Best Caves in Elden Ring

Highlights

Limgrave Tunnels offer early loot and a tough boss, perfect for beginners exploring the Lands Between.
Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel provides crucial smithing materials for upgrading; it's a must-visit cave.
Tombsward Cave challenges players with dangerous poison and a unique boss.

The Lands Between in Elden Ring offers plenty of detours in case players don't want to delve into those brutal Legacy Dungeons yet. Caves, while short and dank, hold plenty of interesting enemies, items, and even shortcuts for the players. There are many of them scattered all throughout the Lands Between, but a few stand out for their unique mechanics and special function in the game world.

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Some of them bridge separate and seemingly unrelated areas, while others are staging spots for some rather memorable side quests. In any case, caves, along with the catacombs and ruins, make up the bulk of Elden Ring's exploration opportunities, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by their numbers.

Updated April 15, 2024, by Evan Arnoldi: Elden Ring features a vast world that encourages gamers to uncover its many secrets. While some secrets are arguably a great deal more difficult to find than others, finally uncovering even one of them is sure to leave players satisfied, especially when said secret is a cave. The caves of Elden Ring are often home to useful items and challenges for players to overcome, but not all of them were created equal. For those looking to explore only the best caves available in Elden Ring, this list is sure to point them in the right direction. Gamers looking to survive these caves can also use this article to learn what resides in each of them.

14 Limgrave Tunnels (Limgrave Region)

Early Cave With Useful Loot

Loot	x3 Glintstone Scrap x5 Large Glintstone Scrap x1 Golden Rune (1) x1 Golden Rune (4) x9 Smithing Stone (1) x1 Somber Smithing Stone (1) Roar Medallion
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Giant Rat Miner Rotten Stray
Field Bosses	Stonedigger Troll

Limgrave Tunnels is one of the earliest accessible caves in the Lands Between, located to the north after approaching the Agheel’s Lake surface. Limgrave Tunnel has a roundabout road with many hidden walls that require players' intuition.

The cave has a ton of lootable smithing stones, which makes it the earliest and best accessible cave by far. The only thing to be on guard for is the field boss of the cave itself. The boss has tough physical resistance and has the form of a stone giant.

13 Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel (Liurnia Of The Lakes)

Specialist Cave For Smithing Materials

Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel in Elden Ring

Loot	Cracked Crystal Glintstone Scrap Golden Rune (3) Large Glintstone Scrap Smithing Stone (1) Smithing Stone (2) Smithing Stone (3) Somber Smithing Stone (1) Somber Smithing Stone (2) Somber Smithing Stone (3) Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing (2)
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Glintstone Miner Marionette Soldier
Field Bosses	Crystalian (Ringblade)

Raya Lucaria Tunnel is carefully hidden by the woods in the Liurnia of the Lake. The tunnel has an elevated space downwards consisting of narrow paths. Raya Lucaria Tunnel has many enemies compared to other caves; spending healing items conservatively and players’ wits are required to reach the end of the tunnel.

The cave has a very rewarding loot known as Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing (2), an item that allows materials to upgrade weapons to +12, making it a must-visit.

12 Tombsward Cave (Weeping Peninsula)

Dangerous Pool Of Death

Loot	Poisonous Darts Nomadic Warrior Cookbook [8]
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Giant Rat Rat Skeletal Slime Servant of Rot Miranda Sprout
Field Bosses	Miranda the Blighted Bloom

Somewhere on the Weeping Peninsula, just south of the Weeping Evergaol to the western part of the landmass, is a poisonous pool of death called Tombsward Cave. The place might look repulsive to a lot of players because of the poison enemies, but it's actually a genius way to showcase Elden Ring's poison mechanics.

More than that, it forces players to think on their toes when dealing with these enemies. The rewards of the cave itself aren't too incredible, but the experience and the fulfillment of overcoming this curveball in Elden Ring can be just as rewarding as finishing a boss fight, albeit an easy one.

11 Highroad Cave (Limgrave)

Challenging To Navigate But Rewarding

Loot	x3 Smithing Stone (1) x1 Smithing Stone (2) Shamsir Blue Dancer Charm Furlcalling Finger Remedy
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Wolf Giant Bat Land Octopus Giant Land Octopus
Field Bosses	Guardian Golem

The Highroad Cave is located in Stormhill, just north of Limgrave near the big bridge. As for why players will want to check this place out, it's one of the good thematic caves in Elden Ring where players will want torches or a lantern. This cave is dimly lit, and that adds to the challenge of traversal.

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The enemies are all mostly animals, making the cave look more natural than others. Of course, there's also the question of the reward. That would be the Smithing Stones and the Blue Dancer Charm, which is important for some lightweight builds. Overall, it is a good place to visit if only for collecting all the talismans.

