The Best Optional Quests In Every Major Location

Summary

• The Witcher 3 incorporates several interesting side quests in every major location in the game.
• The game’s optional quests are not typical fetch quests, but rather in-depth and fulfilling experiences.
• Certain optional quests have significant consequences and impact the game’s overall story, making them must-play experiences.

The Witcher 3 has been a staple in the world of video games for years now, but it experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to Netflix’s television series. Old fans are finding it the perfect time to re-discover their love of the game, and new fans eagerly searching out another fix in between seasons are discovering The Witcher 3 for the first time.

Fans have had enough time to pick up CD Projekt Red’s critically acclaimed game (whether it’s for the first time or the fifth) and get immersed in the many adventures waiting on the Continent. But The Witcher 3, as all who have played it know, is huge—to the point where the number of optional quests growing on Geralt’s to-do list can get positively dizzying. Thankfully, players who thoroughly explore each region will find some of The Witcher 3‘s best side quests to sink their teeth into in no time.

Updated on December 23, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The Witcher 3 is hailed by many as one of the most jam-packed and engaging video games players can get their hands on. Geralt’s final journey ends with a bang as he finds Ciri and ends the threat of the Wild Hunt once and for all. Along the way, he’ll encounter several people and their problems, choosing to either help out of the goodness of his heart or demand payment for his services as a witcher. This applies to every region in the game, and Geralt will find some fairly entertaining Witcher 3 side quests to spend his time on during his epic adventure.

On Death’s Bed

White Orchard

• Location: Herbalist’s hut
• Quest Giver: Tomira

The griffin in White Orchard is a powerful monster terrorizing everyone around them. This includes a young, hapless girl who rests in the local herbalist’s hut. Tomira is a skilled healer, but even her skills aren’t enough to help this woman heal from these mortal wounds. At this point, Geralt can chime in and say that he can brew a Swallow potion to help the poor girl out, even if a witcher brew can have major side effects on anyone who hasn’t undergone the mutations from the Trial of the Grasses.

If players choose to go down this path and use a Swallow potion to heal the poor girl, they’ll learn later on that she made a physical recovery at the cost of her mind being addled by the potion. It’s a crying shame that shows that maybe letting her die was the more humane potion, exemplifying how the best quests in The Witcher 3 show that there’s no correct solution to any given problem.

Missing In Action

White Orchard

• Location: Battlefield
• Quest Giver: Dune Vildenvert, Bastien Vildenvert

War is a horrifying thing that tears families apart, and this can be seen firsthand when a man requests Geralt to help find his brother who was lost during a conflict that happened close by. Wading through the sea of bodies is a sobering moment that shows just how bloody the conflict between the Nilfgaardians and Temerians is. After fending off some ghouls, players enter a dilapidated shack where they find the aforementioned brother with some unexpected company.

It turns out that the missing brother was holed up with a Nilfgaardian deserter who had helped him out in his time of need. At this point, Geralt can either tell the opposing soldier to shove off or convince the brothers to house the Nilfgaardian. It’s not the easiest choice in the world, making this one of the best Witcher 3 side quests that serves as a great introduction to the conflict tearing the Northern Realms apart.

Precious Cargo

White Orchard

• Location: Northwest side of White Orchard
• Quest Giver: John Geermer

Liars and opportunities run amok in The Witcher 3, and one such moment comes when a supposed merchant requests Geralt’s aid to recover his wagon that was attacked by monsters. From the very moment players reach the scene of the crime, his witcher senses make it clear that there’s more to this story than what was told early on. The arrows protruding from the wagon make it clear that no monster attacked this wagon. It’s clear that humans assaulted the cart and had to run away after the cart veered into the swamp and was swarmed with drowners.

Geralt can either acquire his reward or point out this discrepancy, prompting a horseback chase that ends with a fight before the so-called merchant reveals himself to be a Temerian guerrilla trying to raid Nilfgaardian supplies. After hearing this explanation, Geralt can either give the soldier what he needs, keep it for himself, or turn him into the Nilfgaardian guards. The strong writing in what seems like a simple task makes this one of the best Witcher 3 side quests that appears early on.

