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Elden Ring area order: All Elden Ring areas by level

Use our Elden Ring level map to take on The Lands Between

The player in Elden Ring stands in the Siofra River and looks out at the ruined landscape.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

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:

A level map of The Lands Between in Elden Ring, with each area marked with its recommended level and order.
Our Elden Ring level map. Click here to view it at full resolution! | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from West Limgrave in Elden Ring.
West Limgrave may be your starting point, but not everything here is meant to be tackled straight away. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from East Limgrave in Elden Ring.
East Limgrave houses the Runebear-dominated Mistwood. Don't go too far east, or you'll end up in Caelid. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Weeping Peninsula in Elden Ring.
The Weeping Peninsula serves as a good final step before taking on Elden Ring's first legacy dungeon. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Stormveil Castle in Elden Ring.
Stormveil Castle is much larger than you think, so take your time exploring. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Liurnia Of The Lakes in Elden Ring.
The largest region in the game, Liurnia has a whopping 40 bosses hidden away in various places. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Raya Lucaria Academy in Elden Ring.
Raya Lucaria Academy is home to many sorcerers and the second major boss of the game, Rennala. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Caria Manor in Elden Ring.
Caria Manor's massive Fingercreepers and challenging bosses make it tough by Liurnia's standards. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Ainsel River in Elden Ring.
Ainsel River may be beautiful, but its Claymen and Giant Ants are very much not. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Siofra River in Elden Ring.
Siofra River is home to the Ancestral Followers, and the splendid spirit-boss they worship. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Altus Plateau in Elden Ring.
The Altus Plateau is a step up in difficulty from Liurnia, that much is certain. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from South Caelid in Elden Ring.
Caelid is a challenging mid-game area, but if you steer clear of the north it won't be too bad. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Nokron in Elden Ring.
Nokron is one of two Eternal Cities in Elden Ring, and both are beautiful and deadly. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Siofra Aqueduct in Elden Ring.
Siofra Aqueduct is home to one of my least favourite bosses in the game. Have fun. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Carian Study Hall in Elden Ring.
The Carian Study Hall leads to the Divine Tower Of Liurnia where you can claim Rennala's Great Rune at last. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Deeproot Depths in Elden Ring.
Deeproot Depths is located far beneath the capital of Leyndell, but you can reach it via the Siofra Aqueduct. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Nokstella in Elden Ring.
Nokstella is the second Eternal City you'll discover, and it's filled with tricky enemies and traps. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Lake Of Rot in Elden Ring.
Many players' least favourite area in Elden Ring, the Lake Of Rot is one giant poisonous swamp. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Moonlight Altar in Elden Ring.
A breath of fresh air after the Lake Of Rot, the Moonlight Altar is the final piece of Liurnia to discover. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Mount Gelmir in Elden Ring.
Mount Gelmir adjoins the Altus Plateau, and it's a step up in difficulty - particularly with its bosses. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Dragonbarrow in Elden Ring.
Dragonbarrow is the most dangerous area of Caelid, filled with - yes, you guessed it. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Leyndell in Elden Ring.
To enter the massive legacy dungeon that is Leyndell, you must first defeat a very challenging Draconic Tree Sentinel boss. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Forbidden Lands in Elden Ring.
The Forbidden Lands act as the starting point for the late-game of Elden Ring, once you've conquered Leyndell. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Mountaintops Of The Giants in Elden Ring.
The Mountaintops Of The Giants look colossal on the map, but the actual traversable area is around the size of Limgrave. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Volcano Manor in Elden Ring.
Volcano Manor is home to a few contract assassination quests that you may wish to complete before disposing of Lord Rykard. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Consecrated Snowfield in Elden Ring.
The Consecrated Snowfield is the slightly harder half of the Mountaintops, where visibility is near-zero. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds in Elden Ring.
Beneath Lenydell there exists a network of sewers and catacombs called the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Mohgwyn Palace in Elden Ring.
Mohgwyn Palace is a very tricky area, and home to one of Elden Ring's most memorable boss fights. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Miquella's Haligree in Elden Ring.
Miquella's Haligtree is home to Malenia, Blade Of Miquella, who needs no introduction really. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Crumbling Farum Azula in Elden Ring.
Crumbling Farum Azula is the penultimate area in Elden Ring, and as such it's filled with frighteningly challenging enemies. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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

A strip of landscape from Leyndell, Ashen Capital in Elden Ring.
The final area of Elden Ring, the Ashen Capital is where you must fight those last few fights to earn your place as Elden Lord. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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.

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