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+ | | [[Borean Tundra]] || [[Valiance Keep]] || [[Magister Dath'omere]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Alliance)]] |
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| [[Dragonblight]] || [[Star's Rest]] || [[Archmage Modera]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Alliance)]] |
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| [[Howling Fjord]] || [[Valgarde]] || [[Ulrik von Stromhearth]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Alliance)]] |
| [[Howling Fjord]] || [[Valgarde]] || [[Ulrik von Stromhearth]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Alliance)]] |
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+ | | [[Crystalsong Forest]] || [[Argent Vanguard]] || [[Highlord Tirion Fordring]] || [[Moonglade]] || [[Quest:The Keeper's Favor]] |
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| [[Howling Fjord]] || [[Vengeance Landing]] || [[Magister Varenthas]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Horde)]] |
| [[Howling Fjord]] || [[Vengeance Landing]] || [[Magister Varenthas]] || [[Dalaran]] || [[Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran (Horde)]] |
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+ | | [[Crystalsong Forest]] || [[Argent Vanguard]] || [[Highlord Tirion Fordring]] || [[Moonglade]] || [[Quest:The Keeper's Favor]] |
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The portals to the [[Blasted Lands]] are useful because it is a short flight from the portal destinations there to the [[Dark Portal]], which leads to the [[Stair of Destiny]] and its portals to [[Orgrimmar]] and [[Stormwind]]. |
The portals to the [[Blasted Lands]] are useful because it is a short flight from the portal destinations there to the [[Dark Portal]], which leads to the [[Stair of Destiny]] and its portals to [[Orgrimmar]] and [[Stormwind]]. |
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+ | |||
+ | The portal to [[Moonglade]] is useful because it is a short flight from there to [[Darnassus]] or [[Orgrimmar]]. |
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Note that there are a number of other quest portals, but they may not be as useful as these for general travel. See [[Teleport]]. |
Note that there are a number of other quest portals, but they may not be as useful as these for general travel. See [[Teleport]]. |
Revision as of 03:54, 31 January 2011
Patch 4.0.3a and the Cataclysm introduced new travel challenges for players. The portal hubs in Dalaran and Shattrath are gone, great fissures in the earth now impede overland travel between certain zones, many zone levels have changed, and players are now required to discover the new high-level instances before they are allowed to queue for them in the dungeon finder. A firm grasp of the geography of the world and an understanding of the available means for moving from one place to another will help you meet these challenges.
This guide presents the fundamentals of post-Cataclysm travel between the three continents of Azeroth (Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, and Northrend) and provides details regarding the many methods of travel available. Also included is information about travel between these continents and Outland.
How travel has changed
The Cataclysm brought a new concept for world travel. In the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Litch King expansions, a portal hub in a single remote city provided access to the major cities in the Old World.
By contrast, in the post-Cataclysm world, new and improved travel facilities have turned the two faction capitals, Stormwind and Orgrimmar, into worldwide travel centers. Located in the heartlands of Azeroth's two original continents, these cities have also become centers for all types of training, daily quests, auctioning, and other activities.
Although the old portal hubs are gone, improved mass transit and taxi services, greatly expanded solo flight, and new portal hubs allow players to move freely and reasonably quickly throughout the world. Shorter cycle times for ships and zeppelins and the addition of many new flight paths have made travel over land and sea much easier and faster than before, even for low level characters.
Things get even better as you level up. Characters who have reached level 60 can now fly freely around almost all of Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms. Characters level 80 and above can make use of new portal hubs in the capital cities. Located in Stormwind and Orgrimmar, these hubs provide rapid access to the new level 81-85 zones. [1]
Also, judicious use of new and existing Quest Portals and Item Portals can help speed your travel times.
Setting your hearthstone
The variety of travel methods now available have an impact on where you choose to set your hearthstone. As you level up, you need to travel more, but fortunately more means of travel open up as well. Here are some suggestions about where to set your hearthstone to make best use of the methods available at your current level.
Level 10
At about level 7 to 10, when you have emerged from your race's starting zone, setting your hearthstone to a city near where you are questing provides convenient access to trainers and auction houses. New flight paths get you quickly to your questing area.
Level 20
Sometime after you get your first mount at level 20, you will begin to roam the wider world. You'll be spending time on ships and maybe zeppelins, meeting new flight masters and buying taxi flights, and riding the roads to new zones.
