Exclusive: Rushmore, Custer State Park & Crazy Horse
- 8–9 hours
- Guided in English
- Private tour
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
Welcome to My XO Adventures! This is your tour, for your group! We don't mix with strangers on this adventure to ensure it's extraordinary. Your tour will be unscripted, unique, and back-road driven. We are always tuned in to your particular interests and automatically adjust accordingly. We aim to ensure you've had the most amazing experience possible. We do what we want, when we want, where we want. Think of it as the difference between a fast-food burger and a gourmet steak. We’ll customize your experience based on your interests, timing, and comfort level. Our extensive knowledge of the Black Hills means you’ll see famous spots and hidden gems that other tours can’t reach. This is your exclusive adventure, designed to create unforgettable memories in the Black Hills. We'll take you anywhere in the Black Hills within an 8-10 hour time period. Lunch is included.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private transportation
- Soda/Pop
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not
- Gratuities
Itinerary
Visit and learn about the Hay Camp gone wild. Rapid City is the newest and largest city in the Black Hills. Find out why, and all the best places to visit!
Keystone is also home to several museums and historic sites, including the National Presidential Wax Museum and the Big Thunder Gold Mine. These attractions offer visitors a glimpse into the area's history and make for a fun and educational experience for the whole family.
It's only the most recognized monumental carving in the United States. You wouldn't want to miss that would you? Come see Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt & Lincoln in this artistic masterpiece. Learn about the men behind the concept, and the workers that made it happen.
Iron Mountain Road was said to be impossible to build. Let's see what it's like to drive a challenge accepted. This road goes through the Black Hills, pigtail curves bridges, and tunnels on our way to stunning views. **If booked in winter months, accessibility is based on road closures and weather**
We'll stop here for a restroom break and learn about the park. Next, we're off to the Wildlife Loop Road for spotting some Bison.
The spires are located near the southern end of the Needles Highway and can be seen from several viewpoints along the road. The formations are made up of granite rock and rise hundreds of feet into the air, creating a stunning and otherworldly landscape.
The 60-foot-tall tower, built in the 1930s, has steps leading to the top, where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Black Hills and the surrounding prairie. On a clear day, you can even see the Badlands.
Threading the eye of the needle is the best part. Find out why they call this the Needles Highway and be prepared to traverse a few windy roads and tunnels along the way. Who knows what you might find? **If booked in winter months, accessibility is based on road closures and weather**
Ready for some wildlife? How about mega-fauna like the American Bison? This is our best shot at seeing these massive and beautiful creatures on the wildlife loop of Custer State Park. Over 1500 Bison exist here, along with pronghorn, antelope, big horn sheep, ferrets, prairie dogs, and a variety of birds. We'll stop at the visitors center before proceeding into the Wildlife Loop Road.
After traveling through the Needles Eye Tunnel, we enter an other-wordly space that contains the rare and natural formation, the Needles Eye.
Considered the most beautiful lake in the Black Hills, we'll stop here to take it all in. Sylvan Lake is like no other you've seen. Rock formations surround the lake, and trails head out in every direction. Americana at its best! **If booked in winter months, accessibility is based on road closures and weather**
Enter the culture and history before settlers arrived in the scene. This monument is dedicated to one of the most important indigenous people of the area, Crazy Horse. A courageous, and complicated warrior, he truly left his imprint upon this land. It's a fascinating story that must be told. let's visit the monument, watch a movie and make out way through some of the most interesting Native American artifacts of this land. *On certain days during the winter the museum is closed. In this case, we will view the mountain, tell the story of Crazy Horse as well as the carver of the Mountain*
Cancellation
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
5.0
- 598
- 42
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 100 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5We had a great experience...
We had a great experience using Viator for this tour they were helping and informative. We had Logan as a tour guide and you couldn’t have asked for a better person. He was very knowledgeable about the area and a wealth of information, he answered all your questions and gave his insight from reading and studying. I would highly recommend this tour. Bruce B 10/29/2026
5Amazing experience. Highly recommend.
Unequivocally and enthusiastically a five star experience. I took two tours with My XO Adventures, one to the Badlands with Dan and one to the Black Hills with Daniel (shout out to Amiee as well). You will not find more personable and knowledgeable guides. A tour with My XO Adventures will be your tour, personalized and entirely flexible. If I could give them ten stars I would. Book with XO!
5Fantastic tour. Informative and fun.
Our group of 4 decided at the last minute to look for a tour as the 2 class B vans we are in are too high for some of the tunnels in the Black Hills. We looked at reviews and called XO and they worked to set up a tour the next morning. Was well worth the money. Our guide Daniel was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, fun, and a skilled story teller. We got such great insights regarding the area. It was obvious he is a seasoned guide who loves his job. We were treated like good friends. He asked us what we wanted to see and planned a route accordingly, plus he made some great suggestions and we enjoyed seeing some wonderful places off the beaten path. He also had a camera and took pics at each stop and at the end of the trip provided them to us. His photos were fantastic and professional. We wouldn’t hesitate to go on another XO tour. We have gone on a number of tours over the years. Daniel ranks as one of the top guides we have had the pleasure to meet.
