Guided Tours

History Tours

South Dakota rests in the heart of the United States, culturally shaped by the frontier, Indigenous tribes and the Wild West, with surrounding landscapes formed millions of years ago.

Historic & Haunted Walking Tours

Deadwood is the crown jewel of South Dakota's historic walking tour scene. Its entire downtown is a National Historic Landmark, and wandering its boardwalks past saloons and boot hills feels like stepping into a Western novel. Wall and downtown Rapid City offer walkable historic districts with plenty of local character, including the latter's collection of statues of most U.S. presidents. Most tours operate from spring through fall, though Deadwood's year-round tourism scene means guided options are often available off-season, too.

Haunted Deadwood

Deadwood's haunted history tours are among the most popular experiences in the Black Hills, drawing on an abundance of ghostly experiences like Boot Hill, The Wild Bill Bar (where Wild Bill Hickok was shot back when it was known as Saloon No. 10), the current Saloon No. 10 and the legendary Bullock Hotel. Find otherworldly entities with Deadwood Ghosts. Tours run year-round but peak in fall, when cool evenings and lantern light really lean into the spooky factor.

Read More: Haunted Deadwood: A Wilder West Experience

Indigenous History Tours

Some of South Dakota's most meaningful guided experiences come through Lakota-led tours and visits to historic sites on the state's reservation lands. Crazy Horse Memorial® offers guided experiences that go beyond the monument, connecting visitors with the broader arc of Lakota culture and history. Go back in time in Mitchell at the Mitchell Indigenous Archaeological Site & Museum. Bring your cultural sensitivity and respect to Tatanka Rez Tourz in the Pine Ridge area for perspectives you won't find anywhere else.

Prairie, Pioneer & Prehistoric Tours

Eastern South Dakota is Laura Ingalls Wilder country. De Smet preserves the real places behind the "Little House" stories, and guided tours here bring the prairie homesteading era to life against a landscape that hasn't changed much since the 1880s. Head southwest and the timeline shifts dramatically. The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs is an active paleontological excavation where guided tours walk you through ongoing digs of Columbian and woolly mammoths. Further west, Badlands National Park's geological tours put 75 million years of layered sediment into perspective.

Helicopter Tours in South Dakota

There is no faster way to grasp the scale of the Black Hills than from the air. Seeing Mount Rushmore National Memorial from above, the Badlands rippling toward the horizon and the Black Hills spreading out in every direction — there’s nothing like it! Most operators depart from the Rapid City area, offering Mount Rushmore flyovers, Badlands aerial tours and panoramic Black Hills routes. It's a natural fit for special occasions, but the scenery makes it worthwhile on any trip.

Get in the sky with Custer-based Black Hills Aerial Adventures or the Keystone-based Black Hills Helicopters. Capacity is limited, as summer demand books the choppers up. Book one to two weeks ahead for peak season visits, as helicopter tours sell out faster than almost anything else in the state.

Discover More Aerial Tours in South Dakota

Black Hills Guided Tours

The majority of South Dakota's tour operators are based in Rapid City or the surrounding Black Hills area, making it the natural hub for guided day tours. Jeep and SUV tours are the signature format here, covering Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road and Custer State Park with guides who know the backstory on all of it.

Outfitters like Black Hills Tour Company, Black Hills Above & Beyond Tours or Affordable Adventures provide custom tours where you can choose your own adventure. Get creative with the ride by checking out Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour or getting atop an ATV with Black Hills Outdoor Fun. Photography tours have grown into a genuine niche for visitors who want to know exactly where to be at golden hour. Whatever your pace, the Black Hills reward guided explorations with abundant history and geology.

Wildlife & Safari Tours

Watching a bison herd materialize out of the grass at close range is one of those moments that reframes a trip. The Custer State Park Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour is the headline experience. The park is home to one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the world, along with pronghorn, bighorn sheep and the famous burros that will block traffic in exchange for a snack. And on a Jeep? You’ll get off-road in all the best ways.

Disclaimer: Bison sightings are common and the odds are genuinely good, but no guide can guarantee the herd cooperates. Early morning tours offer the best odds. The Badlands add another dimension for wildlife lovers, with bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and occasional bison sightings against a backdrop unlike anywhere on earth. Drive the Wildlife Loop Scenic Byway, looping from Custer State Park to Wind Cave National Park, and try to spot them all!

Cave Tours in South Dakota

Speaking of caves, beneath the Black Hills lie some of the most remarkable cave terrain in the world. Wind Cave National Park, the first ever cave designated a national park, is famous for its boxwork calcite formations, the concentration of which is not found anywhere else on the planet! Jewel Cave National Monument is the world's third-longest known cave, with more than 220 miles of surveyed passages … so far.

Both parks offer tiered tour options. Standard walking tours are paved, well-lit and accessible for most fitness levels. Wild caving and spelunking tours at both sites are different propositions. You should expect sustained physical effort as you crawl through tight passages. Dress in layers (caves get cold) and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Book ahead: popular cave tour slots fill fast in summer.

Read More: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Black Hills Caves

Hunting Tours in South Dakota

South Dakota is the Pheasant Capital of the World, and guided pheasant hunting experiences here are among the best in North America. Lodge and guided hunt packages pair visitors with experienced local guides, trained dogs and access to prime upland habitat across the state's agricultural landscape.

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