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The 12 best Mario Kart tracks of all time

Our guide to the best Mario Kart tracks ever is here to help you hit the road with Toad or do a few laps with Luigi in plenty of style.

Mario Kart tracks: Wiggler races around an autumnal Mario Kart track

With over 170 different courses across the series’ thirty-year history, it’s no easy job picking out the best Mario Kart tracks. Still, here at Pocket Tactics, we think we’re up to the job, so we’ve gone back through all the games to decide which we’d include on in an imaginary hall of fame. So, shall we find out if your favorite made the list?

Before we set off at 200cc into the rest of this guide, be sure to aim your Luigi death stare at our other great content covering Switch games and beyond. We have articles for the best Switch games, best Switch fighting games, best Switch strategy games, best Switch simulation games, and many more.

Here are the best Mario Kart tracks:

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Maple Treeway

Maple Treeway – Wii

There’s something warm and inviting about Maple Treeway, even if you have to get launched by a cannon halfway through the course. There’s the orange hues of autumn colors, Wigglers wandering in every direction, and some nice long corners for big drifts. Sure, it’s not as hardcore as any of Bowser’s Castles, but thanks to some hidden shortcuts and big ramps, it’s just as fun.

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Delfino Square

Delfino Square – DS

Nintendo doesn’t celebrate Super Mario Sunshine as much as we think it should, but Delfino Square is both a fantastic tribute to the GameCube platformer and one of the best Mario Kart tracks in its own right. It’s all about timing on this course, which you can leap off to take to the air, but we also love just drifting by happy Piantas going about their business.

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Waluigi Pinball

Waluigi Pinball – DS

First appearing in Mario Kart DS, Waluigi Pinball is a beloved entry in the karting series that makes its most recent appearance in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Get knocked around a gigantic pinball board while avoiding the giant metal balls, and be extra vigilant for paddles and bumpers. This track is absolute chaos, but the addition of Waluigi’s trademark personality and great music keeps it in the hearts of many.

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Toad's Turnpike

Toad’s Turnpike – N64

Yes, it’s tough, but… get good? Mario Kart 64 is a stalwart memory in the minds of millions, and we’d wager that Toad’s Turnpike is responsible for a few broken controllers. Taking place on a highway with oncoming traffic, this track demands vigilance as well as skill. Of course, getting hit with an onslaught of red shells, large trucks, and oncoming cars is enough to drive anyone mad. So, look both ways!

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Ninja Hideaway

Ninja Hideaway – Tour

The newest track on this list, Ninja Hideaway, is from Mario Kart Tour but is also playable in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Pass DLC. Explore the Ninja Manor, avoid traps and shy guys, and battle to be the best on an ever-changing course. This track also features Wario iconography, such as his iconic mustache and garlic everywhere, is he a secret ninja?

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as DK Mountain

DK Mountain – Gamecube

The dense foliage and luscious jungles of the Donkey Kong series always make for great tracks, but one stands out. DK Mountain from Mario Kart Double Dash blasts players out of a cannon and up to the peak of a grumpy volcano before you have to avoid falling rocks on the way down. With perilous bridges and constant falling debris, this is a tough track, and that’s what makes it so satisfying to master.

Screenshot of Bowser on Ghost Valley 3 SNES course for best Mario Kart tracks guide

Ghost Valley 3 – SNES

Fittingly enough, Ghost Valley 3 is an absolute nightmare. With tight corners, zig-zagging lanes, and holes in the track, it’s certainly not one for beginners. Still, it’s one of the first truly challenging Mario Kart tracks, even if it feels a little archaic all these years later. If you want to try it for yourself, the original SNES Mario Kart is available via Nintendo Switch Online. That is, unless you’re scared of ghosts.

Screenshot of the sign from Baby Park in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for best Mario Kart tracks guide

Baby Park – Gamecube

Okay, so this might be a bit of a controversial pick, but Mario Kart is all about chaos, and it doesn’t get much more chaotic than seven laps of Baby Park. There are no shortcuts here, it’s the Mario equivalent of NASCAR, as the Mushroom Kingdom gang races around an oval-shaped track time and time again. If you want to really put your friendships to the test, invite your friends over and take on this bad boy. I guarantee it’ll cause some arguments. 

Screenshot of Link racing through Hyrule Circuit for best Mario Kart tracks guide

Hyrule Circuit – Switch

One of the few Mario Kart tracks to take place outside of the world of Mario just so happens to also be one of the best. It’s a track that’s committed to the bit, too, replacing coins with rupees and swapping out Mario’s enemies for Link’s, namely Deku Babas and Keese. You even get a glimpse of the Master Sword!

Screenshot of Peach racing Bowser in Big Blue for best Mario Kart tracks guide

Big Blue – Switch

Not only is Big Blue a fantastic course in its own right, but it shows just how much Mario Kart track design has come over the last 30 years. If you showed me Big Blue back in the days of Mario Kart DS, I wouldn’t believe something this ambitious would ever be possible, but here I am, almost twenty years later, cursing blue shells as I drift around the bending track. It also makes the case for a new F-Zero game, if Nintendo is listening.

Screenshot of Mario and Luigi about to race through the Daisy Cruiser track for best Mario Kart tracks guide

Daisy Cruiser – Gamecube

This one is something of a personal favorite, and it’s a fantastic example of how much the best of the best Mario Kart tracks can do with little space. As you can tell from the name, Daisy Cruiser sees the Mushroom Kingdom gang race across a cruise ship, from the deck to the dining room, and everywhere in-between. It might not be the most challenging course from Double Dash, but it stays in the memory and offers almost as much close-quarters chaos as Baby Park.

Mario Kart tracks: a screenshot from Mario Kart shows the track known as Rainbow Road (3DS)

Rainbow Road – 3DS

It’s tough to decide on one Rainbow Road, as the Mario Kart series features a take on the concept in each and every entry. But Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 7 is a fan favorite, and for good reason. As well as the iconic Rainbow Road itself, this difficult level features the surface of the moon and the rings of Saturn, making it a truly intergalactic adventure. It’s also part of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Pass DLC, so we can play it in full glorious HD.

Alright, that’s it for now, folks! These are our picks for the best Mario Kart tracks. For even more high-octane action, be sure to check out our guide to the best Switch racing games next.