Ghosts Of The Past

Velen

• Location: Reardon Manor
• Quest Giver: Letho of Gulet

Not many video games get side-questing right. Most games use them as a way to help players raise their XP quickly, usually by performing minor fetch quests or something similar. And sure, they’re also a great way to raise XP in The Witcher 3, but the depth of most side quests in this game makes them the furthest thing from fetch quests. One way to do that is by involving minor Witcher characters with whom Geralt has a history and making that the center of an otherwise simple series of tasks, and so it is with “Ghosts of the Past.” For those who don’t know the general history of The Witcher 2, this quest might not mean much, but those who are at least familiar with Letho of Gulet will find it plenty fulfilling.

In “Ghosts of the Past,” Geralt can reconnect with an old friend (frenemy?), knock some heads together in style, potentially recruit a future ally, and enjoy a nice little twist at the quest’s end all in one. Just make sure that Letho is alive so that the quest can happen at all; that means telling the court in Nilfgaard that Geralt spared him at the beginning of the game. It’s worth the players’ while to show a little mercy in this case.

The Fall Of The House Reardon

Velen

• Location: Reardon Manor
• Quest Giver: Dolores Reardon

Of all the optional side quests, this one offers one of the most interesting backstories. In the village of Lindenvale, Geralt comes across an elderly woman Dolores who hires him to hunt down the monsters in her old manor. Even if Geralt doesn’t come across his old friend Letho during the quest, there’s a lot to discover. After dealing with the wraiths who haunt the place, Geralt can find the treasure that Dolores promised to him as a reward. The treasure contains one hundred crowns which are nothing to scoff at, especially in the earlier stages of the game, which does include Velen.

However, the more interesting part that many players might have missed is the fate of Dolores’ brother who drove her away from the manor after she got married. If Geralt investigates outside the manor a little, he can come across a hidden door that will eventually lead him to the brother’s corpse which allows him to learn the truth about the man’s gruesome death. This unexpected outcome lends an even darker atmosphere to the quest, so it’s a shame so many players don’t discover it on their first playthrough.

A Towerful Of Mice

Velen

• Location: Fyke Isle
• Quest Giver: Keira Metz

“A Towerful of Mice” also involves a minor character in The Witcher universe, the sorceress Keira Metz, but it isn’t played alongside her like the quest with Letho. Instead, Geralt will have to agree to do Keira a favor by investigating a strange tower on a lake in Velen. This side quest is notable amidst all the other “haunted house”-type quests in The Witcher 3 because it so excellently subverts the player’s expectations, leading them to one conclusion until the end of the quest, when everything gets turned on its head. Consequentially, there are a few different ways for this quest to play out—and, in typical Witcher fashion, none of them are perfect, “clean” endings. For the most part, they range from creepy but satisfying to downright bone-chilling.

At Keira’s behest, Geralt travels to a tower, which turns out to be the site of a gruesome peasant revolt. A local lord and his family fled there, taking shelter with the mage who called the tower home, but the commoners followed them and, in anger, brutally murdered the entire family. The lord’s daughter still haunts the tower, having suffered a particularly horrifying fate even compared to the rest of her family, and now waits for her lover, a peasant man who was present on the day of the revolt. In the end, it’s up to Geralt to unravel the sickening series of events that took place.

Return To Crookback Bog

Velen

• Location: Crookback Bog
• Quest Giver: The Bloody Baron

“Return to Crookback Bog” doesn’t even feel like a side quest sometimes, because it’s the culmination of all Geralt’s efforts in Velen, even though he’s ultimately been doing everything to try and find clues about Ciri. However, Geralt’s investigations will lead him to more than just Ciri, and the Bloody Baron questline sticks with players long after its completion.

To get full closure on the story, players will need to bring Geralt back into the heart of Crookback Bog one more time, to face down the Crones and depending on Geralt’s choices, either recover the Baron’s wife or recover her remains. As such, this is a side quest with effects that ripple out through the rest of the game, affecting the world of The Witcher 3 beyond just Geralt’s search for his daughter, Ciri. Needless to say, a side quest with that much weight behind it shouldn’t be missed.

In The Eternal Fire’s Shadow

Velen

• Location: Devil’s Pit
• Quest Giver: A young deacon of the Church of the Eternal Fire

While the visual changes of the Next-Gen edition of The Witcher 3 were a pleasant surprise, what the players were truly looking forward to were entirely new quests. And “In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow” delivered. It utilized well the previously underdeveloped area of the Devil’s Pit, a place whose obvious lack of content was a sore spot for the players since the game’s release.

