As players step into the shoes of Link and explore Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they're bound to come across dozens of intriguing Ancient Shrines - but whereas some are easier to spot, the most well-hidden shrines can elude even the most thorough adventurer. There are a total of 120 shrines scattered throughout the fantastical kingdom, each of which provide Link with an invaluable Spirit Orb and at least one Treasure Chest. The risk is well worth the reward, and players are encouraged to complete as many shrines as possible - but BOTW's best-hidden shrines may require a bit more sleuthing to do so.
With the title's long-awaited sequel, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, still set for a May 12, 2023 release, there has never been a better time to tackle all the secrets in Breath of the Wild. After all, the story and gameplay of TOTK seem to hint at a much darker Hyrulean adventure in comparison to its predecessor; Link and Zelda will seemingly need to conquer creepy, dangerous dungeons filled with Malice and a resurrected Ganondorf in order to save the kingdom again. Players will need to bring their A-game if they hope to accomplish their task, and they can prepare by finding the best secret shrines in BOTW.
10 Dila Maag Shrine
Dila Maag Shrine is found in the middle of the complex South Lomei Labyrinth, located in the east of Gerudo Desert and west of Mount Granajh. Upon their arrival, players will be met some taunting text on-screen, which reads, "To you who sets foot here... My blessing awaits you at the labyrinth's end."
Searching through the thick maze to find said labyrinth's end can tally up hours of play time quite easily, but it all won't be for nought. Players will have many chances to come across valuable treasure on their way to the shrine, encouraging them to keep going. Still, having to navigate through a complicated labyrinth makes the Dila Maag Shrine one of the hardest to find in Zelda: BOTW.
9 Qaza Tokki Shrine
Qaza Tokki Shrine, which is found northeast of the North Tabantha Snowfield, also requires that Link make his way through a winding maze. Like the Dila Maag Shrine, treasure can be found along the way, but players may find themselves increasingly frustrated by the nature of this labyrinth.
By following the glowing luminescence of the Qaza Tokki Shrine, Link will be led to an area that shows the shrine, but it'll be locked behind a metal bar; only by utilizing the sounds of the Sheikah Sensor will he be able to actually locate the opening of the shrine. It takes a keen ear and a lot of patience to finally find the right path, easily making it one of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's best-hidden shrines.
8 Tahno O'ah Shrine
Tricky riddles can stump players as they're trying to solve shrine puzzles in BOTW, and the Tahno O'ah Shrine presents Link with one such conundrum. If the player speaks to Clavia in Hateno Village, she will tell Link of a riddle in an old book, which reads, "When the three summit trees become one, turn your back to them and head towards the sea."
There's an abundance of trees in the area, and the riddle is painstakingly vague, making the Tahno O'ah Shrine one of the hardest shrines to find in BOTW. In the end, the key to solving this puzzle lies in viewing a particular cluster of trees that overlap each other. Turning around after spotting these trees and heading to the ocean will bring Link to the shrine, which is hidden among rubble in a bundle of cedar trees.
7 Dagah Keek Shrine
Dagah Keek Shrine is hidden in front of Veiled Falls in Zora's Domain, but that's not the hardest part of conquering this shrine - the lengthy list of events required to enter are even more obscure than its location. First, the player will need to speak to Laruta, listen to her sing the Champion Festival Song, then head off to meet Trello.
Once Link speaks to Trello, he will tell Link of the ceremonial trident he has lost, which Link will then have to search the water for. Players can get confused here, thinking that the trident awarded to them when they defeat Vah Ruta is the one they were looking for, but that one is merely a replica. After obtaining the real one, Link must leap from the top of the Veiled Falls onto a platform, and strike it with the trident to release the shrine.
6 Kah Yah Shrine
Located near the Palmorae Ruins in Faron, the Kah Yah Shrine can be a bit dizzying, even after a measly hint from Garini in this region. He will tell Link about a fragmented stone monument with some fascinating writing, which the player will need to decipher - but first, they'll need to locate the three fragments.
