How to Enter the Underdark – Baldur’s Gate 3

The Underdark is a vast network of subterranean caves you can visit on your journey through Baldur’s Gate 3. Home to plenty of dangerous creatures and fraught with peril, it’s an alluring place for anyone looking for treasure or ancient secrets. But whatever your reason for visiting the Underdark may be, this guide will help you reach it.

Underdark Entrances

As far as we know, there are four ways to enter the Underdark in the first Act of Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Jumping down a pit in the Whispering Depths underneath the Blighted Village
• Taking the hidden elevator in the Zhentarim Hideout inside the Waukeen’s Rest inn
• Using the secret mushroom circle teleporter in the Overgrown Tunnel under the Riverside Teahouse
• Going down a ladder inside a secret area of the Defiled Temple you reach from the Shattered Sanctum in the Goblin Camp

Whispering Depths Path

To reach the Whispering Depths, you have to go below the Blighted Village found to the northwest of the initial Nautiloid Crash area. There are several ways to get there, but the easiest is to simply go down the well standing in the middle of the village.

Once below, you’ll have to make your way through a spider-infested area (1) and eventually deal with the Phase Spider Matriarch. After that’s done, you’ll be looking for a pit that doesn’t say “Chasm” when you mouse over it (2). Instead, your character will say, “I feel a breeze – I wonder what’s down there.” You’ll be jumping down that pit (3).

Seeing how this is a very long fall, you should cast the Feather Fall spell on your party before attempting it. This route will place you in a relatively central area of the eastern Underdark (1) in close proximity to a couple of Minotaurs (2), so be ready for a fight or start sneaking straight away.

Zhentarim Hideout Path

If you want to use this path, it’s advisable to first deal with the gnoll encounter near a cave situated to the west of The Risen Road Waypoint. In this encounter, you’ll need to keep the two Zhentarim agents inside the cave alive while you deal with the gnolls. Doing so will get you the directions and an invitation to their hideout.

Either way, you find the hatch leading to the hideout inside a warehouse on the western end of the Waukeen’s Rest inn. Just be mindful of the Zhentarim agent guarding the entrance with the help of some exploding barrels and fire spells.

The hatch will lead you to the basement, on the far end of which is a set of hidden stairs (1) that will take you to the actual hideout. Once inside, proceed through the area (2) until you find a wolf named Istor sitting by a wall. If you talk to the wolf using the Speak with Animals spell, he’ll give you a hint (3) about an illusory wall (4) nearby. Succeeding an Investigation check will reveal this wall just behind Istor. Simply walk through it and you’ll arrive to an elevator with a locked winch (5). Lockpick the winch and you’ll be able to take the elevator straight to the northeastern part of the Underdark.

One thing to keep in mind here is that there seems to be some invisible blocker (1) making it impossible to walk out of the storehouse area you end up in. But using the Jump ability (2) solves this issue while it’s not been patched yet.

Overgrown Tunnel Path

For this route, you’ll need to explore the Overgrown Tunnel underneath the Riverside Teahouse. And while initially it may seem impassable, there’s actually a way to get to the Underdark by going there.

Inside the Riverside Teahouse (4) located in the swamp on the southern edge of the map there’s a fireplace (1) that’s actually an illusion (2) leading to a set of stairs (3). Simply turn the fire off and walk through. Just be aware that Auntie Ethel won’t take kindly to such an intrusion.

This will put you in the Overgrown Tunnel. Follow a linear path until you reach a large door (1) you can have a chat with. The door won’t like it, but you can simply walk through it as if it was an illusion. Continue moving through the area (2) until you reach a waterfall. Jumping through it (3) will put you in an area full of traps. But if you’re just looking for a passage to the Underdark, you won’t need to deal with them. Simply position yourself on the ledge (4), cast a Feather Fall spell for good measure, and jump to the door (5). This door isn’t exactly real, but it’s more solid than the previous one. In order to go through it you’ll need to be wearing a Whispering Mask. You’ve probably picked up a few of those on your way there, and if not, check out this guide to learn what these masks are and where to find them.

Once you manage to get past the door, you’ll be able to use the Mushroom Circle (1) to teleport to the southern part of the Underdark (3). Simply walk through one final illusory wall (2) and you’ll be able to explore the subterranean area.

Defiled Temple Path

To take the Defiled Temple path, you’ll first have to reach the Goblin Camp, make your way through it, and then enter the Shattered Sanctum. There are multiple paths inside, but the most obvious one is to walk through the Heavy Oak Doors.

From there, you’ll need to reach the Defiled Temple. To do so, you’ll first need to either sneak into the private quarters of the goblin Priestess Gut, or have her take you there (1). It’s pretty dark inside, but there’s a door (2) to the northwest there.

The door takes you to the Defiled Temple of Selûne. Proceed through the area until you reach a large room with seemingly only one way in or out and four Stone Disks on the floor (1). In reality, there’s a secret door on the far end of the room (2).

Rotating the disks (1) so that the four black orbs are all located in the illuminated area to the south will unlock a secret door leading to a ladder that will take you to the Selûnite Outpost in the Underdark (3). Alternatively, once you reach the secret door, you’ll be able to pass a Perception check to notice a hidden lever (2). Lockpicking it will allow you to open the door and skip dealing with the disks altogether.