10 Sage's Cave (Altus Plateau)

A Place For Great Equips

Loot	Dragonwound Grease Rejuvenating Boluses Raptor's Set Family Heads Concealing Veil
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Skeletal Bandit
Field Bosses	Black Knife Assassin Necromancer Garris

The Sage's Cave is tucked away to the west of the Wyndham Ruins, under the cliffs, and is a good spot for those looking to test their brains. The cave rewards curiosity and lateral thinking, as is evident by the numerous detours, hidden paths, and illusory walls.

Players will have to leave no stone unturned if they want to get everything they can out of this rewarding cave. As it is, it offers tons of great rewards, ranging from build-defining armor to a Stonesword Key. The enemies can be annoying, but none of them can pose too much of a challenge for anyone who has already reached the Altus Plateau.

9 Dragonbarrow Cave (Caelid)

Place For Great Talismans

Loot	Bull-Goat's Talisman Flamedrake Talisman +2 Warming Stone Golden Rune (12) Golden Rune (8)
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Deer Lesser Runebear Springhare Wolf
Field Bosses	Beastman of Farum Azula

Players can find the Dragonbarrow Cave in the Dragonbarrow region of Caelid along the cliff face near the Minor Erdtree. It has an entrance that almost makes it look like a dungeon, but it's still a cave. The site has one of the more rewarding talismans in the game: the Bull-Goat's Talisman.

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This talisman increases the wearer's poise, which is important for certain builds. Apart from that, there's also a Flamedrake Talisman +2 to be found. The area isn't really special apart from those two rewards. The boss is also just a duo copy-paste of the regular Crumbling Farum Azula enemies, but unlocking its location can be rewarding, too.

8 Murkwater Cave (Limgrave)

Infamous Home For A Certain NPC

Loot	Grovel for Mercy Gesture Extreme Repentance Gesture Cloth Set
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Highwayman
Field Bosses	Patches

Murkwater Cave is located along the northward river that spills into Agheel Lake. It's the spot where Bloody Finger Nerijus invades the players, so even before entering, something eventful has already happened near this location. Inside the cave, however, is a one-of-a-kind boss fight where the boss gives up and surrenders as he's nearly defeated.

Turns out it was just Patches cowering behind a great shield. He's a staple scoundrel of the Dark Souls games who somehow wiggled his way into Elden Ring. Nevertheless, this is a welcome face for FromSoftware veterans. It's like meeting an old scummy friend who owed someone money and nonchalantly decided not to pay.

7 Coastal Cave (Limgrave)

A Secretive Cave With Amazing Depths

Loot	Sewing Needle Tailoring Tools
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Demi-Human
Field Bosses	Demi-Human Chief

Coastal Cave is an area hinted at by two characters. It's a quest area where players can advance Boc the Seamster's journey to becoming a royal seamster for the players. The whole place is teeming with mangy Demi-Humans, and the final boss is of questionable quality, but the amazing part about this place is that it's not a dead end.

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After the boss fight, players will be pleasantly surprised that the cave will continue on until they find an exit. The whole boss area is then revealed to be an underwater tunnel that connects to the island housing the Dragon Communion Church. It sets a precedent of how caves or catacombs in Elden Ring can hide secrets, thus incentivizing player exploration.

6 Academy Crystal Cave (Liurnia Of The Lake)

Entrance To A Wonderful Sight

Loot	Stonesword Key Crystal Release Terra Magica Crystal Staff Rune Arc
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Giant Rat Glintstone Sorcerer Twinsage Sorcerer Battlemage
Field Bosses	Crystalians

Moving on to Liurnia of the Lakes, there's also another cave there that holds an additional reward after players defeat the area boss. The two Crystalians are not exactly fun or fair to fight, but once players have defeated them, they can unlock an elevator that goes up to the rooftops of Raya Lucaria Academy. It's a lovely sight, and there are even more rewards in the chest nearby.

Granted, the whole place is not friendly to magic-based classes since the enemies have high magic resistance. But that's to be expected. When one thinks about it, the whole cave's existence is also impressive considering how it's connected to a whole academy.

5 Lakeside Crystal Cave (Liurnia Of The Lake)

A Narratively Rewarding Cave

Loot	Spear Talisman Throwing Dagger Cerulean Amber Medallion Smithing Stone (4) Smithing Stone (2)
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Crystal Snail Demi-Human Lesser Demi-Human Chief
Field Bosses	Bloodhound Knight

Lakeside Crystal Cave is much more than what meets the eye. It seems just like any other normal cave, except for the fact that it has a heavy story connected to it. It's most likely Gideon Ofnir's improvised prison where he keeps Latenna shackled until she hopefully reveals the location of the other half of the Haligtree Medallion.

