Before setting off, warp to Link’s House and rent or purchase the Sand Rod from Ravio (it will become available after completing the Thieves’ Hideout). With the Sand Rod, you can create sand pillars where there’s sand and you can infer there’s going to be sand where we’re going next. When you’ve time, return to Kakariko Village and head for the bottom-left corner; go into the nearby house and head through the back door. Outside, cast the Sand Rod at the sandpit to reveal Maimai #16 .

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Once you’re ready to journey to the Desert Palace, warp back to Link’s House. From there, go one screen down to reach the large grassy area, then head all the way for the exit in the bottom-left corner. In the next screen, you’ll be surrounded by cliffs. Make your way left and you’ll come across a doorway to Lorule; merge into the wall and slip through to arrive to Lorule. Hilda will offer some confusing words of advice for Link, but worry not because you’re going the right way.

Head for the top-right corner to find a cave–inside is a puzzle room that requires the Sand Rod and Tornado Rod. From the entrance go up and step on the floor switch in the corner. Next, continue up and step on another floor switch. Then go right, down and right, stepping on three floor switches along the way.

At the end; merge into the wall just before the chasm and walk across to the other side. Here, step on the sixth and final floor switch, activating a fan near the entrance. Go back down, left and up to the room with the third floor switch.

Stand just below the end of the wind current. Facing upward, charge the Sand Rod and step around until there are three (or two and a half) block cursors in a vertical column–the top cursor meeting the north wall of the room and the floor switch to the right. Then let go to create three sand pillars.

With haste, move to the left side of the sand pillars and use the Tornado Rod to catch the wind current and land on the bottom-most sand pillar, then go up and across to the higher ground. From here, go right and then down. At the end, merge to the wall on the right and walk right to cross the gap.

On the other side, stand on the floor switch to activate the fan on the right side of the room. Merge back across the gap and head up, then left, back to the where you just landed on higher ground. Face downward and fire the Sand Rod down, creating a huge line of sand pillars.

Quickly run right, then down and use the Tornado Rod below the right-side fan; the wind will take you across to the line of sand pillars. As soon as you land, quickly go down before the sand pillars crumble (or take your time if you upgraded the Sand Rod). Here, you’ll find a chest containing an impressive 300 rupees .

Back outside, go left from the doorway to Hyrule to find Bird-Masked Man. Ignore him and go down, then left to to the next screen. The next area is a large swamp, known as Misery Mire; don’t let appearances fool you–here somewhere is the doorway to the Desert Palace. Go up the nearby stairs to find a weather vane.

Then drop down ahead to find Maimai #66 on the wall and further ahead, a doorway–no, make that two–to Hyrule. Before that, head all the way for the bottom-left corner to find Maimai #67 submerged in the water. When ready, return to the doorway(s) to Lorule and head on through the doorway to the right.

Emerge back in Hyrule and you’ll be smack back in the middle of a desert. By now you should have realised the twist: the Desert Palace is actually a Hyrule dungeon, not a Lorule one. In any case, from the doorway, go up and then left. You should hear the chirping of a Maimai.

Look for the stairs leading up to the left; right before the desert sand narrows, use the Sand Rod to create a horizontal row of sand pillars and you’ll reveal Maimai #49 . Next, go up the stairs, then at the end, cast the Sand Rod right to create a bridge of sand pillars; merge into the pillars to get across.

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Next, climb up the following flight of stairs. At the end, cast the Sand Rod left, then walk on the sand pillars and bomb the cracked wall, revealing a doorway to Lorule. Merge onto the wall above and walk into the doorway. Back in Lorule, emerge to land on higher ground, where a Piece of Heart rests nearby.

Having grabbed your treasure; drop off down and return to the doorway to Hyrule. Back in Hyrule, go all the way down from the doorway, minding the sand monsters and condors. Eventually you’ll come across a familiar set of stairs; go right and up.

At the highest point, head left and cast the Sand Rod left, then walk across the pillars to the platform with the red rupee. From this platform, cast the Sand Rod up, then run all the way up. At the end, hookshot to the wooden pole on the left. From here, cast the Sand Rod right, then move to the next platform. Finally, cast the Sand Rod right again and cross to find a large ledge with a cave waiting up ahead. Go on through to find some fairies.

Head back to the platform with the red rupee and this time cast the Sand Rod left and walk across the sand pillars to the left. At the end, merge into the wall and walk left into the doorway to Lorule. Back in Lorule, head right then go down the wooden bridge. Dispose of the Moblins along the way. At the end of the bridge, go left across another wooden bridge. Watch out for the Shield Moblin waiting at the end–burn its shield or snatch it with the Hookshot. Next, go through the doorway to Hyrule at the far end.

In Hyrule again, head right, then at the end, cast the Sand Rod up. On the next platform, cast up again, then cast left on the next. Finally, merge onto the wall to the left and walk right until you cross the gap. From here, go up, then right. You will hear another chirping Maimai; this time, cast the Sand Rod to create a horizontal row of sand pillars next to the south wall to reveal Maimai #50 .

From the Maimai, go up, up the stairs. There, you’ll find a weather vane and a broken bridge. Cast the Sand Rod up to make your own sand pillar bridge and head up to enter the Desert Palace dungeon.