You’re standing on top of a Sheikah Tower, looking out over the vast, ruined beauty of Hyrule, and you see it—that faint orange glow in the distance. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you’re at 119 shrines and that last one is driving you absolutely up the wall. We've all been there. Hunting down zelda breath of the wild all shrine locations isn't just a checklist; it’s basically the core loop of the entire game. It's how you get the Master Sword. It's how you stop dying to a single Guardian beam.
Honestly, the sheer scale is intimidating. There are 120 shrines in the base game. If you have the DLC, that number jumps. But let's stick to the core hunt for now. Some are sitting right in the open, waving at you like a lost tourist. Others are buried under piles of rock, hidden behind waterfalls, or locked behind "Shrine Quests" that require you to do everything from shadow-watching to stripping naked on a pedestal during a blood moon.
Why the Great Plateau is just a tease
The game starts you off easy. Those first four shrines—Oman Au, Ja Baij, Keh Namut, and Owa Daim—are basically the tutorial. They give you your runes. Magnesis, Bombs, Cryonis, and Stasis. You think, "Okay, I get it. I see a glowy building, I go inside, I get a Spirit Orb."
But then you paraglide off that cliff.
Suddenly, the world opens up and you realize the Sheikah Sensor is both your best friend and your worst enemy. It starts beeping. You look around. Nothing. You're standing on a flat plain and the sensor is going wild, but there's no shrine. That’s because Nintendo loves verticality. A huge chunk of the zelda breath of the wild all shrine locations are actually underground or tucked into the sides of cliffs that you can’t see from the road.
Take the Hebra region. It’s a frozen nightmare. You’re sliding around, fighting cold damage, and trying to find the To Quomo Shrine. It’s literally inside a mountain behind a set of heavy stone doors that you have to roll a giant snowball into. If you aren't looking for the subtle physical cues in the environment, you'll walk right over it.
Cracking the code of the hidden 120
When we talk about finding every single one, we have to talk about the different "types" of placements. Not all shrines are created equal.
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First, you've got your Environmental Puzzles. These are the ones where the shrine is the reward for just getting there. Think of the Thyphlo Ruins north of the Lost Woods. It’s pitch black. You can’t see your own feet. You have to use torches and lit bird statues to navigate. When you finally hear that "shing" sound and see the pedestal, the shrine itself is usually just a "Rauru's Blessing." You did the work outside, so you get the orb for free inside.
Then there are the Shrine Quests. There are 42 of these. You usually trigger them by talking to an NPC (look for the accordion-playing bird, Kass) or reading an old stone tablet.
- The "Three Giant Brothers" quest in the Faron region.
- "The Spring of Wisdom" on Mount Lanayru.
- "The Ceremonial Song" in Zora's Domain.
One of the most notorious is the Eventide Island shrine (Korgu Chideh). You land on the island, and the game yanks away all your gear. Your weapons, your food, your armor—gone. You have to survive and place three orbs on pedestals using only what you find on the beach. It’s a microcosm of the whole game’s survival mechanics, and it’s arguably the best shrine in the game.
Navigating the regions without a map
If you're hunting zelda breath of the wild all shrine locations, you should break it down by Sheikah Tower regions. It’s the only way to stay sane.
Central Hyrule is surprisingly sparse because of the Guardians, but look closely around the castle docks. Necluda is dense. Hateno Village has one right over the hill, but the others are scattered across the peaks. Gerudo Desert is a pain because of the sandstorms that mess with your map. You have to follow the statues' swords to find the way to the Kema Zoos shrine.
Don't forget the "Twin" shrines on the Dueling Peaks. Shee Vaneer and Shee Venath. You have to memorize the pattern of the orbs in one and recreate it in the other. It’s a classic Zelda "Aha!" moment that a lot of people miss because they solve one and then teleport away, forgetting there's a second peak.
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The struggle for the final few
Most players hit a wall around 112 shrines. You’ve scanned the map. You’ve followed the roads. Where are the last eight?
Check the edges. The map of Hyrule is a rectangle, but the playable area is a bit more organic. There are shrines tucked into the very corners of the world. The Lomei Labyrinth Island in the top right (Akkala) is a big one. It’s a massive maze visible from the sky, but getting to the center requires a lot of Stamina or a very brave Zora Armor swim.
Also, look for the "Blessing" shrines that require specific interactions. Did you find the one hidden behind the waterfall in the Necluda Sea? Did you find the one that only appears when you shoot a blue spirit (Blupee) or a specific dragon scale into a spring?
Technical nuances of the Sheikah Sensor+
If you aren't using the Sensor+, you're playing on hard mode. Once you upgrade your slate at the Hateno Tech Lab, you can track anything in the compendium. While the default is set to shrines, sometimes it's better to track "Ore Deposits" or "Treasure Chests" because shrines are often located near these high-value spots.
But remember: the sensor only detects horizontal proximity well. It struggles with verticality. If the icon is pulsing but the signal isn't getting "louder" as you move, look up or look for a cave entrance below you. The Dueling Peaks area is famous for this—people spend hours running circles on the grass when the shrine is actually in a cavern tucked into the riverbank.
Real talk about the rewards
Is finding all 120 worth it?
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Once you clear the final shrine, you’ll get a side quest called "A Gift from the Monks." This leads you to the Forgotten Temple in the Tanagar Canyon. Inside, behind the oldest goddess statue, you'll find three chests containing the Set of the Wild.
It’s the classic green tunic, hat, and shorts.
When upgraded, it gives you a massive boost to the Master Sword's beam attack. But honestly? The real reward is the feeling of completion. Walking into the Sanctum to face Calamity Ganon with 30 hearts (or a mix of hearts and full stamina) feels earned. You’ve mastered the world.
Actionable steps for your hunt
To actually finish this list, you need a strategy. Don't just wander aimlessly.
- Clear the Towers first. You can't find what you can't see. Getting the map data for all 15 regions is non-negotiable.
- Follow the Birds. If you see a flock of birds circling a specific spot in the distance, there’s almost always a shrine or a Point of Interest there.
- Talk to Kass. Every time you see that big blue bird playing the accordion, stop. His songs are literal riddles for the most hidden shrines in the game.
- The "Hero’s Path" trick. If you have the DLC, turn on the Hero's Path mode on your map. Look for "dead zones"—large areas where you haven't walked yet. 99% of the time, your missing shrines are in those blank spots.
- Look for strange geometry. In Hyrule, nature doesn't do perfect circles or straight lines. If you see a circle of rocks in the water or a suspiciously flat plateau, investigate it.
Finding zelda breath of the wild all shrine locations is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time in the Akkala Highlands. Enjoy the climb up Mount Lanayru. The Master Sword is waiting, but the journey through those 120 puzzles is the real heart of the game.
Once you have the full map unlocked and the Sheikah Sensor+ humming, prioritize the "Major Test of Strength" shrines. They provide the Guardian weapons you’ll need for the tougher puzzles and the final push toward the castle. Start with the shrines in the Lanayru and Faron regions, as these provide the best accessibility to early-game gear and heart containers. After that, tackle the Hebra and Gerudo peaks to finish off your stamina vessels.
Good luck out there. Hyrule is big, but those orange lights are always waiting to be turned blue.