The dungeon order in the Ocarina of Time remake is Inside the Deku Tree, Dodongo’s Cavern and Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly as young Link, then the Forest, Fire and Water Temples as adult Link, then the Shadow and Spirit Temples in either order, and finally Ganondorf’s Castle. Three side dungeons sit in between: the Bottom of the Well, the Ice Cavern and the optional Gerudo Proving Grounds.
That is the same lineup as the 1998 game, twelve dungeons in all. Below is the full order in one table, what each dungeon needs and gives, where the side dungeons fit, and what the remake changed inside them.
The Full Order at a Glance
| # | Dungeon | Played as | Boss | Reward | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inside the Deku Tree | Young Link | Gohma | Kokiri’s Emerald | Beat Gohma |
| 2 | Dodongo’s Cavern | Young Link | King Dodongo | Goron’s Ruby | Beat King Dodongo |
| 3 | Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly | Young Link | Barinade | Zora’s Sapphire | Find Ruto |
| 4 | Forest Temple | Adult Link | Phantom Ganon | Forest Medallion | Beat Phantom Ganon |
| 5 | Fire Temple | Adult Link | Volvagia | Fire Medallion | Beat Volvagia |
| 6 | Water Temple | Adult Link | Morpha | Water Medallion | Beat Morpha |
| 7 or 8 | Shadow Temple | Adult Link | [Bongo Bongo](https: | Bongo Bongo | |
| 7 or 8 | Spirit Temple | Young and adult Link | [Twinrova](https: | Twinrova | |
| 9 | Ganondorf’s Castle | Adult Link | Ganondorf | The ending | 1998 Ganondorf guide |
Ganondorf’s Castle is the remake’s name for what the 1998 game called Ganon’s Castle.
Young Link’s Three Dungeons
These come in a fixed order, because each one hands you a Spiritual Stone and the story points you to the next.
- Inside the Deku Tree. Mido will not let you near the Great Deku Tree until you carry a sword and shield, so get the Kokiri Sword and the Deku Shield first. The Fairy Slingshot is inside.
- Dodongo’s Cavern. Sneak into Hyrule Castle for Zelda’s Lullaby, climb Death Mountain and play Saria’s Song for Darunia, the Goron leader. The bracelet he gives you lets you pull up Bomb Flowers, and the Bomb Bag is inside the cavern.
- Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly. Find Princess Ruto’s letter, show it to King Zora in Zora’s Domain, and feed Jabu-Jabu a fish from a bottle. The Boomerang is inside.
With all three stones, the Song of Time opens the Door of Time, and the Master Sword sends you seven years ahead.
The Adult Temples
Forest Temple. It needs the Hookshot from Dampé’s race in Kakariko Graveyard, and it gives you the Fairy Bow, which almost everything later expects you to own. Beating it also opens the Hall of Fallen Foes, where you can rematch bosses against the clock.
Fire Temple. Death Mountain Crater burns without the Goron Tunic. The temple’s treasure is the Megaton Hammer.
Water Temple. Clear the Ice Cavern first for the Iron Boots, and free King Zora for the Zora Tunic. The Longshot is inside, and it reaches places the Hookshot cannot.
Shadow Temple and Spirit Temple, in either order. Neither gates the other. The Shadow Temple takes the Nocturne of Shadow, which Sheik teaches in Kakariko after the Water Temple, plus Din’s Fire and the Lens of Truth. The Spirit Temple sits across the desert: free the carpenters at Gerudo Fortress for the Gerudo Pass, cross the Haunted Wasteland (the Lens shows the Poe who guides you), and Sheik teaches the Requiem of Spirit at the Desert Colossus. It has a young Link half and an adult Link half, and in the 1998 game young Link’s half gave the Silver Gauntlets and adult Link’s gave the Mirror Shield.
Which of the last two first? The Shadow Temple holds the Hover Boots, which make the desert crossing easier, so doing it first smooths the way to the Spirit Temple. In the 1998 game the Longshot also got Link over the sand river in the Haunted Wasteland, so Spirit first works too. Our 1998 temple order guide goes deeper on the choice.
Where the Side Dungeons Fit
| Side dungeon | Played as | When | What it gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the Well | Young Link | After you learn the Song of Storms as adult Link, before the Shadow Temple | The Lens of Truth |
| Ice Cavern | Adult Link | Before the Water Temple | The Iron Boots, and Blue Fire to free King Zora |
| Gerudo Proving Grounds | Adult Link | Any time after Gerudo Fortress | Ice Arrows (optional) |
The Bottom of the Well is the odd one: you learn the Song of Storms as adult Link, then go back in time and play it in the Kakariko windmill to drain the well. It fits best after the Forest Temple, once the Prelude of Light makes the trip to the Temple of Time quick. Our Lens of Truth guide has the route.
The Gerudo Proving Grounds is the remake’s name for what the 1998 game called the Gerudo Training Ground. Gerudo Fortress itself, where you free the carpenters, is a required stop before the Spirit Temple, though not a dungeon with a boss.
The Final Stretch
After the fifth medallion, go to the Temple of Time as adult Link, where Princess Zelda gives you the Light Arrows. Then head for Ganondorf’s Castle. Our 1998 Ganondorf guide covers how the last fights worked in the original.
What the Remake Changed Inside the Dungeons
The order is the 1998 game’s, but the dungeons are not copied room for room. Director HokWai Ng says in Nintendo’s Ask the Developer interview that “you may notice areas where the layout differs slightly from the original game,” and some walls that made it easy to get lost are now lattices you can see through.
- The Water Temple got the most attention. Eiji Aonuma, who designed the original, set out to fix it, and our news story on the rework covers what changed. Our 1998 Water Temple guide still explains its water levels.
- Item swaps happen mid-dungeon. Hold R for the quick-select bar instead of pausing, which our quick swap guide covers. Boot changes in the Water Temple are where you feel it most.
- Gohma shows when it can be hurt. It now covers its weak point with the two arms on its head whenever it is protected.
- The Ice Cavern no longer holds a Piece of Heart. Our Heart Piece guide lists where every piece went.
Ten of the dungeons hold Gold Skulltulas, and our Gold Skulltula guide counts them. Every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dungeon order in the Ocarina of Time remake? Inside the Deku Tree, Dodongo’s Cavern and Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly as young Link, then the Forest, Fire and Water Temples, then the Shadow and Spirit Temples in either order, then Ganondorf’s Castle.
How many dungeons are in the Ocarina of Time remake? Twelve, the same as the 1998 game: three as young Link, five adult temples, three side dungeons and the final castle.
Can you do the temples out of order? The Shadow and Spirit Temples can be swapped. The others come in a set order, because each gives you what the next one needs.
Did the remake change the dungeon order? No. The dungeons and their order match the 1998 game, though some layouts differ slightly.
Which adult temple comes first? The Forest Temple. It gives you the Fairy Bow.
Which dungeons are optional? Only the Gerudo Proving Grounds. Every other dungeon, including the Bottom of the Well and the Ice Cavern, gives an item you need to finish the game.