Alliance Leveling Route 1-80 (Questing Focus)

The Alliance leveling path will take you through quest-rich zones in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor from 1-60, then on to Outland (60-68) and Northrend (68-80). This route is optimized for minimal downtime and efficient quest completion. If you’re playing a draenei or night elf, you may start on Kalimdor, but the guide will have you join the human starting zones by level 10-12 for a more streamlined path with abundant quests. Likewise, all Alliance races will converge in the same zones after the newbie areas. Use the indicated level ranges as a guideline for when to move on to the next zone – don’t worry about completing every quest, just the ones that give good experience and can be done quickly.

Levels 1-10: Starting Zones (Alliance)

Each Alliance race begins in a unique starting zone (levels 1-5) with a follow-up area (5-10). Quest through your character’s starting area, as these intro quests are quick and give easy XP. By level 6 or so you’ll move to the second part of the zone or an adjacent area. Here are the starting zones for each race:

• Human: Northshire (1-5) then Goldshire in Elwynn Forest (5-10).
• Dwarf/Gnome: Coldridge Valley (1-5) then Dun Morogh (5-10, up to Kharanos).
• Night Elf: Shadowglen (1-5) then Dolanaar in Teldrassil (5-10).
• Draenei: Ammen Vale (1-5) then Azuremyst Isle (5-10).

By level 10, you should have completed the main quests in your start zone. Tip: Before leaving, train your level 10 class abilities and grab a flight path if the area has one (e.g. Exodar for Draenei, Dolanaar doesn’t have flight but Darnassus is nearby). Heirlooms (if available on your server) can boost XP gain by 10-20% – consider using an heirloom shoulder or chest piece to speed up 1-80, though it’s optional.

Levels 10-20: Westfall & Loch Modan or Darkshore (Alliance)

At level 10, it’s most efficient for all Alliance players to quest in Westfall (if you’re Human or willing to travel) due to its dense quest hubs and the Deadmines dungeon questline. Other races should head to Westfall via Stormwind City. Travel tip: Night Elves can take the ship from Auberdine (Darkshore) to Stormwind; Draenei can take the boat from Azuremyst to Kalimdor, then boat from Auberdine to Stormwind. Once in Stormwind, set your Hearthstone there or in Goldshire for easy travel. Now quest through Westfall (levels ~10-15): focus on Sentinel Hill quests, the Defias Brotherhood chain, and the numerous kill quests. Skip “The Legend of Stalvan” notes hunt (it’s a lot of travel between Stormwind and Duskwood for now). By level 15-16, you should complete the main Westfall story which culminates in the Deadmines dungeon quests. If you can find a group, run Deadmines (level ~18) for huge XP and good gear, but if not, you can skip the instance and still move on.

After Westfall, move east to Redridge Mountains around level 16-17. Quest in Lakeshire (Redridge) from ~17 to 20, doing the gnoll and orc quests. Some Redridge quests (like the elite quests for Tharil’zun or Yowler) can be tough solo – skip those if you can’t find help, since you’ll come back stronger later or can ignore them. Alternatively, if Westfall was too crowded or you started in Dun Morogh, Loch Modan (10-18) is an equivalent zone to do instead of Westfall/Redridge: Quest around Thelsamar and Ironforge Mountaineer posts, but skip the trogg stone collecting grind. Night Elf path alternative: Night elves who stayed in Kalimdor can do Darkshore (10-20) as an alternative path, but you may need to jump to the human zones by 20 to keep on the fastest route. In Darkshore, focus on Auberdine quests but skip the long ruins explorations. Regardless of your path, aim to be about level 20 when finishing these early zones.

Levels 20-30: Duskwood and Beyond (Alliance)

At 20, Duskwood becomes the quest hub of choice. (If you were in Loch Modan or Darkshore, make your way to Stormwind and then south to Duskwood.) Set your hearth at Darkshire. Quest around Duskwood (20-25), doing the vibrant storyline with undead and worgen. Key quests include the Night Watch series, Sven’s Revenge chain, and Morbent Fel finale. Skip the “Jitters’ completed journal” page collection (the Stalvan quest line) if you didn’t start it – it sends you back and forth to multiple zones. Also skip the lengthy Mor’Ladim graveyard elite unless you can kite or get help. By level 25-26, you should have finished most of Darkshire’s easier quests.

