Elden Ring area order: All Elden Ring areas by level
Use our Elden Ring level map to take on The Lands Between
What is the ideal Elden Ring area order? Many would say that this is a pointless question - Elden Ring is very much an open-world game, after all, and the point is to go where you like and do things in the order you prefer. But what if you're truly not sure where to go next, and don't want to spend hours dying on repeat before realising that an area is too challenging for now?
In this guide, we'll take you through our recommended Elden Ring area order, which - for the most part - organises areas by recommended level to ensure you get the best possible progression route through Elden Ring. We'll break each of the main regions into easily tackled segments, and we'll also mention any particularly challenging bosses in each area which you might want to leave be until later on.
Note: Tread lightly, Tarnished. Spoilers for certain areas and bosses follow!
Elden Ring level map
To help you visualise our recommended area order, here's a full Elden Ring level map showcasing the recommended order and level for each area:
For more information on each of these areas and our recommended level for each one, read our full breakdown of the entire map below!
Elden Ring area order
Below we'll explore each of the different Elden Ring areas in greater depth. But first, here's our recommended Elden Ring area order and recommended levels for first-time players:
| Order | Area | Character Level | Weapon Upgrade Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Limgrave | 1-20 | 0-2 |
| 2 | East Limgrave | 10-20 | 0-2 |
| 3 | Weeping Peninsula | 20-30 | 0-2 |
| 4 | Stormveil Castle | 30-40 | 3-4 |
| 5 | Liurnia Of The Lakes | 40-50 | 3-4 |
| 6 | Raya Lucaria Academy | 45-60 | 4-6 |
| 7 | Caria Manor | 60-70 | 6-8 |
| 8 | Ainsel River | 60-70 | 6-8 |
| 9 | Siofra River | 60-70 | 6-8 |
| 10 | Altus Plateau | 70-80 | 8-12 |
| 11 | South Caelid | 70-80 | 8-12 |
| 12 | Nokron, Eternal City | 70-80 | 8-10 |
| 13 | Siofra Aqueduct | 75-80 | 10-14 |
| 14 | Carian Study Hall | 75-80 | 12-14 |
| 15 | Deeproot Depths | 80-90 | 14-16 |
| 16 | Nokstella, Eternal City | 80-90 | 14-18 |
| 17 | Lake Of Rot | 80-90 | 16-20 |
| 18 | Moonlight Altar | 80-90 | 16-20 |
| 19 | Mount Gelmir | 80-90 | 15-20 |
| 20 | Dragonbarrow | 80-100 | 16-20 |
| 21 | Leyndell, Royal Capital | 90-110 | 16-20 |
| 22 | Forbidden Lands | 90-110 | 20-22 |
| 23 | Mountaintops Of The Giants | 100-110 | 20-22 |
| 24 | Volcano Manor | 90-100 | 16-20 |
| 25 | Consecrated Snowfield | 100-110 | 20-22 |
| 26 | Subterranean Shunning-Grounds | 110-120 | 20-25 |
| 27 | Mohgwyn Palace | 110-120 | 22-25 |
| 28 | Miquella's Haligtree | 120+ | 24-25 |
| 29 | Crumbling Farum Azula | 120+ | 24-25 |
| 30 | Leyndell, Ashen Capital | 120+ | 24-25 |
When should you start the DLC?
If you're looking to start the Elden Ring DLC, we recommend fitting it in either just before or just after Miquella's Haligtree. If you want to see the recommended area order in the Realm Of Shadow, check out our Shadow Of The Erdtree progression route guide!
1. West Limgrave
Recommended Level: 1-20
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 0-2
West Limgrave is where all players begin their journey. Here more than anywhere, you'll find a couple of bosses that are meant to be returned to later on, so feel free to skirt around them until you're around level 20-30.
Bosses to watch out for: Tree Sentinel, Crucible Knight, Bell Bearing Hunter, Grafted Scion, Ulcerated Tree Spirit
2. East Limgrave
Recommended Level: 10-20
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 0-2
East Limgrave is fairly bereft of bosses, though it is a more challenging area on the whole - particularly the Mistwood, which is dominated by the aggressive Runebears.
