This is an honest review of our Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour with our little family of six. I’ll talk to you about our favorite parts of the tour and why it is totally worth the ticket prices!
Our family went to Branson and added the Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour as a second thought. After asking all my friends and coworkers about their favorite things to do in Branson, this actually NEVER came up. I mean, there is a TON of stuff to do in Branson. However, my friends, this is a tour that you do NOT want to miss. This is not sponsored in anyway. It was actually my FAVORITE part of our 4 day and 3 night weekend vacation!
Top of the Rock Entry – Do Not Confuse It with Big Cedar
When we stayed at Big Cedar Lodge, we NEVER turned into this welcome section even for our stay at Big Cedar. I think it was because of my husband’s frugal mindset. For whatever reason, he thought this was a “money grab” scenic view.
It turns out that there are two lanes: one for those that are staying at Big Cedar Lodge which allows you to take a beautiful scenic drive into the resort (versus through a few neighborhoods) and one for the actual Top of the Rock attraction. They are part of the same company, but they are different attractions.
For Top of the Rock, you’ll want to turn right!
The Cost of the Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour
The cost of the tour isn’t displayed anywhere on their main website. When we went (June 2019), it was $25 a person. At the time, there was no cost for our 2 and 3 year old! While they say that the golf cart only holds 4 people, our four littles along with my husband and I all fit in one golf cart!
Albeit, it’s pretty steep price for a 2 hour tour per person, but I thought it was worth every penny.
The building is nothing to write home about, but the view outside is absolutely gorgeous. I recommend when you are waiting for the driver to fill out their paperwork to head outside and take some scenic photos!
How Many People Can Fit in the Golf Cart at Top of the Rock
All the paperwork and website descriptions say that they can only fit four people to a golf cart. When we got there, there were two different size golf carts that you could rent – one that was for a couple and another for a larger group. Ours fit our entire family of six, which comprised of two adults and four kids under the age of eight!
When to Go to Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour
With Branson, I think everyone tends to head to Silver Dollar City right when it opens. So I would recommend going against the crowds and going as soon as it opens.
We got there right when they started the golf cart tours and there were tons of golf carts still parked. When we got back two hours later, there were barely any left! Make sure you get there early so you have an opportunity to go.
Bring Some Money for the Bar Inside the Cave at Top of the Rock
Yes, you read that right! There is a BAR inside this beautiful cave with a real bartender. Seriously, don’t drink and drive.
Here’s the view before you get inside the cave.
The Top of the Rock Underground Cave
Driving through the underground cave with the kiddos was an amazing experience. There were multiple waterfalls inside the cave along with a few fun artifacts that we could read about. This is seriously a hidden gem. The cave was absolutely amazing. For our littles, it was an awesome “first time going to a cave” experience that they’ll not soon forget.
Family Photo Opportunity at Top of the Rock – Be Prepared
This is a GREAT place to take family photos if you bring your tripod. As a family photographer, you will not beat all of the beauty these grounds have to offer. Sure, a lot of it is man made, but that just means it’s maintained. I WISH I would have thought about our outfits a little more. These photos could have been photos for our WALL!
Seriously, you can take your time and stop along the trail to take photos and enjoy all the views!
Waterfalls Galore
There are so many waterfalls, it was unreal. It’s literally so refreshing to see how this space was built. They took care to design and create access roads that provided you the BEST POSSIBLE spot to view all of the waterfalls up close and in person.
Beautiful Bridges Galore
Never once did I have a concern for my two year old falling off of the golf cart (mainly because I was holding onto her the whole time). Everything was pretty much blocked off where kids and children could fall out.
Scenic Overlook at Top of the Rock
There is a beautiful overlook as part of the golf cart tour that is absolutely stunning as you can see. If you can, bring binoculars for this view! My kid is whining because his sister wasn’t sharing!
Fun Bear Cave
There is part of the trail where there is a fun sound effect for the kids!
How Long is the Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour
Big Cedar and Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour advertises the self-led tour to be about two hours. We finished in an hour and a half, and it seemed like it was a great duration for our family. There were times that we would pass other people. Other times, people would pass us.
It can be as leisurely as you want to take it!
Overall, I would highly recommend the Top of the Rock Golf Cart Tour to any family who wants to take in some gorgeous scenery! Check out my related blog post on our stay at Big Cedar Lodge at Wilderness Club!
Rod Smith says
I’m a little confused. Not that hard to do! Did you do this Top of the Rock golf cart tour through Big Cedar Lodge? I am looking on the interweb and only see tours offered through Big Cedar Lodge. Can you please send a link to where you purchased your tour? We are there in two weeks.
Thank you
Rod Smith
Seng N says
Yes, it’s part of Big Cedar lodge, but on the other side. It’s really confusing – when you get to the turn, turn RIGHT!