Next, head to Wetlands or Ashenvale briefly if you need a couple more levels before 30 – or go straight to Southern Barrens (via the neutral quests in Shimmering Flats) if you’re following a specific guide. However, a highly efficient route is to travel to Hillsbrad Foothills (Southshore) around level 28. Alliance players can reach Southshore by taking the tram to Ironforge, flying to Arathi Highlands’ Refuge Pointe, then going south. In Hillsbrad (25-30), do the quests from Southshore town: murloc heads, lion ears, etc., which are straightforward. Hillsbrad is a contested zone, but on a low-pop server you’re unlikely to encounter much PvP. Finish up around level 30 by completing the farmer quests and Azurelode mine quests. (If Hillsbrad doesn’t appeal, you can also quest in Ashenvale around Astranaar for similar level range, though Alliance Ashenvale quests are a bit spread out.)

Levels 30-40: Stranglethorn Vale and Scarlet Monastery (Alliance)

Once you hit 30, a wealth of mid-level zones open up. The most efficient is Stranglethorn Vale (STV), which offers a ton of quests and good rewards. Fly or boat to Booty Bay (or run south from Duskwood into Northern STV) and pick up the many quests at Nesingwary’s Expedition (the famous hunting quests) and in Rebel Camp (Alliance outpost). Northern Stranglethorn (30-37): Do the hunting quests (tigers, panthers, raptors)​, the Kurzen jungle fighter quests, and venture to Mosh’Ogg ogre mound for quests. STV has a notorious “Green Hills of Stranglethorn” page collection – skip this unless you magically collected all pages; it’s a huge time sink with minimal reward. By 35-36 you can move further south in STV for the second batch of quests (around Gurubashi Arena and Booty Bay).

Around level 34-36, consider a detour to Scarlet Monastery in Tirisfal Glades (via Chillwind camp to the Bulwark) if you have a group. SM has four wings (Library, Armory, Cathedral, Graveyard) with many quests for Alliance (collected in Stormwind and Desolace) – doing a full SM run at this level can easily net a level or two and strong gear. It’s optional, so don’t worry if you can’t find a group on a low-pop realm, but keep it in mind.

From 37 to 40, you have a few zone options. The guide route suggests finishing Stranglethorn Vale – quest in Southern STV (Booty Bay area) from 37-40​. Do the Bloodsail Buccaneers pirate quests on the coast, Wildhammer trolls on Jaguero Isle, and turn in any remaining quests in Booty Bay. Alternatively, you can head to Desolace (~33-40) for a change of scenery, but it involves a lot of travel unless you already have the flight path. Arathi Highlands (30-40) is another alternative with a few hubs (Refuge Pointe) though fewer quests than STV. Overall, many Alliance players stick with STV until 40 because of the high quest density and solid XP.

Levels 40-50: Dustwallow Marsh and Tanaris (Alliance)

At level 40 you’ll get your fast mount (100% speed at level 40 in WotLK, down from 60​

– make sure to train it if you can afford it, as it significantly reduces travel time). Now we’ll tackle the 40s zones. A top choice is Dustwallow Marsh (38-45), which received additional quest hubs in late TBC patch. Take the boat from Booty Bay to Ratchet, then head down to Theramore Isle in Dustwallow. Quest for Theramore (the deserters, Dimensius chain, etc.) and at Mudsprocket in southern Dustwallow​. These quests are very efficient and bunched closely together (e.g. many kill quests for Blackhoof Village and the dragonkin in the swamp). By level 44 or so you should finish Dustwallow’s major quests.

Next, move to Tanaris (40-50) or Feralas (40-50) around level 44. Gadgetzan in Tanaris offers many quests suitable for 44-50. Do the Wastewander bandit quests, the pirate quests at Lost Rigger Cove, and the Thistleshrub valley quests. Skip “Wastewander Water Pouch” endless grind quest – it’s repeatable but not worth your time. In Feralas, if you choose, Feathermoon Stronghold has a hub of quests (yet a bit spread out). Feralas is lush and has some easy kill quests (gnolls, yeti) and a dungeon quest for Dire Maul (but that instance is level 58+, so you likely won’t run it now). You can do either Tanaris or Feralas or a mix – both should get you to the high 40s. Many Alliance also dip into The Hinterlands around 48: Aerie Peak has quests to kill trolls and collect feathers which are decent XP​. Choose whichever zone you prefer; just aim to be about 50 before heading to the next step. (You can also do the Sunken Temple dungeon in Swamp of Sorrows at 50 for its quests, but again, finding a group might be tough. If you have friends, the ST class quests can give nice rewards.)

