Let's be real for a second. You’ve probably spent hours squinting at your Sheikah Slate, listening to that frantic beep-beep-beep of the shrine sensor, only to realize the thing you’re looking for is actually buried under three tons of solid rock or stuck behind a waterfall you’ve walked past ten times. We’ve all been there.
There are exactly 120 ancient shrines in the base version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. If you’ve got the Champions' Ballad DLC, that number jumps up. But for most of us, hitting that 120 mark is the holy grail. It’s the difference between looking like a scrub and wearing the actual Armor of the Wild.
Finding a map of all shrines in botw is easy. Understanding how to actually reach them? That’s the part that usually makes people want to throw their Switch across the room.
The Big Picture: How the Map Breaks Down
Hyrule is massive. Like, "I’ve been paragliding for five minutes and I’m still over the same field" massive. To make sense of the chaos, you have to look at the world through its tower regions. Each region has a specific "flavor" of shrine placement.
Some areas, like the Great Plateau, are basically tutorials. You get four shrines, they’re right in your face, and you move on. But then you hit Hebra, and suddenly you’re dealing with 13 shrines tucked into ice caves and hidden behind snowball-rolling puzzles.
Here is a rough breakdown of what the shrine density looks like across the map:
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- Hebra Mountains: 13 Shrines. This place is a nightmare to navigate without cold resistance, and the verticality means half the shrines are either at the very peak or deep in a canyon.
- Gerudo Desert & Highlands: 12 Shrines. A lot of these are buried in the sand or require you to complete a "Blessing" quest involving a sand seal or a very thirsty Gerudo lady.
- Central Hyrule: 8 Shrines. Most are around the outskirts of the castle. One is actually inside the castle docks. Good luck with the Guardians.
- Akkala: 8 Shrines. Includes the Lomei Labyrinth, which is basically a giant box of "please don't kill me" Guardians.
- Necluda & Hateno: Around 16 total. This is where most players find their rhythm, though the one on Eventide Island is a notorious gear-stripping gauntlet.
Why Your Sensor Isn't Working
You’re wandering around a forest, the sensor is going nuts, but there’s nothing but grass.
This happens because a huge chunk of the map is dedicated to Shrine Quests. There are 42 of these in total. The catch? These shrines don't actually exist in the physical world until you trigger the quest or solve the environmental riddle.
Basically, the shrine is underground. You can stand right on top of it, and the sensor will scream at you, but it won't pop up until you, say, shoot an arrow at the sun through a specific hole in a rock or offer a dragon scale to a spring.
Take the Mijah Rokee Shrine on Washa's Bluff. You can hang out there all day, but unless it's a Blood Moon and you're standing on the pedestal without any clothes on (don't ask, it’s a Zelda thing), that shrine is staying hidden.
The Shrines Everyone Misses
Even if you have a perfect map pulled up on your phone, there are a few "hidden in plain sight" locations that drive completionists insane.
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The Hyrule Castle Dock Shrine
Most people avoid the castle until the very end. Big mistake. There’s a shrine called Saas Ko'sah hidden in the docks. You have to light a massive brazier to make it appear. It’s a "Major Test of Strength," so bring some decent weapons unless you want to spend twenty minutes chipping away at a Guardian's health with a soup ladle.
The Forgotten Temple
Right at the end of the Tanagar Canyon (the giant crack in the earth), there’s a massive temple. It's filled with about a dozen Guardians that all want to laser your face off at the same time. If you can parry or outrun them, the Rona Kachta Shrine is sitting right at the back. This is also where you go to claim your reward after finishing all 120.
The Labyrinths
There are three of them: North Lomei, South Lomei, and the one in Akkala. They look like giant squares on your map. You have to navigate the maze to find the shrine in the center. Pro tip: if you have enough stamina, just climb to the top of the maze walls and walk over the puzzles. It feels like cheating, but hey, work smarter, not harder.
What Happens When You Finish?
So you’ve spent weeks tracking down every orange dot and turning it blue. You’ve used the map of all shrines in botw to fill in those annoying gaps in the Hebra mountains. What now?
Once you hit 120, a side quest called "A Gift from the Monks" triggers. You head back to the Forgotten Temple (the place with all the Guardians mentioned earlier). Behind the shrine there, you’ll find three chests.
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Inside is the Cap, Tunic, and Trousers of the Wild.
It’s the classic green tunic Link is known for. It’s not just for looks, though. When you upgrade the set at a Great Fairy fountain, it gives you a massive boost to the Master Sword’s "Master Beam" (the laser you shoot when you have full health).
Actionable Steps for the Completionist
If you’re stuck at 118 or 119 shrines, don't just wander aimlessly.
- Toggle the Hero’s Path: If you have the DLC, turn on the path that shows where you’ve walked. Look for the "blank" spots on your map where there are no green lines. That’s usually where your missing shrine is hiding.
- Talk to Kass: That accordion-playing bird is the key to half the hidden shrines in the game. If you see him, talk to him. His songs are literal instructions on how to make shrines appear.
- Cross-reference by Region: Don't look at the whole map at once. Pick one region—like Eldin—and count your shrines. If the map says there should be 9 and you only have 8, you know exactly where to focus your search.
- Check the Stables: Almost every stable in the game has a shrine within walking distance. It’s Nintendo’s way of giving you a fast-travel point to your horse. If you’ve found a stable but no shrine, start walking in circles. It's there somewhere.
Finding all 120 is a grind, honestly. But it’s one of the few things in gaming that actually feels like a massive accomplishment when you finally see that loading screen showing 120/120. Just remember to bring lots of ancient arrows for the castle and maybe a few spicy peppers for the mountains.
Now, go grab that green tunic. You’ve earned it.