You’re stuck. I know the feeling. You’ve finally beaten the Dung Defender, or maybe you just stumbled into the City of Tears for the first time, and now you’re staring at a screen filled with dripping pipes and hostile flukes without a clue where you are. Finding the royal waterways map location is honestly one of the most frustrating rites of passage in Hollow Knight. It isn't like the Greenpath map where Cornifer is practically humming in your ear from the moment you walk in. Here, the atmosphere is oppressive, the sound design is disgusting (in a good way), and the map maker is tucked away in a spot that feels counter-intuitive if you’re just trying to survive.
Getting the map is the difference between a controlled exploration and a frantic, death-looping mess.
Where Exactly is Cornifer Hiding?
To find the royal waterways map location, you need to have a general sense of where you are in relation to the City of Tears. Most players enter the Waterways by using a Simple Key on the hatch near the Relic Seeker Lemm’s shop. Once you drop down into the gloom, you’re basically in the "upper" section of the zone.
Cornifer is located in the eastern portion of the upper Waterways.
Basically, once you enter from the City of Tears, you want to head right. You’ll pass through some soggy corridors filled with Hwurmps—those annoying balloon-like enemies that inflate and float toward you. Keep moving east until you find a room that feels like a vertical junction. You'll likely hear Cornifer’s iconic humming, but it’s muffled by the sound of rushing water and those squelching fluke noises.
Look for his trail of discarded map pages. In this specific zone, they are usually damp and stuck to the ground. You have to navigate a series of small platforms and potentially fight off a few Winged Sentries or Flukefey. Cornifer is tucked into a small alcove on the right side of this vertical transition area. If you hit the area leading toward the Isma’s Grove entrance or the Dung Defender’s arena, you’ve gone too far or stayed too low.
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He sells the map for 75 Geo. It’s the best money you’ll spend in the mid-game. Honestly.
Why the Map Shop is Easy to Miss
The Royal Waterways is designed to be disorienting. Team Cherry used a lot of "loop-back" level design here. You might think you're heading toward the royal waterways map location, but one wrong drop down a hole sends you into the deep pipes where the Flukemarm lives.
Here is the thing: the humming is your best guide.
Unlike other areas where Cornifer is standing in the open, the Waterways layout uses a lot of foreground layers that can obscure him. If you can’t see him but the music is loud, check behind the pipes or look for a breakable wall. In this case, he isn't behind a breakable wall, but he is positioned in a way that requires a bit of platforming that feels "optional" until you realize it’s the only way to get your bearings.
Essential Gear Before You Go Hunting
Don't just rush in. The Waterways are unforgiving if you're under-leveled. While you can technically get there with just the Mothwing Cloak, having the Mantis Claw is non-negotiable for the verticality of the map room.
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- Desolate Dive / Descending Dark: This is huge. There are several shaky floors in the Waterways that lead to shortcuts or secret caches of Geo.
- Lumafly Lantern: While not strictly required for the map shop itself, you’ll need it for the dark rooms adjacent to it. Don't be the person who finds the map and then dies in a pitch-black room two minutes later because you couldn't see the spikes.
- Wayward Compass: Buy this from Iselda in Dirtmouth immediately after getting the map. A map without the compass in the Waterways is basically just a pretty drawing. You will get lost.
What to Do If Cornifer Leaves
It happens. Maybe you triggered a certain boss fight or progressed too far into the late-game areas like the Abyss or the Ancient Basin. If you go to the royal waterways map location and find only a single note left behind, don’t panic.
This just means Cornifer went home to his wife.
You can buy the Royal Waterways map at the map shop in Dirtmouth from Iselda. It costs a bit more—usually a small "convenience fee"—but it’s better than playing blind. If you've already defeated the three Dreamers, Cornifer will definitely be gone from the pipes. Check the shop; it’ll be there.
Navigating the Zone After Getting the Map
Once you have the map in hand, the zone starts to make sense. You’ll notice the Waterways acts as a massive hub connecting the City of Tears, the Ancient Basin, and the Fungal Wastes.
There’s a specific "secret" path near the map location that leads toward Isma’s Grove. You’ll need the Crystal Heart (Super Dash) to get across the long acid pools. Getting Isma’s Tear is the real prize of the Waterways because it allows you to swim in acid, opening up huge chunks of the map in Fog Canyon and Greenpath.
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Also, keep an eye out for the Eternal Emplitia. She’s tucked away in a sub-area called the Junk Pit, which you access through the Waterways. This is where the Godmaster DLC content starts. If you see a massive golden sarcophagus, you're in the right place for some of the hardest boss rushes in the game.
Common Player Mistakes in the Waterways
People try to explore the bottom-left corner of the map too early. That area is a nightmare of "fluke" enemies that split in half and keep attacking you. It’s gross. It’s loud. It’s dangerous.
Another mistake? Forgetting to unlock the shortcut to the City of Tears. Near the top of the map, there’s a lever that opens a large mechanical gate. This lets you bypass the Simple Key hatch entirely. If you die before hitting that lever, you have to do the long run back from the King’s Station or the City warehouse.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you are currently sitting at a bench trying to plan your move, do this:
- Check your Geo: Make sure you have at least 200 Geo (75 for the map, the rest for the bench toll nearby).
- Enter via the City of Tears: Use the hatch near Lemm. It’s the safest entry point.
- Listen for the Hum: As soon as you enter the large eastern cavern, stop moving and just listen. Follow the sound of the humming upward and to the right.
- Find the Bench: There is a bench guarded by a small combat encounter just below the map area. Unlock it first. If you die getting the map, you don't want to spawn back in the City.
- Visit Iselda: If the map isn't appearing or Cornifer is gone, fly back to Dirtmouth.
The Royal Waterways is a miserable place, but it's a necessary hurdle. Once you have that map, the "true" layout of Hallownest starts to reveal itself, linking the high spires of the city to the deep, forgotten ruins below. Just watch out for the Hwurmps. They always explode when you least expect it.