Every Elder Scrolls title has plenty of locations to explore. Cities, forests, and dungeons are just a few things players can expect from Bethesda's massive open worlds. Skyrim has some of the best locations in The Elder Scrolls franchise, particularly when it comes to dungeons.
Learning from the repetitive nature of Oblivion's dungeons, Skyrim opted to create fewer dungeons with much more personality. It was a huge success, resulting in some of the most memorable locations in the franchise. That said, not every dungeon was a smash hit. Some dungeons had strange mechanics tied to them or were overturned; however, these dungeons are still fulfilling for players to explore. Here are ten best dungeons in Skyrim.
Updated on December 29th, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: The world of Skyrim is filled with many locations for players to explore. From the great wilderness to bustling cities to quite villages, the Dragonborn will find all sorts of places during their journey. As they take on quests, they'll be sent to all manners of dungeons filled with draugr, spiders and other enemies. Some dungeons are better than others which add some interesting content or just make the overall questing experience unique. Players must therefore know which dungeons are counted among the better ones, so they don't miss out on the one-of-a-kind experience.
10 Pinewatch
Pinewatch is the best example of how a rather mundane location in any other video game is a notable dungeon in Skyrim. This remote house appears to be nothing special until players notice a special underground passage when they step inside.
Heading underground reveals not just an excavated Ancient Nord tomb, but it also reveals a group of bandits have claimed this place as their home. Various notes and dialogue barks reveal that the bandits ambush Khajiit caravans and put their loot into this dungeon. There isn't any dungeon quite like this one.
9 Temple Of Miraak
The Temple Of Miraak is added to the game with the Dragonborn DLC and is the location for one of the main quests. It is the second location that players visit after arriving at Solstheim. Players come upon a shocking sight when walking up to the temple when they see multiple dragon skeletons followed by dozens of brainwashed inhabitants.
As they make their way inside, they are greeted by the all-familiar draugr, but it is about halfway when the architecture begins to change into something otherworldly. The music also quiets down and there isn't any sign of life during this part of the dungeons which adds to the eeriness of the place. The whole dungeon is a nice change of pace from Skyrim's usual ones while still retaining some familiarity.
8 Labyrinthian
One of Skyrim's largest dungeons is Labyrinthian. It contains a large exterior that houses some interesting secrets such as a Dragon Priest mask altar and Shalidor's Maze, but it's when players enter the dungeon that the true scale of this place begins to click.
Tied to the College of Winterhold's questline, this location houses the Staff of Magnus as well as a Dragon Priest mask. Players make their way through multiple areas inside that reveal the ghosts of older College students as well as some tough Draugr. The end of the dungeon is an intense fight against a Dragon Priest wielding the Staff of Magnus. It's a fantastic dungeon with great loot and has some of the game's strongest Shouts inside.
7 Vahlok's Tomb
Vahlok's Tomb is a unique dungeon added to the game as part of the Dragonborn DLC. Players are given the opportunity to explore it as part of the side quest "Lost Legacy" which they can acquire by doing quests for the Skaal. As the name suggests, the dungeon is the tomb of a dragon priest named Vahlok. In lore, he was the one who defeated Miraak during the time of the dragons and was tasked by them to keep his vigil for his return. He is also the only dragon priest to not wear a mask.
The dungeon also features a unique obstacle mechanic where players have to race across spectral platforms which appear and disappear correctly. Failure to do so has the Dragonborn drop down to an area filled with Shades they have to defeat and then climb back up to the area to start again. Unfortunately, the slow time shout does not appear to slow down the disappearance of the platform. Meaning players will need to be quick on their feet.
6 Apocrypha
Dragonborn's inclusion of Apocrypha is one of the game's most memorable locations. This realm of Oblivion is filled with thousands of books, mage cultists, and strange tentacle creatures. While not a dungeon itself, Apocrypha is the setting for the Black Book dungeons and some of Dragonborn's story moments. The unique atmosphere, enemies, and incredibly strong Black Book bonuses make Apocrypha one of the best locations in The Elder Scrolls franchise.
5 Nightcaller Temple
The Nightcaller temple can be found in a tower northeast of Dawnstar. It is the location for the daedric quest "Waking Nightmares" where players accompany the priest Erandur to investigate the cause of nightmares the town is suffering from. Players will battle hordes of Orc Raiders and cultists of the Daedric Prince Vaermina and find the daedric artifact The Skull of Corruption.
The temple is only accessible during the quest except for the entry hall since the way further inside is opened by Erandur. The dungeon is unique as players can travel through time and live through history through the eyes of a cultist of Vaermina. Moreover, they also have the chance to help a former daedric cultist find redemption and make his errors right by destroying the Skull of Corruption and ending Dawnstars nightmares for good.
4 Sightless Pit
Found south of Winterhold is a strange pit that isn't tied to any quest. Players that travel down this location will end up in the Sightless Pit, a hidden dungeon filled with Falmer and Frostbite Spiders. The verticality present in this dungeon and the open spaces that reside towards the end make it one of Skyrim's most unique dungeons. If it had a proper quest tied to it, this would have made the top of the list.
3 Saarthal
Saarthal is a dungeon found in the snowy lands of Winterhold, due southeast of the College. It is also the location for the College of Winterhold's main quest line where players have the opportunity to go on a field trip with their class and so some scholarly work. Eventually the Dragonborn is told to go on ahead and explore the dungeon where they encounter scores of Draugr, like the many other dungeons of Skyrim. At the end, players will find the mysterious Eye of Magnus, a powerful magical artifact that is closely tied to the college's main questline.
What makes this dungeon interesting is the lore. Saarthal was the first city that Ysgrammor and the Atmorans first established when they came to Skyrim. Some time later they were attacked by the indigenous Snow Elves that massacred the city leaving only Ysgrammor and his two sons who escaped. Ysgrammor then returned with his famed Five Hundred Companions who then returned the favored and nearly drove the Snow Elves into extinction.
2 Frostflow Lighthouse
Frostflow Lighthouse is similar to Pinewatch in that it appears ordinary on the outside until players set foot inside. An apparent struggle seems to have taken place inside the lighthouse, which leads players to deduce precisely what happened. Through various notes and environmental clues, players find out that a Chaurus was locked underground. The Falmer built a den for the Chaurus and killed the family. It became a spawning ground for Chauruses rather quickly, which explains why the underground dungeon has so many eggs.
Defeating the Charurus Reaper reveals Habd's remains, one of the Redguards that lived in the lighthouse. Burning his remains at the top of the lighthouse grants a unique perk called Sailor's Respite and completes this miscellaneous quest. Frostflow Lighthouse has some of the best environmental storytelling out of any Skyrim dungeon. The creepy atmosphere and forcing the player to deduce how the family died leads to an experience that no other dungeon can compare to.
1 Skuldafn
Skuldafn is one of the last areas players go through during the main quest. Accessing the dungeon is impossible except by dragon flight which the Dragonborn does so by taming Odahviing. Players do not visit Skuldafn again for the remainder of the game. As with many of Skyrim's dungeons, they will face hordes of draugr through several levels and face the Dragon Priest Nahkriin at the end.
What makes this dungeon interesting is its portal to Sovngarde. Nords typically go to Sovngarde when they die if they have lived an honorable life. However, Skuldafn holds the only portal that one can take to reach Sovngarde without dying in the mortal world. Once players go there and defeat Alduin, they can never visit Skuldafn again. So it is recommended that they loot everything they can while they are at Skuldafn.