Bosses to watch out for: Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater
3. Weeping Peninsula
Recommended Level: 20-30
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 0-2
The Weeping Peninsula lies to the south of Limgrave. Overall it's not too much more difficult than the rest of Limgrave, but you may need to take your time once you arrive at Castle Morne on the south coast, because this castle is a step up in challenge.
Bosses to watch out for: Runebear, Leonine Misbegotten
4. Stormveil Castle
Recommended Level: 30-40
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 3-4
Stormveil Castle is meant to test players before they enter the true second phase of the game in Liurnia. Elden Ring's first legacy dungeon is sprawling, filled with hidden areas and challenging enemies - and, of course, the story bosses Margit and Godrick.
Bosses to watch out for: Margit, Godrick
5. Liurnia Of The Lakes
Recommended Level: 40-50
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 3-4
Liurnia Of The Lakes is a gigantic wide-open region of The Lands Between, and a clear step up in difficulty from Limgrave, with its subterranean lobsters, Glintstone mages, and horrifying revenants. I'd recommend clearing the bosses around the open-world area before venturing into the two legacy dungeons of the region - Raya Lucaria Academy, and Caria Manor.
Bosses to watch out for: Glintstone Dragan Smarag, Death Rite Bird, Bell Bearing Hunter, Royal Revenant
6. Raya Lucaria Academy
Recommended Level: 45-60
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 4-6
Raya Lucaria Academy is dominated by Glintstone sorcerers which will prompt you to don some magic-resistant armour sets. It's generally quite slow going, but you can actually get through the Acadmey at a fairly low level if you are careful and methodical.
Bosses to watch out for: Red Wolf Of Radagon, Rennala
7. Caria Manor
Recommended Level: 60-70
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 6-8
Though you may not expect it, Caria Manor is more challenging overall than Raya Lucaria Academy. We'd recommend it be the last place you tackle in Liurnia (apart from the areas that are blocked off for now), not only because it features some highly dangerous enemies for your current level, but because it will kickstart a long quest that takes you away from Liurnia immediately.
Bosses to watch out for: Royal Knight Loretta, Glintstone Dragon Adula
8. Ainsel River
Recommended Level: 60-70
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 6-8
Ainsel River is one of several underground regions of Elden Ring, this one found beneath Liurnia. Travel to the Ainsel River Well on the east coast to reach it. This area is populated mostly by Giant Ants and Claymen, but after Caria Manor they won't be a significant step up in difficulty.
Bosses to watch out for: Dragonkin Soldier Of Nokstella
9. Siofra River
Recommended Level: 60-70
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 6-8
Back in Liurnia, you can use the elevator in the Mistwood to reach Siofra River, another underground region similar in difficulty to Ainsel River. Siofra's most dangerous enemies are the Ancestral Followers, particularly their archers. But take your time and you can take most of them out from behind with ease.
Bosses to watch out for: Regal Ancestor Spirit, Dragonkin Soldier
10. Altus Plateau
Recommended Level: 70-80
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 8-12
Many sites recommend you visit Caelid before the beautiful Altus Plateau, but we find the Altus Plateau easier on the whole. That said, there are a couple of boss encounters you may wish to leave for later - perhaps when you come back to tackle the capital, Leyndell.
Bosses to watch out for: Elemer Of The Briar, Sanguine Noble, Fallingstar Beast, Tree Sentinels
11. South Caelid
Recommended Level: 70-80
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 8-12
Caelid's Rot-infested enemies are all rather dangerous, but there are a few in particular that you should beware - including the dragon Decaying Ekzekes. Speaking of dragons, stay out of North Caelid for now. That's Dragonbarrow, and it's a significant step up in difficulty even from South Caelid. Deal with Starscourge Radahn and then come back out of the Rot for now.
Bosses to watch out for: Decaying Ekxykes, Death Rite Bird, Fallingstar Beast, Starscourge Radahn
12. Nokron, Eternal City
Recommended Level: 70-80
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 8-10
The Eternal City of Nokron is part of Siofra River. It barely features any bosses at all, though the Mimic Tear can surprise you if you're not careful. The main reason we've added it here is because it's the obvious next step for most players who are following Ranni's quest after killing Starscourge Radahn.
