Exclusive: Rushmore, Custer State Park & Crazy Horse

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

What a trip. Wish it had lasted longer. Logan was a gem. He was a great safe driver and a greater spotter. Never had an idea that SOUTH DAKOTA had so much to see and do

If you only have a limited time in the area, definitely take this tour! Or, if you have multiple days here, take this tour on the first day, then go back for more in depth exploring on your own. Logan was our tour guide, and showed us all the highlights of the area. There is no way we would have been able to see everything (stress free) without doing this tour. Logan was knowledgeable, kind, and accommodating.

Our guide Logan was great. We had a great time with two kids ( 7 and 10) Logan was great with them. Only thing I didn’t like, was the Viator reservation said it included lunch and we had to pay for our lunch!!

What a great day touring through the Black Hills! Our guide Daniel was incredibly knowledgeable and shared wonderful information about the area and its history. Wildlife sightings were abundant and the scenic views were gorgeous. Most importantly, we were able to just relax and enjoy the Black Hills and Custer SP knowing we were in competent hands. Thank you, XO Adventures for giving us a memorable day!

Personalized, Once-In-A-Lifetime South Dakota Experience We had two tours with My XO Adventures. The personalized service started immediately with my first conversation with Aimee, who provided knowledge and options based on our time available in the area and accommodations for one of our party with mobility issues. Our first tour was the Badlands Golden Hour Tour, and it was a once in a lifetime experience. Our tour leader, Daniel was very knowledgeable about the Badlands, the history of the area’s development, the wildlife and brought energy to our group throughout the tours. Timing is everything and we saw gorgeous landscapes in both day and dusk, up-close buffalo families, big-horn sheep, owls, deer, antelope, prairie dogs (our groups favorite!) and a lightening storm on the return night-drive. The following day, our second tour was Needles Hwy, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Mt., Sylvan Lake, among others. Daniel continued to bring his energy and knowledge about the area, history, landmarks, geology, culture and endured many, many questions from our group. He made each stop easy and memorable with spots out of the crowds and great stories. The beauty of the area and wonder of the landmarks left an impression on each of us and we ended wishing we had more time to explore. I highly recommend XO Adventures for an amazing South Dakota experience. Thank you, Aimee and Daniel!