Top South Dakota Sightseeing Tours

Easily book this Black Hills hot air balloon ride ahead of time and avoid the stress of trying to get a last-minute, sunrise ride while in South Dakota. Fly above the Black Hills in Custer State Park for stunning 360-degree views from up above. This hot-air balloon tour includes a glass of Champagne, light snacks, and a souvenir certificate to toast the beautiful morning.

Learn all about the park’s overlooks, hiking trails, history, and more as you travel along the Badlands Wall with this self-guided app tour. The app’s virtual narrator shares fascinating facts about the national park, from local culture to fossils, letting you explore at your own pace and on your own terms.

If you’re planning a trip to Mount Rushmore, but don’t want to be packed on a big tour bus full of people, try booking this Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Black Hills Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour. This tour takes you through the Black Hills to stops inside both Badlands National Park and Custer State Park, as well as many other noteworthy highlights of the area. Plus, you’ll explore at your own pace with an easy-to-use, downloadable app.

Don't bother renting a car or planning a thing with this private tour to three celebrated South Dakota monuments: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park. After a hassle-free pickup from your hotel, your personal guide transports you to these three landmarks. You visit each attraction—with entry fees included—and learn more as you go with the help of your guide's expert commentary.

Drive the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road, where bison roam freely and sweeping landscapes stretch before you. At the Wildlife Station Visitor Center, explore the park’s history and wildlife. The Needles Highway offers a winding route through jagged granite spires, showcasing the rugged beauty of the Black Hills. Mount Coolidge provides panoramic views of the entire park, revealing the diverse terrain that defines this stunning natural haven. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.

Experience Mount Rushmore in its most powerful setting — illuminated against the evening sky with your private guide who served as a National Park Ranger and once delivered the official evening program. Your private evening begins with scenic travel into the Black Hills and ascending Iron Mountain Road, where granite tunnels frame distant views of the the presidents faces. Upon arrival, you’ll explore the memorial in person. You’ll hear the deeper stories of engineering challenges, the unfinished chamber behind the faces, tools still embedded in the granite, and the human drama behind the carving of the mountain itself. As twilight settles, you’ll attend the official Evening Lighting Ceremony — a moving program of history, film, illumination, and tribute. Watching the sculpture emerge from darkness into light is a powerful and reflective moment. You'll return through the quiet Black Hills with memories lingering long after the lights fade.

Explore the Black Hills with this self-guided walking and driving tour, weaving through landmark sites steeped in monumental art and history. Walk through the majestic Mount Rushmore, delve into the natural splendor of Custer State Park, experience the cultural resonance of Crazy Horse Memorial, and relax at the picturesque Sylvan Lake. Each location enriches your journey with its unique story and breathtaking vistas, creating memories that echo through the landscapes of South Dakota. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

Discover the beauty of the Dakotas with this bundle of self-guided driving and walking tours in North and South Dakota. Pay a visit to the awe-inspiring Mount Rushmore. Cruise through the lush greenery of the Black Hills. Experience views like nowhere else in Badlands National Park. And journey through wilderness that inspired one of America’s greatest presidents in Teddy Roosevelt National Park. This bundle is the ultimate Dakota experience. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.

Discover the wonders of Wind Cave National Park with our immersive self-guided audio tour! Wander through one of the world's longest and most intricate cave systems and explore the park’s unique prairie and forest landscapes—all at your own pace. With GPS-triggered narration, our expert guides bring the park’s geology and rich cultural history to life, sharing intriguing stories about the cave’s discovery, the lives of native people, and the scientific marvels hidden beneath your feet. Skip the crowds and rigid schedules—enjoy total freedom, offline maps, and compelling insights without the cost of traditional guided tours. Join thousands who’ve enriched their park adventures with our audio guides—download now and let the magic of Wind Cave unfold! *Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*

Walk through the rugged streets of historic Deadwood on a self-guided audio tour that plays automatically through your GPS app. Starting near the city center, you’ll follow a walkable route past historic buildings while the stories of the Wild West unfold around you. Along the way, you will pass iconic landmarks like the Adams Museum, historic Saloon No. 10, and Mount Moriah Cemetery, the final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. As you walk, you will learn how the 1876 gold rush turned a lawless gulch into a legendary boomtown of gunslingers and massive fortunes. Explore at your own pace—pause to pan for gold, grab a drink, or take photos. The audio resumes whenever you are ready, so you can move freely without keeping up with a group. This is a self-guided experience (no in-person guide). Download the tour in advance and use it anytime—it works offline and follows your location along the route.

Experience Custer State Park on the ultimate, luxury, crowd-free open-air safari. * Luxury Vehicles: Choose a Mercedes Caleche Sprinter, Lincoln Executive Limo, or Specialized Jeep Gladiator. * 100% Private & Customizable: Set your own pace and linger for wildlife. * Iconic Routes: Cruise Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road stress-free. * Unobstructed Views: Perfect window-free photography of 1,400 free-roaming bison. * Premium Dining: Includes a curated lakeside picnic. * Beat the Heat: Smart scheduling avoids the intense afternoon sun and provides the best time for wildlife viewing.

Experience the magic of Badlands National Park like never before on this exclusive private sunset and stargazing tour, led by a former National Park Ranger. As the sun dips below the horizon, watch the otherworldly spires and jagged pinnacles ignite in brilliant shades of orange, red, and gold. For those who want to go deeper, optional short hikes take you off the roadside and into the heart of the Badlands, where your guide's expertise brings the geology, wildlife, and history to life. When darkness falls, sink into a zero gravity chair and let the universe open up above you — a vast, unpolluted sky blazing with thousands of stars, sweeping meteor trails, and the luminous arc of the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon. Peer through a telescope to explore distant planets, star clusters, and galaxies with the naked eye impossible to see. Fully private, completely personalized, and led by a local former park ranger — this is the Badlands experience you won't find anywhere else.

