We decided on the Badlands Sunset and Stargazing tour with XO. Our tour guide Dan (retired Dan)…read morewas phenomenal. We are in our 70's and Dan was so perfect for us. He knew so much about the Badlands. We learned so much that we never would have known if we just drove through on our own. He was a scout master and he comes prepared with his camera with lenses that take beautiful close up pictures that we never would have gotten on our own. He will take pictures of whatever you want. We were picked up at 3:15 and dropped off at 11:30! We even stopped on the way at Wall Drug. The day we went, unfortunately , the weather was not aligning with the night sky we needed to see the stars which is something no one has control over. But the sunset was beautiful and the Badlands did not disappoint so I got over my no star night. My husband said a few times to me, this is well worth the money. He was just the greatest and Aimee the owner was very much updating us about the details and they brought snacks and a huge sub sandwich. I am attaching some pictures but they are ones that I took. I haven't been able to save his pictures in my photos yet. I'm not great at figuring this tech stuff out. P.S. we saw so many bison really up close.

If you're considering a trip to South Dakota, stop looking around and book with My XO Adventures…read more Daniel was our tour guide --he is truly one of a kind. Our tour took us through some of the most breathtaking locations, including Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and so many hidden gems we never would have known about without him. We also went to Wyoming and saw Devils tower and beautiful frozen waterfalls. But what made this trip amazing wasn't just the scenery, it was Daniel himself. From the moment we started, it was clear that Daniel goes above and beyond for his guests. He thought of everything--water, coffee, snacks, chargers, binoculars--literally everything we could have needed. He is like a walking encyclopedia, sharing history, stories, and fascinating details that made each location come alive. We never felt rushed; instead, he took his time to make sure the experience was all about us. One of the most memorable highlights was something completely unplanned--stargazing in the Badlands. Living near a city, I never get to see the stars like that. But out there, I saw shooting stars, the Milky Way, and even satellites. It was absolutely magical, and it wouldn't have happened without Daniel. He even brought his camera and took stunning photos, which he sent to us at the end of the day--such an amazing touch! This wasn't just a vacation--Daniel said something that really stuck to me, it was a reminder to slow down and reconnect with life and nature (I have a high stress career and always looking to disconnect). The beauty of South Dakota was unforgettable, but without Daniel, we wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much as we did. If you're on the fence about booking with My XO Adventures, just do it, It's SO worth it, and you'll walk away with memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you, Daniel, for making this one of the best trips I've ever had!

I would like to give a shout out for your Awesome tour guide Gene! We had an awesome experience…read more with your tour I'm so glad I chose your company months ago when I was planning our trip. Gene gave us the best tour and was very thorough explaining everything. He was prompt on picking us up at our hotel and safely brought us back it was a slow time of year so my husband and I got a real personal tour. Thank you so much Gene. You are highly recommended. I would absolutely do this again!

The Black Hills Open Top group was great. The owner (Rich) seems to be an honest business owner and…read morequite accommodating. The driver/tour guide was knowledgeable and great. However, I would book my tour directly with the outfit next time https://blackhillsopentoptours.com/night-mt-rushmoretunnelsstarz.html If I had to rate the Viator (booking people), I would give it ZERO star as they were not helpful for the most part and clueless about their own written policy. I booked the tour through Viator 3-4 days before my event date/time. Their written policy states change/cancellation is ok within 24 hours of the event. This was a night tour. I called Viator to postpone my tour by a day, ~36 hours prior to my event and got a total run-around from their customer service. They refused to help even though I was well within their policy to make changes. Thank goodness Rich (the tour operator) was able to assist, one phone call and a text took care of the adjustment. Thanks Rich (BH Opentop) for your assistance.

"If I can talk to the President Would he pay attention…read morereally listen?" (LL Cool J) In the heart of downtown Rapid City, SD, it's quite understandable why many tourists might stop dead in their tracks and do a double take. That's because of the 44 life-sized bronze statues of America's Presidents found on twelve intersections up and down Main Street and St. Joseph Street in downtown Rapid City. Accordingly, Rapid City earned its nickname of "the City of Presidents". These statues are more or less life-sized and match the height and weight of the presidents. That is except for Ohio heavyweight William Howard Taft, who weighed over 350 pounds. His statue was slimmed down to make it more affordable. The statues poses are very cool -John Kennedy with his young son John-John, Barack Obama's statue captures his election night scene when he came out holding his daughter's hand, Abraham Lincoln was also sculpted with his son, Tad; FDR is shown standing at a podium with radio mics, and a slimmed down Taft commemorating the day he became the first president to deliver the first pitch at a baseball game. There is an on-line map that shows the location of the statues. This is most definitely one of the coolest things I've seen and a real treat for the history nerds out there. BONUS TIP As the weather got colder, we began to see considerate tourists and residents decorate the statues with wool hats or plastic fireman's hats to add a sense of humor to the statues. I can only imagine what will happen on Halloween!

**June 2025: Tuesday Morning/Afternoon Visit**…read more This was one of best highlight during my midwest trip. All 45 presidents have a statute at the corner of one of two streets in Rapid City. They're all positioned in different ways and it's pretty cool to see what pose was selected for them and how it reflected their personality and legacy. If you visit the Rapid City Visitor Center first you can get a map of all the presidents and participate in a Scavenger Hunt where you obviously can earn a prize! I love a challenge and my friend and I made it our mission to play and win! Just an FYI - you'll want to look very diligent behind and on the side of the presidents because some of items to find aren't very obvious - so they definitely put you to work! I think to walk up and down the two streets and look for the clues took at least two hours so it was a great way to get in my steps. I also took photos with each president so that probably slowed me down to be honest lol Our current president is located inside the Visitor Center and after we finished we got to redeem a cool South Dakota Tumbler and sticker. If you're in Rapid City you should definitely take on the Scavenger Hunt Challenge! One of the visitor center volunteers also said that during the winter time the presidents get decorated with scarves, mittens, hat etc. I'd love to see that one day!

