WhileBreath of the Wildestablished a vast open world,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomexpanded it. We now have three separate maps to explore: The Sky Islands, the Hyrule Mainland, and the Depths. Each area has different layouts, dangers, materials, characters, and points of interest.
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If you spend your whole time just filling in all the maps, you’ll be set for quite some time. There’s so much to reach and discover, with so many beautiful and unusual sights to behold. No matter if you’re driven to journey for missions or curiosity, there are some spots that you need to see.
Updated on June 18, 2025, by William Quick:With three full maps, Tears Of The Kingdom has a lot of places to go and a lot of sights to see. Even the small hideaways have a good level of intrigue to take note of, but other locations really rise above it all. These are those locations.
11Great Sky Island
The starting areas of games are often places you’ll never visit again once you leave them. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link starts off at theGreat Sky Island, and you’ll want to see all of it. The tutorial takes you all over the island as you learn the new mechanics and get used to the idea of islands in the sky, but it will still hide plenty of mystery.
Even though it is the first area of the game, it’s quite expansive with a lot of secrets, treasures, and materials to harvest. It’s a great introduction to a great new world, which is why it’s deserving of the title Great Sky Island.
If you’re going to be gliding through the sky, you’ll be subject to all the different elements. When you’re diving over certain areas like icymountains and deserts, you’ll soon feel the chill and heat as you get closer to the ground.
You can also experience various weather phenomena like the constant storm surrounding the Thunderhead Isles. Located in the southern skies of Hyrule, these islands are obscured by thick and scary storm clouds. The main way to see is the sporadic flashes of lightning bolts as you try to navigate the islands. Just don’t wear any metal.
9Great Hyrule Forest
Since the very first Legend of Zelda game, the Lost Woods has been a staple of the series. For one reason or another, Link will find himself exploring a dense forest sooner or later to find something special or explore a forest-themed dungeon. The forest returns with greater grandeur and mystery in the Great Hyrule Forest.
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The northeast road from Castle Town can lead you directly to the entrance of the forest where you’ll be met by a protective fog. It challenges you to navigate the magical labyrinth among the trees in hopes of reaching a sacred grove full of peace and Koroks.
8Eventide Island
Of all the places in Breath Of The Wild, Eventide Island left a lasting impression for being so out-of-the-way as well as having an extensive challenge to complete. Though Tears Of The Kingdom has different mechanics and therefore different types of challenges, Eventide Island brings its own level.
It’s experienced changes to its layout and atmosphere with a serious infestation of monsters and greenery. Not only is there difficulty in clearing out all the monster forts and the pirates, but navigating the island has its own challenges, especially if you’re heading there on a whim. Even so, it’s worth the risk.
7Tanagar Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a geographical wonder to behold, and many have thought about what it would be like to fly through it. Link may not have an X-Wing, but he doeshave a Paraglider, a Glider outfit, and ZonaiWingsto fly through the air and capture some of that wonder. By heading toward the Hebra region, you may’t miss the massive crevice that is Tanagar Canyon.
It presents an exciting opportunity to fly through the canyon and move between the different protrusions from the wall, grabbing anything they might hold. Then there’s also what lies at its base, which is a barren land filled with some tough enemies, interesting materials, and spots tucked away.
6Satori Groves
The land of Hyrule is able to support a variety of environments, but some elements are able to grow in any type of climate. While exploring, you’re likely to spot bright colors in the distance created by short yet large trees covered in pink petals. These trees are where the elusive Satori like to gather as indicated by the offering bowl propped up against the tree trunk.
In addition tothe item mysteryoffered by the scenario, these groves act as a place of peace and rest. They seem to naturally keep enemies away, and you can frequently find a pleasant Gerudo traveler to talk to nearby.
5Wellspring Island
The Water Templeis infamous in the Zelda universe for two reasons: Link is not a good swimmer, and the water mechanics can be tricky. Despite that, they make for interesting designs and layouts that stick out in your mind. This time around, the Water Temple has a tremendous presence on Wellspring Island.
Right from glimpsing it on the map, you want to go to this place. It’s shaped like a giant insect, and you want to know why and what’s waiting for you up there. From the sides, you can see all the different layers and pieces, each standing on its own but still feeling part of the collective. It’s hard to think of this place as the Water Temple.
4Death Mountain
Believe it or not, Death Mountain has been around since the very first Zelda game. Since then, it has become one of the most recognizable places in the series, being home to the Gorons, other tough monsters, and lots of lava. It returns in its most impressive form yet.
Death Mountain towers over much of Hyrule with the volcano top spewing ominous gloom energy. It also puts your climbing to the test since there aren’t any Skyview Towers that quickly take you to the summit, you need to earn your way to the top. Give it enough time, and you’ll get to see a lot, meet a lot of folks, visit a lot of places, collect of a lot of treasures, and feel the heat.
3The Tests Of Islands
A motivator to activate asmany Skyview Towersas possible is so that you can gain access to the floating islands above. The towers are generous with how high they launch you, giving you a fair amount of time to maneuver yourself to any of the nearby islands. Certain towers will let you catch glimpses of a twisting funnel structure looming in the distance.
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Easily eye-catching, these islands will lure you in to reveal that they are actual islands for Link to test his courageous qualities. A Steward at the base will activate a series of rings for you to dive through down the funnel with grace and speed as you avoid the floating debris. It’s both calming and exhilarating with a challenge to complete for a sweet reward.
2Lomei Castles
By looking at the revealed map of Hyrule, you can easily spot some structures that are definitely not naturally occurring. If you travel to certain locations and launch yourself into the sky, you’ll see a rectangular structure on the ground… and also in the sky. These interconnected structures are curious, to say the least, but it can be an experience getting to the upper floor of these Lomei Castles.
You’ll need to ride a nearby modified Glider using Fans or Rockets and constantly usingZonai Chargesto keep it aloft before it disappears. Reaching the Castle envelops you in amystical blue-particle aurathat affects gravity. This will be the key mechanic to navigating the twisting paths within to get at the castle’s treasures.
