Mount Rushmore & Black Hills Bus Tour from Rapid City

Four scenic drives, three tunnels, and the presidents carved into stone

You board an air-conditioned coach at 8am, visit Mount Rushmore in morning light, drive two scenic highways through granite tunnels, eat lunch at a historic lodge, and spend time at Crazy Horse Memorial. Entry to all three sites is included, as is the bus, the driver's knowledge of the route, and a restroom on board. You're back in Rapid City by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Mount Rushmore National MemorialEntry included1h
2. Iron Mountain RoadEntry included1h
3. Needles HighwayEntry included1h

Mount Rushmore and Black Hills tour

• Check in at Fort Hays Headquarters
• Bus departs to Mount Rushmore
• Explore Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Drive along Iron Mountain Road
• Lunch at Game Lodge in Custer State Park
• Drive Needles Highway and pass Needles Eye Tunnel
• Rest stop and coffee at Sylvan Lake
• Visit Crazy Horse Memorial

The experience

You're checking in at Fort Hays Chuckwagon by 8am, getting your printed ticket and assigned bus number, then rolling out at 9am toward Mount Rushmore. The timing matters: Gutzon Borglum carved those four faces to catch the morning sun from the east, and that's when they're meant to be seen. You get just over an hour to walk the grounds at your own pace, no guide talking over the view, just you and the mountain.

After Mount Rushmore, the bus takes the 17-mile Iron Mountain Road, a narrow ribbon of asphalt with three one-lane tunnels that frame the monument perfectly as you drive through. Then lunch at the Game Lodge inside Custer State Park (the same lodge where President Calvin Coolidge spent his summers), and the buffalo stew is genuinely the thing people mention when they talk about this tour. You're eating in a piece of history, which sounds like marketing until you're actually there. The Needles Highway comes next, a 14-mile drive through granite spires so tight that the bus squeezes through the Needles Eye Tunnel with inches to spare on each side. Passengers always gather at the windows for that one.

A coffee break at Sylvan Lake (one of the real crown jewels of the park, the kind of stop that exists because the company has been running this route since 1973 and knows where the light hits right), and then an hour at Crazy Horse Memorial, the mountain carving still in progress. You wander on your own, no rushed narration, just the scale of what's being carved into the stone every day. The whole day is about six hours of driving and stopping, which is why everything fits without feeling crammed. The bus tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills works because it's been refined over fifty years by people who live here.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel pickup (check-in at Fort Hays Chuckwagon), a full-day air-conditioned coach with a restroom on board, entry to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial, lunch at the Game Lodge, and stops at Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, and Sylvan Lake. You explore each site at your own pace.
• the driver handles the route and the timing.

Information

Lasts 9h, from US$ 132.50 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesNext departure: 9 May 20276 departing soon ›

GroupUp to 1604 private ›

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.6 with pickup ›

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (13 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (5 to 12 years) · Child (2 to 4 years) · Infant (under 2)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Mount Rushmore Tours

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to see the main Black Hills landmarks in one day without renting a car or navigating the narrow mountain roads yourself. The drive is part of the experience: Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway are the reason you're on a bus instead of behind the wheel.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 12 years); Child (2 to 4 years); Infant (under 2).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the tour start and end?

Check-in is 7:45–8am at Fort Hays Chuckwagon. The bus departs at 9am. The tour runs most of the day, returning late afternoon.

Is Mount Rushmore entry included?

Yes. Entry to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial are all included in the tour price.

Is lunch included?

Lunch at the Game Lodge inside Custer State Park is included. The buffalo stew is a signature item.

How long do you spend at Mount Rushmore?

Just over an hour. You explore at your own pace. There is no guided narration at the site.

What is the Needles Eye Tunnel?

A tunnel on the Needles Highway carved so narrowly that the bus passes through with only inches of clearance on each side.

Is there a restroom on the bus?

Yes, the coach has a restroom on board.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are welcome on the tour.