You may find it advantageous to set your hearthstone to an inn in your faction's capital city. The Alliance and Horde faction capitals, Stormwind and Orgrimmar, now have class, profession, riding[1], and flight trainers, as well as cooking and fishing daily quests that all characters level 10 and up can complete.
Mass transit and taxis provide ready access for all levels from these cities to most parts of the Old World.
Level 58
Starting at level 58, you can use any of your faction's major cities as your home base. A quick sequence of portals[2] will get you rapidly to your faction's capital. Other portals or a short flight connect you to your faction's other cities. A hearthstone in the right city will give you access to any of your faction's cities in one to three minutes.
For example, if you are Horde, you can set your hearthstone in Silvermoon and have quick access to the Undercity via the Orb of Translocation and to Orgrimmar via the Dark Portal sequence.[2] Thunder Bluff is a short flight from Orgrimmar.
Alliance toons in Darnassus have similar portal access[2] to the Exodar and Stormwind, while Ironforge is a short flight from Stormwind.
Level 63
Since there are now class and profession trainers and auction houses in Shattrath, when you are questing in Outland you may find you have little need to travel back to the Old World.
At about level 63, when you've moved on from Hellfire Peninsula to zones such as Terokkar Forest or Nagrand, which are more distant from the Stair of Destiny and its portal to your faction capital, you may want to set your hearthstone in Shattrath.
Level 68
At level 68 or so, when you start questing in Northrend, you'll probably want to move your hearthstone to Dalaran and keep it there until you reach level 80. Just as in Shattrath, you'll find there are now class and profession trainers and auction houses in Dalaran.
Also, at level 74 make sure you pick up the quest Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran for the portal to Dalaran that it provides - and don't turn the quest in!
Level 80+
At level 80 and above the Dark Portal sequence[2] becomes quite useful, giving you rapid access to your faction capital from all of your faction's major cities. (See Level 58, above, for suggestions about where to set your hearthstone to make maximum use of this access.)
In addition, you can make use of the new portal hubs[3] in the capital cities to access the new level 81-85 zones. This gives you fast access to (and in some cases return from) more parts of the major continents. For example, Horde can quickly get to central Eastern Kingdoms (and back) via the portal to Twilight Highlands. Alliance can reach northern Kalimdor via the portal to Hyjal, while both factions can get to southern Kalimdor in seconds via the portal to Uldum.
- ^ The riding trainers in the capitals do not require the character to be exalted with the city's faction, although the racial mount vendors do.
- ^ a b c d At level 58, you will be able to use the portals in any of your faction's major cities to the Blasted Lands, go through the Dark Portal, and take the portal at the Stair of Destiny to your faction capital. See the Dark Portal sequence in the Outland section for more information.
- ^ The portals at the new portal hubs have quest completion and minimum level requirements. See the Portals section for details.
Flight enhancements
Flight paths
Patch 4.0.3a added many new flight paths (also known as "taxis") to both Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, especially in the lower level zones.
Flight paths in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are now shown on the in-game map. After you have discovered an area, any flight masters in that area will show up on your map as a winged foot: blue for Alliance, red for Horde, and green for neutral.
You'll need to talk to the flight masters[1] to pick up the flight paths, but once you do they will make travel for low level characters much easier than it was prior to patch 4.0.3a.
Flying solo
Characters level 60 or above can learn Expert riding and purchase a [Flight Master's License] from a flying trainer near the flight masters in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Hellfire Peninsula, Borean Tundra, or Dalaran. This license allows the character to fly almost[2] anywhere in the Old World.
All characters level 68 or above[3] can now purchase [Cold Weather Flying] from a flying trainer. This permits flying in all of Northrend.
The Expert riding skill, a [Flight Master's License], and [Cold Weather Flying] combine to allow a player to fly almost anywhere in the world, except within certain instances and a few zones not yet revised for flight.[2]
- ^ Many of the new flight masters have only a single connection to another flight master in the same zone. This is in contrast to the pre-Cata flight masters, who are connected to the network of flight masters in other zones. The single-connection flight masters will not be able to provide you a flight to anywhere until you have also talked to the appropriate network-connected flight master in that zone.
- ^ a b Solo flight is still not possible in the zones connected to the Old World, including the Exodar, Azuremyst Isle, Bloodmyst Isle, Silvermoon, Eversong Woods, Ghostlands, and associated islands.
- ^ Prior to Cataclysm, minimum level for [Cold Weather Flying] was 77, or level 68 with a [Tome of Cold Weather Flight].
