How to Get to Higher Islands in Tears of the Kingdom

“Tears of the Kingdom” (TotK) introduced two new regions that Legend of Zelda players haven’t experienced before: Sky Islands and The Depths. You’ll complete the four initial Shrines at Great Sky Island near the beginning of the game. But after that, you’ll be sent to the ground to explore the land of Hyrule and might wonder how to return to the Sky Islands.

Luckily, there are several ways to get to the islands, although their fractured structure can make it harder to find specific locations. Read on to learn how to get to Sky Islands.

Ways of Getting to Higher Islands

In TotK, you can experiment with items and abilities and craft various vehicles that can propel you in the air. Players are discovering new ways of traveling each day, and you can try to find a new method of getting to the Sky Islands. However, going with some proven techniques will be your best bet.

Launching From Skyview Towers

Skyview Towers are essential tools for exploring the skies and, by extension, reaching the islands. These structures are placed around the Hyrule, and you can use them to launch yourself in the air and glide towards the desired island. It’s important to mention that not every Skyview Tower can be used to reach higher grounds. Some, like Hyrule Field and Lookout Landing towers, are completely out of reach of the islands.

You should check where the desired island is and go to the closest tower. After you go up and launch, you’ll see a cutscene, after which you’ll be able to glide over to the island. It’s advisable to stock up on stamina elixirs or food before taking to the air.

Using the Recall Ability

With the Recall ability, you can choose an object and rewind it in time, sending it to its previous location. This ability can be utilized to reach the Sky Islands. In particular, you can track the rocks falling from the sky since they originate from the islands.

The best way to use Recall is in mountain regions, where you can easily jump on the rock and rewind it. This way guarantees you’ll reach higher grounds without running out of stamina. Some stones can lead you to the wrong island, but you can glide your way to the one you need.

Traveling With Zonai Devices

Another way of reaching high islands is to use different Zonai devices and crafting vehicles and objects. Let’s see how these contraptions help your air travel.

Zonai Rocket

One of the best combinations is to strap a Zonai rocket to a shield using the Fuse ability. This method gets you high in the air, and you only need to be mindful of the energy. Ensure you have enough Zonai Charges to prolong the lifespan of your Energy Cells.

Take notice that the Zonai Rocket is a valuable item and will be destroyed after you run out of energy and land on the desired island. Even though you can get more Zonai devices from the Dispensers, it’s advisable to save these items for different, more challenging situations.

Zonai Wing

If you use the Recall ability to reach a high rock, you can build a Zonai wing device with fans on the spot. Note that you’ll also need to build a platform to utilize this device properly. This method will require quite a few Energy Cells, so make sure to come prepared.

Zonai Air Balloon

Building an Air Balloon can also get you to the islands. In that case, it’s advisable to upgrade your Energy Cells to travel further. A Hot Air Balloon can be powered by a campfire or Zonai Flame Emitters, with the latter being more potent and faster but draining batteries faster than a campfire. To build this vehicle, you need the balloon, any kind of platform (even a few wooden logs will suffice), and something to power it up. Furthermore, if the island you’re trying to reach is far away, a few extra Zonai Charges will come in handy.

Fast Traveling

The Travel Medallion makes fast traveling to Sky Islands possible. To use this method, you must first reach the Islands using a different method. After you get to the island, you can mark it with the Travel Medallion and use fast travel to return to that location whenever you need. This item can be obtained by completing Robbie’s “A Mystery of the Depths” quest at Hateno Village. You can also upgrade the Travel Medallion, which allows you to mark three different locations.

Apart from fast traveling, you can teleport to the Shrine locations in the Great Sky Islands and use a glider or a Zonai air vehicle to get to another island.

Other Ways of Reaching High Grounds

Getting to higher grounds in TotK can be challenging even with the methods described so far. That’s why knowing other possible ways to reach the mountains or elevated platforms can make your Hyrule exploration smoother.

Using the Ascend Ability

If you can’t find a direct way to the islands, you can use the Ascend ability to get closer to them and reach higher platforms. Ascend ability lets you blink from where you stand and pass through the ceiling, skipping floors. You can’t be too far from the top for this ability to work, though.

Riding a Dragon

This isn’t a reliable method and can’t be performed at any time. Dragons appear in TotK from time to time, leaving The Depths and going up to the skies. If you notice one close to you, you can hitch a ride on its back. However, there’s no guarantee the Dragon will take you where you want to go.

Climbing

Climbing is a simple way of reaching higher ground. You don’t need to use any devices, items, or abilities for this method. You can climb most surfaces in the game and obtain a Froggy armor set or Climbing Gear armor to enhance your climbing skill. The former allows you to climb slippery surfaces, while the latter boosts your climbing speed. However, you should ensure you don’t drain your stamina too fast when rising, so it would be best to boost your energy with a Stamina Vessel.

Making a Pine Cone Campfire

One way of reaching the top of the mountain or a high ledge is to make a campfire from the two most common materials: Wood and Flint and add Hyrule Pine Cone to make the fire more potent. This fire can boost you, as you only need to jump and use a glider to reach your destination. The only problem with this method is catching on fire if you get too close to it.

You can combine this method with the Recall ability. When you rewind the stone in time and reach its initial destination, make a Pine Cone Campfire there and propel yourself even further in the air. This way, you can use the glider to get to the sky island you want.

Be Creative

TotK allows players to be creative and think of new ways to reach their goals. Even though there are Skyview Towers, Shrines, and Travel Medallion locations you can use to reach Sky Islands, it’s a lot more fun to discover new ways yourself. Ensure you are prepared for a challenging journey and stack your inventory with potions, food, Zonai Charges, and Stamina Vessels.

Which of the abovementioned methods is the most effective for getting to the Sky Islands? Did you come up with your own unique alternative? Let us know in the comments section below.