Elden Ring: 13 Best Areas To Explore First

Summary

• Visit the Church of Elleh first for a smithing table, Crafting Kit, and a Spirit Calling Bell.
• Head to Summonwater Village early for a valuable talisman, NPC quests, and a boss fight.
• Seize the opportunity to clear Castle Morne early for a rewarding Grafted Blade Greatsword.

Elden Ring is a large, intimidating game. Like other FromSoftware titles, the difficulty can be punishing at times. Unlike the others, this is an open-world game, and its size can make it hard to know where to go next. You can go nearly anywhere you want, right from the get-go. But where should you go first?​​​​​​

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This list of locations is a mere drop in the bucket of those worth visiting in the Lands Between. However, there are things in these places that will help you considerably on your journey, and should not be missed. Arise now, ye Tarnished. Adventure awaits you.

Updated on September 23, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard: Elden Ring launched in 2022, but there are still new players stepping foot in the Lands Between for the first time. If you're overwhelmed by the scope of the world, here are some places to seek out first to aid you on the journey.

13 Church Of Elleh

The Church of Ellah is the first place you should visit when you emerge into the wider world. Just follow the trail of light from where you start, and avoid the Tree Sentinel patrolling on horseback. The church contains a Site of Grace, a smithing table, and the Merchant Kale.

Kale will sell you the Crafting Kit, which allows you to create simple items while you are out adventuring. Be sure to come back here after meeting Melina and getting Torrent. Renna will be waiting to give you the Spirit Calling Bell and Lone Wolf Ashes, your first summon.

12 Gatefront Ruins

Following the road north from the Church of Elleh will eventually lead you to the Gatefront Ruins. Several Godrick soldiers have set up camp in the ruins, so it is wise to skirt around the west side, where you'll see a Site of Grace near the gate to Stormveil Castle. Resting at this Site of Grace will introduce you to Melina.

This mysterious woman will grant you the ability to use the Sites of Grace to spend Runes on leveling your character. She also gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle, allowing you to call the horned steed Torrent — making it faster to explore the wider world. If you have what it takes to clear the ruins of enemies, you will find an underground room containing a Whetstone Knife and the Storm Stomp Ash of War.

11 Boc, The Demi-Human

While still at the gate to the Stormveil Castle area, you should explore an area just east of the telescope on the road from the Gatefront Ruins, heading toward the bridge. You are in the right spot if you hear a disembodied voice calling to you.

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The voice belongs to Boc the Seamster, a unique Demi-Human who apparently ran into Don Cheadle's Captain Planet after being kicked out of his cave. Freeing him will start his questline, allowing him to make cosmetic alterations to your armor free of charge.

10 Summonwater Village

Summonwater Village is found in the northeast section of Limgrave, just outside the border of Caelid. It's worth taking a trip to this area as early as possible to pick up a valuable Talisman, begin an NPC’s quest, and face an interesting boss that'll drop an item for another quest line. It can be overwhelming when you first arrive, but the area becomes much easier to explore after you defeat the Tibia Mariner defending it.

Taking down the Tibia Mariner will give you plenty of ruins and a Deathroot, which will be used later in the game to advance a quest. When you're exploring the village, make sure to grab the Green Turtle Talisman before you leave, and talk to D Hunter of the Dead to activate his quest line. Ensure you have the Deathroot before talking to him because he will mark your map with the location to which you need to bring it.

9 Third Church Of Marika

A little to the southeast of Summonwater Village, the Third Church of Marika, is an essential location every player should visit. With only a few wolves on patrol, it shouldn't be too difficult to make your way inside to pick up two items that will significantly help you during the early hours of your adventure.

The first is a Sacred Tear, an item that increases the potency of your Sacred Flask, allowing you to recover more HP and FP than before. The other item can only be found here, and it's the Flask of Wondrous Physical, a consumable item that can bring you certain buffs and benefits depending on which Crystal Tears you attach to it. You can also find a Sending Gate that'll take you to where you can hand the Deathroot to Gurranq to start his quest.

8 Castle Morne

Once you're feeling confident with your character but don't want to face bigger dungeons like Stormveil Castle, an excellent way to test yourself is by visiting Castle Morne at the southern tip of the Weeping Peninsula. The optional dungeon is filled with enemies that you can farm for ruins and vital items and weapons that are worth seeking out as early as possible.

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Castle Morne might seem daunting as you approach it, but it's not nearly as challenging as other areas at the beginning of Elden Ring. You'll need to be sneaky to avoid being surrounded by dangerous foes, or you can run right toward them while swinging your weapon and hoping for the best. If you can defeat the boss of the area, you will earn the Grafted Blade Greatsword, which is a great early-game weapon for Dexterity and Strength builds.

7 Dragon-Burnt Ruins

The Dragon-Burnt Ruins can be found at the southern end of Agheel Lake. There is a big surprise waiting for you on the way, but you can avoid it by circling carefully. Once at the ruins, you will find some enemies, who aren't too dangerous, and a set of steps leading down to a chest.

This is not the chest you want. It is a trap that will teleport you across the map into a very unfriendly area. Low walls surround the chest you do want to open. Use Torrent to hop over, head down those stairs, and grab the Twinblade, a formidable early weapon.

6 Early Dungeons

You have your trusty steed. You have your first set of Ashes. Now you want to test your mettle. The Gatefront Ruins are likely still a little challenging at this point, but there are some smaller cave dungeons in the area that are perfect for getting your feet wet. You'll need a Torch, which you can get from Merchant Kale.

Groveside Cave and the Stormfoot Catacombs are smaller dungeons that can help you understand what to expect later. These early dungeons are optional, but the Flamedrake Talisman you get from defeating the Groveside Cave boss can be a handy thing to have.

5 Coastal Cave

Coastal Cave is an optional location with a familiar face. If you have freed Boc from his arboreal prison, you will find him in rough shape at the Site of Grace. Working your way through the dungeon will lead you to a tough early boss fight, but it will reward you with the Sewing Needle you require to progress Boc's questline.

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Continue moving through the cave after defeating the boss, and you will find yourself at the Church of Dragon Communion. You can purchase spells here later on, once you have some Dragon Hearts.

4 Limgrave Tunnels

If you are looking to boost your gear at the smithing tables, you are going to need some Smithing Stones. The Limgrave Tunnels, located on the northwest corner of Agheel Lake, are where to get your hands on some.

The creatures in the tunnels are resistant to melee attacks, so if you have any magical chops, the tunnels are the place to show them off. Just be sure to save some FP for the boss at the end of the dungeon. Clearing the tunnels should net you a handful of Smithing Stones, one Somber Smithing Stone, and the Roar Medallion.