Levels 50-58: Un’Goro Crater and Blasted Lands (Alliance)

The late 50s are best spent in a couple of high-yield zones so that you’re 58 and ready to enter Outland. Un’Goro Crater (50-55) is a goldmine for XP​. Head to Un’Goro (flight from Tanaris or Silithus) and pick up quests at Marshall’s Refuge. Nearly every quest in Un’Goro is worth doing: kill dinosaurs for “The Mighty U’cha” and others, gather crystals (easy ground pickup), do the Linken quest chain (fun but a bit long; you can do part of it for XP then finish later if needed), and collect soil samples for quests. One quest to be cautious of is “Super Sticky” (collect 8 ooze samples) – the drop rate is low, consider skipping if it eats too much time. By the time you’ve explored the crater and done the rounds (including escorting Ringo, etc.), you should be ~55.

From 55-58, Blasted Lands and Western Plaguelands are good options. In Blasted Lands, you can do the series of quests from the Nethergarde Keep and the Fallen Hero of the Horde (a neutral quest giver) which involve hunting down high-level demons and gathering their parts. These quests are actually great XP and prep you for the portal to Outland. Meanwhile, Western Plaguelands (WPL) has a hub at Chillwind Camp for Alliance with several quests to purge undead at Andorhal and Sorrow Hill. WPL/ Eastern Plaguelands also have high-level quests and the Cauldron quests (which are repetitive but give decent XP if you don’t mind some grind). Another alternative is Searing Gorge (50-52) and Burning Steppes (52-55) for some late 50s quests – for example, Thorium Point in Searing Gorge has several quick tasks that can be done in an hour or two​. Ultimately, your goal is to reach 58. Once you ding 58, you can leave the old world behind and step through the Dark Portal to Outland. (If you’re enjoying a storyline, you can certainly finish up old-world quests, but Outland will offer much better XP per hour once you qualify.)

Levels 58-68: Outland (Alliance)

Upon reaching 58, make your way to the Dark Portal in Blasted Lands and enter Outland. Hellfire Peninsula will be your first stop (both Honor Hold for Alliance and Thrallmar for Horde have equivalent questing, just different hub NPCs). Even on a low-pop server, Outland questing is solo-friendly and very linear. Here’s a breakdown of Outland leveling:

• Hellfire Peninsula (58-62): Pick up all the quests at Honor Hold and surrounding points. You’ll find many kill quests and objectives around Hellfire Citadel area and Forge Camps. Do the quests at Expedition Armory, the Mag’har Post (for Alliance this is from Honor Hold via quests to kill orcs), and any available quest chains like Cenarion Post and Temple of Telhamat. The zone storyline will lead you to dismantle the Legion’s forces and culminates in attacking Hellfire Citadel’s stair (some group quests here can be skipped if you lack help). By the time you clear most of Hellfire, you should be around level 61 or 62​. If you find a group, Hellfire Ramparts and Blood Furnace dungeons (levels ~60-62) are excellent one-time runs for their quests and loot – but if not, the quests outside are plenty.

• Zangarmarsh (61-64): Move on to Zangarmarsh, setting your hearth at Telredor or Cenarion Refuge. Do the plant toxin quests, Sporeggar tasks (you can grind some Bog Lords for Sporeggar rep and XP, but don’t overdo grind), and the naga quests from Orebor Harborage (Alliance town) or Cenarion outpost. The zone is very efficient: hubs like Telredor and the Refuge hand out many quests that overlap (kill marsh beasts, collect spores, etc.). Complete the Funggor Cavern quests and Umbrafen tribe quests. Zangarmarsh should take you through 63 comfortably​. If you get a chance, running The Slave Pens or Underbog dungeons once (62-64) can supplement your XP, but again, only if groups allow.

• Terokkar Forest (64-66): Next, head to Shattrath City (grab your flight path and set hearth here – Shattrath’s inn gives rested XP too). Quest in Terokkar via Allerian Stronghold (Alliance hub) and the Cenarion Thicket. Key quests involve fighting the Arakkoa at Skettis (you can skip the long escort “Skywing” if you can’t solo it), slaying Bonechewer orcs, and investigating Auchindoun. Many quests chain into Auchindoun dungeons (Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts, etc.), which you might skip if not running those instances. There’s also a series of quests at Stonebreaker Hold (for Horde) and Carrion Hill that Alliance can do near Auchindoun. Finishing Terokkar’s quest lines should put you around 66​.

