Dow Na'eh Shrine: Three Boxes Solution and Chests (BotW)

Where is Dow Na’eh Shrine?

Start at Lanayru Promenade and look for the waterfall on its south side. Follow the path into the cave behind the waterfall to reach the shrine. There is no shrine quest to trigger before entering. Use the BotW shrine location table to place it on your route.

What should you bring?

Pack a bow and a handful of arrows — cutting the two ropes that hold the shelf chest is the only step in this trial that consumes anything. The rest is pure ability work: Magnesis and Cryonis inside, plus the paraglider for the final jump to the altar. There is nothing to fight (not a Test of Strength) and no hazard to resist, so combat weapons, meals, and resistance gear can all stay home.

Video walkthrough

Dow Na'eh Shrine Guide — YouTube

Solution: How do you solve Three Boxes?

The treasure chests are also weights for the large floor switch. Collect their contents, then use the chests to release the metal block needed for the final crossing.

1. Collect all three chests and place them on the switch

Retrieve the water chest. Walk down the entrance slope and use Magnesis to lift the chest out of the water beside the large switch. Open it for the Opal, then put the chest on the switch.

Shoot the shelf’s ropes. Look left for the wooden shelf supporting a chest. Cut both ropes with arrows so the chest falls into the water.

Recover the fallen chest. Use Cryonis to make an ice pillar for approaching it, then pull it out with Magnesis. Open it for the Zora Sword and move the chest onto the switch.

Collect the rear chest. Find the chest on the elevating pillar at the back of the room. Bring it within reach with Magnesis, open it for Amber, and add it to the switch.

2. Move the metal block onto the lift platform

Release the metal block. With all the chests resting on the switch, the barred room opens. Use Magnesis to bring its large metal block out.

Put the block on the lift. Move it onto the moving platform that will raise it toward the altar.

3. Ride the block up and glide to the altar

Get onto the block from above. Go up to the higher walkway, then drop down on the left and jump onto the block’s top.

Glide to the altar. Ride the block upward with the platform, then jump and open the paraglider to reach the monk. Interact with him to receive the Spirit Orb.

Chests: Where are they and what is inside?

What do people miss here?

• The most-skipped chest in here is the first one: the Opal chest sits in the water pooled around the big floor switch and hardly catches the eye from the entrance slope — if you have only counted two chests, sweep the pool with Magnesis before doing anything else.
• Arrows gate one third of the weights. The shelf chest only comes down once both of its ropes are shot, so an empty quiver leaves that chest unreachable and the switch can never be fully loaded — count your arrows before you walk in.
• Looting does not lighten the chests. All three can be emptied before they ever touch the switch, so take the Opal, Amber, and Zora Sword first and stack the empty boxes afterwards — there is no trade-off between treasure and progress.
• The lift by the altar cycles rather than running once: it periodically raises and lowers itself, so if you and the metal block miss a beat, nothing fails and nothing resets — just wait for the platform’s next rise.

What else is nearby?

Related: Which guides help with the next stop?

• BotW shrine locations: check off this shrine and browse the surrounding tower regions.
• How to find shrines: plan searches for entrances hidden from view.
• Kam Urog Shrine: southwest of Dow Na’eh on the map.
• Lakna Rokee Shrine: northwest of Dow Na’eh on the map.
• Tears of the Kingdom vs. Breath of the Wild: compare the games before switching guide sets.