Wondering what that blank spot on the Sumeru map is? That's the Genshin Impact Old Vanarana subarea, which can only be unlocked by following a sequence of quests that we're going to walk you through down below. The home of the Aranara for hundreds of years, it's now a shell of its former self, but you're still free to explore it.
The Traveler, a Nara, finds themself deep in the woods surrounded by Aranara, in an area called Vanarana. But that's not all - there's another, hidden area to find with the Aranara's help while following the Aranyaka quest. Got it? Good, we barely do either. That's why we've written this guide to help you out.
Genshin Impact 3.0 is here, so why not check our updated Genshin Impact tier list to see where the new characters line up, and the best Tighnari build and Collei builds. There's also our Genshin Impact codes page for free Primogems, materials, and Mora!
How to unlock Old Vanarana in Genshin Impact
To be able to start this journey to Old Vanarana, you'll need to complete the following two quest lines:
Head to the Visshuda Field Teleport Waypoint in the water, south of Vanarana, and you'll see a World Quest marker just to the left. Head here and you'll see Arama waiting for you. This will take you to the dream domain with the Vanarana tree of dreams, where you'll need to clear the Withering Zone.
Once you've defeated the phenomenon, Arama will talk to you, and then you'll be out of the domain. Head back to the same spot in the overworld that you found Arama, and speak to them again. They'll then send you on the next part of the mission: Aranyaka: Part III, 'Nursery of Lost Dreams'.
Arama will lead you to Old Vanarana in this quest, including a Teleport Waypoint that you can activate. They'll tell you about the area, too. There'll be some work to do here, including locating sigils, and defeating another Withering Zone.
Next, you'll need to locate and destroy seven seals - use Pyro attacks to do this. The last seal needs to be activated by the nearby Dendrogranum. This needs to be activated by playing your Lyre near it. There's a Ruin Drake nearby that you can defeat before meeting up with Arama again.
Arama will lead you to Marana's Avatar, a boss specific to this quest. Once you take it down, you can unlock the Teleport Waypoint, and the Old Vanarana area. Don't worry about setting up a party for this boss fight, as you'll only be playing as the Traveler at level 80.
What happens if I try and go to Old Vanarana on the overworld?
You can, by all means, try and reach the area by walking or gliding on the overworld. This won't get you far, though, as Paimon will tell you to go back - as she does when you hit the edge of the accessible map. Oh, and you'll get the Withering effect that drains your health, too.
What is Old Vanarana?
Old Vanarana is a hidden area of the Sumeru region's map, that is only accessible through the above quests. It is home to the Aranara, the forest creatures shaped like plants and mushrooms that greet the Traveler and Paimon as friends.
The area was home to these Aranara for many years, even up until the disaster hit. This is when they moved to Vanarana, and renamed the area.
Eager for more Genshin Impact content? We suggest our guide to the upcoming Version 3.1, including characters, events, and more. There's also a guide on how to get Collei for free, and how to get to Sumeru the secret way.