Where Saria is in Ocarina of Time depends on how far into the story you are. At the very start she is on the bridge out of Kokiri Forest. After that she is in the Sacred Forest Meadow, deep in the Lost Woods. As adult Link she is not a person you visit at all.
At the Start: The Bridge
Before you leave Kokiri Forest for the first time, Saria is waiting on the bridge at the forest exit. She gives you the Fairy Ocarina.
This is a one-time scene. Once you have left, she is not there again.
The Sacred Forest Meadow
For most of child Link’s story, Saria is sitting on a tree stump in the Sacred Forest Meadow, at the far end of the Lost Woods. This is where she teaches you Saria’s Song.
Getting there is the problem, because the Lost Woods punishes guessing.
Navigating the Lost Woods
The rule is simple and the game never states it: follow the music. Each exit from a clearing has a different volume of the melody coming through it, and the correct one is the loudest.
Take a wrong exit and you are dumped back at the start of the woods, or thrown out to the forest entirely. There is no penalty beyond the walk, but it is a long walk.
Once you reach the meadow, there is a maze of hedges with Moblins in it before the stump. Our guide on how to use the shield covers dealing with them without simply running.
Saria’s Song
Learning it is the point of finding her. You can play it anywhere to speak to Saria for hints about what to do next, which is the game’s built-in nudge system and considerably more useful than people expect on a first playthrough.
It is also required: certain characters react to it, and one of them will not help you otherwise. Our guide on all ocarina songs covers where the other eleven come from.
As Adult Link
Seven years on, Saria is not in the meadow. Without spoiling the specifics, she is bound up in the Forest Temple and the story of the sages, and the meadow is where that thread resumes rather than where she is sitting waiting.
Our guide on getting to the Forest Temple covers the route, which starts from the same meadow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Saria as a child? On the bridge at the very start, then in the Sacred Forest Meadow.
How do you get through the Lost Woods? Follow the music. The correct exit is always the one the melody is loudest through.
What does Saria’s Song do? It lets you call Saria for a hint about your current objective, and certain characters respond to it.
Can you find Saria as an adult? Not in the meadow. Her story continues through the Forest Temple.