Let me paint the picture: blazing sun by day, freezing nights, sandstorms that wipe out your map, and a Molduga swimming under the dunes. The Gerudo Wasteland is the toughest climate in Breath of the Wild, and it punishes anyone who walks in without a plan.
It is also one of the best regions in the game. This guide covers how to unlock the map, how to reach Gerudo Town, how to survive the heat and cold, the shrines worth chasing and the side content you should not miss.
Gerudo Wasteland at a Glance
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Location | Far southwest of Hyrule |
| Map tower | Wasteland Tower, in a bog on Spectacle Rock in the eastern Gerudo Highlands |
| Shrines in the Wasteland Tower region | 12 |
| Main settlement | Gerudo Town (women only) |
| Other hubs | Gerudo Canyon Stable, Kara Kara Bazaar |
| Divine Beast | Vah Naboris |
| Climate | Extreme heat by day, extreme cold by night |
Unlocking the Map: Wasteland Tower
The Wasteland Tower stands in the middle of a bottomless bog on the northern peak of Spectacle Rock. Walk into the bog and you sink, so you need another way across.
- Glide in: climb higher ground nearby and paraglide straight onto the tower.
- Freeze a path: use Cryonis on the bog to make ice pillars and hop across.
- Bring stamina: a stamina meal makes the final climb much less stressful.
Activating it reveals the Wasteland map, which you really want before the sandstorms start.
How to Reach Gerudo Town
- Head to Gerudo Canyon Stable in the canyon below the tower. Activate Kay Noh Shrine on the cliff above it for a fast travel point.
- Leave your horse: horses cannot enter the desert, so park it at the Gerudo Canyon Stable.
- Walk west through the Gerudo Desert Gateway. The heat kicks in as soon as the sand starts.
- Stop at Kara Kara Bazaar, the oasis market. A cutscene introduces Vah Naboris roaming the desert.
- Get the disguise: men are not allowed into Gerudo Town. The main quest Forbidden City Entry leads you to the vai outfit that lets Link slip inside.
- Enter Gerudo Town and the region’s main story opens up.
The worldbuilding here is next level: the Gerudo are a people of women, with a male born only rarely, and the town guards take the rule seriously. Getting in is a quest, not a formality.
Surviving the Climate
So here’s the deal: the desert hurts you before any monster does.
- Daytime heat: eat cold resistance food or drink a Chilly Elixir. Chillshrooms and Cool Safflina are the usual ingredients.
- Nighttime cold: switch to warming food or a Spicy Elixir. Night cold drains hearts just like the daytime heat.
- Sandstorms: visibility drops and the map stops working in the worst of them. Use landmarks, not the minimap.
- Sand seals: rent one with a shield and you will cross dunes far faster than on foot. Riding them is also a lot of fun.
- Electric enemies: Electric Lizalfos and Electric Chuchus are common. Keep a non metal weapon or a bow ready.
Look, I get it, juggling two temperature buffs is annoying. Keep a stack of both kinds of food and switch at dusk and dawn.
Shrines and Shrine Quests
The Wasteland Tower region holds 12 shrines. Several of them are hidden until you finish a shrine quest, so talk to everyone you meet.
| Shrine | How it appears |
|---|---|
| Korsh O’hu | The Seven Heroines, started by talking to Rotana in Gerudo Town |
| Misae Suma | The Perfect Drink, started by talking to Pokki at the shrine site |
| Suma Sahma | Secret of the Snowy Peaks, cast a cold shadow on a pedestal at the right time |
| Tho Kayu | Light the four torches around the buried shrine in the Toruma Dunes |
| Raqa Zunzo | Revealed in the sand south of Gerudo Town after its quest |
| Dila Maag | At the heart of the South Lomei Labyrinth |
The other six (Jee Noh, Kay Noh, Dako Tah, Daqo Chisay, Kema Zoos and Hawa Koth) are regular puzzle shrines. For full solutions, see our guides to Korsh O’hu Shrine and Misae Suma Shrine.
Side Content Worth Your Time
- Gerudo Town side quests: The Thunder Helm, The Search for Barta, Medicinal Molduga and The Secret Club’s Secret all start here, so the town is the densest quest hub in the region.
- Molduga hunting: these huge sand whales are mini bosses with good loot. Our North Desert Molduga guide shows how to lure one out with bombs.
- Champion memory: the region also holds a memory tied to Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. See Memory 9, Urbosa’s Hand.
- Vah Naboris: once you are ready, our Vah Naboris guide walks you through the Divine Beast.
Gerudo Wasteland FAQ
How do you get to Gerudo Town in Breath of the Wild?
Go through Gerudo Canyon Stable, leave your horse, walk west through the Gerudo Desert Gateway to Kara Kara Bazaar, then continue to the town once you have the vai disguise.
How do you climb the Wasteland Tower?
It sits in a sinking bog. Glide onto it from higher ground or freeze a path with Cryonis, then climb.
How many shrines are in the Gerudo Wasteland?
The Wasteland Tower region has 12 shrines, several of them hidden behind shrine quests.
How do you survive the desert heat?
Cold resistance food or a Chilly Elixir by day, warming food or a Spicy Elixir at night.
Can you take a horse into the Gerudo Desert?
No. Leave it at Gerudo Canyon Stable and use sand seals in the desert.
The Chill Take: stock up on both kinds of elixir, unlock the tower, and treat the desert as a place to explore slowly. Anyway, once you have a sand seal and a fast travel point at Gerudo Town, the Wasteland goes from hostile to one of the most fun corners of Hyrule.
