Book your self-guided visit

We’ve compiled answers to some of the most commonly asked questions to help you and your students prepare for your visit to the Art Gallery. 

What should teachers bring? 
Your email confirmation from the Art Gallery with your excursion details. For self-guided visits, make sure to bring pencils for all your students if you are planning written activities while in the galleries.  

What should students bring? 
Just themselves! We prefer no bags so you can begin your visit right away, but a small tote bag with lunch, hat and small water bottle is allowed. All bags must be cloaked on arrival. Please note that cloaking can take up to 20 minutes.  

How do we get to the Art Gallery? 
See getting here. Drop-off and pick-up zones for private buses are located in front of the Art Gallery on Art Gallery Road. There is no street parking for buses nearby. Plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled booking time so you can make the most of your visit. 

What do we do when we get there? 
The Art Gallery has two buildings, the original South Building and the new North Building. Our education hosts will be waiting for you at both entrances to check your booking, assist you in cloaking any bags and get you ready for your visit. Check in with the host at the entrance to the building that is most convenient to what you’ve booked in to see.  

Most groups start with a bathroom break. In the South Building, toilets are located on lower levels 1, 2 and 3, including all-gender toilets on lower level 2. In the North Building, toilets are located on lower levels 1, 2 and 4. 

What if we’re running late? 
Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. If you’re running late, call us at 02 9225 1740. 

Where can we eat? 
There are limited food outlets in the area, and we recommend that your students bring their lunch and eat across the road in the Domain or Royal Botanical Gardens. There are no designated areas if the weather is wet, but our education hosts can advise you on the day with possible lunch spot options. No food or drink is allowed in the general areas of the Art Gallery. 

What student:teacher ratio does the Art Gallery advise? 
For the safety of visitors, students and artworks we advise a ratio of 15 students to 1 teacher or carer for K-12 student groups. For senior and tertiary groups, contact our team for recommendations and support. 

How can teachers prepare for the visit? 

• Get to know some of the artworks you’ll be looking at in advance of your visit with our learning resources. They’re filled with ideas for discussion and art-making in the classroom or during your visit. 

• See what’s on around the Art Gallery on the day of your visit, check what art is on display and plan your route using our maps. 

• Consult our risk assessment advice for support in preparing your excursion paperwork. 

• Review the safety guidelines for visiting the Art Gallery with your students:  

• Be careful not to touch the artworks and keep a safe distance between yourselves and each work of art. Remember even the slightest contact can damage the surface of a painting, discolour stone and even rust metal. 

• Walk, don’t run. Boisterous activity can accidentally lead to bumping into others and artworks.  

• No food or drinks are permitted in the galleries. Crumbs and spills attract pests that can damage the artworks. 

• Use only pencils in the galleries. A pencil mark is much easier to remove if an accident occurs. 

• Always stay with your teacher or a grown-up. 

• Take plenty of photographs and videos if they are for your personal use but remember no flash and respect the artworks that have a ‘no photography’ sign nearby. 

• No leaning on walls or display cases. Instead sit on the benches or the floor as you look, talk, write or draw. 

• Talk about what you see but remember to respect other visitors by keeping noise levels to a minimum.  

The OHS Act and Regulation require principals and teachers organising excursions to use risk management to ensure the health and safety of students, staff and excursion volunteers. Risk management supports better decision making by contributing to a greater insight into the potential risks and their impacts.

To assist teachers in preparing their own risk assessments, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has prepared venue and safety information documents for school excursions to the Art Gallery and to the Brett Whiteley Studio, which answer all questions required by the Department of Education and Training.

All paid and unpaid staff working with children at the Art Gallery are cleared through the Working with Children Check (Prohibited Employment Declaration and Working with Children Check Employment Screening Consent), as outlined by the NSW Commission for Children and Young People.

In accordance with these responsibilities, the Art Gallery has developed a child protection policy and procedures to provide for the safety, welfare and wellbeing of young people while visiting the Art Gallery.

How do I book a self-guided student group visit to the Art Gallery? 

Visit our self-guided visits page to book your student group visit online. Decide what you would like to see and simply select from the options provided. You will receive an email from our team confirming your booking. This easy online system allows you to manage your own booking details.  

Is there a group size limit for self-guided visits? 

A group is five or more students with a teacher or carer. There is no maximum size limit, but please note that our timed sessions are capped, and you may need to book multiple sessions for larger groups. For our student:teacher ratios, please see our prepare for your visit section. 

How much does a self-guided student group visit cost? 

Self-guided visits and entry to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, our collection displays and most of our exhibitions are free. A discounted charge per student applies for visits to paid exhibitions, including the annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition. Teachers and carers are free. 

What’s the best way to pay for a self-guided visit to a ticketed exhibition or for one of your student programs? 

You can secure your preferred date and time instantly when you book and pay online by credit card or P-card. Unfortunately, we cannot accept cash payments or bank transfers.  

What if I need to reschedule or make a change? 

If you need to reschedule or change the number of attending students, you can update your booking online using the link in your confirmation email. Please note that to add students, you will need to make another booking. All changes must be confirmed two weeks prior to your scheduled visit. For facilitated student programs, changes made to your booking after this time will incur an administrative fee of $30 per request. 

What’s your cancellation policy?  

A full refund is available if your booking is cancelled by email to education@ag.nsw.gov.au two weeks prior to your scheduled visit. This applies to all paid learning programs, including self-guided visits to ticketed exhibitions and our student programs. After this time, you will be charged the full cost of the original booking. Payments are refunded within 2-3 business days to the credit card or P-card provided at the time of booking.  

There is no charge for cancellations to self-guided visits to the general collection and free exhibitions, but we ask for two weeks' notice so your timed session can be released for others. Simply cancel online via the link in your confirmation email.