As you step into the shoes of Link and explore Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’re bound to come across dozens of intriguing Ancient Shrines.. Some are easier to spot, but the most well-hidden shrines can elude even the most thorough adventurer.
There are a total of 120 shrines scattered throughout the fantastical kingdom, each of which provides Link with an invaluable Spirit Orb and at least one Treasure Chest. The risk is well worth the reward, and you’re encouraged to complete as many shrines as possible—but BOTW‘s best-hidden shrines may require a bit more sleuthing to do so.
Joloo Nah Shrine
Finding this shrine requires you to pass the “Test of Wills” side quest, which sees Link dealing with a hotter and hotter situation in the Gerudo Highlands. To uncover the hidden shrine, you’ll have to speak with three Gorons—Kabetta, Bayge, and Heehl—who are hanging out by two hot spots.
The Gorons challenge Link to withstand increasingly hot temperatures by cranking up the heat, literally. You’ll have to repeat this twice, each time growing increasingly difficult.
The second trial requires Link not to wear any fire-resistant clothing. This might stump you until you realize the loophole: You can still use Fireproof Elixir, then just stand on the hot space for about two minutes. (Just remember not to hold anything wooden, or it will burst into flames!) Winning the challenge for the second time will reveal the Joloo Nah Shrine.
Kam Urog Shrine
As with all other hidden shrines, you’ll need to complete a special quest to uncover the Kam Urog Shrine in the Hateno region. To begin, you’ll need to speak with Calip, who can be found either at Fort Hateno or at the shrine’s location.
Speaking with him and looking at his ancient book reveals a cryptic clue: “When a dark light resides in the cursed statue’s eyes, pierce its gaze to purge the seal from the shrine.” It can be challenging to figure out what this means and where it applies to, making this a tough hidden shrine in BoTW.
Luckily, the solution is fairly straightforward. Follow a path north-east of the Robred Dropoff, and you’ll find yourself surrounded with statues. To uncover the hidden shrine, you have to visit the area at night and fire an arrow at the statue whose eyes are glowing.
Dila Maag Shrine
Dila Maag Shrine is found in the middle of the complex South Lomei Labyrinth, located in the east of Gerudo Desert and west of Mount Granajh. Upon your arrival, you’ll be met some taunting text on-screen, which reads, “To you who sets foot here… My blessing awaits you at the labyrinth’s end.”
Searching through the thick maze to find said labyrinth’s end can tally up hours of play time quite easily, but it all won’t be for nought. You’ll have many chances to come across valuable treasure on their way to the shrine, encouraging them to keep going. Still, having to navigate through a complicated labyrinth makes the Dila Maag Shrine one of the hardest to find in Zelda: BOTW.
Qaza Tokki Shrine
Qaza Tokki Shrine, which is found northeast of the North Tabantha Snowfield, also requires that Link make his way through a winding maze. Like the Dila Maag Shrine, treasure can be found along the way, but you may find yourselfincreasingly frustrated by the nature of this labyrinth.
By following the glowing luminescence of the Qaza Tokki Shrine, Link will be led to an area that shows the shrine, but it’ll be locked behind a metal bar. Only by utilizing the sounds of the Sheikah Sensor will he be able to actually locate the opening of the shrine. It takes a keen ear and a lot of patience to finally find the right path, easily making it one of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s best-hidden shrines.
Tahno O’ah Shrine
Tricky riddles can stump you as you try to solve shrine puzzles in BOTW, and the Tahno O’ah Shrine presents Link with one such conundrum. If you speak to Clavia in Hateno Village, she will tell Link of a riddle in an old book, which reads, “When the three summit trees become one, turn your back to them and head towards the sea.”
There’s an abundance of trees in the area, and the riddle is painstakingly vague, making the Tahno O’ah Shrine one of the hardest shrines to find in BOTW. In the end, the key to solving this puzzle lies in viewing a particular cluster of trees that overlap each other. Turning around after spotting these trees and heading to the ocean will bring Link to the shrine, which is hidden among rubble in a bundle of cedar trees.
Dagah Keek Shrine
Dagah Keek Shrine is hidden in front of Veiled Falls in Zora’s Domain, but that’s not the hardest part of conquering this shrine—the lengthy list of events required to enter are even more obscure than its location. First, you’ll need to speak to Laruta, listen to her sing the Champion Festival Song, then head off to meet Trello.
Once Link speaks to Trello, he will tell Link of the ceremonial trident he has lost, which Link will then have to search the water for. You might get confused here, thinking that the trident awarded to them when they defeat Vah Ruta is the one they were looking for, but that one is merely a replica. After obtaining the real one, Link must leap from the top of the Veiled Falls onto a platform, and strike it with the trident to release the shrine.
Kah Yah Shrine
Located near the Palmorae Ruins in Faron, the Kah Yah Shrine can be a bit dizzying, even after a measly hint from Garini in this region. He will tell Link about a fragmented stone monument with some fascinating writing, which you’ll need to decipher. But first, you’ll need to locate the three fragments.
The game will offer Link no help in finding the Kah Yah Shrine, just as shrine maps don’t account for all shrines. You need to scour the land for these fragments, and upon their discovery, you have to photograph each one and bring it back to Garini.
Only once all three have been located can Link access the entrance to the shrine by kneeling on one of the platforms, making it one of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s most well-hidden shrines.
Ketoh Wawai Shrine
The Ketoh Wawai Shrine is found in the Woodland Tower region of northern Hyrule, inside the Thyphlo Ruins. To encounter it, you have to navigate the dark woods with nothing but a torch, and navigating the pitch-black, dense environment is more challenging than it may initially seem.
The only pointers that Link will receive herein are bird statues, whose beaks can lead him to the entrance of the shrine. After a lengthy, dimly-lit trek, he will stumble across the Hinox, which must be slain to obtain its Orb. Between having to find their way through the darkness and kill an enemy at the end of it all, the Ketoh Wawai Shrine is a secret BOTW shrine that some players may never conquer.
Kema Zoos Shrine
Just like the journey to the Ketoh Wawai Shrine, visibility will also be an issue when trying to locate the Kema Zoos Shrine. Upon speaking to a Gerudo Town guard named Laine, Link will learn of a collection of swordswomen statues that lead to ancient treasure. This task sounds easy enough, until the knight finds himself enduring a brutal, dusty sandstorm on his adventure.
Even Link’s map is rendered useless during this time, which makes you vulnerable to nearby enemies and susceptible to getting turned around (and thus, hopelessly lost). When the last statue is finally found, the shrine will be right there, waiting to be solved—but the storm of thick sand firmly cements the Ketoh Wawai Shrine as one of the hardest to find shrines in Zelda: BOTW.
Shae Katha Shrine
The Shae Katha Shrine is even tricker to find, thanks to the many prerequisites Link will need to satisfy in order to open it. On the trail along Pagos Woods in Faron, Link will first have to converse with an accordion-playing Rito named Kass, who sings a local tune. Then Kass points you in the direction of Damel Forest, leaving Link to explore it for himself.
Next, Link will have to visit the Spring of Courage, and the fairy statue there will ask him for a scale from a dragon named Farosh in order to open the Shae Katha Shrine. From there, you’ll need to wait patiently until midnight, when Farosh shows itself east of the Faron Tower.
Link will need to quickly and accurately shoot a scale off its body, then take it back to the spring and drop it in front of the fairy statue to proceed. With such a lengthy and obscure process, it’ll be difficult for most players to stumble across this secret BOTW shrine without the help of a walkthrough or guide.