It just wouldn’t be a Mario Kart game without Rainbow Road—and Mario Kart World absolutely delivers with the biggest, longest version of the iconic track the series has ever seen.
But here’s the twist: this legendary course isn’t available right away. You’ll have to earn it by taking on a big challenge.
The good news? Unlocking Rainbow Road isn’t as hard as it might sound. And better yet, it comes bundled as the final race in the secret Special Cup, which brings four new races to the table. If you’re ready to take the scenic (and chaotic) route, here’s how to unlock it all.
Also read, How to Drift and Boost and Photo Mode Guide.
How to Unlock the Special Cup and Rainbow Road
To access Rainbow Road and the Special Cup, players need to complete all 7 Cups in the Grand Prix mode. You don’t have to win gold or even come in first—just finish every race in each Cup. That’s 28 tracks in total.
✅ You don’t need:
- A specific difficulty (any CC is fine)
- First-place finishes
🏁 You do need:
- All 4 tracks in each of the following Cups completed:
Grand Prix Cups & Tracks
Mushroom Cup
- Mario Bros. Circuit
- Crown City
- Whistlestop Summit
- DK Spaceport
Flower Cup
- Desert Hills
- Shy Guy Bazaar
- Wario Stadium
- Airship Fortress
Star Cup
- DK Pass
- Starview Peak
- Sky-High Sundae
- Wario Shipyard
Shell Cup
- Koopa Troopa Beach
- Faraway Oasis
- Crown City
- Peach Stadium
Banana Cup
- Peach Beach
- Salty Salty Speedway
- Dino Dino Jungle
- Great ? Block Ruins
Leaf Cup
- Cheep Cheep Falls
- Dandelion Depths
- Boo Cinema
- Dry Bones Burnout
Lightning Cup
- Moo Moo Meadows
- Choco Mountain
- Toad’s Factory
- Bowser’s Castle
What Happens After You Finish All Cups?
Once you’ve cleared every Cup, a secret cutscene will play, and just like that—you’ve unlocked the Special Cup. It contains four new tracks, including the highly anticipated Rainbow Road, which closes out the set.
Here’s what’s waiting in the Special Cup:
- Acorn Heights
- Mario Circuit
- Peach Stadium
- Rainbow Road (final track)
You can race any of these four tracks freely after unlocking them—not just in Grand Prix. And while there’s no extra reward for completing the Special Cup (even on 150CC with perfect wins), the thrill of finally racing on the game’s epic Rainbow Road is its own kind of victory.
Related Article: Master the Tracks with the Rewind Feature in Mario Kart World