Bosses to watch out for: Mimic Tear
13. Siofra Aqueduct
Recommended Level: 75-80
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 10-14
The Siofra Aqueduct is joined to Nokron, and is mostly empty apart from a few nasty Crucible Knights and one boss fight which just so happens to be one of the hardest boss fights in the game (relative to the level most players encounter it). Therefore, I'd recommend you hit at least level 75 before attempting this area.
Bosses to watch out for: Valiant Gargoyles
14. Carian Study Hall
Recommended Level: 75-80
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 12-14
Most of the Carian Study Hall is actually no more dangerous really than the rest of Liurnia, but again it's the logical next step in following Ranni's quest. What you do have to watch out for is the Godskin Noble on the Divine Bridge, because that guy is no joke.
Bosses to watch out for: Preceptor Miriam, Godskin Noble
15. Deeproot Depths
Recommended Level: 80-90
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 14-16
Time to explore the final region of Elden Ring's underground map. Deeproot Depths has some very challenging enemies and bosses, most notably Crucible Knight Siluria and the Lichdragon Fortissax. You should be nearing triple figures with your character level by this point.
Bosses to watch out for: Crucible Knight Siluria, Lichdragon Fortissax
16. Nokstella, Eternal City
Recommended Level: 80-90
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 14-18
Nokstella is the second Eternal City of Elden Ring, and it is found adjoining Ainsel River beneath Liurnia. This phase marks the second half of Ranni's quest, and while Nokstella itself isn't too terribly difficult for your current level, things are about to get harder.
Bosses to watch out for: Baleful Shadow
17. Lake Of Rot
Recommended Level: 80-90
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 16-20
We recommend level 80-90 for taking on the Lake Of Rot, but honestly it won't hurt you to do a bit of rune farming before this point, because the Lake Of Rot is hard. It's Elden Ring's great big poisonous swamp area, and so it's very slow going for the most part. The Dragonkin Soldier is a challenge to fight while avoiding the Rot, and at the end of the area you'll face Astel, who can trip up a lot of unprepared players very easily.
Bosses to watch out for: Dragonkin Soldier, Astel Naturalborn Of The Void
18. Moonlight Altar
Recommended Level: 80-90
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 16-20
Finally you've reached the final area of Liurnia, the Moonlight Altar. Up here you'll face several dragons, which immediately ups the difficulty on the rest of Liurnia. But they're nothing compared to Alecto, the Black Knife Ringleader, who is one of the most difficult bosses you'll find this side of Leyndell.
Bosses to watch out for: Glintstone Dragon Adula, Alecto Black Knife Ringleader
19. Mount Gelmir
Recommended Level: 80-90
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 15-20
I'd recommend leaving Volcano Manor for now, but you can freely explore around the rest of Mount Gelmir in the far northwest of the map. It's a tough old place, and if you want my advice, don't even try to fight the Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast until much later on. It's easily one of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring.
Bosses to watch out for: Anastasia Tarnished-Eater, Fire Prelate, Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast
20. Dragonbarrow
Recommended Level: 80-100
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 16-20
Around this point is where we recommend players return to Caelid to deal with Dragonbarrow at last. There are some really nasty bosses and even some awful non-boss enemies here (looking at you, Runebear), and I'd honestly only be comfortable tackling this place once I hit level 100. Watch out in particular for the Divine Tower of Caelid, and Fort Faroth.
Bosses to watch out for: Bell Bearing Hunter, Godskin Apostle, Flying Dragon Greyll
21. Leyndell, Royal Capital
Recommended Level: 90-110
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 16-20
Leyndell is the place to be once you hit level 100. Immediately you'll need to face down an upgraded Margit and a very challenging Draconic Tree Sentinel before working your way through one of the largest and densest legacy dungeons in the game. It's a very tough place.
Bosses to watch out for: Margit, Draconic Tree Sentinel, Crucible Knight Ordovis, Godfrey, Morgott
22. Forbidden Lands
Recommended Level: 90-110
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 20-22
The Forbidden Lands serves as a bridge between Leyndell and the Mountaintops Of The Giants. The good news is you'll be in and out of this small area very quickly - if you can deal with the bad news, that is. The bad news being the Night's Cavalry and Black Blade Kindred guarding the path.
