After Goron City in the Ocarina of Time remake, go to Dodongo’s Cavern on Death Mountain Trail and beat King Dodongo for the Goron’s Ruby, the second Spiritual Stone. Then take the bombs the cavern gives you down to Hyrule Field, blast open Zora’s River, and follow it to Zora’s Domain, where Princess Ruto’s trail leads to the third stone.
The order is fixed, because the river stays shut until you carry bombs, and it matches the 1998 Nintendo 64 game and the 2011 3DS version. Jobs left inside the city itself are in our guide to what to do in Goron City; this one covers where to go next and the stops worth making on the way.
Step 1: Dodongo’s Cavern and the Bomb Bag
With the Goron’s Bracelet, leave Goron City by the top exit, turn right onto the ledge, and throw the Bomb Flower by the fence onto the sealed cave mouth below. Bring a shield that will not burn, since Fire Keese destroy a Deku Shield on contact; our Hylian Shield guide shows where to get one for free.
The cavern’s treasure is the Bomb Bag, in a big chest on the second floor: push on past the Lizalfos until fire blocks the path, then shoot the glowing eyes with the Fairy Slingshot to put it out. It holds 20 bombs to start, and Bomb Flowers grow all through the cavern if you run short. Our bomb guide has the full route.
Step 2: King Dodongo and the Goron’s Ruby
To reach the boss, drop a bomb into each eye socket of the giant skull from the wooden bridge on the second floor, go through its mouth, solve the block puzzle, and bomb the floor behind the boss door.
In the fight, lock on with ZL and throw a bomb into King Dodongo’s mouth as he breathes in, slash him while he is stunned, and stand at an outer corner of the arena when he rolls. He leaves a Heart Container, and the warp out ends with the Goron’s Ruby in a cutscene. Our King Dodongo guide has the puzzle and the fight step by step.
Before You Leave Death Mountain
Bombs open a few quick extras on the mountain:
- The Great Fairy at the summit. Bomb the cracked wall left of the owl at the top of the trail and play Zelda’s Lullaby on the Triforce mark inside. For a 25-rupee offering she gives you the magic meter and, new in the remake, Din’s Fire, which came from the Hyrule Castle fairy in 1998. Our Great Fairy guide and Din’s Fire guide have the details.
- The owl ride down. Kaepora Gaebora at the summit carries you back to Kakariko and drops you on the roof of Impa’s House, next to a Piece of Heart. Our Heart Piece guide lists it.
- Goron City’s bomb jobs. The maze’s Gold Skulltula and the rolling Goron’s Bigger Bomb Bag both wanted bombs; our Goron City guide above covers them.
- Two Gold Skulltulas on the trail. Bomb the cracked wall on the stretch back toward Kakariko, and drop a bottled bug on the soft soil in front of the cavern. Our Gold Skulltula guide and bug guide cover both.
- The Bombchu Bowling Alley. The alley in Castle Town Market opens after Dodongo’s Cavern, and one of its prizes is the Biggest Bomb Bag.
A soft soil patch by the cavern also takes a Magic Bean for an adult Piece of Heart, but beans are sold on Zora’s River, so that one is a return trip. Our Magic Bean guide has every patch.
Step 3: Up Zora’s River
- Leave Kakariko for Hyrule Field and keep to the wall on your left. It leads to the river’s mouth.
- Blow up the boulders. Hold R, put bombs on ZR, press ZR to pull one out, set it down and step back.
- Follow the river up. It is a single path, and the remake’s jump button and dash make the climb quicker.
- Play Zelda’s Lullaby at the waterfall, on the Triforce mark facing the falls: Y, X, A, Y, X, A. Zora’s Domain opens.
On the way, the Magic Bean seller sits at the start of the river, the Cucco there can be carried up and glided down to a platform with a Piece of Heart, and the frogs halfway up hold two more pieces that need songs you learn later. Our Zora’s Domain guide covers the river in more detail.
Step 4: Zora’s Domain and Princess Ruto
King Zora is worried about his daughter and blocks the way to Zora’s Fountain until you bring proof of what happened to her.
- Win the Silver Scale at the diving game near the waterfall, so Link can dive much deeper. Our Golden Scale guide covers both scales.
- Swim to Lake Hylia through the underwater tunnel opposite the waterfall.
- Take the bottle on the lake bed. It holds Ruto’s letter.
- Show it to King Zora with the letter on ZR. He moves aside.
- Catch a fish in the shallow pool under the stairs to the king with an Empty Bottle, or buy one bottled at the Castle Town Potion Shop for 50 rupees.
- Release it in front of Lord Jabu-Jabu at Zora’s Fountain, on the shell-shaped recess, and he swallows Link whole.
Getting Ruto through the belly earns the Zora’s Sapphire. Our Princess Ruto guide has every step, and the Boomerang is the item inside. No Empty Bottle yet? The Cucco Lady in Kakariko gives one, as our Cucco guide explains, and the Castle Town Potion Shop has another behind a bug chase.
Worth Doing at Lake Hylia
The tunnel drops you at the lake anyway, so two young Link jobs cost only a few minutes. Our 1998 Lake Hylia guide covers the other ways in.
- Start the Scarecrow’s Song. Play the scarecrow Bonooru a tune of your own now, and play it back as adult Link. Our Scarecrow Song guide covers what to play.
- Fish for a Piece of Heart. A catch of 55cm or longer at the Fishing Pond wins one for young Link. Our fishing guide has the rest.
At Zora’s Fountain, the cracked wall behind Lord Jabu-Jabu hides the Great Fairy who gives Farore’s Wind.
After Lord Jabu-Jabu
With all three Spiritual Stones, go back to Hyrule Castle. A cutscene plays at the drawbridge, you dive into the moat for the Ocarina of Time, and it teaches you the Song of Time, which opens the way to the Master Sword in the Temple of Time (our 1998 Master Sword guide has the scene). Pulling it ends young Link’s part of the story for a while, so finish the child-only jobs above first. Our dungeon order guide shows what comes after, and every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you go after Goron City in the Ocarina of Time remake? Dodongo’s Cavern, on Death Mountain Trail below the city. Throw the Bomb Flower by the fence outside Goron City’s top exit onto the cave mouth to open it.
Where do you go after Dodongo’s Cavern? Zora’s River and Zora’s Domain. Bombs clear the boulders at the river’s mouth on Hyrule Field, and Zelda’s Lullaby opens the waterfall.
What does King Dodongo give you? A Heart Container, and the warp out gives you the Goron’s Ruby in a cutscene.
Is the Great Fairy on Death Mountain worth visiting now? Yes. She only needs bombs and a 25-rupee offering, and in the remake she gives Din’s Fire along with the magic meter.
How do you get past King Zora? Win the Silver Scale, dive through the tunnel to Lake Hylia, and show him Ruto’s letter from the bottle on the lake bed.