Elden Ring: Best Locations to Farm Runes to Level Up Fast

Where are the best locations to farm Runes to level up fast in Elden Ring? Runes are Elden Ring's answer to Souls in Demon's Souls and Blood Echoes in Bloodborne. You'll earn Runes each time you kill an enemy, and these can then be spent on upgrading weapons, purchasing items from merchants, and levelling up. For more information, you can find out How to Level Up and How to Upgrade Weapons and Armour through the respective links. As part of our Elden Ring guide, we're going to reveal the best locations to farm Runes to level up fast.

For more information on Upgrades and Collectibles in Elden Ring, we have pages for All Golden Seed Locations, All Sacred Tear Locations, How to Level Up and Where to Meet Melina, and How to Upgrade Weapons and Armour.

What Are the Best Locations to Farm Runes to Level Up Fast in Elden Ring?

Elden Ring's sandbox structure lends itself to exploration well, but you're going to find times where you need the best locations to farm Runes to level up fast. This is going to make your character stronger quicker, so you can finally execute that boss fight strategy that's been giving you trouble. On this page, we're going to list some of the best locations to farm Runes to level up fast.

Bestial Sanctum

• 1,000 Runes per enemy

If you're around Level 20 and looking to farm Runes to level up quickly, then an easily accessible area can serve you well. Bestial Sanctum is intended for much later in the game, but you can earn around 1,000 Runes per enemy pretty easily by defeating the robed creatures in this area. The location means that you can easily get to and from the Site of Grace to respawn the enemies, and should you make a mistake, you can quickly ride Torrent through the open field to recover your Runes.

Bestial Sanctum: How to Get There

Bestial Sanctum can be reached quite early in the game, although you'll need to have at least faced Margit, the Fell Omen and been taken to the Roundtable Hold. Speak to D, Hunter of the Dead to learn of directions to Bestial Sanctum from Limgrave. Then, travel to the Third Church of Marika, which is east of Mistwood Outskirts. Here you'll find the Flask of Wondrous Physik if you haven't already.

Head north of the Third Church of Marika to the river directly above, and then follow the river east to a cluster of trees, with a teleporter hidden among them. Teleport to outside of a door, and head inside for the Bestial Sanctum Site of Grace. Note that there is a big boss standing outside the stairway, but as long as you keep your distance from him, he won't pay any attention to you. We'd recommend you save fighting him until later, especially if you're only in the area to farm Runes.

Bestial Sanctum: How to Farm Runes

Now that you've arrived at Bestial Sanctum and touched the Site of Grace, it's time to begin farming Runes. As mentioned above, avoid the big boss at the bottom of the stairway, and head out into the open plains. You're looking for small, robed creatures carrying either scythes or chains. Despite their size, these foes can be strong, so regardless of your build take it easy and approach with caution. You can use Summon Spirits to help you if you need to, but we'd recommend sneaking up behind and trying to get a Critical Hit.

There are several of these robed creatures in this area, as mentioned carrying either a scythe or a chain. Kill four or five of them for around 5,000 Runes, then return to touch the Site of Grace at Bestial Sanctum and repeat the procedure. Alternatively, you can work your way all the way down to another Site of Grace, Farum Greatbridge, touch it and then work your way back up to Bestial Sanctum. Once you get a rhythm going, you could be easily earning upwards of 50,000 Runes per hour, potentially even more depending on your build. If you make a mistake and die, then you can use Torrent to ride back to your location and retrieve your Runes, meaning there's very little danger of lost progress here.

Palace Approach Ledge-Road

• 11,000 Runes

If you're further into Elden Ring and need more Runes to work with, then a short hike can serve you well. There's a bird that you can bother with a bow just below a cliff from the Palace Approach Ledge-Road which will award you over 11,000 Runes per hit, depending on your build. There's no danger and you don't need to actually defeat the bird, just get its attention with a single shot and then return to the Site of Grace to repeat. With this method it's possible to accrue millions of Runes per hour, and while you probably shouldn't try it until you've reached Level 50 or so, it's one of the best late-game locations to farm Runes. You can even maximise your income with a Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot or the Golden Scarab.

Palace Approach Ledge-Road: How to Get There

There are two approaches you can take to reach Palace Approach Ledge-Road. One is to complete the quest issued by White-Faced Varre, which you can start by visiting him at the Rose Church in Liurnia of the Lakes, south of the Raya Lucaria Academy. Completing the quest will earn you the Pureblood Knight's Medal which will take you to Mohgwyn Palace, where you'll need to go backwards from your starting position and up the ramp from the blood swamp to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace.

The alternative is to travel west from the Consecrated Snowfield, through a forest in the Mountaintops of the Giants area, which is defended by an NPC named Sanguine Noble. Once you've used the teleporter, travel down a sloping path to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road.

Palace Approach Ledge-Road: How to Farm Runes

Once you've arrived at the Palace Approach Ledge-Road, it's an unbelievably simple strategy. From the Site of Grace, look over the ledge to a tree directly in front of you. Target the bird standing next to the tree and hit it with an arrow from your favourite bow. You only need to strike it once and it doesn't matter how much damage you do. Once it flies away from the tree towards your location, head back to the Site of Grace and wait for the Runes to pop. Then simply rest and repeat for as long as required. It really is that easy! The only potential danger is other foes in the area, although as long as you don't provoke them you'll be fine.

Speaking of those foes, the Albinaurics in this area are mostly slumbering and are easy prey, and offer over 2000 Runes per kill. Be aware of the guard enemies (the red-faced Albinaurics) who will home in on you once you start killing the more docile grey-faced ones. These have a few very lethal moves which can take you out quickly. Combine the Albinauric-slaying with the bird mentioned above, and this area can yield an incredible number of Runes per run.

What do you think are the best locations to farm Runes to level up fast in Elden Ring? As always, be sure to refer to our Elden Ring guide, and let us know in the comments section below.