This four-day private tour package combines iconic landmarks, spectacular scenic drives, fascinating history, abundant wildlife, and unforgettable local experiences into one seamless itinerary.
Over four days, you’ll discover the dramatic landscapes of Badlands National Park, explore the historic mining towns of the Northern Black Hills, experience the world-famous monuments and scenic roads of the Southern Hills, and ride aboard the 1880s historic train through the heart of the Black Hills.
Designed for travelers who want to see more than just the highlights, this package offers the perfect balance of sightseeing, history, nature, wildlife, and local culture – without the stress of planning routes, driving unfamiliar roads, or coordinating logistics.
With a private guide, flexible pacing, and carefully selected daily itineraries, you’ll experience the Black Hills the way they were meant to be explored.
Explore the dramatic formations of Badlands National Park, one of the most unique landscapes in North America.
Highlights include:
Expect towering rock formations, sweeping vistas, fascinating geology, and opportunities to spot bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and pronghorn.
Experience many of the Black Hills’ most iconic attractions, including a ride aboard the historic 1880 Train.
Highlights include:
This day offers a perfect blend of history, scenery, and a uniquely Black Hills experience.
Discover the rich history and stunning scenery of the Northern Black Hills.
Highlights include:
This day combines fascinating stories of the Black Hills Gold Rush with some of the region’s most spectacular canyon scenery.
Spend your final day exploring the wildlife-rich landscapes of Custer State Park and learning about the region’s cultural history.
Highlights include:
Many guests consider this their favorite day thanks to the combination of wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery.
Rather than repeating similar scenery, each day showcases a completely different side of the Black Hills.
From dramatic Badlands formations and historic western towns to mountain landscapes, wildlife encounters, and historic railroads, every day feels unique.
Travel exclusively with your group and guide. No crowded buses. No rushing between stops.
Simply enjoy the flexibility to travel at your own pace.
Our guides don’t simply drive between attractions. They are local passionate guides, who will share the stories, history, geology, wildlife, and local knowledge that help bring the Black Hills to life.
We’ve combined our most popular day tours into one seamless package, eliminating the need to coordinate multiple bookings, transportation arrangements, and daily planning.
Is there something you’d like to see not on the itinerary? Need to move around days or have a break in between touring days? Being private tours, we can cater these tours to your interests and schedule. These 4 days are a great starting point, but we can always mix things up. Get in touch and let’s work out the best itinerary for your group.
This is a private tour, running over 4 days. Order of tour days can be changed according to guest preferences. Days DO NOT need to be consecutive.
Each touring day is designed to be approximately 8 hours.
This tour leaves to and from your central Rapid City accommodation. If you are staying elsewhere in the hills, we will arrange a meeting point, or arrange pick up for an added fee.
From ~$3,300 + tax for 2 guests (4 days inclusive)
Additional guests from +$875 per person
Every Black Hills vacation is different. Our 4-day tour package is designed to be flexible, allowing guests to select from several touring options and experiences throughout their stay. Final pricing will depend on your chosen itinerary, group size, and any optional upgrades or attractions.
Contact us to build your ideal Black Hills adventure and receive a customized quote.
As this tour requires a few customizations, contact us directly to book.
Not necessarily. Depending on availability, we may be able to customize the schedule to fit your travel plans.
Most guests choose Rapid City, which provides easy access to all four touring days.
Yes. The variety of attractions, wildlife viewing, train ride, and flexible pace make this package popular with families.
If you are traveling with children and want to customize the tour, or look at some added options, speak to us directly.
Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but bison, prairie dogs, deer, pronghorn, wild burros, and bighorn sheep are commonly seen throughout the tour.
We like to say, there is a 99.5% chance you’ll find some wildlife, and our guides will do all they can to ensure it!
This tour is designed to be taken at any pace and activity level.
Most attractions involve minimal walking, with optional short walks available throughout the itinerary.
If you’d like to incorporate some longer short walks or hikes into the day, let us know and we’ll make sure we get you moving!
Yes. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is included as part of the Southern Black Hills & 1880 Train day.
We’ll ride the train one way, which is a 1 hour journey. Your guide will pick you up at the train depot to continue your tour.
We recommend:
Weather in the Black Hills can change quickly, particularly during spring and fall.
Tours operate in most weather conditions. The Black Hills often experience changing weather patterns, and many attractions remain enjoyable even on cloudy or rainy days. If severe weather affects a portion of the itinerary, we’ll work to provide suitable alternatives where possible.
The Black Hills are beautiful from spring through fall. Summer offers the warmest temperatures and full attraction access, while May and and early October are often considered the best balance of pleasant weather, wildlife activity, and smaller crowd.
We recommend booking as early as possible, particularly for summer travel, as accommodations, train tickets, and guide availability can become limited during peak season.