The game will offer Link no help in finding the Kah Yah Shrine, just as shrine maps don't for all shrines. Players will need to scour the land for these fragments, and upon their discovery, they'll need to photograph each one and bring it back to Garini. Only once all three have been located can Link access the entrance to the shrine by kneeling on one of the platforms, making it one of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's most well-hidden shrines.
5 Ketoh Wawai Shrine
The Ketoh Wawai Shrine is found in the Woodland Tower region of northern Hyrule, inside the Thyphlo Ruins. To encounter it, the player will have to navigate the dark woods with nothing but a torch, and navigating the pitch-black, dense environment is more challenging than it may initially seem.
The only pointers that Link will receive herein are bird statues, whose beaks can lead him to the entrance of the shrine. After a lengthy, dimly-lit trek, he will stumble across the Hinox, which must be slain to obtain its Orb. Between having to find their way through the darkness and kill an enemy at the end of it all, the Ketoh Wawai Shrine is a secret BOTW shrine that some players may never conquer.
4 Kema Zoos Shrine
Just like the journey to the Ketoh Wawai Shrine, visibility will also be an issue when trying to locate the Kema Zoos Shrine. Upon speaking to a Gerudo Town guard named Laine, Link will learn of a collection of swordswomen statues that lead to ancient treasure. This task sounds easy enough, until the knight finds himself enduring a brutal, dusty sandstorm on his adventure.
Even Link's map is rendered useless during this time, which makes the player vulnerable to nearby enemies and susceptible to getting turned around (and thus, hopelessly lost). When the last statue is finally found, the shrine will be right there, waiting to be solved - but the storm of thick sand firmly cements the Ketoh Wawai Shrine as one of the hardest to find shrines in Zelda: BOTW.
3 Shae Katha Shrine
The Shae Katha Shrine is even tricker to find, thanks to the many prerequisites Link will need to satisfy in order to open it. On the trail along Pagos Woods in Faron, Link will first have to converse with an accordion-playing Rito named Kass, who sings a local tune. Then Kass points the player in the direction of Damel Forest, leaving Link to explore it for himself.
Next, Link will have to visit the Spring of Courage, and the fairy statue there will ask him for a scale from a dragon named Farosh in order to open the Shae Katha Shrine. From there, the player will need to wait patiently until midnight, when Farosh shows itself east of the Faron Tower. Link will need to quickly and accurately shoot a scale off its body, then take it back to the spring and drop it in front of the fairy statue to proceed. With such a lengthy and obscure process, it'll be difficult for most players to stumble across this secret BOTW shrine without the help of a walkthrough or guide.
2 Tu Ka'loh Shrine
Only reachable by paragliding from the cliffs of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab over to Lomei Labyrinth Island in the Akkala sea, the Tu Ka'loh Shrine is anything but easy to get into. Some players will never even learn of its existence, since they must take a daring leap of faith to even find the island.
Inside, Link will find a labyrinth in which he'll need to use fire to his advantage, burning away thorns and making sure to keep watch for foes like Keese and Guardians. Once they've made their way through the tricky maze, climbing a ladder will lead the player to a Great Flameblade and then the shrine itself - but since Lomei Labyrinth Island is among some of BOTW's best-hidden locations, the Tu Ka'loh Shrine accordingly remains one of the best-hidden shrines.
1 Suma Sahma's Shrine
However, the most secretive shrine in Zelda: BOTW is Suma Sahma's Shrine. The quest to this shrine begins on Mount Granajh next to South Lomei Labyrinth, where a log left by a previous adventurer resides. Reading the hint on the log will inform Link that the shrine is located near the pedestal on a snowy Gerudo peak, and he must wait until the sun rests on the pedestal in order to enter.
From there, he’ll need to set himself up with a big ball of snow at the edge of the peak between 16:00 and 17:30, as he'll need to cast a snowy shadow in the center of the pedestal, and getting the timing and position exactly correct can quickly become frustrating. The sheer vagueness of the entire quest makes Suma Sahma's Shrine the most well-hidden shrine in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and only those with true resolve will be able to solve this puzzle organically.
