All Rapid City Tours & Excursions in 2026

What makes this tour unique is the combination of three of Western South Dakota's most iconic destinations – Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park Wildlife Loop – into a single, comprehensive, and fully narrated experience. Over 8-9 hours, you'll not just see these landmarks, but gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for their history, cultural significance, and natural beauty. We always give the guest time to buy their lunch during the tour.

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.

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.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Completed in 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, the sculpture’s roughly 60-ft.-high granite faces depict U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The site also features a museum with interactive exhibits.

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.

There’s nothing “bad” about touring the Badlands with a guide who’ll drive you to the national park, teach you the history of the area, and make sure you don’t miss any of the best spots for photos. The tour is a highly curated route that takes you to places you’d otherwise miss. From scenic overlooks to the famous Wall Drug Store, and even to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, where you’ll get to experience ‘duck and cover drills,’ it’s good fun in the Badlands.

Visit Devils Tower National Monument and the surrounding area with a professional guide with this tour. You'll make plenty of stops along the way at spots such as the Old Fort Meade Museum, Bear Butte State Park, and the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument, while your guide tells you all about the region's history.

We would pick you up from your Rapid City hotel at 6:30-6:45 pm in 7 or 12 passenger van depending on if we have others going. It is a 45 minute drive to Mt Rushmore. You would have half an hour to get to the amphitheater to get a seat for the program that starts at 8:00 pm. There is a 10 minute Ranger Talk about some topic about the 4 presidents. After the talk is a 20 minute video about the growth of the country in relation to the 4 presidents. At 8:30 pm, the Star Spangled Banner is sung and the lights go on the faces. Veterans and military are invited to the stage to help retire the flag and be honored. It is about a 45 minute program. We do have blankets for you in your vans if it is a chilly night. But, plan on bringing a jacket as it cools off once the sun goes down. We would get you back to Rapid City around 9:45 pm.

This isn't just another tour; it's a chance to experience the Black Hills at their best, during the prime season of May through September. What makes this tour unique is its personalized touch. We take the hassle out of your day by picking you up directly from your Rapid City hotel at 8:00-8:30 AM, ensuring a seamless start to your adventure. Then, we transport you to the charming town of Keystone, SD, where you have the freedom to explore for at least 1½ hours, crafting your own experience. Whether you're drawn to the unique shops, the thrilling Big Thunder Gold Mine, or the insightful Rushmore Borglum Story, you're in control. It's your day, your way, in the heart of the Black Hills.

This Northern Black Hills Shared Tour is unique because it combines breathtaking scenery with a fascinating glimpse into the Wild West history that shaped the region. You'll experience the natural beauty of the northern Black Hills while also uncovering the stories and historical points that bring the legendary Wild West days to life. It's a perfect balance of natural wonder and historical intrigue!

Explore Custer State Park on an all-day, small-group Jeep tour. After a convenient pickup from your Rapid City hotel, cruise scenic Iron Mountain Road and marvel at hundreds of bison on a 19-mile safari.  Ascend Mt. Coolidge and get amazing views of Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills. You won't have to bring food with you as a picnic lunch is included in the tour price.

Discover some of South Dakota’s top landmarks—including the iconic Mt. Rushmore—and leave the driving to someone else on this seamless, full-day bus tour. Meet in the morning in Rapid City, hop aboard your air-conditioned coach, and head to Mt. Rushmore to see the larger-than-life sculpture. Next, drive through the Black Hills, stop for lunch (own expense) in Custer State Park, thread the Needles Highway, see the Crazy Horse Memorial, and more.

What makes this Badlands and Wall Drug Store tour unique is the depth of knowledge and storytelling it offers. It's not just a scenic drive, but a fully narrated experience that brings the Badlands and prairie areas to life with abundant information and captivating stories. This ensures a richer and more engaging experience compared to self-guided tours or those with less historical and cultural context, especially since it spans a substantial 7-8 hours.

Soar over the Southern Black Hills and expansive prairies of South Dakota on this thrilling hot-air balloon ride from Hot Springs. Climb aboard your private hot-air balloon and enjoy unparalleled views of the area. Upon touchdown, enjoy a celebratory sparkling wine toast with snacks and receive a personalized flight certificate.

Custer State Park is South Dakota’s largest state park, and if you’re not familiar with your way around, visiting the park can be quite the undertaking. Instead, leave the stress behind and prebook this Custer State Park Private Jeep Safari. You and your private group will travel by the park’s main highlights such as Needles Highway, Stockade Lake, Sylvan Lake, Iron Mountain Road, and Wildlife Loop. A picnic lunch is included.

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.

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.

Explore the iconic Black Hills with this comprehensive day-long tour. Discover the grandeur of Mount Rushmore, America's Shrine to Democracy, and witness the ongoing work at the Crazy Horse Memorial, the largest mountain sculpture in progress. Navigate through the stunning Needles Highway, where breathtaking views abound, and immerse yourself in the wildlife of Custer State Park, home to bison, deer, and more. The tour includes admission to all attractions and provides a comfortable experience in small groups of 12 or fewer, ensuring a personal and engaging journey through South Dakota's rich history and natural beauty. - Small group sizes for a personalized tour experience - Stops at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park - Admission fees included, with lunch at the historic Custer State Game Lodge (meal not included) - Free pickup and drop-off from local accommodations in the area

See a different side of Badlands National Park, at sunset and under the night sky, with this experience. Your guide will take you and your party out at dusk, a great time to spot wildlife. After the sun sets, you'll head over to the park ranger-led Night Sky Program, where you'll learn about the universe and maybe even get to see the sky through a telescope.

Experience the very best of South Dakota's Black Hills on this unforgettable self-guided driving tour along the legendary Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. Travel winding mountain roads, cross famous pigtail bridges, drive through narrow granite tunnels, encounter free-roaming bison, and visit some of America's most iconic landmarks, including Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. Along the way, discover the fascinating stories of the pioneers, engineers, Native American history, and conservationists who shaped this remarkable landscape. With stunning overlooks, wildlife encounters, and breathtaking scenery around every curve, this GPS-guided driving tour is one of the most scenic road trips in the United States.

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.

Explore the Black Hills with a former National Park Ranger on a private, personalized tour designed around your interests. Visit landscapes where your guide lived and worked as a ranger and conducted master’s research, gaining firsthand insight into the wildlife and landscapes of the region — including the iconic buffalo herds of Custer State Park. Explore Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse National Memorials going beyond the typical stops with deeper stories of wildlife, geology, and history, plus scenic viewpoints and insights most visitors never experience. Fully private, completely personalized, and led by someone who calls these parks home — this is the Black Hills experience you won't find anywhere else.

Discover Mount Rushmore National Memorial with an app-based, self-guided audio tour that brings its history, stories, and larger-than-life sculptures to life. There’s no in-person guide—your phone is your guide as you explore the memorial and learn about its four presidents, construction, artistry, and history. Learn about the incredible artistry and engineering behind this monumental achievement, as well as the legends and lore surrounding it. Perfect for families, history buffs, and curious travelers, our audio tour adds a delightful twist to your visit. Simply download, plug in your headphones, and embark on a memorable adventure through Mount Rushmore! "Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours"