Highlights

• Scaling mountains in Genshin Impact can be challenging but rewarding, with unique locations and occasional wind streams for gliding.
• Traveling through difficult regions like Dragonspine can be made easier by keeping a Pyro character on hand to combat Sheer Cold.
• Each area in the game offers a different level of difficulty and unique challenges, with some requiring high-power characters for exploration.

Adventuring is one of the most crucial parts of the gameplay found in Genshin Impact. Long climbs, breathtaking scenery that can't be found elsewhere, every part of Genshin Impact was designed to be absolutely beautiful.

That said, Genshin Impact does also run by the principle that hard work and determination will yield the best results. As such, some of the best places to enjoy the game are also the hardest to explore. However, while some places are incredibly difficult to reach, there are also plenty of ways to make the journey a lot easier.

Updated by Aditi Jeyanathan on April 10, 2024: Aside from the lore and interesting characters, the world of Genshin Impact has some of the most beautiful places to explore. Players that traverse this world have the opportunity to witness breathtaking landscapes and make lasting memories, but discovering them does not come without a cost. There are some places in Genshin Impact that prove extremely difficult to explore due to either the weather conditions, intricate puzzles, confusing landscapes, or the stacked lore that it’s locked behind. Since the release of Inazuma and Sumeru, players have found it increasingly difficult to explore some areas of the game, this update has added some additional areas that fall under this category.

16 Jueyun Karst

Cloud Ringed Peaks

When Genshin Impact players think of Liyue, they think of mountains. And while many places in Liyue have stone forests, none are quite as infamous as Jueyun Karst. However, what makes Jueyun Karst even more tedious is how often there are events at the top and bottom of the mountains. Players will need to scale these mountains more than a few times.

Luckily, despite the difficulty in scaling the mountains directly, they do have a few perks that other similar regions do not. For one, there are teleport beacons at the top of many of the main mountains. Secondly, there are occasional wind streams in the air of Jueyun Karst, making it a good location for gliding.

15 Dragonspine

The Mountain That Never Melts

Of course, even Jueyun Karst fails to contend against the game's largest mountain in Mondstadt and Liyue (and possibly Inazuma depending on how tall Mt. Yougou is). Added in update 1.2, Dragonspine is home to Albedo's storyline, the Cryo Hypostasis, and the Peak of Vindagynr domain.

Of course, the most pertinent issue with scaling Genshin Impact's most difficult mountain is Sheer Cold – a status that slowly consumes the player's HP the longer they are away from a heat source. The solution is fairly simple; people will want to take note of heat sources and keep a Pyro character on hand.

14 Mikage Furnace

A Fortress Infested In Balethunder

Like Dragonspine, Inazuma also has its fair share of places that actively attack the player. The most infamous of these, Mikage Furnace has its own unique status that can only be found in a few places – Balethunder.

Like Sheer Cold, Balethunder also eats away at the player's health (though notably at a slightly slower rate). However, unlike Sheer Cold, Balethunder cannot be dispelled by simply walking near a fire torch. Rather, Electrograna will be needed to actively protect against the condition; they can be found by interacting with Thunder Sakura Boughs.

13 Wolvendom

Home Of The Wolf Of The North

Firstly, it needs to be made clear; Wolvendom isn't always difficult to explore. For example, the main path from Cider Lake to Andrius' arena is set up in a way that isn't challenging to traverse. However, the area around the path on the higher ground can be a little bit of a hassle to deal with. This comes in addition to Andrius not having a teleport point, making almost every journey one done by foot.

To be honest, there isn't a one-and-done solution to traveling in this area in particular. Nonetheless, players may find traveling in the area much easier if they invest in a good exploration character or in the best gadgets in the game.

12 Qingce Village And Wuwang Hill

Rolling Clouds Beneath Mountains

To be fair, Qingce Village and Wuwang Hill are separate locations. However, given their proximity to each other, they share several very similar issues when it comes to exploring them. They are both situated within a densely mountainous area.

Granted, the mountains are not nearly as high as in Jueyun Karst, however, players should be careful about how they climb them. The mountains of Qingce Village feature jagged edges that cannot be climbed over, making players more likely to fall. In addition, especially for Wuwang Hill, players should also expect to meet their fair share of enemies.

11 Stormbearer Mountains

The Abandoned Watchtower And The Silent Mountain

The Stormbearer Mountains were the original mountains that players struggled with in the early days of Genshin Impact. Tough inclines and more enemies than other parts of Mondstadt, the journey through the north can be a tricky time for players just getting used to the controls of the game.

This is made trickier by the fact there are some items found near exclusively in the Stormbearer Mountains. Most notably, these are valberries, a local specialty used to ascend characters like Noelle. Nonetheless, while the struggles may be real, the Stormbearer Mountains can be conquered with resolve and patience.

10 Lisha

Ruins Hidden Under Mountains

Most of the time, Lisha is the last place in Liyue that players explore completely (outside of maybe the Guyun Stone Forest). Filled with tricky mountains and towering ruins, the southwestern portion of the country often goes unexplored.

Many early game veterans still have chests in this region that are yet unclaimed. After all, the ruins can be tough to scale and the enemies found here are the second most difficult in the nation. Players looking to conquer Lisha should invest in high-power and excellent exploration characters.

9 Stormterror's Lair

An Abandoned Capital And Dragon

The climax of Mondstadt's story doesn't end in Stormterror's Lair for no reason. The den of Dvalin of the Four Winds and home of Old Mondstadt, the Lair has more difficult opponents than anywhere else in Mondstadt.

However, players should be even more aware of the tower in the center; walls of impenetrable wind and narrow passages, people can often be caught off guard. Becoming familiar with the layout of Decarabian's Tower and the area beforehand can go a long way for players having trouble getting around.

8 Guyun Stone Forest

The Remnants Of A Fight Between Gods

Osial being sealed under Guyun Stone Forest seems to make a lot of sense. After all, few players venture onto the islands to the East of Liyue Harbor without a reason.

The stone forest and its inhabitants are tough as rocks, partially due to how densely packed opponents are. Going from one end of an island to the other can often leave players running into at least three hilichurl camps, and most have at least a mitachurl or an abyss mage. To say the least, players should prepare a fully leveled team before they even think about scaling the towering stones of Guyun Stone Forest.

7 Yashiori Island

Orobashi's Resting Place

Granted, Yashiori Island is a whole region of Teyvat: the westernmost island of Inazuma to be exact. However, this area has been the most troublesome for players making their way through Inazuma. Constantly thundering and storming, Yashiori is not a land for the lighthearted.

This also comes in addition to the more hostile nature of the region. Between dodging lightning bolts, players will also have to fight their share of tough opponents. This also comes in addition to multiple areas with Balethunder, including the Mikage Furnace.

6 Enkanomiya

The Abandoned Civilization Beneath The Dark Waters

Players who have just unlocked Inazuma probably have no idea of the land lost beneath the depths of Watatsumi Island and its link to the Primordial One. Enkanomiya represents the ruins of one of the first civilizations in Teyvat that were abandoned by the Primordial One after its descent. A land trapped in darkness and artificial light, its people had to survive through sinful means to please their interpretations of what their ‘god’ expected of them.

Reaching Enkanomiya in Genshin Impact is fairly tiring, as the quest first starts near the Watatsumi Island shrine and will take the Traveler across the entire island on a mission to unlock the shrines that protect the seal. Once players do get to Enkanomiya, they’ll come to find a plethora of enemies that are on a whole other level of difficulty. Furthermore, many of the puzzles in this area are linked to the Whitenight/Evernight system, which can be quite troublesome at times when solving puzzles, especially ones that lead to the hidden islands at the border of the map.

5 Seirai Island

An Island Infused With Thunder & Lightning

A land known to be engulfed in a perpetual thunderstorm, Seirai Island of Genshin Impact is completely uninhabitable due to its deadly weather conditions. Constantly afflicted with Balethunder and lightning, it is extremely difficult for players to travel even a couple of meters. The only way one can explore and unlock this island is through the completion of the Seirai Stormchasers World Quest, which will help Travelers locate the relevant waypoints to unlock and subside the lightning.