Mass transit
Ships, zeppelins, and trams
A network of ships, zeppelins, and a tram connects the major cities and ports on all three continents of Azeroth. [1] These methods of transport are known as "mass transit." Running on a regular schedule, mass transit is free, and it's fast, safe, and easy for all levels of characters.
Mass transit is the most practical way to get between continents, particularly for lower level characters. Mass transit can also be used to travel between certain major cities on the same continent, or between the northern region of a continent and the southern region. Even the highest level characters (other than mages) are likely to find this method of transport useful.
This section contains, for each faction, a table of ports by continent and region, and each port's connections. A quick glance at your faction's table should give you a good idea of how to get where you want to go.
Also included are tables of the mass transit routes available to each faction, accompanied by maps providing graphical representation of these routes and ports.
These maps and tables are intended to help you form a mental picture of the world, and the regions accessible by mass transit. They are also a quick reference for those times when you can't quite remember how to get where you want to go.
Ports
Ships and zeppelins connect the continents of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, and Northrend. Below are tables of the ports where they dock, and the ports to which they are connected via mass transit. (See the next section for tables and maps of mass transit routes.)
You can sort these tables by clicking on a column heading.
Continent/Region | City | Faction | Type | Connections | Via |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalimdor North | Darnassus | Alliance | Major city | Stormwind, Exodar | ship, portal |
Kalimdor North | Exodar | Alliance | Major city | Darnassus | ship, portal |
Kalimdor Central | Ratchet | Neutral | Port | Booty Bay | ship |
Kalimdor Central | Theramore | Alliance | Port | Menethil | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms Central | Menethil | Alliance | Port | Theramore, Valgarde | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms Central | Ironforge | Alliance | Major city | Stormwind | tram |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Stormwind | Alliance | Capital | Darnassus, Ironforge, Valiance Keep | ship, tram |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Booty Bay | Neutral | Port | Ratchet | ship |
Northrend West | Valiance Keep | Alliance | Port | Stormwind | ship |
Northrend East | Valgarde | Alliance | Port | Menethil | ship |
Continent/Region | City | Faction | Type | Connections | Via |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalimdor Central | Orgrimmar | Horde | Capital | Thunder Bluff, Undercity, Grom'Gol, Warsong Hold | zeppelin |
Kalimdor Central | Thunder Bluff | Horde | Major city | Orgrimmar | zeppelin |
Kalimdor Central | Ratchet | Neutral | Port | Booty Bay | ship |
Eastern Kingdoms North | Silvermoon | Horde | Major city | Undercity | portal |
Eastern Kingdoms North | Undercity | Horde | Major city | Orgrimmar, Silvermoon, Grom'Gol, Vengeance Landing | zeppelin, portal |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Grom'Gol | Horde | Port | Orgrimmar, Undercity | zeppelin |
Eastern Kingdoms South | Booty Bay | Neutral | Port | Ratchet | ship |
Northrend West | Warsong Hold | Horde | Port | Orgrimmar | zeppelin |
Northrend East | Vengeance Landing | Horde | Port | Undercity | zeppelin |
Note that the intracontinental neutral Northrend ports of Unu'pe, Moa'ki Harbor, and Kamagua have been omitted from these tables. See Boats for more information on the routes between these ports.
Routes
If you already know where the ports are located on each continent, the following tables may provide a more convenient reference.
Note that the Nauticus[2] add-on learns the schedule for ship and zeppelin arrivals and departures on your realm and displays the next scheduled times for any route you choose. Nauticus allows you to set an alarm to let you know when the next voyage is due.
The mass transit routes below are all bidirectional.
Between | And | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Stormwind | Darnassus | ship | |
Stormwind | Ironforge | tram | |
Stormwind | Borean Tundra | ship | |
Menethil | Theramore | ship | |
Menethil | Howling Fjord | ship | |
Darnassus | The Exodar | ship or portal | |
Ratchet | Booty Bay | ship | Neutral |
The ships between Darnassus and Stormwind, and Darnassus and the Exodar dock at Rut'theran Village, at the base of the enormous tree known as Teldrassil. You can get between Darnassus and Rut'theran Village via portals located next to their respective flight masters.
Note that once you pick up the flight path in the Exodar, you can now take the taxi between there and Rut'theran or Darnassus. You can also fly from the Exodar or Darnassus to locations in Kalimdor where you have flight paths.
