Where to Go After the City of Tears in Hollow Knight

Upgrade Your Nail First

Before leaving the City of Tears, visit the Nailsmith on the left side of the city. If you have enough Geo and Pale Ore, upgrade your Nail.

This makes the next areas much easier, especially if you are heading into harder boss fights or enemy-heavy zones. If you have not found Pale Ore yet, at least remember where the Nailsmith is so you can return later.

Beat Soul Master in the Soul Sanctum

One of the main things to do in the City of Tears is explore the Soul Sanctum and fight Soul Master. This boss gives you the Desolate Dive spell after you win.

Desolate Dive is important because it lets you break certain shaky floors. This opens new paths in older areas and helps you reach places you could not access before.

Go to Crystal Peak

After getting Desolate Dive, Crystal Peak is one of the best places to go next. You can reach it from Forgotten Crossroads by breaking the floor near the entrance to the mines.

Crystal Peak gives you access to new upgrades and important progression. It is also where you can find the Crystal Heart ability, which lets you fly across long gaps.

Visit the Resting Grounds

After Crystal Peak, you can reach the Resting Grounds. This area is important because it introduces the Dream Nail.

The Dream Nail is needed for major story progress, dream bosses, Essence collection, and reaching the game’s main endings. Once you have it, the game opens up a lot more.

Explore Royal Waterways

Royal Waterways is another good area to explore after City of Tears. You can enter it from the lower part of the city if you have a Simple Key.

This area has useful rewards and connects to other important places. It can be dangerous and confusing at first, so bring enough health, upgrade your Nail if possible, and move carefully.

Check Old Areas With New Abilities

After City of Tears, it is worth going back to older areas like Forgotten Crossroads, Greenpath, Fungal Wastes, and the City itself.

New spells and movement abilities often let you open paths you missed earlier. If you ever feel stuck in Hollow Knight, backtracking with new abilities is usually the answer.