Get Faster Rune Gains With These 15 Open World Farming Routes
Farming runes efficiently in Elden Ring is all about knowing where to go and when to go there. The open world is full of areas—both obvious and obscure—where enemies respawn reliably and drop generous rune payouts. Whether you're early in your journey or already tackling late-game content, the right farming route can make leveling up, buying upgrades, or stockpiling essential Elden Ring items much easier.
Here are 15 open world farming routes that have proven to be consistent, efficient, and accessible across various stages of the game. No cheese, no glitches—just smart exploration and a bit of combat readiness.
1. Gatefront Ruins – Limgrave
This early-game route is perfect for new players. The soldiers here are easy to stagger and offer solid runes for their level. A quick loop around the camp with basic attacks can yield fast returns.
2. Stormhill Troll Circuit
Above Stormgate, several trolls patrol the cliffs. Lure them out and defeat them one by one. They drop thousands of runes and respawn easily at the nearby Sites of Grace.
3. Waypoint Ruins to Agheel Lake North
This stretch is full of demi-humans and soldiers. It’s a smooth loop for beginners looking to grind a bit before facing tougher bosses.
4. Siofra River – Worshippers’ Woods
The ancestral spirits here are manageable with mid-tier gear. Their rune yield is solid, and they’re not aggressive unless provoked, making the route low-risk and easy to reset.
5. Academy Gate Town – Liurnia of the Lakes
This flooded area is full of passive enemies like Marionette Soldiers and Albinaurics. A high-arc weapon can sweep multiple foes in one go for quick farming.
6. Windmill Village – Altus Plateau
The dancing villagers offer almost no resistance and drop a surprising number of runes. With the right weapon, you can clear the whole area in minutes and reset at the Windmill Pasture grace.
7. East Capital Rampart – Leyndell
The guards and knights outside the walls drop substantial runes. They're tough, but the route offers great rewards and is easily resettable for repeat runs.
8. Giant-Conquering Hero's Grave – Mountaintops of the Giants
Packed with spectral enemies that drop thousands of runes each, this dungeon is ideal for late-game farming. It’s a bit riskier, but the rune yield is worth it.
9. Crumbling Farum Azula – Dragon Temple Rooftop
One of the best rune-per-minute spots. Fast enemies like beastmen and knights can be cleared with AoE skills or solid crowd control. You'll rack up runes extremely quickly here.
10. Mohgwyn Palace – Albinauric Zone
The infamous late-game farming spot. Even without skills or AoE, picking off Albinaurics with basic attacks still yields a huge number of runes. This is also one of the reasons players choose to buy elden ring runes, to skip the repetition and jump into late-game builds.
11. Minor Erdtree in Caelid
Around this area, you’ll find infected soldiers and creatures that drop excellent rune amounts. Pair this route with the Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot to boost gains.
12. North of Bestial Sanctum – Dragonbarrow
Black Blade Kindred and giant bats roam here, but the main farming draw is the boulder trick—ride past a trigger spot and dodge the rolling boulder. Let it fall and claim easy runes without a fight.
13. Consecrated Snowfield – Southern Edge
Invisible enemies and tough terrain make this route tricky, but the rune yield is strong. Consider coming here with high visibility gear and cold resist.
14. Ordina, Liturgical Town – Haligtree Approach
A dense enemy population and frequent drops make this a worthwhile farming circuit. Equip armor with good resistances to survive the snowfield's environmental effects.
15. Lake of Rot Shoreside
While toxic and dangerous, this area has slow-moving enemies that can be baited and defeated with minimal risk. Just prepare for status effects with proper Elden Ring items and talismans.
Each of these routes offers a different pace, difficulty level, and rune-per-minute value depending on your build, weapon choices, and comfort with enemy types. They also provide a good opportunity to test new gear or strategies while building up your rune count.
Whether you're casually exploring or prepping for a boss, smart rune farming lets you strengthen your character without grinding inefficiently. If you're short on time or want to try multiple builds quickly, some players choose to buy elden ring runes to fast-track their experience, though the routes listed here provide more than enough opportunities for self-earned progress.