Cloudtop Cruise

Cloudtop Cruise is the first race track in the Special Cup of Mario Kart 8. This course mainly takes place on a giant beanstalk (much like Sky Garden) and on an airship (like Airship Fortress). There are even floating airships in the background. The end of this track's song uses parts of Sky Station Galaxy and Gusty Garden Galaxy's music from the Super Mario Galaxy series.

Course layout
The race starts a giant beanstalk, shortly after there is a ramp with some Item Boxes on it, there is a Bowser Balloon that characters can bounce on, similar to the mushrooms in Mushroom Gorge for the Mario Kart Wii. The racers will then continue racing on a cloud. Later, they come onto an airship, where the player encounters two paths, both of which meet up right before a cannon, which launches the player to a anti-gravity metal track inside a storm cloud. On the track, there are many boost panels, but once in a while, lightning will strike them, which causes racers to spin out. This section then ends to start a gliding section, which touches down on a giant stone Question Block. There is just one more right turn before the finish line.

Shortcuts

 * Players can bounce on the second Bowser Balloon without using a Mushroom.
 * Near the end of the lap, players can use a speed boosting item to jump off two big leaves, cutting off the final corner.

Trivia

 * In the Japanese and Korean version, this course shares its name with Sky Garden from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.