• Nagrand (66-68): Head to Nagrand and enjoy a change of scenery. Nessingwary’s camp offers a new set of hunting quests (just like STV, but for clefthoofs, talbuks, windrocs). Do all those as they’re great XP. At Telaar (Alliance town) pick up quests to deal with the ogres and demons in the area. Skip the forge camps group quests unless you have help – those are 3+ player recommended. One highlight here is the Ring of Blood quest chain (starts at the Laughing Skull Ruins arena at level 65) – if you can assemble even a small group for this arena event, do it. Ring of Blood involves a series of boss fights that give massive XP and a huge weapon reward; it will likely ding you once by itself. On a low-pop server, you may need guildmates or friends to assist for 10 minutes. By completing most Nagrand quests, you should be level 68 and ready for Northrend. If you come up slightly short (say you’re 67 and a half), you have options: do a few quests in Blade’s Edge Mountains or Netherstorm to top off. Blade’s Edge (65-68) quests at Sylvanaar (Alliance) are decent and nearby. Netherstorm (67-70) has a lot of quests at Area 52 and is great XP too, but many players prefer to just move on to Northrend at 68 since the XP per quest there is higher. It’s your call – reaching 68 as fast as possible is usually best.

(Note: At level 68 you can continue to level 70 in Outland if you wish to finish storylines or are waiting for friends, but generally Northrend provides better gear and experience for 68-70. This guide assumes you go to Northrend at 68.)

Levels 68-80: Northrend (Alliance)

Northrend is where 10 new levels await, with two starting zones to choose from and an abundance of quests. As of patch 3.3.5a, you can take a boat from Stormwind to Borean Tundra (Stormwind Harbor -> Valiance Keep) or a boat from Menethil Harbor to Howling Fjord (Valgarde). Both zones are designed for 68-72, and Alliance can start in either. This guide will actually utilize both starting zones for maximum efficiency: you can fully clear one zone, then do part of the other for extra XP before moving on, ensuring you’re ahead of the curve. Northrend questing is generally very linear with strong story chains – follow them, but skip group quests that suggest 3+ players unless you outlevel them.

• Howling Fjord (68-72): Begin in Valgarde if you choose Howling Fjord first. Do all the Valgarde village quests defending against the Forsaken and vrykul. Progress through the hub quests: Wyrmskull Village (cave exploration), then towards Westguard Keep at around 70. Westguard and the surrounding areas (e.g. Steel Gate, Kamagua with the tuskarr) have many quests – you’ll be killing pirates, proto-dragons, and doing an awesome series with the Zeppelin Defense. By the time you finish Howling Fjord’s main story (including the Gjalerbron vrykul and maybe the Ancient Lift to Kamagua), you should be roughly level 71-72. If you started here and are 71, that’s fine – we’ll hop to the other starting zone next. (If instead you started in Borean Tundra, see below – you can do these zones in either order.)

• Borean Tundra (68-72): Alliance arrive at Valiance Keep. Do the introductory quests securing the Keep and helping the trapped miners. Move on to quest hubs like Farshire, Riplash Strand (naga), Fizzcrank Airstrip (great mechagnome storyline), and the D.E.H.T.A. camp (druids protesting against Nesingwary – a humorous quest chain). Make sure to do the Coldarra quests from Amber Ledge which lead into The Nexus dungeon (you can complete the Coldarra quests without doing the dungeon, except the last one, but the Nexus is a good instance around level 70-71 if you find a group). Borean Tundra’s quests are plentiful; by the time you finish with the airstrip and Coldarra, you’ll be around 71-72. If you started here and get to 72, you can move on; if you only did Borean second and maybe just cherry-picked some quests to reach 72, that’s fine too.

(In summary, do one full starting zone and then as much of the second zone as needed to comfortably hit 72. Many Alliance players prefer Howling first then Borean, but you can do Borean then a slice of Howling – the order isn’t critical as long as you reach 72.)

• Dragonblight (72-75): Head to Dragonblight next, via the roads from either Fjord or Borean (or fly from Borean’s airstrip to Stars’ Rest or Wintergarde if you unlocked that). Dragonblight is a large zone with a central storyline involving the Wyrmrest Accord and the Battle at Angrathar. Alliance should start at Wintergarde Keep (72+). Do the epic quest chain defending Wintergarde against the Scourge – it’s one of the best quest lines in Wrath and gives excellent XP. You’ll free townsfolk, take back a mine, and even ride a gryphon to rescue villagers. Continue with quests at Stars’ Rest (Kalecgos storyline) and Wyrmrest Temple. Around level 74, you will get pivotal quests like “Wrathgate” – definitely do this chain up to the cinematic (soloable) for lore and XP. Note: After the Wrathgate event, there’s a follow-up Battle for Undercity which is lengthy and yields no XP (just story); you can delay that until 80 if you prefer, as it can take ~30 minutes. By the time you wrap up the main Dragonblight quests, you should be level 75. Dragonblight has a few group quests (like killing elites in Obsidian Dragonshrine) – skip those for now.

