How to find and enter the Zhentarim Hideout in BG3

The Zhentarim Hideout is a hidden location in Baldur’s Gate 3 that players can only reach if they meet a certain group of travelers early in the game. The hideout is tucked away in a random spot on the map that you would only think to check after meeting these travelers.

You can only access the hideout and the events leading up to it while you’re in Act One, so be sure to get there before you move on to Act Three. Here’s how to find and get into the Zhentarim Hideout in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Where is the Zhentarim Hideout in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)?

The travelers are named Rugan and Olly, whom you first meet when they are trapped in a cave by a band of hyenas. You’re most likely to come across them if you take the mountain pass and talk to the Githyanki because the cave is on the way to The Risen Road.

Upon defeating the hyenas, you will learn that Rugan and Olly are on their way to Baldur’s Gate to deliver a chest full of baubles and other items. From here, you can choose to gain Rugan’s trust, which in turn will prompt him to give you a passcode to a hidden place he knows, called the Zhentarim Hideout.

This location will be roughly marked on your map, but the way to get inside the Zhentarim Hideout isn’t as straightforward as other locations. Choosing to side with and not harm Rugan will yield you the general location of the hideout, but killing Rugan and Olly or stealing their chest will result in the hideout’s location not showing up on your map. In that case, you’ll need an exact location to find it.

How to enter the Zhentarim Hideout in BG3

Luckily, the hideout isn’t too far. If you travel to The Risen Road waypoint, you can head due west to find the town of Waukeen’s Rest. Here, you will discover a burning inn, which you can go inside to save a noblewoman, along with tons of dead bodies. If you’re just here for the Zhentarim Hideout, however, then you want to follow the road to the left of the burning inn, which takes you under a covered bridge.

In this new area, you will find a dead ox on the road and a small shed with crates in front of it to the right of the ox. If you move these crates by clicking and dragging them, a door to the shed will be revealed, which turns out to be the entrance to the Zhentarim Hideout.

Upon entering the shed, you will be stopped by a guard, where you can mutter the passcode Rugan told you: “Little serpent, long shadow.” Upon giving the right response, the guard will let you pass. From here, walk around the guard to the back of the shed to find a hatch, which you can go down to enter the basement.

Keep walking along the path to the back of the basement, where you will find a cabinet next to some crates and up against a stone wall. This cabinet can be interacted with, and upon doing so, you will reveal a hidden staircase that leads to the real Zhentarim Hideout. You need to pass a check to reveal the bookcase, but it shouldn’t be too hard to unlock.

I won’t spoil what happens from there, but let’s just say if you decide to kill or steal from Rugan, the inhabitants of the Zhentarim Hideout won’t be too fond of you. If you’re looking for other BG3 guides, check out how to defeat the Grym in the Adamantine Forge.