How do I lower the giant staircase in Dodongo's Cavern?

The rows of Bomb Flowers along the pillar have one gap. Carry the lone Bomb Flower from beside the side wall into that gap, and the chain explosion drops the staircase.

How do I open the giant skull's mouth?

The second-floor bridge has two holes directly above the skull. Drop a bomb through each hole into the eye sockets; once both eyes glow red, the mouth opens.

How do I beat King Dodongo?

When he inhales to breathe fire, throw a Bomb (or a Bomb Flower) into his mouth. He collapses, and you slash him until he gets up and rolls; about four rounds finish him.

How many Gold Skulltulas are in Dodongo's Cavern?

Five. Three can be taken on the first visit, one needs the Boomerang on a return trip, and one is adult-only with the Scarecrow’s Song and the Hookshot.

Ocarina of Time Dodongo's Cavern Walkthrough: Bombs and King Dodongo

Dodongo’s Cavern is the second dungeon and runs on Bomb Flowers until the Bomb Bag turns up two-thirds of the way through. It follows Inside the Deku Tree; the full walkthrough has the complete dungeon order.

What do you need before Dodongo’s Cavern?

Item	Detail
Location	Death Mountain Trail, below Goron City
Required first	Goron’s Bracelet (from Darunia)
Dungeon item	Bomb Bag (holds 20 Bombs)
Mini-boss	Lizalfos pair, fought twice
Small Keys	0
Chests	6
Gold Skulltulas	5 (two need a return visit)
Boss	King Dodongo
Rewards	Heart Container, Goron’s Ruby

How do you open Dodongo’s Cavern?

Play Saria’s Song for Darunia. In Goron City, the song lifts his mood and he gives you the Goron’s Bracelet, which lets you pull up Bomb Flowers.
Throw a Bomb Flower down at the boulder. Outside Goron City, take the Bomb Flower beside the lone Goron and toss it over the low section of fence. It lands on the boulder sealing the cavern below.
Blast the first room’s back wall. Set one of the Bomb Flowers against the odd-looking wall and step back to open the main cavern.

How do you get through the first floor?

Cross west for the Dungeon Map. Jump over the central platform, staying out of the Beamos beams, and bomb the cracked wall on the left for the Dungeon Map. A Business Scrub in the nearby alcove sells a Deku Shield.
Bomb the east wall into the Baby Dodongo hall. On the east side, destroy the Beamos and use a Bomb Flower on the second cracked wall. Baby Dodongos explode shortly after you defeat them, so step away.
Push a statue onto the blue switch. The barred door at the end only stays open while the switch is weighed down.
Beat the two Lizalfos. Past a short Keese corridor, lock on, block with the shield and counter. Deku Nuts stun them briefly, and Slingshot shots speed things up.
Defeat the three Dodongos. Their tails are the weak spot, and no shield blocks their fire breath, so sidestep it. A cracked wall just before this room hides a Scrub selling Deku Sticks.
Light the line of torches. Light a Deku Stick at the lit torches by the entrance and run down the unlit row before the flames die; the door opens.
Step on the switch on the raised ledge. You come out above the main cavern. The switch unlocks the door on the far side.

How do you lower the giant staircase?

Beat the Armos for the Compass. In the Bomb Flower room, use the lone Bomb Flower on the cracked wall to the left. Of the three statues around the chest, strike the one blocking it: it comes alive. Stun it with a Deku Nut or Bomb Flower, slash it, then get clear before it self-destructs. The chest holds the Compass.
Fill the gap in the Bomb Flower row. Carry the lone Bomb Flower into the gap. The chain blast lowers the staircase.
Climb and take Gold Skulltula #22. Near the top, a Skullwalltula and a Gold Skulltula sit on a vine wall. Shoot both with the Slingshot and climb for the token.

How do you get the Bomb Bag?

