Gerudo Valley & Gerudo's Fortress

1. Crossing Gerudo Valley

When you head out from western Hyrule Field into Gerudo Valley, speak with the Master Craftsman pacing outside his tent by the chasm to hear about his four missing workers. Cross the broken suspension bridge by spurring Epona with carrot boosts or using your Longshot to latch onto the wooden bridge remnant across the gap. Before proceeding into the stronghold, explore the ravine to claim the Heart Piece on a high ledge across from the waterfall using a Cucco or the Longshot, and grab the Gold Skulltula Token near the wooden bridge area's soft soil patch at the canyon base.

Tip: Use the Longshot across the bridge remnants if you did not bring Epona along.

2. Infiltrating the Fortress

Approach the multi-story desert compound filled with wooden scaffolding, jail windows, and patrolling sentries. You can enter any of the fortress wings in whatever order you prefer, picking off Patrolling Gerudo Guards with headshots from your Fairy Bow or crouching and panning the camera around corners to time your movements past their sightlines. If a guard catches you in her field of vision, she will instantly throw you into a locked prison cell.

Tip: Knock out distant guards using arrows to clear a safe path through each room.

3. Breaking Jail and Securing Rooftop Access

If you awaken inside a barred holding cell—whether thrown there by a guard or by intentionally getting caught—look up above the window and latch onto the wooden beam with your Longshot to escape out onto the roof. Intentionally getting caught at least once provides immediate rooftop positioning right next to the upper Heart Piece chest on the highest exterior terrace, which you can hook with your Longshot from the roof ledge near the escape window or by playing the Scarecrow's Song to summon and grapple Pierre. While exploring the compound exterior at night, use your Longshot to collect the Gold Skulltula Token from the high cliff wall behind the main fortress building and another Gold Skulltula Token from the far eastern target at the Horseback Archery range.

Tip: Getting captured on purpose is the quickest shortcut to reach the highest exterior terrace Heart Piece.

4. Rescuing the Four Carpenters

Sneak through the hideout's labyrinth of corridors to locate the holding cells of the four apprentice carpenters (Ichiro, Jiro, Sabooro, and Shiro), which can be tackled in any sequence you choose. Whenever you speak to an imprisoned carpenter, a Gerudo Thief mini-boss will drop in; lock on with your shield raised to absorb her twin-sword strikes and jump slash, briefly daze her with Deku Nuts, and strike back with jump attacks using the Master Sword or Biggoron's Sword during her recovery. Defeating each warrior yields a Small Key to unlock the cell and release the apprentice.

Tip: Throwing Deku Nuts creates instant stun openings against the mini-boss's high agility.

5. Receiving the Gerudo Token and Opening the Gate

Once you successfully free the fourth and final carpenter, a cutscene triggers with a Gerudo leader who praises your infiltration skills and hands over the Gerudo Membership Card / Gerudo Token. With this token in hand, you gain full membership with the thieves and can roam the grounds freely without being arrested. Head up to the western gate and have the stationed Gate Guard turn the crank to raise the massive portcullis, granting you entry to the Haunted Wasteland and Mirage Desert.

Tip: Freeing the four carpenters also prompts the Master Craftsman to repair the broken bridge back in the valley.

The short version

What matters

• Rescue all four apprentice carpenters to earn the Gerudo Membership Card / Gerudo Token.
• Use the Longshot to gather the two Heart Pieces and three Gold Skulltula Tokens scattered across the valley and fortress grounds.
• Defeat the Gerudo Thief mini-bosses using shield blocks and Deku Nut stuns to gather each Small Key.

Common mistakes

• Walking blindly around indoor corners without panning the camera, which leads to immediate detection by Patrolling Gerudo Guards.
• Dropping your shield during the Gerudo Thief mini-boss duels; if her jump slash connects unblocked, you will be knocked out and thrown back into the prison cell.

What you can skip

• Trying to clear every indoor corridor purely through slow stealth when you can simply snipe guards with your Fairy Bow or intentionally get arrested for rooftop access.