• Grizzly Hills (74-77): Next, move to the Grizzly Hills, a beautiful forested zone with tons of quests and minimal travel time between hubs​. Alliance base at Amberpine Lodge; start there around level 74-75. Quests in Grizzly Hills often come in small clusters: Silverbrook, Granite Springs, Blue Sky Logging Grounds, and Camp Oneqwah (although that last is Horde-centric, Alliance will focus on the west side of the zone). Do the worgen quest line starting from Amberpine (it unveils an interesting twist), the ventures at Drak’Tharon Keep (you’ll get quests to go into the Drak’Tharon dungeon at 74-76 – optional if you have a group, but completing DTK with quests yields great XP), and the Ursoc quest line (might need a group for Ursoc himself, can skip if solo). Grizzly Hills has a series of quests involving the Venture Company at Venture Bay as well – those are PvP flagged quests; on a low-pop PvE server, they’re safe to do for XP. By questing through Grizzly Hills you should reach 76-77. The zone has fewer tedious quests; most are kill-and-collect with decent drop rates. Tip: If you’re just shy of 77 at the end, you can either do a few quests in Zul’Drak or push on – but ideally get to 77 so you can train Cold Weather Flying. Level 77 allows you to purchase Cold Weather Flying, giving you flying mount access in Northrend – this hugely boosts efficiency for the last zones.

• Zul’Drak (75-77, optional): You may dip into Zul’Drak either after Dragonblight or after Grizzly Hills, depending on your XP. Zul’Drak is a zone full of undead trolls and has hub quests from The Argent Stand and Ebon Watch. While not required, doing some quests here can help if you need more XP before 77. Notable quest lines include working with Drakuru (through Gundrak arena, which eventually leads to a dungeon quest in Gundrak – can save for later) and assaulting troll temples alongside Argent Crusade. If you find Grizzly Hills didn’t get you to 77, go east to Zul’Drak and do a hub or two worth of quests to make up the difference. Otherwise, Zul’Drak can be partially or fully skipped in favor of moving to Sholazar/Storm Peaks. (You can always come back at 80 for gold or Loremaster achievements.)

• Sholazar Basin (77-80): At 77, with Cold Weather Flying learned, head to Sholazar Basin via the quest that starts in either Nesingwary’s camp in Dragonblight or a Goblin in Nesingwary’s safari in Sholazar (there’s a flight master at River’s Heart once you find it). Sholazar is a lush jungle that mirrors Un’Goro’s style – a welcome XP pinata. Immediately start Nessingwary’s quests (hunting rhinos, cats, crocolisks, etc.) similar to earlier hunting quests. These are quick and rewarding. Sholazar also has the Oracle vs Frenzyheart quest line – you can do the introductory quests for both factions (they’re fun and give good XP, involving saving an Oracle gorloc and doing some vehicle quests). Many Sholazar quests are densely packed and you can fly between objectives easily. By doing all the quests in Sholazar, you can go from 77 to about 79​. A few quests might be group-oriented, like killing the elite gorilla “Aotona” or the final elite in the Oracle chain – skip those if you can’t solo them. Don’t leave Sholazar until you’re at least 79, as the final zone (Storm Peaks or Icecrown) is tuned for 78-80.

• Storm Peaks (79-80): Finally, proceed to Storm Peaks to finish 79-80. Storm Peaks has a compelling quest line with the sons of Hodir and Titan lore. Fly to K3 (Goblin town) to start quests there. You’ll do tasks like freeing goblin slaves and uncovering the thief of K3. Next, you’ll move into the Brunnhildar Village quests (where you become a Hyldnir frost vrykul temporarily – a very cool chain). Continue through the Sons of Hodir storyline which begins at K3 and Brunnhildar and goes up to Thunderfall and Dun Niffelem. While the full Sons of Hodir chain is a bit long, it awards a huge chunk of XP and unlocks a useful faction for shoulder enchants at 80. Most of it is soloable; skip only the group quests to kill very strong elites (you can come back at 80 to finish those easily). By the time you complete the quests around the Temple of Storms and Engine of the Makers, you should ding 80​. Congratulations – you’ve reached level 80!

(Alternate 79-80 zone: Icecrown also offers many quests (and great lore) at level 79-80, particularly involving the Argent Crusade and Knights of the Ebon Blade. However, Icecrown’s questing is heavily phased and some require 2-3 players. If you’re solo, Storm Peaks tends to be smoother. You can always quest through Icecrown at level 80 for additional story and gold instead of XP.)