Great tour of Casper State Park, Crazy Horse Monument and Mt Rushmore with Chris. Chris was very…read moreknowledgeable and responsive to what we wanted to see. Highly recommended!

Our guide John was fabulous and made the day one of the best tours I've ever been on. We only had…read more1 day to see all the sites in and around Rushmore. He was very knowledgeable and really had a passion for his tours. And the tour was just our family so we could personalize it to whatever we wanted to do. We went to Custer state park, crazy horse, Needle highway, iron mountain highway and Mount Rushmore. I can't imagine doing the day without this tour. He shared all the inside info with us too which left us with s slew of knowledge and great photos too! Definitely look into Geofuntours before you book on one of the big bus tours. I am certain you'll be happier with this one! (And it's like the same price too-what a deal)

What a great flight with our pilot "Loval". We did the Monument Tour and was thrilled with the…read moresites. Everyone there was totally professional and nice. My husband and I highly recommend this company.

Very smooth ride. Our Pilots name was Lovel. She was very knowledgeable about the whole region and…read moreknew a lot of history. We thoroughly enjoyed the 30 min tour of Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Would recommend Lovel and Black Hill Helicopters to our friends and family!

We enjoyed our tour on August 1, 2026, with our tour guide Al Maas. Al was very knowledgeable and…read moreprovided us with a lot information during our tour. Al made sure we didn't missed any landmarks and we enjoyed his company, if we return we will for sure book our reservation with him. Will highly recommend to family and friends. Sincerely, CalCats

Our family of three had the most amazing one-day tour with our superb tour guide. I tried to reach…read morethe company to be reminded of her name, because the business card had only the owner's contact info and a QR code, but my email bounced (probably an error on my end). So, Black Hills Adventure Tours folks: our guide on August 5 was FANTASTIC. She took us to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Crazy Horse Monument. I learned *so much* on this tour. She knew everything about each place we stopped, was friendly, warm, and really thoughtful. Every time I went to read a plaque, she had already told me what was on it! Hearing about it from a person instead of waiting my turn to read a plaque (nothing against plaques!) made it a much more memorable experience, and it also allowed us to cover more ground in less time without feeling rushed or pressed for time. It's also great that the guides have special passes and can make arrangements in advance, so we didn't wait in lines and got great parking. I would love to go into detail about the sites, but she planned thoughtful surprises for us and I wouldn't want to take that away from others. And the monuments and park speak for themselves in experiences that I can scarcely do justice in a short review. The SUV for our tour in August was cool, spacious, comfortable, and stocked with snacks and water. If we had it to do over again, we would have booked our tour on our first day in Rapid City. I highly recommend this company for a wonderful tour that will be tailored to your family no matter what the size, shape, or fitness level.

Visited Black Hills Caverns this summer! This was the first of 2 caverns we visited while in South…read moreDakota! We made reservations months in advance but I think you can also show up the same day. Tour was great and felt nice and cool during the hot summer day! Well worth the visit!

On the way back from Mt. Rushmore, we decided to call and make a reservation for an "Adventure…read moretour". What you need to know: They have two tours: The Adventure Tour (1 hour) Crystal Tour (1/2 hour) One lady had mobility issues and a cane and they accommodated her on the Crystal tour and she was fine. There was one flight of stairs that she had to take twice but she took her time. There was also a newborn baby that I would not recommend - the baby kept crying and the parent had to end their tour. Kids were fine. Reservations: preferred but not required, last tour is close to 5pm, but call to check. Attire/Gear: I had on vans and no special gear and was fine but note, it's colder down there in the summer, and warmer in the winter. We went in August and it was about 55 degrees inside the cave. Lucky I brought a hoodie. Towards the end of the tour you have to get back up using stairs so you heat up quickly. Our tour guide Josh was fun and happily chatted with us - they feed off of your feedback! He also let us use their umbrellas to get back to our car since a storm had begun while we were in the cave. I recommend this tour for all ages so you can learn a little about the area and history of the cave!

A rollicking evening spent here was a highlight of our week in SD. Tourist trap? Nah, it's a…read moreworking museum with more than a modicum of authenticity. And, yes, you can jump in your personal wagon and giddyup over here without having to sign up for a bus tour (reservations are suggested, though). The set originally built for the movie "Dances With Wolves" is now a bunch of ramshackle shops that house historic displays and sell handcrafted items. Live demos show how these items were made in the olden days. Herman Jones, the octogenarian owner of Fort Hays, is the real thing. Do listen to his personal story and ask questions. He not only welcomes visitors but delights in demonstrating how to fashion rope out of toilet paper! Of course, the dinner and show are the main reason to visit. Guests are seated on communal benches in a rustic mess hall. The chow, slung in rapid-fire chuckwagon style onto handmade tin plates, is remarkably tasty and filling (beware of the feisty "slapper" who all but slams a baked potato onto your plate). The hearty cowboy menu never varies. No alcohol is served. Live entertainment features a cast of multitalented performers who encourage audience participation. The "Elvis" impersonator is a riot!

Traveled from Texas for a family vacation. Food is bland, and not hot, staff is also disrespectful…read more I asked for a cup of water from a staff member right when the lines opened up and she went "do you really need it?"... I thought she was joking. For the coaster ride, I had a child over the height and the staff still said she couldn't ride without an adult-- truly didn't make sense. Bathroom has 0 soap and paper towels... kept reminding the staff bc of all the kids. An absolute tourist trap and not worth it- IHOP gives better service