Akh Va'quot Shrine Walkthrough: Windmills Puzzle & All 3 Chests

Where is Akh Va’quot Shrine?

BREATH OF THE WILD

Shrine atlas

Explore shrines

Hide cleared

matching shrines

◈ Select a shrine to explore its location.

The shrine is inside Rito Village in the Tabantha region, southwest of the Brazen Beak shop, perched above the cliff — once activated it doubles as the village’s fast-travel point. Other shrines in the Tabantha region include Bareeda Naag, Voo Lota, and Sha Warvo if you’re working through the area.

Item	Detail
Trial	Windmills
Tower region	Tabantha
Map-marker coordinates	-3656, 1758, 0335
Shrine quest	None
Chests	3
Names	Akh Va’quot Shrine · 阿科‧瓦塔神廟 · 阿科·瓦塔神庙

What should you bring?

You need the Cryonis rune, because the side room holding all three chests is a long pool of water and ice pillars are how you get across. A bow with a few arrows lets you shoot the orange switch at the end of that hallway — it should be reachable from a distance, though you can go closer if you need. There’s no combat and no shrine quest required to enter.

Video walkthrough

Akh Va'quot Shrine Guide — Video by Zelda Dungeon · YouTube

How do you solve Akh Va’quot Shrine?

The trial is themed after windmills and wind: six fans feed fourteen wind switches in the central chamber, and every propeller must be spinning at the same moment before the portcullis to the monk’s pedestal rises.

1. Enter the shrine and find the water hallway

Enter the shrine and you’re greeted by the monk Akh Va’quot. The main puzzle is right in front of you — a central chamber with six fans, some propellers spinning and others idle. Ignore them for now and go right up the stairs.

Walk past the strange orange contraption into the room behind the elevator — a long hallway flooded with water.

The central chamber with fans and propellers on stone blocks — The fan puzzle waits in the central chamber; leave it for now and head right up the stairs. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

Link walking past an orange mechanical contraption toward the flooded hallway — Walk past orange contraption ① into the flooded hallway behind the elevator. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

2. Collect chests and open the hidden gate

Use Cryonis to raise ice pillars across the water and hop your way along the hallway.

Watch the wall on your right: two alcoves hide chests tucked away there. Open the first for a Sapphire and the second for a Feathered Spear.

At the end of the hallway, a floating platform holds a fan and an orange switch. Shoot the switch with your bow — it should be reachable from here, but you can go closer if you need.

The gate behind you will open — backtrack down the hallway and open the revealed third chest for the highly valuable Ancient Core.

Link standing on an ice pillar in the flooded hallway — Use Cryonis to raise ice pillar ① on the water and hop along the hallway, checking the right-wall alcoves for two chests. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

Link aiming his bow at the switch on the floating platform — At the end of the hallway, shoot switch ① on the floating platform with your bow. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

An opened gate revealing a treasure chest — The gate behind you opens; go back and open chest ① for an Ancient Core. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

3. Orient all six fans to spin every propeller

Return to the main chamber. The goal is to make all propellers spin at once; rotate the fans by hitting the orange switches on their sides.

Set the bottom-left fan to blow right.

Set the bottom-right corner fan to blow up.

Set the top-left corner fan to blow right.

Set both center fans to blow left.

Set the top-right fan to blow down.

With every fan oriented correctly, all fourteen wind switches catch the wind simultaneously and the portcullis to the monk’s pedestal rises.

Link overlooking the central chamber full of fans and propellers — Back in the main chamber, the goal is to make every propeller spin at the same time. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

Link beside a fan glowing orange on its side — Hit the orange switch on the side of fan ① to rotate it; set each fan to the direction listed in the steps. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

The portcullis raised, revealing the monk's pedestal — With every propeller spinning, the portcullis to the monk rises. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

4. Receive the Spirit Orb from the monk

Approach Akh Va’quot to receive your Spirit Orb; the monk wishes you well and fades away.

The monk Akh Va'quot seated on the pedestal — Approach Akh Va’quot to receive the Spirit Orb. Screenshot (cropped) from Proximus Gaming · CC BY

What is in each chest?

Chest	Contents	How to get it
1	Sapphire	In the first alcove along the right wall of the flooded side hallway, tucked away past the orange contraption — Cryonis across the water and open it. Keep this, it’s very precious.
2	Feathered Spear	In the second alcove, further along the same right wall of the side hallway.
3	Ancient Core	At the end of the hallway, shoot the orange switch on the floating platform; the gate behind you opens, so double back down the hallway to this revealed chest.

What do people miss here?

All three chests are up the stairs in the flooded side room behind the elevator — the fan puzzle doesn’t require it, so it’s easy to walk straight past and beeline to the monk.
The Ancient Core chest appears behind you: shooting the switch at the end of the hallway opens a gate you already passed, so turn around and head back.
Fan order doesn’t matter — only each fan’s final facing does. If you over-rotate one, keep hitting its switch to rotate it back around.
Striking a wind switch after the monk’s gate is open can drop the portcullis and lock you in the pedestal section; warp out and re-enter if this happens.
Nothing is permanently missable — you can warp back to the shrine any time — but it’s quicker to grab all three chests on your first pass.

What else is nearby?

Shrine	Direction	Straight-line distance	Region
Bareeda Naag Shrine	south	246	Tabantha
Voo Lota Shrine	west	360	Tabantha
Sha Warvo Shrine	north	478	Tabantha

Which guides help next?

FAQ

Where is Akh Va'quot Shrine?

Inside Rito Village in the Tabantha region, southwest of the Brazen Beak shop, above the cliff. Once activated it acts as the fast-travel point for Rito Village.

Do I need Cryonis for the Windmills shrine?

Yes, if you want the chests. The side hallway holding all three chests is a long pool of water and Cryonis is how you cross it. The fan puzzle itself only needs you to hit the orange switches on the fans' sides.

Which way should each fan face in Akh Va'quot Shrine?

Bottom-left and top-left fans blow right, bottom-right blows up, top-right blows down, and both center fans blow left. The order you set them doesn't matter — only the final orientation does.

How do I get the Ancient Core chest?

Go down the flooded side hallway to the end and shoot the orange switch on the floating platform. A gate opens behind you, so walk back down the hallway to the revealed chest.

Can I come back later for missed chests?

Yes. You can warp back to the shrine any time, so nothing is missable — though grabbing all three on your first visit is faster.