The Devil’s Pit insides fit its name, and anybody less brave than Geralt would go running when witnessing it. Just like some of the best side quests in the game, this one is also more complicated than it might originally seem, and discovering all its details and secrets makes it even more worth playing.

An Invitation From Keira Metz

Velen

• Location: Keira Metz’s hut
• Quest Giver: Keira Metz

This may seem like a relatively simple quest, but interacting with Keira Metz for her personal goals is something that most players will have a great time with. She’s an intriguing example of how mages are being treated under Radovid’s rule, losing a life of splendor and being forced to isolate herself in the middle of nowhere.

This invitation sets the stage for one of the best Witcher 3 side quests, A Towerful of Mice. It features an enlightening conversation and leaves Geralt with a Magic Lamp that can be used to communicate with spirits, which is required from time to time in other Witcher 3 side quests.

A Matter Of Life And Death

Novigrad

• Location: All over Novigrad
• Quest Giver: Triss Merigold

Here’s another side quest that just feels like it has main quest levels of importance, probably because it involves the fate of Geralt’s close friend (and something more than that) Triss Merigold. Not only is it the quest that allows players to help the sorceress secure freedom for herself and the many underground mages relying on her for protection, but it’s also the quest that allows players to begin romancing Triss if they so choose. While technically Geralt can have many a “rendezvous” with different female NPCs in the game, there are only two true romances: Triss Merigold and Geralt’s longtime love, Yennefer of Vengerberg.

As some players find out the hard way, they can’t have both (probably why the next quest after this one is called “Now or Never”). So “A Matter of Life and Death” allows players to get a feel for Geralt’s romantic relationship with Triss, and decide if that’s the one they’d like to pursue. It’s also just an enjoyable quest setup, with a masquerade ball, undercover antics, dancing, drinking, high-stakes card games, and more.

High Stakes

Novigrad

• Location: Passiflora
• Quest Giver: The scribe in the Passiflora

Those players who focus on following the storyline and don’t like to play Gwent might miss out on one of the best-paid quests in the entire game. If Geralt puts together a decent Gwent pack and has enough money saved up to join the tourney (the entry fee is 1,000 crowns), he can walk away with 4,500 crowns in total.

What’s more, he’ll get to investigate a mysterious murder and can have a brief romance with the beautiful spy Sasha. Overall, the quest combines fun, romance, and action, showing yet again the high quality of the game. The good news is that romancing Sasha won’t in any way negatively affect the ongoing romance with Triss or Yennefer, which means Geralt is free to do as he chooses.

Carnal Sins

Novigrad

• Location: All over Novigrad
• Quest Giver: Dandelion

Ever tapped into Geralt’s Witcher senses and thought, “he’d sure make a great CSI detective?” Well apparently CD Projekt Red agrees because this entertaining side quest lets Geralt take his skills as a Witcher in a different direction; instead of just hunting monsters, he’s outright tracking down a serial killer. It’s not hard to see why this quest is so much fun: it’s mysterious and suspenseful in all the same ways that crime procedurals on TV are when detectives are on the trail of the killer and attempting to discover their motives and modus operandi. And, at the end of the quest, Geralt’s quarry most definitely isn’t someone that players will be expecting.

“Carnal Sins” doesn’t crop up until a little later in the game, after Geralt helps Dandelion turn his sleazy brothel into The Chameleon. After that, Dandelion will tell Geralt that Priscilla (a trobairitz and the object of Dandelion’s affection) was attacked by a mysterious assailant who may be responsible for killings all across Novigrad.

Reason Of State

Novigrad

• Location: All over Novigrad
• Quest Giver: Dijkstra, Roche, and Thaler

Given all the political turmoil present in The Witcher 3 amidst Geralt’s attempts to find Ciri, it’s kind of inevitable that he’d get caught up in a coup d’etat eventually, right? Late in the game, after returning from the Isle of Mists, Geralt will be approached by Vernon Roche, Djikstra, and Thaler (although only if he’s already helped them earlier in the game) about finally ending the reign of King Radovid of Redania. Because Radovid is quite clearly insane, it’s not difficult to agree to the task.