Pull the lifeless statue away from the ladder. In the Fire Keese room, one of the four statues around the pillar does not wake up. Move it, climb the ladder and press the switch.
Cross the bridge above the main cavern. Note the two holes in the middle of it, then go through the far door.
Weave past the Blade Traps. Lock on to peek around corners, reach the ladder with a block under it and climb up.
Take the Red Rupee and throw the Bomb Flower. Jump to the platform with a small chest (Red Rupee) and a Bomb Flower. Hold the flower for three or four seconds, then throw it at the cracked wall up the ladder opposite.
Shoot the eye switch to douse the fire. Cross the platforms while the flames are down and hurry through the Baby Dodongo passage.
Beat the second Lizalfos pair. This is the upper level of the first Lizalfos room; fight them the same way.
Shoot both eye switches in the flame room. The first is straight ahead. After the first hop, turn left for the second.
Open the big chest for the Bomb Bag. You are back in the Blade Trap room on its upper level. The Bomb Bag comes full with 20 Bombs.
Press the switch in the next room. One of the main cavern’s moving platforms now rises to the second floor, a handy shortcut.

How do you open the giant skull’s mouth?

Drop a bomb through each bridge hole. Each bomb falls into one of the skull’s eyes. With both eyes lit red, the mouth opens.
Bomb the wall at the end of the bridge. The chest behind it holds a Blue Rupee, or a Deku Shield if yours has burned.
Find the sunken switch inside the skull. Clear the Fire Keese. The switch in the floor hole only holds the door open while something sits on it.
Bomb the wall for Gold Skulltula #24. In the room to the right (pots here hide a fairy), push the block up against the cracked wall and bomb it. Defeat the Armos inside and take the token.
Push the block onto the switch. Push it through the tunnel until it drops to the lower level, then line it up so it falls onto the switch.
Take the Bombs and drop through the floor. The chest in the last room gives 5 Bombs. Bomb the cracked floor and jump down to the boss.

How do you beat King Dodongo?

Throw a Bomb in while he inhales. He takes a long breath before breathing fire. A Bomb or Bomb Flower thrown into his open mouth blows up inside him.
Slash him while he is down. Jump attacks deal the most damage in this window.
Dodge his roll. When he recovers he curls up and rolls around the arena. Hug the lava pit’s edge, a corner or the outer wall, or crouch behind the Hylian Shield.
Repeat about four times. He rolls into the lava pit and a Heart Container appears.

His fire breath costs half a heart and the roll a quarter heart.

What are all the chests in Dodongo’s Cavern?

#	Contents	Where
1	Dungeon Map	Main cavern, behind the cracked wall on the west side
2	Compass	Armos room off the Bomb Flower staircase room
3	Red Rupee	On the pillar platform in the Blade Trap room
4	Bomb Bag	Upper ledge of the Blade Trap room
5	Blue Rupee (Deku Shield if yours burned)	Behind the cracked wall at the end of the second-floor bridge
6	Bombs ×5	Room before the boss, beside the cracked floor

Where are the Gold Skulltulas in Dodongo’s Cavern?

Numbers follow our Gold Skulltula checklist.

#	Where	Needs
22	Vine wall near the top of the giant staircase	Slingshot (some sources list no item: it can also be hit from the top of the stairs)
23	Behind the cracked wall halfway along the Baby Dodongo hall, guarded by Keese	Bombs or an exploding Baby Dodongo
24	Behind the Armos inside the skull	Bombs
44	High alcove beside the staircase before it is lowered; reach it from the second floor after re-entering the dungeon	Boomerang (child), or as an adult the Hookshot (one guide says the Longshot)
55	High ledge in the Baby Dodongo hall	Adult, Scarecrow’s Song, Hookshot

What should you do after Dodongo’s Cavern?

Darunia names you his Sworn Brother and hands over the Goron’s Ruby. With Bombs you can now bomb the wall left of the owl at the summit and play Zelda’s Lullaby for the Great Fairy, who gives you the magic meter and a stronger Spin Attack. Stop the rolling Goron in Goron City with a bomb for a Bigger Bomb Bag, and check the Heart Pieces checklist for the pieces around Death Mountain. The next dungeon is Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly.