Leveling in WoW Forever: where to go, from 1 to 60

Updated 2026-11-05 · ForeverDB

A zone-by-zone route from level 1 to 30 for every race, Alliance and Horde, with the towns and flight masters on the way and the dungeons you can run, then the live route from 30 to the level 60 cap.

Checked against the WoW Forever launch client (build 1.60.1.70755) on 3 November 2026. The game launched on 4 November with a level cap of 60. The zone tables here go to level 30, as far as the beta went (the 1 October build raised its cap from 20 to 30); the last part of the guide, From 30 to 60, has the live route for the rest.

How leveling works

In WoW Forever, as in Classic, you level mostly by questing: you pick up quests in a town, do them in the area around it, hand them in, and move on to the next town and the next zone as your level rises. Each zone is built for a band of levels, and there's no level scaling, so a zone's monsters stay the level they are. That makes the order of zones matter: go somewhere too high and every fight is a struggle, stay somewhere too low and you earn little experience (XP).

The level ranges in this guide come from Classic's quest levels, counting only the quests the Forever client has in that zone (from the 10th to the 90th percentile, so a few quests sit outside the range). Blizzard is adding over a thousand new quests across levels 1 to 60; those aren't in the numbers, because only Classic's data gives quest levels. Forever may have moved some things, so treat the ranges as a guide, not a rule.

Tip: If you haven't read it yet, start with Getting started in WoW Forever: it covers races, classes, your first ten levels and the interface.

Where each race starts

Tip: Just starting? The starting area guides show where everything is for your first 10 levels, with map pins and walking routes: Northshire Valley, Coldridge Valley, Shadowglen, Zephras Isle, Valley of Trials, Camp Narache and Deathknell.

Starting zones are where each race began in Classic (the Forever client has their quests). Zephras Isle's levels are from Blizzard's Meet the New Skyborne post, and its place names from the client's map. Towns are place names from the client's maps; the client doesn't say which Zephras Isle towns belong to which Skyborne faction.

Every starting zone has a small starting area where you learn the basics, then a first real town. Blizzard says the classic starting areas, such as the Valley of Trials in Durotar and Shadowglen in Teldrassil, get new NPCs, quests, profession hooks and recipes in Forever. When the starting zone's quests turn grey or run out, around level 10 to 12, move on.

The Skyborne start on Zephras Isle, a level 1–12 starting experience, whichever faction they pick. The data we have doesn't show where the island sends you at the end, but the September 24 notes mention a Windshaper quest, “Exploring the Horde”, that has you speak with Lady Sylvanas Windrunner in the Undercity. Once you're done, pick up the route below for your faction at the 10–20 zones. More in Meet the Skyborne.

Alliance route

Levels: Classic's quest levels for the quests the Forever client has. Quests: how many of those quests the client has in the zone. Towns and Alliance flight masters: from the client's maps. Ranges that run past 30 carry on into the route to 60 below.

1. Levels 1–10: finish your starting zone. Humans quest in Elwynn Forest, Dwarves and Gnomes in Dun Morogh, Night Elves in Teldrassil, and the High Order on Zephras Isle (to 12).
2. Levels 10–15: move to the zone next door. From Elwynn Forest that's Westfall (Sentinel Hill is the town), from Dun Morogh it's Loch Modan (Thelsamar), and from Teldrassil it's Darkshore (Auberdine), across the water on the Kalimdor mainland.
3. Levels 15–20: finish that zone, then try the other 10–20 zones or Redridge Mountains (Lakeshire), which starts around 14. Westfall and Loch Modan both run to about 18–20, so a Human can do Westfall then Loch Modan, and a Dwarf or Gnome the other way round.
4. Night Elves can stay on Kalimdor: Darkshore runs to 20, and Ashenvale (20–30, with Astranaar as the town) is next. To join the Eastern Kingdoms zones instead, Blizzard says Forever adds a ship route from Auberdine to Stormwind Harbor.
5. Levels 20–30: Ashenvale (Astranaar), the Wetlands (Menethil Harbor, from about 21) and Duskwood (Darkshire, from about 24) are the main Alliance steps, with Stonetalon Mountains (Stonetalon Peak) up to 28 and Redridge Mountains up to 25 to fill gaps. From about 24, Hillsbrad Foothills (Southshore) is another option; its quests run on past 30.

Horde route

Levels: Classic's quest levels for the quests the Forever client has. Quests: how many of those quests the client has in the zone. Towns and Horde (or neutral) flight masters: from the client's maps. Ranges that run past 30 carry on into the route to 60 below.

1. Levels 1–10: finish your starting zone. Orcs and Trolls quest in Durotar, Tauren in Mulgore, Undead in Tirisfal Glades, and Windshapers on Zephras Isle (to 12).
2. Levels 10–20, Orcs, Trolls and Tauren: head into The Barrens. It's the biggest zone on this list (88 quests in the client, levels 10–25), with three towns: The Crossroads in the north, Camp Taurajo in the south and Ratchet on the coast. You can quest there all the way to 20.
3. Levels 10–18, Undead: Silverpine Forest is next door, with The Sepulcher as its town. When it runs out, go to The Barrens.
4. Levels 18–25: Stonetalon Mountains starts around 18, with Sun Rock Retreat as the Horde town, if you want a change from The Barrens, which runs to about 25.
5. Levels 20–30: Ashenvale (Splintertree Post and Zoram'gar Outpost) is the main Horde step. From about 24, Hillsbrad Foothills has the Horde town of Tarren Mill (the client puts it on its map of Alterac Mountains, with a Horde flight master), and from about 28 Thousand Needles has Freewind Post. Both zones' quests run on past 30.

Speculation: In Classic, zeppelins linked Durotar (just outside Orgrimmar) with Tirisfal Glades, which is how Undead players usually reached The Barrens and other Horde players reached Silverpine Forest. The Forever client's map of Durotar has a transport point by the Orgrimmar zeppelins, so expect the same, but we haven't confirmed the routes.

Contested zones

The client marks each zone as Alliance, Horde or contested. Contested zones are open to both factions, and both sides quest there. Up to level 30, the contested zones you'll reach are Redridge Mountains (14–25), Stonetalon Mountains (18–28), Ashenvale (20–30), the Wetlands (21–31), Duskwood (24–32), Hillsbrad Foothills (24–37) and Thousand Needles (28–41). From level 20 on, nearly every zone on the route is contested.

• On the PvP ruleset, contested zones are where other-faction players can attack you while you quest. Quest in a group if you can, keep an eye on your surroundings, and don't fight a mob at low health when players of the other faction are nearby.
• On Normal, Blizzard said at BlizzCon that PvP needs both sides to agree, so contested zones are just busier.
• Some contested zones lean toward one faction: Redridge's only flight master, in Lakeshire, is Alliance, and in Stonetalon Mountains the Alliance fly to Stonetalon Peak and the Horde to Sun Rock Retreat.

When to move on

Quest and mob levels are color-coded, as in Classic: red and orange are above you and dangerous, yellow is about your level, green is below you and easy, and grey is so far below you that it gives little or no XP. Move to the next zone when:

• most of the quests left in your quest log are green or grey;
• you've reached the top of the zone's level range in the tables above;
• the next zone's first quests are yellow for you.

Blizzard's own aim for Forever is that an ordinary monster takes roughly 10 to 15 seconds to kill on your own. If normal mobs take much longer than that, they may be too high for you, or your gear may be behind: check your class's PvE tab for upgrades.

Tip: Don't throw away unfinished quests just because you're moving on: many of the 10–20 zones overlap, and a yellow quest from the last zone is still good XP. Drop quests only when they turn grey or you'll never go back.

Getting around

Flight paths

Every town in the tables above with a flight master is a flight path. Talk to each flight master you pass: you can only fly to flight points you've discovered, so the first visit on foot matters. Flights cost a little money and save a lot of walking, especially for hand-ins in another town. Our maps mark every flight master in the client.

Your hearthstone

Your Hearthstone takes you back to the inn you've set as home. In the client it's a 10-second cast with a 1-hour cooldown. Set it at the inn of the town you're questing from, so that after a loop of quests you can hearth back, hand in, train, sell, and log out there to build rested XP. When you move to a new zone, set it again at the new town.

Boats and new routes

Blizzard says Forever adds new ship routes: from Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine in Darkshore, and between Menethil Harbor, Southshore and Auberdine. Stormwind Harbor is on the client's map of Elwynn Forest. For a Night Elf, that makes the Eastern Kingdoms zones much easier to reach, and the other way round for Humans, Dwarves and Gnomes who want Darkshore.

Class and race travel

• Druids learn Teleport: Moonglade at level 10.
• Mages learn city teleports at level 20: Teleport: Stormwind and Teleport: Ironforge on the Alliance side, Teleport: Orgrimmar and Teleport: Undercity on the Horde side.
• Shaman learn Ghost Wolf at level 20: 40% faster movement, outdoors only.
• Hunters learn Aspect of the Cheetah at level 20: 30% faster movement, but you're dazed if something hits you, so switch back before a fight.
• Windshaper Skyborne have Skysight, and Tauren speed up the longer they keep moving with Plainsrunning.
• Mounts come later: Blizzard says you'll get a mount when you learn the riding skill, and the Skyborne's own Galestrider mounts need level 40 in the client.

Dungeons on the way

Dungeons (instances) are group content: a party of five players, usually a tank, a healer and three damage dealers, fights through a private copy of the dungeon. They give good XP, good gear and their own quests. These are the dungeons up to level 30, the ones open by the end of the beta:

Minimum levels, player limits and entrances from the Forever client (build 1.60.1.70755). The level ranges for the new dungeons, and the levels for Razorfen Downs and Uldaman, are from Blizzard; where Blizzard and the client disagree, both are shown.

The Hall of Thanes and the Ruins of Lordaeron are new in Forever and were part of the first week of the beta; Excavation Site: Wetlands came with the level 30 build and City of Dalaran on 8 October. Each dungeon page lists its bosses and quests (who gives them and where), so pick up the quests before you go in, although Blizzard's 1 October notes cut their bonus: "Dungeon quests now reward 50% less extra experience beyond normal quest values." The 8 October notes then raised the experience from killing monsters in dungeons by about 20%. Blizzard's Legacy System also gives one Legacy Point for defeating the final boss in all of the level 15 to 25 dungeons, all of them in the table above.

Tip: Never been in a dungeon? Read your first dungeon before you join a group of strangers. The planner shows what each boss did in Classic, which Forever may have changed.

Leveling tips

• Train at every even level. Every class learns something new at levels 4, 6, 8 and so on up to 60. New ranks of your main attacks are often the biggest upgrade you get.
• Stack your quests. Take every quest in a town before you leave it, then do them in one loop instead of walking back and forth.
• Follow quest chains. Many quests lead into the next one, and the end of a chain often has the best reward. The item rewards now cover more classes and roles, Blizzard says, including caster weapons.
• Kill things on the way. Mobs near your level give XP too, so don't walk around every one of them between quests.
• Use rested XP. Log out in an inn or a city and you come back rested, with bonus XP from kills until it runs out. Blizzard says sitting by a campfire gets you rested too, and that crafted food can give a small XP bonus as well as stats.
• Group up for group quests. Quests marked for a group, and elite mobs, need a party. Grouping splits the XP from kills, but you kill faster, and it's the only way to finish those quests.
• Keep your downtime short. Eat and drink between fights, and learn First Aid: a Linen Bandage heals 66 damage over 6 sec in the client. See the professions guide.
• Pull one at a time. Solo, fight one or two mobs at once, not a whole camp. Fighting at the edge of a camp lets you pick your targets.
• Use a leveling build. Each class's Builds tab has leveling talent builds for 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60, with what to press, and the Companion addon can show that rotation on screen.

Watch out: Quests can break. During the beta, Blizzard's notes fixed escort NPCs, respawn times and quest objectives in several starting zones. If a quest won't complete, check the news for known issues before you spend an hour on it.

From 30 to 60

The beta stopped at 30, so the zone tables above end there. At launch the cap is 60, and Blizzard says Forever adds more than 1,000 new quests across the level 1–60 journey, with new places such as Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas and the Riverglades, which has more than 150 new quests across much of the mid-30s to mid-40s. The route below updates itself from ForeverDB players' addons as they level. Until enough players reach a level, it shows the zones whose level range fits it, marked as an estimate.

• Level 31: Alliance Thousand Needles, Hillsbrad Foothills (estimate); Horde Thousand Needles, Hillsbrad Foothills (estimate)
• Level 32: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles (estimate)
• Level 33: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles (estimate)
• Level 34: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles (estimate)
• Level 35: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles (estimate)
• Level 36: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate)
• Level 37: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate)
• Level 38: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate)
• Level 39: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace (estimate)
• Level 40: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands (estimate)
• Level 41: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Badlands (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Dustwallow Marsh (estimate)
• Level 42: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Feralas (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Feralas (estimate)
• Level 43: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate)
• Level 44: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate)
• Level 45: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate)
• Level 46: Alliance Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate); Horde Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris (estimate)
• Level 47: Alliance Tanaris, Feralas (estimate); Horde Tanaris, Feralas (estimate)
• Level 48: Alliance Tanaris, Feralas (estimate); Horde Tanaris, Feralas (estimate)
• Level 49: Alliance Tanaris, Feralas (estimate); Horde Tanaris, Feralas (estimate)
• Level 50: Alliance Tanaris, Feralas (estimate); Horde Tanaris, Feralas (estimate)
• Level 51: Alliance Felwood, Un'Goro Crater (estimate); Horde Felwood, Un'Goro Crater (estimate)
• Level 52: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Winterspring (estimate); Horde Winterspring, Felwood (estimate)
• Level 53: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Winterspring (estimate); Horde Winterspring, Felwood (estimate)
• Level 54: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring (estimate)
• Level 55: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring (estimate)
• Level 56: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Silithus (estimate)
• Level 57: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Silithus (estimate)
• Level 58: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Silithus (estimate)
• Level 59: Alliance Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands (estimate); Horde Eastern Plaguelands, Silithus (estimate)

Leveling route

• Dungeons: five more of Blizzard's new dungeons wait past 30: The Drowned City (35–40), Krol'dok Stronghold (40–45), Alcaz Prison (48–53), Blackmaw Hold (55–60) and Shaper's Terrace (58–60). The dungeons page lists every dungeon in the client.
• Talents and abilities: each class's talent calculator has every talent to 60, its abilities page shows what you learn after 30, and its Builds tab has leveling builds for 40, 50 and 60.
• Gear: collect your class's best items for your level from its PvE tab (for example Rogue PvE) and the gear planner.
• Professions and money: level your professions as you go (see the professions guide), and keep some money back for training at every even level: see making money.
• Try another class or race. Every class plays differently, and each race has its own starting zone. Blizzard's Legacy System gives a Legacy Point for each class you take to level 25, and for most players the system itself unlocks when their first character reaches 25.
• Raids open on 9 December for level 60 players: Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40).
• Help us confirm Forever's data. If you use the Companion addon, the items, quests and beasts it saves help us confirm what's in Forever, and your leveling feeds the route above. Upload your dungeon logs to Logs to see your pulls on the Replay page.

Class leveling guides

Each class has its own leveling guide: which race to pick, every ability and rank to level 30, the leveling talent builds, what to press, class quests and gear.

The class guides and builds are written from the Forever client's abilities and talents.

Checked against WoW Forever build 1.60.1.70862.

Explore next

• Quest guides
• Professions

Read next

• Getting started in WoW Forever
• Leveling a Warrior to 30
• Leveling a Paladin to 30
• Leveling a Hunter to 30
• Leveling a Rogue to 30
• Leveling a Priest to 30
• Leveling a Shaman to 30
• Leveling a Mage to 30
• Leveling a Warlock to 30
• Leveling a Druid to 30
• Your first dungeon in WoW Forever