There is also a portal in the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus which goes to the Exodar. This portal is on the first floor, next to the portal to the Blasted Lands, and has no level requirement.
Between | And | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Orgrimmar | Undercity | zeppelin | |
Orgrimmar | Thunder Bluff | zeppelin | |
Orgrimmar | Grom'Gol, STV | zeppelin | |
Orgrimmar | Borean Tundra | zeppelin | |
Undercity | Silvermoon City | portal | Orb of Translocation |
Undercity | Grom'Gol, STV | zeppelin | |
Undercity | Howling Fjord | zeppelin | |
Ratchet | Booty Bay | ship | Neutral |
Note that the zeppelin routes between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff and between the Undercity and Grom'Gol Base Camp in Northern Stranglethorn are to points on the same continent, rather than intercontinental as with other zeppelin (and ship) voyages. The zeppelin between the Undercity and Grom'Gol makes travel between the northern and southern parts of Eastern Kingdoms easy even if you have not yet picked up the key Horde flight path at New Kargath in the Badlands.
Shorter waits at the dock
The time it takes to travel using mass transit has been significantly reduced. Before Patch 4.0.3a, players often had to wait four or five minutes for a ship or zeppelin to arrive at their point of departure. Now the time between departures is typically closer to two minutes.
Also, characters with the ability to fly in the departure zone can land on a ship or zeppelin which has already departed, provided it has not gained too much speed. This allows you to catch a voyage you might otherwise have missed. Characters with flight ability in the destination zone can fly off the ship or zeppelin before it has reached the dock, saving a little more time.
The newly reduced departure cycle time is key to efficient travel in the post-Cataclysm world. Although the ports look far away on the map, in practical terms they are actually only two or three minutes apart - much less time than it takes to fly across a continent.
Thus, the actual travel time between, for example, Stormwind and Darnassus, is less than a minute longer than the travel time between Stormwind and Ironforge. The same is true for travel between Orgrimmar and Undercity.
You can use the Nauticus[2] add-on to see the departure and arrival times for upcoming voyages. Nauticus also allows you to set an alarm to let you know when the next voyage is due.
Cross-faction mass transit
Blizzard's blog post, One if by Zeppelin: Two if by Boat, states that the crew on the opposing faction's mass transit will never attack a player. So if you're an Alliance player, and you can avoid the guards on the zeppelin docks, you can use zeppelins for travel. Likewise, if you're Horde, you can use Alliance ships.
If you can fly, avoiding the guards will be much easier. Fly onto the rear platform of a zeppelin, or the stern of a ship, and fly off before it reaches its destination port.
Keep in mind, however, that airborne guards patrol the major cities. If you take a zeppelin to Orgrimmar, for example, it's likely that the guards will start shooting at you before you are able to depart the city limits.
Also, watch for players of the opposing faction, who may not share the crew's scruples about attacking you. Ships and zeppelins which do not enter a city (which automatically flags you for PvP) are likely to be safer[3][4].
Note that the dockmasters and zeppelin masters (on the zeppelin docks) have the vessel's destination in their title, so you can mouse over them to make sure the transport is headed where you want to go.
Mass transit vs mage portals
To put travel times into perspective, remember that the loading screen part of a mass transit trip takes the same amount of time as that of a hearthstone - or a portal. The only time penalty for taking a ship or zeppelin is the wait time at the dock, and that is now almost always less than two minutes.
Keep this in mind the next time you are tempted to advertise in the trade chat for a mage to sell you a portal to another city. By the time you find a mage and he or she gets to you, takes your gold, and pops you a portal, you could have already been aboard mass transit and on your way.
Also, many ships and zeppelins land near a flight master, whereas a mage portal will often deposit you somewhere deep in the bowels of your destination city.
For most city to city trips, when you consider the total time of the trip, typically mass transit will get you to your destination as fast as or faster than a mage portal.
And mass transit is free.
Exceptions
The main exception is Dalaran, because the taxi flight between Dalaran and the ports in Borean Tundra is almost five minutes. Master flying (310%) knocks this down to just over four minutes, but added to the ship or zeppelin ride, the total travel time between a port in the Old World and Dalaran could be six to eight minutes. If you can find a mage quickly a portal might be a little faster.
However, if you can fly in Azeroth and Northrend there are at least two ways to travel between Dalaran and your faction capital in about five to seven minutes (depending on your riding skill level) using NPC portals. See The Dalaran Commute.
