.
Payment is made post-excursion by school cheque or credit card. Students cannot pay individually and we are unable to accept payment on the day.
Please note our aquarium is now 'cashless' and we are unable to accept cash at admissions, in our retail store or in our cafe.

Some useful documents to download before your visit:

Teacher Planning Guide

COVID-19 Information Sheet

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Map for Schools

Risk Assessment for Schools

Student Behaviour Guidelines

Parent Helper Information

Visual Story Guide for SEA LIFE Sydney

Getting here

Bus - A bus drop off area is available behind the Aquarium on Wheat Road and bus parking is available nearby at the King Street Wharf coach layover. Privately owned school buses are not permitted to use the layover area as this is not property owned by SEA LIFE Sydney.

Train - If you are travelling with your students by train, the closest train stations are either Town Hall or Wynyard, both a short 10 minute walk to the aquarium.

Car - SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium offers all guests cheap parking deals close to Darling Harbour. Just remember to validate your parking ticket at the front desk before you leave.

Arrival and entry

Please make sure you arrive in time to enter the aquarium in the time slot you have booked. This is especially important during times when capacity in the attraction might be reduced due to government recommendations. A late arrival risks entry that might not be possible during busy times when capacity is capped.

Bathrooms are available in the foyer of the aquarium for your group to use before you start your tour. Please note toilets are not readily accessible throughout your tour through the aquarium so it is recommended that this is the first stop off for your school.

If you have booked online and have tickets already issued to you, please go directly to the aquarium entrance where your ticket can be scanned, either via a printed copy or on a digital device. If you do not hold a ticket already but you have pre-booked, the teacher can fill in a sign-in sheet and are guided to the entrance by a member of our team. Students do not need to line up if they have pre-booked and would likely be more comfortable waiting off to the side with other adult helpers while the allocated teacher completes the admissions process.

Recess and lunch

There are a number of public areas located within Darling Harbour around the attraction that are suitable for large groups to sit down and have lunch. For health and safety regulations food should not be consumed in the aquarium.

We welcome all NSW registered teachers to a complimentary admission ticket to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. Come and explore an aquarium that is guaranteed to inspire your class!

Find out more

There is currently the option for teachers to choose to use our suggested worksheets or their own worksheets to guide the students around the aquarium.

On average a self-guided school excursion takes around 1.5 hours to see all areas in the attraction. This time can vary depending on how you plan your visit, which marine talks you want to see and if your students are completing worksheets.

We highly recommend when possible to break your large group into smaller groups of 10 with a leader and another teacher to help look after the group. This allows for spreading out your school so that not all the students are trying to see the same exhibit at the same time.

If you have divided your students into smaller groups there are several areas in the aquarium where we suggest you can all meet up as a whole group again. These spots are also good places to have morning tea and lunch breaks with your students. Dugong Island deck and Reef Theatre are great areas to regroup, take a break and mark the roll.

Buses can drop off and pick up students from the bus bays behind the aquarium on Wheat Road, Darling Harbour. For all day parking buses can park for free at the King Street Wharf Coach layover parking which is found off Lime Street if they are a tourist bus. Private school buses will need to find parking in other locations. Please note that buses cannot pick up and drop off from this location.

Yes, we encourage teachers to visit to help plan and prepare your risk assessment and become familiar with the aquarium layout. This provides you with the opportunity to view the attraction and get familiar with the different exhibits, places to eat and what to see before you bring your students. Please go to our pre-visit ticket page for more information or to request your complimentary visit.

We now have a facebook page just for teachers, where we share videos, images and fun educational facts that you can use in your classroom. Discover behind the scenes footage, find out what a day in the life of an aquarist is like and keep up to date on all the news from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and other Merlin attractions across ANZ. Check it out here!