The Best Hidden Quests Fans Missed In Skyrim

Skyrim is the game that just keeps on giving. Despite the fact that it's been available for over a decade now, the game is so expansive and full of hidden gems that even the most dedicated player probably hasn't done everything there is to do yet. Hidden areas and secret quests are lurking around every corner, and it's incredibly exciting when you come across one for the first time.

With The Elder Scrolls 6 on its way (someday...), there's no time like the present to return to Skyrim and try to complete every single secret and hidden quest that's on offer. Here are just a few of the hidden quests and locations in Skyrim worth finding.

Updated on February 2, 2025, by Jon Eakin: This list was originally published over five years ago, and yet we still don't have Elder Scrolls 6 in hand. Given that fact, you really have no choice but to keep playing Skyrim (sorry Starfield). As such, we've updated this article with new entries and features to make sure you don't miss any quests.

22 Repentance

Showdown With A Coven

If you're interested in unlocking as many followers as possible in Skyrim, you won't want to miss Repentance. Completing it will let you recruit the quest giver, Illia, who is particularly skilled with different kinds of magic.

Repentance will put you against her mother, Silvia, who resides within the impressive Darklight Tower. She's a witch leading an entire coven, so don't take them lightly or you'll quickly regret it.

21 Kyne's Sacred Trials

Ain't Afraid Of No Guardians

If traveling the land to fight ghostly animals sounds like a good time to you, not only is that very specific, but you're also in luck. Kyne's Sacred Trials will have you doing just that, sending you all across the map to tackle guardian spirits.

Completing it will reward you with Kyne's Token, an amulet that reduces damage from animals and increases the damage you deal when using a bow. Perfect for when you're traveling through the snowy wilderness.

20 The Blackreach Dragon

Suddenly Vulthuryol Appears

Even if you've journeyed around the Dwemer ruins of Blackreach, you may have missed the fact that there's an ancient dragon as a hidden side quest within its walls. If you use your Unrelenting Force shout on the hanging gong in the Silent City, the dragon Vulthuryol will appear.

Unusually for a dragon, he'll remain on the ground for the majority of your battle. Whether that makes him easier or more difficult to defeat is for you to decide.

19 Forgotten Names

Put A Ring On It

Forgotten Names is triggered after the player comes across a grisly scene in The Midden Dark, underneath the College of Winterhold. In a room littered with skeletons and covered in blood, a statue in the shape of a gauntlet sits in the center of the destruction.

An incident report found nearby describes a failed ritual involving four rings. Can you locate these rings? What happens if you return the rings to the gauntlet? You'll have to find out.

18 Rise In The East

High Seas High Stakes

If you're looking for a fun little hidden side quest involving some morally questionable pirates and the East Empire Company, Rise In The East is perfect. Go to the East Empire Company office in the Windhelm Docks and speak to Orthus Endario to get started.

He'll tell you about a group of pirates named the Blood Horkers who are making the work of the Company difficult. He suspects that the pirates could be working with Clan Shatter-Shield—and it's up to you to confirm or disprove this hunch.

17 The Book Of Love

That's The Power Of Love

The Book Of Love is one of the most wholesome hidden quests in the entirety of Skyrim, mainly because it doesn't involve any violence or conflict whatsoever.

If you head to the Temple of Mara in Riften and speak to the priestess Dinya Balu, she'll set you off on a quest that involves bringing love and joy to the citizens of Skyrim. The rewards are not too shabby either, with a permanent +15 percent Resist Magic buff applied to the Dragonborn.

16 Clearing Kagrenzel

A Classic Crawl

Since the Dwarven ruins of Kagrenzel are accessible via an unmarked path in the east of Skyrim and almost directly north of Riften, it's easy to miss them. However, they're definitely worth seeking out for a hidden, unofficial quest of dungeon crawling.

This dungeon is by no means an easy one to clear. Even before you reach it, you have frost trolls and a leveled conjurer to deal with. Once you get inside, there's a whole host of Falmer to battle too. Still, the treasure you can find in Kagrenzel makes the struggle worth it. Two words: flawless diamond.

15 Ironbind Barrow

Worth Shouting About

Ironbind Barrow is another hidden dungeon quest that the casual Skyrim player might not have come across in their travels. Located to the southwest of Winterhold, it can be tricky to get to in the first place: there are a ton of wolves, frost trolls, and other beasts lurking in the area.

However, if you do make it to the barrow, make sure to explore it fully. There's a powerful draugr warlord, Gathrik, waiting at the end—and some nice loot to collect if you can defeat him. The Become Ethereal Shout can also be found here at the Word Wall.

14 Forbidden Legend

Not Forbidden To You

Forbidden Legend is an extensive and super-fun hidden quest that is only unlocked if the player happens to read one of the books of the same name that are scattered around Skyrim. Two can be found in Dragonsreach in Whiterun: one in Farengar's library and one in the Jarl's private quarters.

Once the quest is unlocked, you'll find yourself searching far and wide for the pieces of a legendary item, the Gauldur Amulet. You'll definitely want to reforge it and take it for yourself. Considering the Amulet will give you a +30 point boost on your Health, Magicka, and Stamina, its pieces are worth searching for.

13 The Abandoned Rowboat

Not So Merrily

In the river located to the southwest of Sky Haven Temple, an abandoned rowboat sits in the water. This unmarked location isn't the source of a long and arduous hidden quest—in fact, all that the boat has to offer is an apothecary's satchel, a strongbox, a chest hidden under the water, and some gemstones.

However, it's actually pretty crucial for any Skyrim players who want to complete the quest The Only Cure. If you're in need of a flawless ruby, you'd best go searching for this boat.