You've been there. You're standing on the peak of a snowy mountain in the Hebra region, stamina bar depleted, looking at a map that feels way too empty. It's frustrating. Honestly, hunting down an all shrines Breath of the Wild map is basically a rite of passage for anyone who picks up a Switch controller. There are 120 of them in the base game. That's a lot. If you have the DLC, you’re looking at even more, but let’s stick to the core grind first.
It isn't just about the Spirit Orbs. It's about that nagging feeling of an incomplete puzzle.
Hyrule is massive. Like, "I've been walking for twenty minutes and I'm still in the same field" massive. Finding every single shrine without a guide is arguably one of the hardest tasks in modern gaming because Nintendo got really clever with verticality and occlusion. Some are hidden behind destructible rocks. Others require you to stand naked on a pedestal during a blood moon. Yeah, they went there.
The Reality of Using an All Shrines Breath of the Wild Map
Most people think they can just pull up a JPEG on their phone and be done with it. Good luck. The problem is that the map is layered. You might be standing exactly where the icon says a shrine should be, but you're actually 300 feet above it on a cliffside, or there's a cave entrance half a mile away that tunnels underneath you.
I remember spending two hours looking for the Toh Yahsa shrine in Thundra Plateau. I had the map. I was in the right spot. But the environmental puzzle—moving those colored orbs while lightning is literally trying to kill you—is a different beast entirely.
Why the Map Icons Can Lie to You
The Sheikah Sensor is your best friend, but it's also a dirty liar. It pings based on proximity, not accessibility. If you're using an all shrines Breath of the Wild map, you have to cross-reference the terrain.
Take the Twin Peaks. There are shrines basically on top of each other, but on different "levels" of the mountain split. If you aren't careful, you’ll clear one and assume the sensor is just glitching out for the other. It’s not. You just haven't climbed high enough yet.
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Some shrines are "Shrine Quests." These won't even show up on your sensor until you trigger a specific action. You could walk over the site of the Sand-Seal racing shrine a hundred times and never see a glimmer of blue or orange until you talk to the right NPC in Gerudo Desert.
Regional Breakdowns That Usually Trip People Up
Everyone gets the Great Plateau ones. They're the tutorial. But once you hit the "wild" part of Breath of the Wild, the distribution gets weird.
The Hebra Problem
Hebra is a nightmare. It’s white. Everything is white. The map shows a cluster of shrines in the northwest corner, but the verticality here is insane. There are ice blocks you have to melt and hidden caves like the one behind the Hebra North Summit. Most players miss at least three shrines here because they simply get tired of the cold damage and move on.
The Central Hyrule Void
You’d think the center of the map would be easy. Nope. Guardian Stalkers make exploration a chore. A lot of players skip the shrines near the castle until the very end, which is a mistake. Those are some of the most mechanically interesting "Major Tests of Strength" in the game.
The Faron Jungle
Dense trees. Constant rain. Slippery rocks. Finding shrines in Faron is less about "where is it" and more about "how do I stop sliding off this mountain long enough to reach it."
The "Hidden" Shrines Nobody Talks About
If you're looking at a completed all shrines Breath of the Wild map and you're stuck at 119/120, check these spots. They are the usual suspects:
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- Eventide Island: Korgu Chideh Shrine. You lose all your gear. It’s a total survival reset. Most people put it off and then forget it exists.
- The Forgotten Temple: Located at the end of the Tanagar Canyon. It’s packed with Guardians. If you aren't looking down into the canyon, you'll sail right over it.
- The Labyrinths: There are three. Lomei Island (Akcala), North Lomei (Hebra), and South Lomei (Gerudo). They are huge, square blocks on the map. You have to navigate the maze to find the shrine in the center (or cheese it by climbing the walls).
- Shadow Hamlet: On the slopes of Death Mountain. It’s tucked away in a ruined village that blends perfectly into the dark volcanic rock.
The Nuance of the DLC Shrines
If you bought the Expansion Pass, your total count goes up. The Champions' Ballad adds 16 more shrines. These are arguably the best in the game because they were designed after Nintendo saw how people played the original 120. They’re harder. They’re weirder. They require more "out of the box" thinking with Magnesis and Stasis.
Addressing the "Guide" Controversy
Some purists say using a map ruins the game. I disagree.
Look, Breath of the Wild is about discovery. But after 80 hours, searching for the final three shrines isn't "discovery"—it's a needle in a haystack. Using a map doesn't solve the shrine for you. You still have to do the work. You still have to beat the Monk's trial or solve the physics puzzle.
Expert players like those in the speedrunning community (check out runners on Speedrun.com) have these maps memorized. They use specific routes to maximize stamina. For the average person, having a map open on a second screen just makes the experience less of a headache.
Common Misconceptions
- "Shrines are the only way to get hearts." Mostly true, but don't forget the Divine Beasts give you a Heart Container too.
- "All shrines are underground." Not even close. Many are perched on pillars or hidden in plain sight inside ruins.
- "The sensor always works." As mentioned, for Shrine Quests, the sensor is useless until the shrine physically emerges from the ground.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you are serious about hitting that 120 mark, stop wandering aimlessly.
First, climb every Sheikah Tower. This is obvious, but it populates the topography. You can't find a shrine on a map if you can't see the mountain it's sitting on.
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Second, talk to Kass. The accordion-playing bird is basically a living hint system. If you see him, he has a song that leads to a hidden shrine. Follow the lyrics. They aren't just flavor text; they are literal instructions.
Third, look for the birds. If you see a circle of birds circling a specific spot in the sky, there’s almost always a shrine or a significant point of interest directly below them. It’s a subtle visual cue Nintendo added for players who turn off the HUD.
Fourth, check the "Hero’s Path" mode if you have the DLC. It shows everywhere you've walked in the last 200 hours. See a giant empty patch on your map? Go there. That’s where your missing shrine is hiding.
Finally, once you hit all 120, head to the Forgotten Temple. There's a reward waiting for you there that makes the entire grind worth it. It’s the "Of the Wild" armor set. It makes you look like the classic Link from the original NES game. It’s the ultimate flex in Hyrule.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
- Download a high-resolution map and mark off the regions one by one starting from the outskirts and moving inward.
- Prioritize the "Test of Strength" shrines early to get high-tier Guardian weapons for the harder "Blessing" shrines that require combat to reach.
- Check your quest log for "Shrine Quests"—if you have any unfinished, those are the shrines missing from your physical map.
Mapping Hyrule is a marathon. Take it one region at a time, keep your sensor on, and don't be afraid to look at a reference when the Hylian landscape gets too dizzying.