Certain items or questgivers also can teleport you to Dalaran or other convenient locations. See Item Portals and Quest Portals.
But unless you are questing in Northrend, why do you need to go to Dalaran at all? The faction capital cities, Stormwind and Orgrimmar, are now the travel hubs, and have trainers and daily quests as well. And while you are questing in Northrend, the class trainers and auctioneers who arrived in Dalaran with 4.0.3a pretty much eliminate the need to go to any other cities.
Another exception might be Stormwind to Theramore; Alliance characters below level 60 wanting to get from their travel hub to central Kalimdor will need to fly (or take the tram) to Menethil to catch a ship to Theramore, or fly to Booty Bay and take a ship to Ratchet. The necessary taxi flights[5] are close to four minutes, so a mage portal to Theramore may save lower level characters a little time.
Also, travel from the faction capitals to the cities of Exodar and Silvermoon involve runs between ports and portals, and some trips, such as Silvermoon to Thunder Bluff or Exodar to Ironforge, require multiple voyages if your hearthstone is not set to your faction capital. In cases like these, a mage might save you a few minutes.
- ^ In two cases, portals are also available for travel between two cities. Although these are not strictly mass transit, they are included in the tables below because they complete the city-to-city travel picture.
- ^ a b Nauticus - An add-on which learns and displays ship and zeppelin arrival and departure times on your realm, with optional alarm.
- ^ An example of a safer route is the zeppelin between Tirisfal Glades and Grom'Gol, which provides Alliance toons quick transit between northern and southern Eastern Kingdoms. Just don't fly east over Lordaeron when you are in the vicinity of the Tirisfal Glades zeppelin towers, or you'll be flagged for PvP.
- ^ Horde players can fairly safely use the Alliance ship between Theramore and Menethil to travel between central Kalimdor and central Eastern Kingdoms.
- ^ Characters with a [Flight Master's License] can fly from Stormwind to Menethil or Booty Bay in two minutes or less, and characters who have appropriate access at the portal hubs in Stormwind can take a portal to either Hyjal or Uldum to quickly reach Kalimdor.
Portals
Several portals allow rapid travel between continents, or to distant areas of the same continent. Some of these portals can be used by either faction.
In some cases, portals can be used as stages in a trip designed for rapid travel from one part of the Old World to another. For example, a level 58+ character in Silvermoon can quickly reach Orgrimmar by taking the portal to the Blasted Lands, running through the Dark Portal, and then taking the small portal beside the Stair of Destiny to Orgrimmar. See The Dalaran Commute for more multi-portal routes.
Portals in Northrend are also included here. For portals between Outland and the Old World, see the Outland section below.
Also, see Teleport for a list of non-mage teleportation spells that require a certain class, profession, and/or item to use.
World Travel Portals & Portal Hubs
Some portals listed below can be used by characters of any level, while others require a minimum level or completion of certain quests before they can be used.
The Alliance portal hub, The Eastern Earthshrine, is located on a small island in a lake northwest of Stormwind Keep. It is accessible on foot through the Dwarven District gate.
The Horde portal hub, The Western Earthshrine, is on a cliff on the north side of the Valley of Wisdom in Orgrimmar, and can be reached via a footbridge from the zeppelin port plateau.
Quest Portals
Some questgivers offer portals which make it easier to complete their quests, usually because the completion requires travel to a remote or inaccessible location. However, if you don't turn in these quests, you can continue to use the portals for travel. Note that all these portals are one way.
Make sure you pick up these quests as soon as possible, because completing certain other quests may make these unavailable.
The portals to the Blasted Lands are useful because it is a short flight from the portal destinations there to the Dark Portal, which leads to the Stair of Destiny and its portals to Orgrimmar and Stormwind.
The portal to Moonglade is useful because it is a short flight from there to Darnassus or Orgrimmar.
Note that there are a number of other quest portals, but they may not be as useful as these for general travel. See Teleport.
Item Portals
Certain items have the ability to teleport you to a key location at or near either Dalaran or your faction capital.