Better still, it’s got some fun twists of its own, culminating in a midnight battle in the alleys of Novigrad and a side-helping of revenge against Radovid from a sorceress who dearly wants to see him pay for his many missteps. Basically, “Reason of State” and the quests that preceded it give The Witcher 3 a nice dash of political thriller, on top of all the other genres mixed into the game by way of its many varied side quests.

A Dangerous Game

Novigrad

• Location: All over Novigrad
• Quest Giver: Zoltan

While this particular quest isn’t as dramatic as other side quests in The Witcher 3, it would be a shame to miss it. Especially for all players who love playing Gwent just like Geralt and want to get their hands on several of the rarest cards in the game to finish their entire Gwent deck.

What’s more, when undergoing this quest, Geralt gets to spend some nice buddy time with his old friend Zoltan and have fun, which is rare for him. Overall, the quest shows the darker side of Novigrad but also contains enough humor to present a balanced story worth discovering.

A Midnight Clear

Novigrad

• Location: Miller’s Lake
• Quest Giver: Shani

Hearts of Stone was hailed as one of the best pieces of video game DLC ever released, which makes it even harder to believe that the next expansion pack was somehow even better. In Geralt’s first major side adventure, he reunites with a character that players of the first game are well aware of.

Shani is a medic and a potential romance in Hearts of Stone if one plays their cards right in A Midnight Clear. It’s a simple quest that can be triggered right after banishing the ghost that inhabited Geralt’s body, culminating in a poignant scene that can go south pretty quickly if players give a bottle of alcohol to Shani as a gift.

Avid Collector

Oxenfurt

• Location: Borsody Auction House
• Quest Giver: Yaromir Ivanovitz Zaytsev

During the game’s main quest where Geralt stakes out an auction house, the witcher is asked by a person called Yaromir to help him get his hand on a valuable painting called Starry Night over the Pontar. It’s a nice distraction that lets players interact with the auction house in a meaningful way.

Players can interact with Vivaldi and tell him about the value of the painting, which leads to a bidding war and makes this artwork slightly more expensive for Geralt. It’s a pretty minor change, but one that shows just how much focus The Witcher 3 places on meaningful conversation choices.

The Cave Of Dreams

Skellige

• Location: Cave of Dreams
• Quest Giver: Blueboy Lugos

Ready to get a little psychological with a side quest? The notice board in Arnbjorn will turn Geralt onto this quest (more specifically, it’ll introduce “The Phantom of Eldberg” quest, which will then open this one up). While trying to help Madman Lugo’s son, Geralt finds himself investigating the Cave of Dreams, a strange and dizzying place that has each of the explorers facing horrifying visions. The quest climaxes when Geralt is forced to face his worst nightmares within the cave.

Given the things that Geralt has seen and done in his long life as a Witcher, one can only imagine what his worst nightmare takes its form as. The peek into Geralt’s psyche is as good a reason as any to look up the “Cave of Dreams” quest when it becomes available. Besides, “The Phantom of Eldberg” may not be on this list, but it’s a pretty fun quest on its merit, too.

The Path Of Warriors

Skellige

• Location: Yngvar’s Fang
• Quest Giver: Gunnar

Geralt is often stronger than most people he meets. But why not take the time to prove that he’s the bravest, most capable man in Skellige? “The Path of Warriors” gives Geralt the chance to prove his valor by going high into the mountains as well as deep inside the caves. Only if he gets through the dangerous paths will he get the respect of Skellige.

That’s a tempting prospect and the quest has an adventurous feeling to it that makes for a memorable experience. “The Path of Warriors” is an ideal optional quest for anyone who wants to learn even more about Skellige’s spirit and traditions.

Possession

Skellige

• Location: Svorlag
• Quest Giver: Crach an Craite

Besides the fact that Cerys an Craite, aka the “Sparrowhawk” of Skellige, makes for an amazing queen if Geralt chooses to help her, Cerys’s quest is also just a pretty cool one. “Possession” starts when Cerys, hoping to prove herself worthy of being queen, sails to Spikeroog to try and help Jarl Udalryk; some say he speaks to the gods, but she believes he is afflicted by something else. And, of course, Cerys is correct.

Over the course of the quest, Geralt can help Cerys riddle out exactly which obscure creature is plaguing the maddened Jarl before Cerys then figures out what to do about it. If Geralt chooses to trust her, the ending is not only satisfying but something that players won’t see coming. Plus, at the end of it, players get a foolproof contender for the rule of Skellige. “Possession” is just a no-brainer as far as Witcher 3 side quests go.