EXCELLENT Based on 119 reviews Posted on Google Mohammed AbdullateefTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had a wonderful day with Jeff; he truly made my trip to this beautiful city an unforgettable memory. He was so kind and engaging that the time just flew by. Thank you allPosted on Google Knock outTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A outstanding tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and Wildlife Loop Road. Joel our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable, respectful, motivated and went well beyond what we expected. Thank so very much Joel. We will return for a longer stay next time.Posted on Google S JTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Outstanding and very thorough tour. Joel is an incredible guide. He is a wealth of information. The tour company is very professional and very timely with their responses. I had an absolute blast!!! If you are going to check out this part of the world, you definitely want to book with Black Hills Tour Company!! You will be elated that you did!!!Posted on Google Tina WootenTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff was a wonderful tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly.Posted on Google Carey StricklandTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Bike the Badlands Tour is PHENOMENAL! Hands down, BIKING THE BADLANDS IS A MUST DO! The perspective you get from a bike is unmatched and in my mind the only way to get a really good idea about the expansiveness and geological features. We rode about 25 miles through the picturesque terrain and Joel (our extraordinary guide) made sure we had time for all photo opportunities (including the wildlife and landscapes), outfitted us with bikes (e-bikes are available) and an excellent lunch. He is so personable, loves his job and gives you a wealth of information and history. He took pictures of us rolling wheels for our memorabilia and stopped at sights off the beaten path to give us a look at yester-years. WE LOVED THE EXPERIENCE and would do it again in a heartbeat, but only if Joel was our guide. ❤️Posted on Google Connie ShanksTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a fantastic tour! It was just amazing and Denise was excellent tour guide😃Posted on Google Ann MorganTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. JOEL ALBRIGHT from Black Hills Tours Company provided a wonderful tour of Devil’s Tower and Spearfish canyon topped by a yummy stop at the Chubby Chipmunk. He provided excellent insights into the geology and history of the area and helped us take memorable photos. We were so impressed we asked him to rearrange his schedule so we could take a second tour with him of the Badlands. It was equally engaging capped by a great but doable hike. He also provided two great dining recommendations. We certainly recommend Joel and the Black Hills Tour Company.Posted on Google Renée RTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our family of six used Black Hills Tour Company to bike the entire Mickelson Trail. We were based in Rapid City and completed a different segment of the trail each day. The company provided a private shuttle, bike support, sightseeing , and a knowledgeable guide each day. Kevin, our guide, was fantastic — he offered excellent suggestions, was flexible with our plans, and worked well with the older members of our group.Posted on Google Dan GallagherTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My wife and I have been doing guided bike trips in the US and Europe for almost 50 years now, and we had absolutely one of the most delightful experience with Kevin and Mel’s company. We highly recommend them.Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
EXCELLENT Based on 391 reviews Posted on Tripadvisor Happiness13422205233Verified Mt Rushmore touring at its finest We did two tours with Black Hills. Our tour guide, Joel was without a doubt one of the best guides we have ever experienced. He was not only knowledgeable but easy to understand. We saw places that the average tour would never see. He was good with everyone in our small group from 7 years old to 70. The booking process and the tour van were top notch. If you want a 10 star tour experience call Black Hills Tour Company.Posted on Tripadvisor Alexis CVerified Perfect Family Experience at Mt. Rushmore Our Mt. Rushmore project experience was absolutely amazing! Denise, our tour guide, went above and beyond to make sure our family had a wonderful time. We are so grateful for her kindness and highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Mt. Rushmore!Posted on Tripadvisor MohammedVerified wonderful day It was such a pleasure spending the day with Jeff. He made my visit to this lovely city truly memorable. He is such a kind person that time passed before I even noticed. Many thanks to you allPosted on Tripadvisor Linda LVerified Informative We had an informed and memorable tour with Kevin our tour guide. Kevin was friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining, and passionate about all the sites we visited. We will recommend the Black Hills Tour company to all our friends who are planning their patriotic American tour for 2026!Posted on Tripadvisor AndrewVerified Best Tour Ever! My wife and I spent the day with our guide Terry, and visited Mt Rushmore, Needles Hwy, Sylvan Lake, Crazy Horse Monument, and Custer St Park. Terry was extremely engaging and knowledgeable throughout the entire day. He picked us up at 8:30a and dropped us back at our hotel at 6:00p - he would have happily extended our tour even longer if we had asked. Definitely a great value for a private tour. Mt Rushmore & Crazy Horse exceeded our expectations, they were fantastic! Eating our picnic lunch with Terry at Sylvan Lake on a comfortably sunny 50 F day surrounded by the day before's newfallen snow was certainly a highlight. Newborn buffalo calves and the baby burro on the Custer wildlife loop were a perfect way to end the day. We would not hesitate to book with Black Hills Tour Company again.Posted on Tripadvisor Cindy CVerified Custer State Park and Needles Highway Superior full day in private tour specially tailored to our interests: wildlife loop, Custer State Park, Needles Highway all with Joel. An excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. The best tour we have ever taken!Posted on Tripadvisor Brendon PVerified Amazing! Great tour! Guide was very informative. Learnt and saw lots. Definitely worthwhile.Posted on Tripadvisor sonyabunchVerified Joel was extremely knowledgeable and informative. The tour exceeded both our expectations and I would recommend 10/10 A definite must do for anyone visiting the area for the first time! Ask for Joel! You won’t be disappointed! I will recommend to everyone!Posted on Tripadvisor Michelle JVerified First time trip to South Dakota guide service was very knowledgeable and helpful. Our guide was Jeff and he was great. I recommend this as a first time visit to South Dakota because without the guide, we would have never been able to experience the splendor of the area without our guide Jeff being there to give all the information and history. Jeff took us to places and showed us areas that we would’ve never picked out ourselves. He allowed us to experience the beauty of the sites such as Mount Rushmore, Custer Park and the monument tribute to Crazy Horse, and the Needles. Hailee recommend money well spent.Posted on Tripadvisor Richard GVerified Black Hill Tour It was a fantastic experience. Our guide Gina was excellent. She was extremely knowledgeable and had the perfect personality for a guide. She made us feel very comfortable and provided a lot of insight of the areas we visited and gave us ample time to see everything. I would highly recommend this tour. Well worth the money.

Black Hills Tour Company operates under a special use permit on the Black Hills National Forest