Ocarina of Time Walkthrough
Play the dungeons in this order: Inside the Deku Tree → Dodongo's Cavern → Jabu-Jabu's Belly → [draw the Master Sword] → Forest Temple → Fire Temple → Water Temple → Shadow Temple → Spirit Temple → Ganon's Castle. The first three are the child era; after the Master Sword you play as adult Link for the rest. There are 12 dungeons in all and the main quest runs about 25 hours.
Jump to: Mechanics & Controls · First Dungeon · 100% Checklist
Chapter-by-chapter route
The main quest is a fixed spine: three child-era dungeons to earn the Spiritual Stones, then the Master Sword, then five adult temples before Ganon's Castle. Each chapter below links to its boss strategy and, where a full temple guide exists, the dungeon page.
- 1
Chapter 1 — Inside the Deku Tree
Kokiri Forest (Great Deku Tree) (child Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Queen Gohma.
💡 Reward: Kokiri's Emerald (Spiritual Stone of the Forest)
- 2
Chapter 2 — Dodongo's Cavern
Death Mountain Trail (child Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat King Dodongo.
💡 Reward: Goron's Ruby (Spiritual Stone of Fire)
- 3
Chapter 3 — Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly
Zora's Fountain (child Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Barinade. Beating it earns the third Spiritual Stone — then you draw the Master Sword and jump 7 years forward.
💡 Reward: Zora's Sapphire (Spiritual Stone of Water)
- 4
Chapter 4 — Forest Temple
Sacred Forest Meadow (Lost Woods) (adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Phantom Ganon.
💡 Reward: Forest Medallion
- 5
Chapter 5 — Fire Temple
Death Mountain Crater (adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Volvagia.
💡 Reward: Fire Medallion
- 6
Chapter 6 — Water Temple
Lake Hylia (adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Morpha.
💡 Reward: Water Medallion
- 7
Chapter 7 — Shadow Temple
Kakariko Village Graveyard (adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Bongo Bongo.
💡 Reward: Shadow Medallion
- 8
Chapter 8 — Spirit Temple
Desert Colossus (Haunted Wasteland) (child and adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Twinrova.
💡 Reward: Spirit Medallion
- 9
Chapter 9 — Ganon's Castle
Hyrule Castle ruins (Ganon's Tower) (adult Link). Clear the dungeon and defeat Ganondorf, then Ganon.
💡 Reward: Game completion
📝 Where the Master Sword splits the game
After Jabu-Jabu's Belly you place the three Spiritual Stones and draw the Master Sword in the Temple of Time. This warps you 7 years into the future as adult Link — the moment the game opens up into the five adult temples. You can later travel back and forth at the Pedestal of Time. See Time Travel for how it works.
Every story chapter
Jump straight to any chapter. Temple guides cover room-by-room routes; the rest link to the dungeon database entry.
Inside the Deku Tree
Kokiri Forest (Great Deku Tree) · Boss: Queen Gohma
Dodongo's Cavern
Death Mountain Trail · Boss: King Dodongo
Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly
Zora's Fountain · Boss: Barinade
Forest Temple
Sacred Forest Meadow (Lost Woods) · Boss: Phantom Ganon
Fire Temple
Death Mountain Crater · Boss: Volvagia
Water Temple
Lake Hylia · Boss: Morpha
Shadow Temple
Kakariko Village Graveyard · Boss: Bongo Bongo
Spirit Temple
Desert Colossus (Haunted Wasteland) · Boss: Twinrova
Ganon's Castle
Hyrule Castle ruins (Ganon's Tower) · Boss: Ganondorf, then Ganon
Optional & side dungeons
These don't gate the main quest but hold key upgrades — the Lens of Truth, Iron Boots, the Biggoron-chain bottle and more. Fit them in between temples.
| Bottom of the Well | Kakariko Village | child | Lens of Truth |
| Ice Cavern | Zora's Fountain | adult | Iron Boots (and Serenade of Water from Sheik) |
| Gerudo Training Ground | Gerudo's Fortress (Gerudo Valley) | adult | Ice Arrows + many rupees |
Watch the route
A visual run through all the dungeons, in order, if you'd rather see the spine than read it.
Ocarina of Time — All Dungeons EXPLAINED