After a great calamity, the center of the island is the most dangerous area, and Amakumo Peak is where the lingering hatred and rage of Kanna Kapatcir lies in the form of the Thunder Manifestation. The Summit, the lake, and the Underground Ruins can be quite strenuous to explore, as they are also locked behind quests and require players to be wary of the Electrified Water and Balethunder in the region. It would be advisable to carry characters with healing abilities during the exploration of this island, as it could take some time to explore it thoroughly and safely.

4 Sumeru Underground Desert

A Doomed Civilization Buried Under Dunes

Ever since the release of Sumeru, players have had split views on the region in terms of ease of access and content. As one of the biggest patches in Genshin Impact, Sumeru also has one of the longest World Quests to date: the Golden Slumber World Quest chain. The region gave players an insane lore drop in regard to the beginning of the timeline, Irminsul, and the truth behind the Primordial One and its Archons. Unfortunately, exploration wise, many feel the region was too difficult and time-consuming.

The underground cave system beneath the desert was especially difficult to navigate as the area was extremely vast with many levels inside the pyramids and tombs. Perhaps one could say that this region truly did take after its namesake as the Land of Knowledge and Wisdom, as a majority of the puzzles were rather difficult to solve. Sumeru is one of the largest regions in Genshin Impact with its rainforest, desert, and oasis, all of which have hidden areas as well.

3 Chasm Underground Mines

The Doorway To The Abyss

The Chasm is located west of the region of Liyue and is one of the most intricate maps to explore in Genshin Impact. Similar to a real-life mining area, the Chasm has layers of subareas located one after the other leading to the bottom-most part of it where the Nameless Ruins can be found.

Many of the areas are either hidden behind tiny crevices in the rock or locked behind Miasma surrounding the landscape. To get rid of the miasma, players will need to level up their Lumenstone, that they will receive from the Surreptitious Seven-Star Seal Sundering World Quest, and carry it everywhere. The Lumenstone will act as a light as they explore through the lower levels of the Chasm and help get rid of any pesky miasmas out there.

2 Tsurumi Island

A Land Shrouded In Innocence And Death

Shrouded in fog and cut off from the mainland, Tsurumi Island is located the furthest from Inazuma City and was home to two ancient civilizations. Currently, all players do know about these two civilizations is that the first one was called the Pre-Thunderbird civilization, and the second the Thunderbird civilisation - which coincidentally, ended up being wiped out by the so-called god they worshiped.

This is why Tsurumi Island in Genshin Impact is especially difficult to explore, as reaching the island is nearly impossible by oneself. Travelers will need to complete the Through the Mists World Quests to lift the fog, since the density of it immediately teleports players away when they try to go inside. Since the entire island was cursed by Kanna Kapatcir who felt Ruu’s sacrifice was simply murder done by the citizens, the area can only be unlocked after Ruu’s song is sung. Thus, Travelers will have to follow the quest, whilst also watching out for health-draining enemies (Riftwolves) that are in abundance.

1 Fontaine Research Institute

The Ruins Of A Genius

Since the release of the second area in Fontaine, players were introduced to a mighty lore drop in the rise and fall of the esteemed Fontaine Research Institute of Kinetic Energy Engineering in Genshin Impact. Founded by Alain Guillotin, the Central Laboratory Ruins consist of the Allogravity-Condensed Water Bodies after the field generator’s Arkhium core exploded and decimated the Institute.

As usual, completing the relevant quest chain will allow players to freely traverse through the bodies of water. However, beneath the surface of the Fontaine Research Institute lies an underground facility that can easily go unnoticed. There are quite a few puzzles when trying to unlock the entire system, as the area is very hostile. In addition to that, there are more quests that players will be locked behind when trying to unlock hidden areas in the region and the many rewards that one can claim once they can explore them.