There is no zeppelin or portal between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff in World of Warcraft: Forever, so the trip is by wind rider or by road. Once you know Thunder Bluff’s flight path, fly there from Orgrimmar’s wind rider master; the first time, ride south through Durotar, west across the Barrens and into Mulgore, picking up two flight paths on the way.
Below we cover why the zeppelin modern players remember is missing, the road route step by step, the shortcuts once you have been there, and the trip back. Routes are checked against Blizzard’s launch posts, its new player’s starter guide and the WoW Forever development notes as of November 6, two days after launch.
Why There Is No Orgrimmar to Thunder Bluff Zeppelin
Modern World of Warcraft has a zeppelin between the two cities, which is why so many people look for it. WoW Forever is not built on that version of the world. Blizzard’s Return to Azeroth guide says it begins in the early “Year 1” period of original World of Warcraft and is built from the original level 1 to 60 world, and that world never had a Thunder Bluff zeppelin. WoW Forever launched without one.
The Horde zeppelins that do run from Orgrimmar leave from the towers just outside the city’s main gate, and they go to Tirisfal Glades (for Undercity) and to Grom’gol in Stranglethorn Vale, not to Mulgore. The only new flight near Thunder Bluff serves Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone, from the edge of Mulgore, a walk from Thunder Bluff. Our guide to getting to Zephras Isle covers that route.
The Fast Way: Fly From Orgrimmar
Once both flight paths are known, this is a single wind rider flight:
- Learn Thunder Bluff’s flight path first. Blizzard’s new player’s starter guide tells you to “visit flight masters to learn flight paths that make distant travel easier.” You can only fly to a flight master you have already spoken to, so a character that has never been to Thunder Bluff has to make the first trip by road.
- Find Orgrimmar’s wind rider master. If you do not know the way, ask a city guard: guards give directions and mark the spot on your map.
- Choose Thunder Bluff on the flight map and pay the fare. It is cheap.
- Land on the bluffs. The flight sets you down at Thunder Bluff’s own wind rider master, so there is no climb.
The Frequent Flier Legacy perk “reduces the cost of flights and speeds them up,” per Blizzard’s Legacy system overview. If you shuttle between Horde cities often, it is worth a point; our Legacy Points guide explains how to earn them.
The First Trip: Orgrimmar to Thunder Bluff by Road
Durotar, the Barrens and Thunder Bluff keep their original layout in Forever, so the classic road still works. It is a long ride, but it passes two flight masters that make every later trip shorter.
- Leave Orgrimmar by the main gate into Durotar.
- Follow the road south to Razor Hill.
- Turn west at Razor Hill. The road crosses the bridge over the Southfury River into the Barrens and runs past Far Watch Post.
- Keep west until you reach the Barrens’ main north-south road, then turn south to the Crossroads. Talk to the flight master there.
- Continue south to Camp Taurajo and talk to its flight master as well.
- Take the road west from Camp Taurajo through the mountain pass into Mulgore. It brings you to Bloodhoof Village.
- Follow the road north from Bloodhoof Village to Thunder Bluff, ride one of the lifts up the bluffs and talk to the wind rider master to learn the flight path.
Two cautions for low-level characters. The Barrens is a level 10 to 25 zone with some aggressive creatures off the road, so stay on it and keep moving. And on the PvP and Roleplay-PvP rulesets, Blizzard warns that you are “almost always at risk of being attacked by opposing players,” so the Crossroads is no place to stand around. Our guide to choosing a ruleset covers what each one means for world PvP.
Shortcuts Once You Have Been There
| Route | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wind rider from Orgrimmar | Thunder Bluff flight path learned | Every trip after the first |
| Road through the Barrens | Nothing | The first trip, and learning the Crossroads and Camp Taurajo flight paths |
| Hearthstone | Hearthstone bound in Thunder Bluff | Getting back to Thunder Bluff from anywhere |
| Mage portal | A Mage who has the spell | A whole group at once |
Hearthstone. Blizzard’s starter guide says innkeepers “can bind your Hearthstone to their inn so you can return there later.” If you are basing a character in Thunder Bluff (to train, use its auction house, or level in Mulgore with friends), bind it at the Thunder Bluff inn and use the wind rider for the trips out.
Mage portals. Orgrimmar has no city portal to Thunder Bluff, so the only portal route is a Mage’s own. In the original game, Horde Mages learned Teleport: Thunder Bluff for themselves and Portal: Thunder Bluff for groups. Blizzard has not published WoW Forever’s Mage spell levels, so ask your Mage trainer when they unlock.
Going Back: Thunder Bluff to Orgrimmar
The flight works both ways once you know both ends. Tauren start in Mulgore, and Horde Skyborne land at the edge of Mulgore when they leave Zephras Isle, so for them the first trip runs the other way:
- Take the road south from Thunder Bluff to Bloodhoof Village.
- Head east through the pass into the Barrens at Camp Taurajo.
- Ride north past the Crossroads until a road branches east.
- Follow it east past Far Watch Post and across the Southfury River bridge to Razor Hill.
- Turn north to Orgrimmar.
Learn each flight path as you pass it. If you are heading on to Undercity, the zeppelin towers outside Orgrimmar’s gate are a short walk from the end of that road.
Before You Set Out
- Bring the right ruleset’s friends. Grouping for the trip only works with players on your ruleset and faction. Our layers guide explains how grouping also pulls you onto the same copy of the world.
- Pick up flight paths everywhere. Every flight master you talk to on the way is one less long ride later.
- Leveling a Horde Hunter? Mulgore and the Barrens are full of beasts to tame on the way; our Hunter race guide covers which Horde race suits the class best.
Every WoW Forever guide we have is on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Thunder Bluff in WoW Forever? No. The zeppelins outside Orgrimmar go to Tirisfal Glades and Grom’gol. Fly with the wind rider instead.
Is there a portal to Thunder Bluff in Orgrimmar? No city portal. The only portal is one a Mage casts for you.
How do I unlock the Thunder Bluff flight path? Talk to the wind rider master in Thunder Bluff once. After that you can fly there from Orgrimmar and other Horde flight masters.
How long is the walk from Orgrimmar to Thunder Bluff? It crosses most of the Barrens, so expect a long ride. Learn the Crossroads and Camp Taurajo flight paths on the way to shorten later trips.
Where does the zeppelin near Thunder Bluff go? To Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone. It leaves from the edge of Mulgore near Thunder Bluff, not from Orgrimmar.