Item | Destination | Access to | Faction | Level | Cost | Cooldown | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[Shroud of Cooperation] | Stormwind or Orgrimmar | Both | 35 | 150[1] | 8 hours | ||
[Wrap of Unity] | Stormwind or Orgrimmar | Both | 35 | 300[1] | 4 hours | ||
[Cloak of Coordination] | Stormwind or Orgrimmar | Both | 35 | 500[1] | 2 hours | ||
[Ring of the Kirin Tor] | Dalaran | Neutral | 80 | 6,800 to 8,500[2] | 30 minutes | ||
[Band of the Kirin Tor] | Dalaran | Neutral | 80 | 6,800 to 8,500[2] | 30 minutes | ||
[Loop of the Kirin Tor] | Dalaran | Neutral | 80 | 6,800 to 8,500[2] | 30 minutes | ||
[Signet of the Kirin Tor] | Dalaran | Neutral | 80 | 6,800 to 8,500[2] | 30 minutes | ||
[Argent Crusader's Tabard] | Argent Tournament Grounds | Dalaran[3] | Neutral | 80 | 50 [4] | 30 minutes | |
[Potion of Deepholm] | Deepholm | Stormwind or Orgrimmar [5] | Neutral | 82 | Varies[6] | 1 minute | |
[Baradin's Wardens Tabard] | Tol Barad | Stormwind[5] | Alliance | 85 | 40 [7] | 4 hours | |
[Hellscream's Reach Tabard] | Tol Barad | Orgrimmar[5] | Horde | 85 | 40 [7] | 4 hours |
See the Teleport page for more teleport items, some of which are only available to certain races or classes.
- ^ a b c Also requires guild achievement.
- ^ a b c d Cost varies with Kirin Tor reputation.
- ^ The Argent Tournament Grounds is a one to two minute flight from Dalaran.
- ^ Also requires rank of <Crusader>.
- ^ a b c Since Tol Barad and Deepholm are connected to Stormwind and Orgrimmar by two-way portals, these items effectively get you to your faction capital city in seconds.
- ^ [Potion of Deepholm] is created by Alchemy. If you are not an Alchemist, see your Auction House.
- ^ a b Also requires Honored with Baradin's Wardens (Alliance) or Hellscream's Reach (Horde).
The Dalaran Commute
If you are level 60 or above and need to commute between Dalaran and your faction capital (Stormwind or Orgrimmar) for daily quests, there are at least two routes which use a combination of portals and flight to get you to Dalaran or back home to your capital in roughly five minutes.
Note that once you have acquired one of the Item Portals above, you can use the item to get to Dalaran or your faction capital city very quickly. However, the routes below may still be useful if your hearthstone or other portal item is on cooldown when you need to travel.
Five Minutes to Dalaran
If you like to have your hearthstone in Stormwind or Orgrimmar and you are level 83 or above, you can use two portals to get to Dalaran:
- In your faction capital, take the portal to Uldum
- Fly north to the Waygate in Un'goro Crater
- Take the Waygate to Sholazar Basin
- Fly east to Dalaran
This trip is slightly over five minutes if you have a [Flight Master's License] and Master Riding.[1] [2]
Home in Five
If you prefer to have your hearthstone set to Dalaran or have not yet gained access to the portal to Uldum, you can get home from Dalaran to Stormwind or Orgrimmar by following this sequence:
- Use the portal in the Violet Hold to the Caverns of Time in Tanaris
- Fly west to Cenarion Hold in Silithus
- See the Nethergarde Mage or Okril'lon Mage and take the portal[3] to the Blasted Lands - but don't turn in the quest!
- Fly south to the Dark Portal and go through it to the Stair of Destiny
- Step off the landing to the left/south (Alliance) or right/north (Horde) and use the portal there to Stormwind or Orgrimmar
With a [Flight Master's License] and Master Riding[1] this trip is under five minutes.
- ^ a b Master Riding gives you 310% flying speed.
- ^ You'll also need [Cold Weather Flying] for the fastest possible time.
- ^ See Quest Portals for more information about the NPC mage portals from Cenarion Hold to the Blasted Lands.
Rockets and boats
Horde characters may now use the Bilgewater Cartel Rocketway to travel quickly around Azshara.
Characters who complete the quest Quest:Circle the Wagons... er, Boats (Alliance) or the quest line beginning with Quest:To_the_Summit (Horde) get the [River Boat] for travel in the flood waters of Thousand Needles.
Turtle boats ply the waters between the neutral Northrend ports of Unu'pe, Moa'ki Harbor, and Kamagua. See Boats for more information.
Outland
Outland is floating in outer space, physically unconnected to Azeroth. Unlike Northrend and the continents in the Old World, Outland has no mass transit ports.
However, each faction can quickly travel to and from Outland via portals located in their major cities and in Outland. Also, characters level 70 and above can take a portal from Shattrath to the Isle of Quel'danas, from which flight paths to locations in the Eastern Kingdoms are available.
