Baldur's Gate 3's story is split into three major Acts, or parts, that split up the open world into major zones. Despite being the name of the game, the city of Baldur's Gate itself cannot be accessed until BG3's Act 3, leaving many players wondering what the fastest way to reach Baldur's Gate, and Act 3, actually is.
Unfortunately, unlike Act 2, there is only one way to get to Act 3. By completing Act 2's main story, players will be led to the Road to Baldur's Gate – but don't go too early, or an Army will be waiting for you, barring passage. Follow this guide to find out how to access Baldur's Gate 3's Act 3, and how to get to Baldur's Gate itself.
How To Get To Act 3 & Reach Baldur's Gate
Before Baldur's Gate 3's Act 3 opens up for players, a few things need to be completed first. There isn't a way to skip to Act 3 from Act 1 – BG3 is not an open-world game, not entirely – and there's only one entrance to Baldur's Gate from Act 2, while there are several ways to reach Act 2 from Act 1.
First, players must reach Act 2 and finish the main story questline of the region. Then, the transition point to Baldur's Gate proper is unlocked.
First, Complete Act 2 By Finishing Moonrise Towers
After reaching Act 2, and progressing to the Last Light Inn, players soon will learn the location of Moonrise Towers – the command center of General Ketheric Thorm, the supposedly immortal leader of the Absolute armies. The underground labyrinth The Gauntlet of Shar is tied to this overarching Act 2 story, too.
Players will eventually take on Moonrise Towers and Ketheric Thorm after clearing the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2. After players get through a series of incredibly revealing and impactful final sequences, the Act 2 story will be mostly complete, and the way to Baldur's Gate will open just down the road.
Head Northwest to the Road To Baldur's Gate Waypoint
After completing the Ketheric Thorm questline and clearing Moonrise Towers, the next step is to locate the Road to Baldur's Gate Waypoint. Activating this Waypoint gives a convenient way to get back to the transition point to Act 3, in case there are any unresolved questlines or areas yet unexplored.
From the Moonrise Towers Waypoint, just north of the Towers themselves, head directly west along the path. Eventually, players will come to a bridge near the edge of the map, which the path continues under to lead to a Waypoint and the transition point for Act 3.
Be wary of coming here too early – a party of Level 9 Githyanki will ambush those who walk under a bridge near the Waypoint (if you choose to turn against Vlaakith). Plus, the transition point won't even work until Ketheric Thorm is dead because the Absolute's Armies block the way to Baldur's Gate. After dispatching (or avoiding) the Githyanki, walk up to the Waypoint and consider what to do next.
Wrap Up Quests, Pass Through The Transition Point To Act 3
With the Waypoint active, players face an impactful decision. When transitioning to Act 2, many of the Waypoints are still available in Act 1, and players can still go back and complete quests there. However, when transitioning to Act 3, no previous waypoints are kept. Once the party reaches Baldur's Gate, Act 2 and everything before is locked out for the rest of the game.
Use this Waypoint as a means to travel back to the Road to Baldur's Gate after wrapping up any questlines left unfinished. Finding Arabella's Parents, checking out the Githyanki Creche, exploring more of the Mind Flayer Colony – these tasks, and more, are completely unavailable once players reach Baldur's Gate, so be sure to spend some time wrapping up loose ends.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on PC and will release on PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X|S is currently in development.