Discover the dramatic landscapes of Badlands National Park with our captivating audio tour! Traverse rugged cliffs, colorful canyons, and expansive prairies while our guides share intriguing stories and fun facts about the park's unique geology, rich fossil beds, and diverse wildlife. Learn about the ancient history that shaped these striking formations and the animals that roam this fascinating terrain. Ideal for families, nature enthusiasts, and adventure seekers, our tour offers a fun and educational experience. Simply download, plug in your headphones, and embark on an unforgettable exploration of the breathtaking Badlands National Park! *Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*

The Badlands Loop Road offers a unique journey through one of North America's most dramatic landscapes. This self-guided driving tour spans 31 miles of jagged ridges and rich history, narrated seamlessly via GPS. Key highlights include ancient fossil beds, sacred Lakota lands, and stunning overlooks like Panorama Point and Big Badlands Overlook. With no set schedule, you can explore at your own pace and discover hidden stories along the way. - 31-mile scenic drive with GPS-triggered narration - Explore the rich history of the Badlands and Lakota culture - Stop at iconic viewpoints and wildlife spotting areas - Flexible timing—spend 1 to 3 hours based on your stops

Don’t get crammed into a huge tour with travelers you don’t know—instead, prebook this Badlands National Park Private Tour and visit the national park with a private group. Make additional stops at South Dakota’s Museum of Geology, Wall Drug Store, and Minuteman Missile Visitors Center, as well as the national park. You choose what you’ll do or have your guide plan the day for you.

One of the most historic cities in America’s Great Plains, Deadwood is the kind of place that demands a knowledgeable guide. With this self-guided walking tour, your smartphone becomes your on-call expert, quickly able to decipher the city’s past. You’ll explore old-school saloons and Chinatown, you’ll learn all about city figures like Calamity Jane, and you’ll get to do it all away from the tourist crowds.

Download GuideAlong’s self-guided audio tour bundle for the US Rockies & Plains, featuring 15 tours including Yellowstone & Grand Teton, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Theodore Roosevelt, Black Hills, scenic drives, and Yellowstone walks at Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and West Thumb. Discover geysers, peaks, wildlife, history, and wide-open landscapes with GPS-triggered stories that play automatically offline, making it easy to explore by car and on foot. Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you and bypassing any that don’t. Stories, tips, and directions play automatically based on your location Travel at your own pace Tour offline using GPS. No cell service or WiFi is needed Suggested itineraries for half, full, or multi-day use No time limits or expiry, and free updates Like having a tour guide along for the drive Purchase one tour per vehicle.

Experience Badlands National Park privately, intentionally, and at a relaxed pace with a former national park ranger as your guide. After Rapid City pickup, travel east across open prairie past ranch country and to the near-ghost town of Scenic, with stories of frontier survival, dinosaurs, and the rare black-footed ferret. Enter the Badlands where the prairie suddenly drops into glowing, layered formations. From sweeping overlooks near Bigfoot Pass and the White River Valley, trace ancient seas and deeper Lakota (Native American) history. At Yellow Mounds and Conata Basin, watch soft yellows, purples, and rust tones unfold—often alongside bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and prairie dogs. Enjoy a midday lunch at the Salty Steer in Wall, plus time at iconic Wall Drug. The afternoon shifts to Cold War history at the Minuteman Missile Site before returning to dramatic overlooks and optional short walks like the Door, Window, or Notch Trail.

Unlike traditional ground-based tours, this scenic flight offers a bird’s-eye view of South Dakota’s striking landscapes—something you simply can’t experience from a car or a trail. From the air, you’ll see the full scale and dramatic contrast between the rolling prairie of Buffalo Gap National Grassland and the jagged cliffs of Badlands National Park. ✈️ Exclusive Access – Cover more ground than any vehicle or hike can, including remote areas not visible from roads or overlooks. Incredible Photo Opportunities – Capture stunning aerial shots of layered rock formations, winding rivers, and wildlife. Wildlife Spotting – Spot bison herds, prairie dogs, and more from a unique, non-intrusive vantage point. Personal Experience – Led by a local pilot who shares stories, highlights, and insider knowledge throughout the flight. This isn’t just a tour—it’s an aerial adventure designed for travelers who want something unforgettable, immersive, and off the beaten path.

Hop aboard 'Buff,' a Jeep Wrangler specially modified to resist excited bison, with this private tour through Custer State Park. You'll visit all corners of the park, including Mt. Coolidge, Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, and the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop, with a stop along the way for a picnic lunch served with beer/wine (on request) at Stockade Lake.

Uncover the hidden beauty and history of South Dakota with this combo tour of Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park! Get the full story behind one of America’s largest sculptures at Mount Rushmore. Learn who designed it, how they carved it, and why these four presidents were selected for the monument. Then, take a trip back to the Badlands, where a landscape of alien beauty hides ancient fossils, geological marvels, and Lakota history. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

The annual Buffalo Roundup takes place on the last Friday of September. View the roundup and watch the branding and sorting of bison. After pickup from select Rapid City locations, head to the South Parking Lot, where a folding chair, hot beverages, and continental breakfast await. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Stockade Lake and sightseeing including Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, and Iron Mountain Road.

Maximize your time in South Dakota by seeing Black Hills’ highlights all in one day. An air-conditioned vehicle loaded with snacks takes you to famous carved monuments Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial, as well through some of Custer Park’s 71,000 scenic acres. You might even spot resident bison, elk, and other wildlife. There are also stops at Sylvan Lake and Iron Mountain Road, for more Rushmore views.