The Skyrim map is big, obviously, but it means finding the best locations and places to for adventure can take some work. Unless you have this guide to help you. Coming we'll run through all the main towns and settlements and what you can expect to find there. We'll cover big missions, key guilds and all sorts of reasons why you should head to any given place so you can draw up some travel plans in Skyrim.
The Skyrim map is littered with interesting quests, characters and rewards when you know where to look. So let's take a look through all nine different Holds, each with a unique geography and appearance, to see what's there. If you want to see the best places and avoid trusting to luck then here are the best Skyrim map locations to check out.
And for an even deeper dive into some of the more interesting places to visit then check out our Skyrim hidden quest locations guide.
Whiterun
Whiterun will almost certainly be the key location you’ll encounter in Skyrim. Most of the early missions direct here, where you'll find Dragonsreach, and Jarl Balgruuf. It’s got a vast array of shops and taverns but maybe lacks a lot of interesting dungeons to explore, largely because it is more of a beginners area. However, The Companions are based here, which is basically the fighters guild and a questline well worth following. There are also a few other good quests to pick up involving runaway Redguards, family feuds and more. You'll soon know when you've cleared all the good stuff though and when you have it will be time to move on.
Riften
Riften is one of the more interesting towns in all of Skyrim. For example the first time you get there some guards will try a bit of extortion, and you’ll also see a famous thief called Sapphire threatening people outside an in called The Bee and Barb - it wastes no time giving you things to look into.
The most important location here is almost certainly the Ratway. This underground area is where you'll find the Ragged Flagon, the Thieves’ Guild’s hideout. It's a faction questline with some great missions, not to mention a life of crime can be quite lucrative.
If you have the Dawnguard DLC you'll also find Fort Dawnguard to the east of Riften. It's an old castle, tucked away in the mountains, and home to Isran, the famed vampire hunter who's reforming the Dawnguard. Just make sure you listen to the vampires as part of this quest before you make a decision as there are perks to both factions.
Markarth
Markarth is a huge town, dominated by large stairs that go the whole way up to Understone Keep. The area around it is what makes it truly special though, boasting some of the most impressive open plains in the whole game and surrounded by wilderness and waterfalls and teeming with character.
It’s very easy to get lost in The Reach, so make sure you’ve stocked up on supplies before braving the wilderness. There you'll find forts and the region’s indigenous Forsworn enemies. One of the game's best quests is located here too as team up with someone to escape from prison.
Winterhold
Winterhold is one of Skyrim's most northerly areas, making it a destitute place largely full of decaying buildings and snow-covered roads However, it is also home to the College of Winterhold which, if you want to be a mage, is where you can enrol as a student. That begins a faction quest that ultimately ends with you becoming the Arch Mage of the college and is obviously, this is well worth the trek.
Septimus Signus’ Outpost can be found north of Winterhold. Go there and you'll find Signus was driven mad after studying the Elder Scrolls, however you will need to pay him a visit during the main quest because of this knowledge. Winterhold is a curious Hold for sure, but there’s a lot of intrigue to check out there. Also, simply scouring the sea it borders is captivating, as you’ll come across shipwrecks and hidden treasure in the most arbitrary of places.
Windhelm
Windhelm is where you'll find the Stormcloak rebellion based, specifically Ulfric Stormcloak, High King of Skyrim. The Palace of the Kings is here is massive, so it’s well worth exploring and if, you’re sneaky, you might even be able to steal some valuables and make some easy coin.
However, one of the most interesting places near Windhelm is the Sacellum of Boethiah. Here you’ll be forced into battle royale in honour of the Daedric prince Boethiah and if you win and you’ll become their champion.
If you have the Dragonborn DLC installed you can also get the boat to Solstheim from Windhelm. It costs 500 gold, but Solstheim is an incredible place located in Morrowind that you should absolutely visit. Just make sure you’re a good level before making the voyage across, as the enemies there are a lot stronger than any you’ll encounter in Skyrim.
Falkreath
Falkreath close to some of the darkest places in the game, such as the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary and the Twilight Sepulcher. However, it's also home to Lakeview Manor, a beautiful house you can purchase if you have the Hearthfire DLC.
It’s located in the south of Skyrim and it’s much less built-up than several of the other Holds, but there’s a real charm to Falkreath. Venture eastward for a few minutes and you’ll come across a place called the Ancestor Glade, which is one of the most extraordinary places you can visit. If your planning on some Skyrim tourism, Falkreath’s got it all.
Dawnstar
Dawnstar isn't the prettiest place but it’s intriguing. Especially as the whole town is plagued by terrible nightmares, which is definitely something you might want to look in to. Then there’s a Mythic Dawn museum here which will start a Mehrunes Dagon questline when you investigate it. However, Dawnstar’s links to the Daedra are pretty much all it has going for it. Aside from that and an ancient Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary hidden nearby, there’s not a whole lot here. Hearthfire adds a house to buy in Dawnstar, and, while it’s nice, the location isn’t ideal. Overall, you'll be better off living in Falkreath and checking out Dawnstar whenever you get curious about demonology and nightmares.
Morthal
Morthal is pretty just a filler town, a place between places. However, there is one place here that’s essential for any aspiring Dragonborn to visit: Movarth’s Lair. This is located just north of the town, and is home to a powerful ancient vampire. After discovering that a resident of Morthal has quietly been turning some of the townsfolk into creatures of the night, you can visit the lair and pay Movarth a visit. However, once you’ve done this, it’s probably best to get out of Morthal and head northwest to Solitude.
Solitude
Solitude is probably the Skyrim location with the most to do. The Imperial Legion is based here if you want to join up. It’s also home to the Blue Palace, previously ruled by the High King Torygg before he was killed by Ulfric Stormcloak. There are some great quests to pick up in Solitude including Sheogorath’s Daedric quest found in an abandoned wing of the city’s palace.. You can also sneak through the East Empire trading company, pull off a heist with some shady Argonians, and even sneak onboard the Emperor’s private ship. Solitude is the richest place in Skyrim where you'll get to use diplomacy instead of violence - when words don’t work in your favour, you’ll see that sometimes the pen isn’t mightier than the sword, so you’ll have to compromise. Like most rich places though, there’s lots of subterfuge and espionage in Solitude, so a conniving Dragonborn will fit right in.
These are just some of key places to visit in Skyrim - a selection of places you want to target first as you explore. Just remember though, that the best way to experience this world is to make your way to a hold on foot so that you can make discoveries along the way and collect locations you can later fast travel between. That way you’ll see the more minor areas and the unnamed gems hidden off the beaten track. Just be sure to keep your sword at the ready, lest you be ambushed by ancient vampires or malevolent necromancers.
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