The Last Wish

Skellige

• Location: Ingdalen Isle
• Quest Giver: Yennefer of Vengeberg

“The Last Wish” is a title that refers to the tale of Geralt and Yennefer’s first meeting, when Geralt bound himself to a djinn before asking it to bind his and Yen’s fates together to save her life. In The Witcher 3 quest, Yennefer isn’t sure if her feelings for Geralt are real, or the product of the wish, so she resolves to undo it by tracking down another djinn and making a request of her own.

The side quest itself is an entertaining one, exploring the beautiful remote locations of Skellige and eventually battling a djinn atop a strangely grounded ship in the mountains, and it’s also the quest that allows players to cement their romance with Yennefer if they didn’t already do so with Triss. As such, “The Last Wish” is a quest that’s more than just its fun banter and combat; should players choose to take that route, it’s also emotional and sweet in all the right places.

Farting Trolls

Skellige

• Location: A cave between Arinbjorn and Kaer Muire
• Quest Giver: None

Sometimes, memorable side quests don’t need to be epic, death-defying affairs with multiple intricacies and endings. Sometimes, all it takes is some good old toilet humor done right, and this quest is a great example of the same.

Trolls in The Witcher 3 are some of the most entertaining creatures in the game, with these three loving the act of glorifying their flatulence. While most people will just laugh at their antics before cutting them down on leaving them alone, this moment of levity comes at a perfect time and keeps players engaged in the game’s latter half.

The Bastion

Kaer Morhen

• Location: Bastion
• Quest Giver: None

The Witcher keep of Kaer Morhen might not be extremely spacious but its surroundings more than make up for it. For starters, the woods, caves, and hills offer several quests that are easy to miss, especially if the players focus on the main storyline. Of all the Kaer Morhen side quests, The Bastion is the most atmospheric one, with the highest creepiness factor to it.

Geralt visits an old Witcher bastion that’s full of wraiths and gradually discovers the traces and clues of a terrible massacre that happened there in the past. To crack the mystery, he will need the magic lamp gifted to him by Keira Metz, and also his wits, because finding the way around the bastion can be challenging.

A Portrait Of The Witcher As An Old Man

Beauclair

• Location: Gorgon Foothills
• Quest Giver: A painter

The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine is one of the most impressive pieces of DLC that adds a brand new world to the game that is brimming with style. As one would expect, this new open world is also jam-packed with a ton of quests to mess around with, letting players make the most of their time in this lush and vibrant world that serves as a refreshing palette cleanser from the dark and brooding tones of the base game.

One particular quest hammers in just how rejuvenating this adventure is, with Geralt being propositioned by an artist to serve as his model. It seems like a simple task, only for a hostile griffin to interrupt this painting session. Killing this monster can add more flair to Geralt’s portrait if he wishes, letting him adorn the walls of Corvo Bianco with a portrait that captures the witcher in his element.

There Can Be Only One

Beauclair

• Location: Lac Celavy
• Quest Giver: None

The Aerondight is one of the most legendary swords in The Witcher, and this quest in Beauclair lets players embark on a memorable Witcher 3 side quest to obtain this blade. Players must complete a set of optional challenges and prove themselves to a hermit in combat before getting a chance to wield this weapon.

The best part about this quest is the encounter with the Lady of the Lake, one of the most important figures in the series. She rewards Geralt for his efforts with the best silver sword in the game that levels with the White Wolf and lets him decimate his opponents with critical hits.

Collect ‘Em All

Multiple Locations

• Location: Multiple locations in The Witcher 3‘s world
• Quest Giver: None

Which story in The Witcher 3 is the longest? Is it Geralt trying to find Ciri? No – the true answer is Geralt attempting to collect all the Gwent cards. While the quest is skippable, it offers a lot of fun and allows the player to encounter various intriguing people.

What’s more, if Geralt doesn’t collect the Gwent cards and plays NPCs for them, he will miss out on some of the best side quests, such as the above mentioned “A Dangerous Game” and “High Stakes” in Novigrad. Gwent is one of the more polarizing aspects of this game but those players who enjoy it are in for hours of amusement.