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There's also the fact that Lakeside Crystal Cave also connects to an outer area, making it another cave that doesn't have a dead end, and it also contains an actual narrative reward. The only problem is that it's difficult to find since Gideon seems to purposely mislead players, saying it can be found west from a certain location, but it's actually closer to the southwest.

4 Gael Tunnel (Caelid)

A Cave Connecting To Limgrave

Loot	Golden Rune [5] 4x Large Glintstone Scrap 7x Smithing Stone [4] Somber Smithing Stone [2] Somber Smithing Stone [4] Cross-Naginata Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot Grace Mimic Moonveil Dragon Heart
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Miner Radahn Soldier Land Octopus Giant Land Octopus
Field Bosses	Magma Wyrm

Caelid, unsurprisingly, has its own surprises, and it's not just the space rabies on the surface. It also has its own ingenious way of connecting to Limgrave apart from the obvious main road. That would be through Gael Tunnel, which is a cave or mine that has a locked door leading to Limgrave's eastern area.

The tunnel itself is spacious, winding, and almost maze-like. The area's final boss is a measly Magma Wyrm, but it drops the coveted Moonveil Katana, making this area a hotspot for lots of magic-focused builds. The door leading to Limgrave after the boss fight is just a bonus.

3 Sellia Hideaway (Caelid)

Easily Missed Cave

Loot	Budding Cave Moss Crystal Cave Moss Crystal Dart Golden Rune (5) Golden Rune (3) Glowstone Preserving Boluses Stimulating Boluses Somber Smithing Stone (4) Stars of Ruin Crystal Torrent Crystal Spear Crystalian Ashes Lost Ashes of War
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Glintstone Miner Glintstone Sorcerer Revenant
Field Bosses	Putrid Crystalians

Due northeast of Caelid past the town of Sellia, there's a cave that is notoriously hidden by a subtle cliff wall. Not many would have thought to attack the cliff wall, so it's likely that some Elden Ring players may have missed a large and important cave called Sellia Hideaway. It's part of Sellen's questline, where she's aiming to locate Master Lusat, a powerful outlawed sorcerer.

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Lusat is imprisoned for his blasphemous and dangerous sorcery involving the stars. Sellia Hideaway is his prison, and the guards are not lenient here. There's even a Revenant at the bottom of the cave in a dark and waterlogged area. Simply locating Lusat himself is a difficult task, which means that players are bound to become familiar with this place, whether they like it or not.

2 Sealed Tunnel (Altus Plateau)

Complex Cave With Lots Of Secrets

Loot	Golden Rune (5) Golden Rune (9) Cracked Crystal Poisoned Stone Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot Ruin Fragment Large Glintstone Scrap Smithing Stone (5) Smithing Stone (6) Somber Smithing Stone (5) Onyx Lord's Greatsword Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (2) Stonesword Key
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Miner Vulgar Militia Abductor Virgin Lookout Stones
Field Bosses	Onyx Lord

Caves leading to special areas in Elden Ring are some of the best ways to make the players think they've achieved something out of sheer curiosity. This mechanic continues up to Altus Plateau, where players can explore the Sealed Tunnel just outside the main walls of Leyndell in order to access a Divine Tower.

Not many people could have anticipated the importance of such an area, but the Sealed Tunnel's purpose soon becomes apparent when players notice that it's noticeably bigger and more complex than most other caves. There are thematic roots in the area to represent the Erdtree's reach. It's also a place that players will want to come back to since they'll probably miss a lot while rushing to get to the Divine Tower.

1 Spiritcaller Cave (Mountaintops Of The Giants)

A Straightforward Yet Confusing Cave

Loot	Freezing Grease Golden Rune (6) Golden Rune (10) Golden Rune (12) Hero's Rune (1) Invigorating White Cured Meat Rune Arc Black Flame Ritual White Reed Set Godskin Swaddling Cloth
Regular Creatures & Enemies	Lesser Spirit-Caller Snail Spirit Direwolf Inaba, Disciple of Okina
Field Bosses	Godskin Apostle Godskin Noble

Most caves have straightforward enemies. Players see them, and players kill them. It's a simple transaction that doesn't reward lateral thinking too much. That's why Spiritcaller Cave is an exceptional one. It's a cave filled with Spiritcaller Snails located in a late-game area. Here, Elden Ring players will be forced to think outside the box and search for the snails in order to survive their spirit armies.

In Elden Ring, this kind of combat is a great way to spice things up, and it also blindsides players into thinking that the area is harder than it is thanks to the peculiar enemies. The cave's environment itself is full of traps and can confuse those exploring with the layout, perfectly summarizing a Soulsborne game's level design philosophy.