At level 58, portals in the major cities take you to the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands, which provides access to the Stair of Destiny in the Hellfire Peninsula zone of Outland. Portals at the Stair of Destiny return you to your faction's capital city.
Outland Portals
Origin | Location | Destination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Stormwind | Mage Quarter | Dark Portal | In the Wizard's Sanctum |
Ironforge | The Mystic Ward | Dark Portal | |
Darnassus | Temple of the Moon | Dark Portal | Ground floor |
Exodar | Vault of Lights | Dark Portal | |
Stair of Destiny | South terrace | Stormwind | |
Shattrath | Terrace of Light | Isle of Quel'danas | Requires level 70, Quests |
Origin | Location | Destination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Orgrimmar | Cleft of Shadow | Dark Portal | |
Thunder Bluff | Spirit Rise | Dark Portal | Lower level |
Undercity | Magic Quarter | Dark Portal | |
Silvermoon | Sunfury Spire | Dark Portal | Inside entrance, room on right |
Stair of Destiny | North terrace | Orgrimmar | |
Shattrath | Terrace of Light | Isle of Quel'danas | Requires level 70, Quests |
Note that the portals from the major cities which provide access to Hellfire Peninsula take the player to the Blasted Lands in the vicinity of the Dark Portal. The player must then run or fly to the Dark Portal and go through it to enter the Hellfire Peninsula zone of Outland.
The portals in the major cities to the Blasted Lands can only be used by level 58 characters and above. The return portals, from the Stair of Destiny (on the Outland side of the Dark Portal) to the faction capitals of Stormwind and Orgrimmar, as well as the Dark Portal itself from the Outland side, can be used by any level.
The Dark Portal sequence
You don't need to be going to Outland to find the Outland portals useful. From any major city, follow this sequence to get to your faction capital:
- Take the portal to Blasted Lands (Near the mage trainer; see Outland Portals above)
- Ride or fly to the Dark Portal and walk through it to the Stair of Destiny
- Turn right (Horde) or left (Alliance) and jump off the landing
- Take the portal to Orgrimmar or Stormwind
This takes less time than you might expect, especially once you can fly in the Old World.
At level 58 this sequence opens up new possibilities for choosing where to set your hearthstone, and becomes key to rapid travel among your faction's major cities and throughout the Old World. See the hearthstone section for more information and examples.
Low level access
Although the portals in the cities to the Blasted Lands can only be used by characters level 58 and above, there is no level restriction on the use of the Dark Portal. It is possible - though challenging - to ride lower level[1] toons through Duskwood[2], Swamp of Sorrows[3], Deadwind Pass and the Blasted Lands to the Dark Portal in order to enter Outland.
Once you get to the Blasted Lands go through the Dark Portal. Horde characters turn right (north) and jump off the landing. You'll find a flight master who will fly you to Shattrath City even if you've never been there before.
Alliance characters turn left (south) and jump off the landing to find your flight master and fly to Shattrath.
To return to the Old World from Shattrath, see the flight master outside the Terrace of Light and take the taxi back to the Stair of Destiny. Each faction has a small portal beside the steps. The Alliance portal goes to Stormwind; the Horde's to Orgrimmar.
- ^ Level 20 or higher with a riding mount is recommended, since you will need to outrun a number of mobs who patrol on or near the roads in these higher-level zones. Study the maps before you go, and accept that you may be killed a few times along the way. En route, stick to the roads as much as you can, and keep moving!
- ^ Horde characters will need to skirt the Alliance guards in Darkshire.
- ^ Alliance toons beware of Horde guards patrolling the road in Swamp of Sorrows between Deadwind Pass and the Blasted Lands.
See also
- Living without portal hubs explains how to get out of Dalaran and Shattrath if you had your hearthstone there prior to and used the now missing portals to move around the world.
- Travel guide provides more information about traveling around the world.
- Patch 4.0.3a (world changes) lists new, changed, and removed flight paths.
- Flight paths lists all known flight paths.
- How to find Cataclysm instance entrances has maps and videos which will help you find the new dungeon and raid entrances.
- Maps has an interactive world map, maps of all zones, maps of flight paths for both factions, and assorted other useful maps.
- Dalaran - See the Getting to Dalaran and Leaving Dalaran sections.
- Teleport - See the section on non-mage teleportation skills. Also, read the mage section if you are considering rolling a mage yourself.