The original bus tour of regional NSW towns led by the late Charlie Perkins brought the plight of Indigenous people and the extent of segregation to national attention.
The commemorative trip will include 13 of the original Freedom Riders, including ABC chairman and former chief justice Jim Spigelman.
The riders will visit regional towns such as Dubbo, Walgett, Moree and Kempsey.
Perkins' daughter, filmmaker Rachel Perkins, said the commemorative trip was also a chance to consider the disadvantage still facing many Indigenous people.
"Anniversaries like this are a time to reflect on what was achieved in the past, but to also think about what are we going to do now," she said.
"I think the closing the gap report which has just been released, which the Prime Minister describes as profoundly disappointing, still shows the very marked difference in wellbeing between indigenous people and our fellow Australians."
Ms Perkins said her father's trip was a catalyst for the 1967 referendum, which led to the inclusion of Aboriginal people in the census and enabling the Commonwealth to make laws for them, and she hopes this ride will also lead to constitutional change.
"We need to continue to look at the living situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the legal status of our people and how our people are reflected in the constitution," she said.
"We just can't say, 'oh well, we're not going to do anything about it, it doesn't matter'.
"The freedom ride is about change. It's about saying this is not good enough, and what are you going to do about it."
Riders hope towns more receptive than in 1965
Three of the original freedom riders, Alan Outhred, Colin Bradford and Bob Gallagher, said they hoped the towns would be more receptive to this trip than they were in 1965.
They said they may not be as radical as they were in their student days, but the spirit was still strong.
"Give us a chance," they said.
"Well we've seen the itinerary - we're going to be run off our feet.
"They'll probably run us out of town again I think. I would if I was them."
Mr Bradford said he was looking forward to catching up with his fellow riders on the bus.
"This will be a time of remembering but also connecting with current students, maybe meeting up with some of the Aboriginal people we met 50 years ago," he said.
Learn from Ride, Vice Chancellor urges students
University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Michael Spence urged his students to aim to make a difference.
"I charge you as you go to these communities to listen, to learn about yourself and about this place," he said.
"To listen and to learn about how we can work together to make a new kind of Australia."
He also acknowledged that conditions on this trip would not be as harsh as those encountered in 1965.
"There's going to be a lot that's different," he said.
"The buses will be air-conditioned. You'll be sleeping in hotels, not on the floor."
Rider and student representative council president Kyol Blakeney, only the second Indigenous person the hold the position, said he was inspired by the original freedom riders and hoped to emulate the success of Charlie Perkins and others.
"You see the result of something like the freedom ride 50 years ago and you know that they were doing the same thing and had the same views as you do right now," he said.
"And if they can make a change then who knows where we'll be 50 years after this event."
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