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Ocarina of Time runs in two halves. As young Link you clear three dungeons — Inside the Deku Tree, Dodongo’s Cavern and Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly — then pull the Master Sword and jump seven years forward. As adult Link you tackle five temples in order: Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow and Spirit, with the Bottom of the Well and Ice Cavern as required mini-dungeons along the way, before storming Ganon’s Castle. Each one hands you the item you need for the next.
Here is the full dungeon order, the key item and boss in each, and beginner tips tuned for the Switch 2 remake’s new controls. The order below is the game’s intended path — the most efficient route for a first playthrough. This is the classic 1998 structure, which the remake preserves.
Dungeon order & key items
The intended route from start to finish, with the item each dungeon gives you and the boss waiting at the end.
| # | Dungeon | Era | Key item | Boss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inside the Deku Tree | Child | Fairy Slingshot | Queen Gohma |
| 2 | Dodongo’s Cavern | Child | Bomb Bag | King Dodongo |
| 3 | Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly | Child | Boomerang | Barinade |
| — | Pull the Master Sword | → Adult | Master Sword | — |
| 4 | Forest Temple | Adult | Fairy Bow | Phantom Ganon |
| 5 | Fire Temple | Adult | Megaton Hammer | Volvagia |
| — | Ice Cavern (mini) | Adult | Iron Boots | — |
| 6 | Water Temple | Adult | Longshot | Morpha |
| — | Bottom of the Well (mini) | Child | Lens of Truth | — |
| 7 | Shadow Temple | Adult | Hover Boots | Bongo Bongo |
| 8 | Spirit Temple | Adult/Child | Mirror Shield, Gauntlets | Twinrova |
| 9 | Ganon’s Castle | Adult | — | Ganondorf / Ganon |
Child dungeons
The opening three dungeons teach the core loop and are short by later standards. Inside the Deku Tree is the tutorial dungeon: grab the Fairy Slingshot, learn to climb and burn webs, and beat Queen Gohma by stunning her eye and striking. Dodongo’s Cavern introduces bombs — the Bomb Bag is the prize — and King Dodongo is beaten by throwing or dropping bombs into his mouth as he inhales, then slashing. Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly hands you the Boomerang, which you use throughout the fight against Barinade. Clear all three, collect the three Spiritual Stones, play the Song of Time at the Temple of Time, and you’ll pull the Master Sword — the moment the game opens up into its adult half. Don’t rush past the overworld between dungeons: learning songs, grabbing Pieces of Heart and getting the horse Epona early all pay off later.
Adult temples
The five adult temples are the meat of the game and ramp up in complexity. Forest Temple (Bow, Phantom Ganon) is a twisting dungeon of rotating rooms and is the intended first stop — the Bow it gives you is needed almost everywhere after. Fire Temple (Megaton Hammer, Volvagia) sits inside Death Mountain; the Hammer smashes rusted switches you’ll see for the rest of the game. The Water Temple (Longshot, Morpha) is the infamous one — raising and lowering the water level to reach new areas — and the remake streamlines it further, but take it slowly and track which level opens which door. Shadow Temple (Hover Boots, Bongo Bongo) leans on the Lens of Truth to reveal invisible paths, so bring plenty of magic. Spirit Temple (Mirror Shield, Gauntlets, Twinrova) uniquely splits across both child and adult Link, using the Song of Time to swap eras. Finish all five, awaken the sages, and Ganon’s Castle is the finale — six trials, then the two-phase fight against Ganondorf and Ganon.
Beginner tips for the remake
A handful of habits make a first playthrough far smoother, especially with the Switch 2 remake’s updated controls. Use Z-targeting (lock-on) constantly — it’s the backbone of combat, letting you circle, sidehop and backflip around enemies; the shield-and-strike rhythm it enables trivialises most fights. Learn your songs early: Zelda’s Lullaby, Saria’s Song, the Sun’s Song and the warp songs save enormous amounts of travel time, and the remake’s microphone input makes playing them a novelty worth trying. Lean on the new free jump and dash — platforming and backtracking are much less painful than on N64 now that you jump on command and can sprint. Switch aiming to whatever feels right: gyro is faster for precise bow and slingshot shots, but you can flip to stick aiming in Options if motion isn’t for you. Buy Deku Nuts, arrows and a bigger wallet when you can, keep a bottle free for fairies as a safety net, and use Threads of Time if you forget where to go next. Finally, don’t grind — Ocarina of Time is paced so that following the item chain keeps you strong enough; the challenge is navigation and puzzles, not stats.
Ocarina of Time dungeon order FAQ
Dungeon order, items and bosses reflect the classic 1998 Ocarina of Time structure, which the Switch 2 remake preserves. Remake-specific control notes (free jump, dash, gyro aiming, microphone ocarina, Threads of Time) are from Nintendo’s launch materials, as of 4 November 2026; the Water Temple is streamlined but its exact changes were provisional pre-launch.
