Elden Ring Ainsel River walkthrough
The Ainsel River is full of giant ants, so here's how to get through unscathed.
The Ainsel River in Elden Ring is a vast underground region sitting underneath the eastern part of Liurnia.
Its entrance on the overworld is guarded by a giant golem, but you can simply walk past it - as your goal is the small round house behind it, which conceals a lift to the Elden Ring underworld. This lift is the Ainsel River Well, and the nearest Site of Grace is the 'Eastern Tableland' just on the cliffs above it, near the Church of Vows.
It's a very similar underground area to Siofra River, but the main reason why you'll want to visit the Ainsel is to reach Nokron, Eternal City. So read on for our Elden Ring Ainsel River walkthrough so you can get there in one piece.
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Descending the Ainsel River Well in Elden Ring
Remember, you need to use the lift at the location marked below to enter the Ainsel River:
Once the lift has reached the bottom of the well, keep to the right at first and collect 1x Golden Rune (3) from the corpse and 3x Magic Grease from the waterfall at the end.
In the opposite direction, there are lots and lots of Ants. Giant Ants, to be precise, and they're really very nasty. If they get hold of you, it will be pretty painful.
The first few hang from the wall the left above the water, so keep an eye out for them as you proceed along the passage. On the way, you can find 8x Grace Mimic. In the tunnels downstream, there are even more ants. Watch out for ambushes and nasty surprises from above.
On the left, down a dead end, is 1x Smithing Stone (3), and straight ahead there are more ants abseiling downwards. Be careful with the poison they spray. An inopportune hit can spell the end of your character.
Further on, you'll come to an area with lots of skeletons. There's also 2x Silver Firefly and 1x Golden Rune (1) here. The path now forks:
- Continue straight ahead to the Site of Grace 'Ainsel River Sluice Gate' and a lift to the Uhl Palace Ruins.
- On the left, behind the ant standing with its back to you, there's 1x Smithing Stone (3) to loot, as well as a Queen Ant and another entrance to the Uhl Palace Ruins.
Defeat the Queen Ant at Ainsel River in Elden Ring
The Queen Ant is very nasty indeed. That large rear can be very dangerous, and the reason why this Ant is deadlier than the rest is obvious as soon as you enter the room.
Take a look upwards:
As you might expect, the other ants will drop down from the ceiling when you attack them. But it's worth the effort, as killing the Queen Ant will reward you with 1x Golden Rune (10) and 1x Rune Arc.
The passage next to it also leads into the Uhl Palace Ruins and if you go up to the stone platform ahead, you'll find an item on it: 1x Smithing Stone (4).
From here, jump down to the ledge with the purple item. This is 1x Celestial Dew, which you can use for absolution in the Church of Vows nearby back on the surface.
In front of the Ruins, there are Claymen and some items lying around: 1x Golden Rune (1) by the waterfall, 1x Golden Rune (3) and 1x Smithing Stone (1). That's it for the Ainsel River. Now, it's time to enter the Uhl Palace Ruins, and continue your journey on to Nokstella, Eternal City.
If you're looking for more help exploring Elden Ring, check out our Lake of Rot walkthrough or our Black Knife Catacombs walkthrough. Stuck on a boss? We've got plenty of pages, including two that show you how to beat Mohg Lord of Blood and his brother Morgott the Omen King.