The Royal Highlands is the largest map Palia has ever added, and getting there is a two-step process that trips up more players than it should. You need to pass through the Elderwood first, board a boat at a specific dock, and then immediately grab a fast travel point before you do anything else. This guide covers every step, plus what to prepare before you go.
Where exactly is the Royal Highlands?
The Royal Highlands sits beyond the sea, accessible only from the Elderwood zone. You cannot reach it directly from Kilima Village or Bahari Bay. If you have completed the main questline up to the Elderwood story, the game will point you toward the docks automatically. If you are a newer player who has not finished those quests, you can still make the trip, but expect to run into story spoilers along the way.
The fastest approach is to get in, activate the fast travel point, unlock your horse, and leave if you are not ready to explore fully. That single trip saves a lot of backtracking later.
Even if you are not caught up on the story, making a quick first visit to grab the fast travel point is worth it. You will thank yourself later when you are ready to actually explore.
How to get to the Elderwood
Before you can board any boat, you need to enter the Elderwood. Head to Bahari Bay and find the ancient door in the B2 quadrant on your map. Walking through that gateway transitions you to the Elderwood map. If you have never been to the Elderwood before, this will be your first time seeing it, so take a moment to get your bearings.
The Elderwood is its own full zone with its own main story questline. Completing the Elderwood main story is a hard requirement if you want to pursue the Royal Highlands storyline, since the new story feeds directly into the events of Elderwood. You can physically travel to the Royal Highlands without finishing it, but the questline will be locked.
How to get to the Royal Highlands
Once you are inside the Elderwood, make your way to the western side of the map. You are looking for the De Mer Dock, where a small wooden platform leads to the boat that crosses the sea. Cross the platform, board the boat, and a short cutscene plays before you arrive in the Royal Highlands.
De Mer Dock boarding point
The moment you land, do not immediately run off to explore. First, head down the path past the Lonely Glen and activate the Royal Highlands Stable fast travel point. This is the single most important thing to do on your first visit. Without it, every return trip requires you to walk the entire route from Bahari Bay through the Elderwood again.
Skipping the fast travel point activation on your first visit is a mistake you will regret. The Royal Highlands is the largest map in the game, and having no quick way back in will cost you serious time.
What should you prepare before going?
If you have time to prepare before heading to the Royal Highlands for the first time, a few things will make the experience much smoother. Based on Nintendo Smash's preparation guide published ahead of the May 12, 2026 launch:
- Complete the "Like a Bird" quest to obtain your glider. This is one of the earliest quests in the game and is required to access the new adventure zone.
- Finish the Elderwood main story questline if you want to pursue the Royal Highlands storyline and receive your first horse as part of the questline.
- Upgrade your tools to at least Fine tier so you can collect the majority of resources, creatures, and forageables in the new zone.
- Clear side quests beforehand to keep your quest tracker clean and focused on the new content.
- Make space at your ranch for horses by moving adult animals to holding pens or donating them.
- Save around 200,000 Gold to cover the expected cost of the new Jadium Storage recipe. Note that the exact price has not been officially confirmed; this estimate is based on the Palium Storage recipe costing 100,000 Gold.
Additional tips for your first visit
A few smaller things worth knowing before you make the trip:
- Bring an Ore Compass to locate new minerals in the Royal Highlands.
- Eat food for Focus before exploring to maximize your skill gains while in the new zone.
- Complete your dailies in advance to stockpile Tailor Tickets for dyeing clothing with new items from the expansion.
- Sell materials you no longer need before going, since the Royal Highlands introduces new resources and you will want inventory space. Most common materials can be repurchased from the Blacksmith if needed.
The Royal Highlands is described by the developers as the largest map added to Palia yet, larger than both Kilima Valley and the Elderwood. Expect exploration to take significantly longer than previous zones.
Palia is one of the more welcoming simulation games out there when it comes to letting players move at their own speed, but the Royal Highlands has enough new content that going in prepared makes a real difference. For more walkthroughs covering quests, resources, and everything else the expansion adds, check out the full Palia guides collection.