5Badlands, Black Hills and Bravehearts 3 Day Tour
Day 1 of my 3 Day South Dakota adventure with Daniel and XO completely exceeded my expectations! The day started off with an introduction to the area which included some interesting insights on geology. Next we visited Mount Rushmore where, Daniel was able to bring more detail and depth to the story of Mount Rushmore making the visit more memorable. After visiting Mount Rushmore, we drove through the famous Iron Mountain highway taking in pigtail bridges and beautiful vistas. Other lovely highlights of the day included a picnic in Custer State Park where we spotted lots of wildlife, however the best highlight was the heading out to the Badlands after dark for a night of stargazing. This experience was truly magical! Daniel’s expertise in knowing the perfect locations within the Badlands and incredible attention to detail (monitoring weather conditions) unlocked this amazing experience. I highly recommend XO Adventures!
5The Mount Rushmore Cherry on top of our SD Vacation
I had been eyeing XO Adventures for a few weeks before our trip and was too busy to pull the trigger. The 2 Sundays before the trip, I spoke with Aimee to have a few questions answered and then book for the week after. I was looking for a service-minded team that could take my family (2 adults, 2 kids - 9 & 15) and I on an adventure to see the many sights and talk about the historical region, significant events, context and frame of reference for the events, and the aftermath. At the same time, share hidden knowledge and locations to spawn some interest for my daughter into American History, as she is taking it this coming year. Aimee helped me set that up, checked in with us up to and through our experiences including planning meals and I'm eternally grateful. Day 2: We took the tour of the Black Hills, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, both monuments, and Cathedral Spires. This was a different type of tour as it was more travelling around from place to place but, much like with Dan, it was a conversation with Daniel, our tour guide, of what did we wanted out of it and setting a pace we were comfortable but with many more places with lots more people. Again, XO Adventures knocked our socks off. There was attention to detail and none of us wanted to be overwhelmed by people and tourists in spots as it was the last day of a week-long vacation. Daniel made it happen just the way we all wanted it. Daniel was aware we wanted to know about the region and scouting it out for a potential place to live and he made sure that we talked about that perspective as we went. We started off with a tour of Rapid City, origins and locations with their influence. From there, we went to Mt. Rushmore where we found a quiet place and talked about how it came about, the history of the people involved, and then took pictures. This took us down a path exploring the different presidents that had been in the region, mining, sculptors, and why Rapid City and the surrounding towns were so important at different points in time. This led to us going to Custer, exploring the museum in the courthouse, a must see, and grabbing lunch that we took to a nice spot on a lake for a picnic. It was peaceful watching the hawks and hearing the leaves blow in the wind as we ate our sandwiches from the Deli in Custer (fantastic by the way!!!). From here, we went to the Crazy Horse monument and then continued through several of the other locations on our itinerary at our pace. This leads to the highlights of the adventure: a heard of bison mixed with the vehicles on the road, male bulls wrestling and having an up close and personal look at how they live, but safely, and then the cherry on top. The cherry for this adventure was a surprise scenic look at Mount Rushmore as it was lit up. It was AMAZING! This may be long winded, but I wanted to try and share some of the magic XO adventures provides as you go on a journey through a story that they provide a few story items, but you get to pick your own adventure. I will always recommend and share my experience about our two adventures. I encourage you to check them out too. I know we will work with them again if we get back there next year for more adventures! Extremely memorable and the cherry on top of our vacation!
5Repeat customer; another exceptional experience with My XO Adventures
We spent two unforgettable days touring South Dakota with our incredible guide Daniel from My XO Adventures. He took us on a comprehensive journey through the region’s stunning and iconic sites, including Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands, Wall Drug, and even a fascinating ghost town. The wildlife sightings were truly spectacular — it felt like a National Geographic photoshoot with how close we got. What really set this tour apart was Daniel’s deep storytelling and his extensive knowledge of the history and culture behind each destination. His passion and expertise brought the entire experience to life in a way that’s rare to find. Beyond his vast knowledge, Daniel was incredibly kind, generous, and genuinely attentive to our needs. He expertly tailored the experience to our preferences, making our vacation seamless, stress-free, and filled with pure enjoyment and discovery. I am incredibly grateful for this experience and wholeheartedly recommend My XO Adventures to anyone looking to explore South Dakota with an expert who truly cares about making their trip exceptional.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- My XO Adventures
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Guests must be able to transfer in and out of the vehicle under their own power.
How it compares in Rapid City
- Its from-price is 77% above the median of the 76 experiences we list in Rapid City.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 8 of 76.
About Rapid City
Rapid City is the gateway to South Dakota's Black Hills, close to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and the Badlands.
Rapid City sits where the Black Hills meet the Great Plains in western South Dakota, on the banks of Rapid Creek. Life-size bronze statues of American presidents stand on the street corners of the downtown, and Dinosaur Park, a hilltop with concrete dinosaurs built in the 1930s, looks over the city. The Black Hills, called Paha Sapa by the Lakota, are sacred to them and rise as dark, pine-covered uplands.
Top-ranked sights in Rapid City: Cosmos Mystery Area.
Special offers in Rapid City
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
