It wouldn't be a Mario Kart title without Rainbow Road, which is why it should come as no surprise that Mario Kart World features the most expansive and lengthiest Rainbow Road yet. However, there's a catch, as Mario Kart World's Rainbow Road is a secret unlockable that players will have to earn by fighting through the tracks.

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Luckily, obtaining Rainbow Road isn't that hard to do, and players are treated to not just Rainbow Road, but an entire secret Special Cup in Mario Kart World that will contain 4 epic races for them to try out and race within with full exhilaration.

How to Unlock the Special Cup & Rainbow Road in Mario Kart World

In order to unlock Rainbow Road, players must first complete all 7 Cups in the Grand Prix section of Mario Kart World. The 7 available Cups do not need to be beaten on any specific CC or have players come in first place, they must simply have all four tracks per Cup completed. This means that players must complete the following Cups and the tracks within them, totaling 28 tracks:

Cup

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

Once players have completed each of these Grand Prix Cups (regardless of their placement) they will unlock a secret cutscene that will unlock the Special Cup that contains Rainbow Road as one of the races. This is a unique rendition of Rainbow Road created for Mario Kart World, and it features as the finale to the Special Cup. Players are free to race in any of the four tracks from the Special Cup outside of the Grand Prix, but unfortunately, there is no reward for completing the Special Cup, even if players come 1st in every race in 150CC. Regardless, here's a look at the tracks in the Special Cup:

  • Acorn Heights
  • Mario Circuit
  • Peach Stadium
  • Rainbow Road
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Mario Kart World Tag Page Cover Art
Mario Kart World
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Released
June 5, 2025
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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ESRB
Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Genre(s)
Racing, Open-World
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch 2