Bosses to watch out for: Night's Cavalry, Black Blade Kindred
23. Mountaintops Of The Giants
Recommended Level: 100-110
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 20-22
The Mountaintops Of The Giants are a clear sign that you're getting into the late-game of Elden Ring. The enemy population is very diverse in this region, and you'll find a lot of challenges, including some truly awe-inspiring boss fights. The very worst though is Commander Niall, found in Castle Sol. This guy is the hardest boss in Elden Ring for me, so you may want to leave him for a bit.
Bosses to watch out for: Fire Giant, Borealis The Freezing Fog, Commander Niall
24. Volcano Manor
Recommended Level: 90-100
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 16-20
Volcano Manor isn't as difficult as the Mountaintops Of The Giants really, but if you want to complete all the Volcano Manor contracts then you'll need to unlock the Mountaintops area first. Having said that, the fights against the Godskin Noble and in particular Rykard can be very difficult if you don't know what you're doing.
Bosses to watch out for: Godskin Noble, Rykard
25. Consecrated Snowfield
Recommended Level: 100-110
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 20-22
The Consecrated Snowfield is essentially the western half of the Mountaintops Of The Giants, and we think it's the slightly more difficult of the two halves overall. There's a surprising number of bosses hidden away in this region, and some of them can be a real challenge even for level 100+ characters.
Bosses to watch out for: Sanguine Noble, Astel Stars Of Darkness
26. Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
Recommended Level: 110-120
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 20-25
The Subterranean Shunning-Grounds are the sewers beneath Leyndell, and they are a bit of a step up in difficulty from the Leyndell you know and love from above ground. That's why we recommend not going down there right away, but instead deal with the Mountaintops first, to beef up your character a bit more. There are some nasty Omens and other creatures waiting for you down here, including a challenging fight against Mohg The Omen.
Bosses to watch out for: Mohg The Omen
27. Mohgwyn Palace
Recommended Level: 110-120
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 22-25
Speaking of Mohg! You can now teleport to Mohgwyn Palace using a portal found in the Consecrated Snowfield. And while it's one of the most uniquely designed areas in the game, it's also easily one of the most challenging, particularly when you factor in the area's main boss, Mohg himself. Having said that, you'll need to reach this point if you want to delve into the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC.
Bosses to watch out for: Mohg Lord Of Blood
28. Miquella's Haligtree
Recommended Level: 120+
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 24-25
Miquella's Haligtree is probably the hardest area in the entire game. It's filled to the brim with extremely challenging bosses and non-boss enemies alike, many of whom are able to attack you simultaneously as a group. It's very tough going, and when you reach Malenia, Blade Of Miquella, you may want to prepare yourself for a good several sessions of failure before you finally beat this iconic FromSoft boss.
Bosses to watch out for: Malenia Blade Of Miquella
29. Crumbling Farum Azula
Recommended Level: 120+
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 24-25
After you defeat the Fire Giant in the Mountaintops Of The Giants, you're able to enter what is essentially the endgame of Elden Ring, and be whisked off to the timeless lands of Crumbling Farum Azula. This area is obviously meant only for very high-level characters who have more or less maxed out their weapon upgrades. Even then, the four bosses I've mentioned below are bound to cause you some real trouble.
Bosses to watch out for: Godskin Duo, Draconic Tree Sentinel, Dragonlord Placidusax, Maliketh
30. Leyndell, Ashen Capital
Recommended Level: 120+
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Level: 24-25
The final region of Elden Ring is a transformed Leyndell, populated by very few non-boss enemies and a whole heap of bosses. There's not much to say here except that it's the ending, so make sure you're prepared. Good luck!
Bosses to watch out for: Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, Radagon, Elden Beast
That brings us to an end of this exhaustive list of Elden Ring areas and their recommended levels! Elden Ring sure is big, isn't it? To prepare yourself for the hundreds of different Elden Ring bosses on offer, why not take a look at our guides on the best Elden Ring builds and best Elden Ring weapons? You can also check out our guide on how to level up fast in Elden Ring.