If you have polished off every Mario Kart World track and still have room for more, then we have good news for you: there's more!

Yep, much like previous games in the series, Mario Kart World is hiding an extra batch of courses for those who meet a particular set of conditions. In this guide, we'll run through everything you need to know about Mario Kart World's Special Cup, from how to unlock it to the courses you'll find within.

Mario Kart World: Special Cup - How To Unlock Rainbow Road

Mario Kart World - Rainbow Road
Image: Nintendo

Unlocking Mario Kart World's Special Cup is a pretty straightforward process and one that will likely be familiar to those who have hunted down Mario Kart unlockables in the past. But let's run through it, all the same.

If you want to unlock the Special Cup, you have to place in the top three in all seven other Cups. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter whether you nab gold, silver or bronze, nor which CC you are racing on, but you have to land on the podium in the Mushroom, Flower, Star, Shell, Banana, Leaf and Lightning Cups.

That's it! After placing in the top three for every Cup, you will be informed that the Special Cup is now ready to roll, adding a handful of extra courses to the track lineup. Nice.

Mario Kart World - Special Cup FAQ

Here are a handful of frequently asked questions you may have about Mario Kart World's Special Cup.

How many tracks are in Mario Kart World's Special Cup?

Unsurprisingly, there are four tracks in the Mario Kart World Special Cup. You'll find a list of these unlockable circuits below:

  • Acorn Heights
  • Mario Circuit
  • Peach Stadium
  • Rainbow Road
Mario Kart World - Special Cup
Image: Nintendo Life

How long does it take to unlock Rainbow Road?

That depends how quickly you can land on the podium in seven different Cups, as well as what CC you're racing on, your character's weight, kart choice, etc.

By our rough estimate, however, it takes about 15 minutes to beat a Cup, and you'll need to do that seven times. Leaving a little wiggle room for the off-chance that you slip up in a race or two, we'd say it'll take around two hours to unlock the Special Cup and get to ride around Rainbow Road.

Hopefully this guide has been helpful. If you're after more Nintendo Switch 2 advice, check out our Switch 2 guides for more useful info.