The Dragonborn DLC expansion added a bunch of new stuff to the vanilla game, including an entirely new questline, new areas, Black Books, Bend Will Dragon Shout, Deathbrand Armor, etc. However, to unlock these items and play the new campaign, you first have to make your way to Solstheim.
Solstheim is the new main location that was added alongside the DLC expansion. Although the official quest to head over to Solstheim only starts after encountering the cultists, you can still go to the new location very early in the game.
In fact, you can leave for Solstheim as soon as you make your escape from Helgen. There are a couple of different ways to reach Solstheim. You can either take a boat ride to Solstheim or use the Console Command to teleport your player character directly to Solstheim.
I’ll discuss both of these methods in much detail below.
Via Sailing
The first method is a more traditional one. This is how the developers wanted the players to reach Solstheim. Here, we’ll be hiring a boat to take us to Solstheim.
Step 1: Head to Windhelm Docks
So, the first thing we’ll do is locate our ride to Solstheim. There’s only one boat in all of Skyrim that can take you to Solstheim, and it is anchored at the docks in Windhelm.
The dock is located to the right of the bridge to Windhelm. There are a few ways to reach the docks.
- You can either go around the bridge across the river.
- You can also reach the docks by entering through the large door located on the eastern side of Windhelm.
Step 2: Speak with Gjalund Salt-Sage
After reaching the dock, get on the boat anchored in the middle of the dock. The boat that we’re looking for will also have three people on board.
Speak with Gjalund Salt-Sage, the captain of the ship. He’s the guy with yellow and brown overalls. You’ll have to pay him 250 gold coins in order to sail with him.
After then, you have to sit through a small cutscene where the boat reaches the docks of Raven Rock in Solstheim. This cutscene will only play if it’s your first time visiting Solstheim. It won’t be repeated on your next visit.
Using Console Command
The second method is slightly more unconventional and only available for the PC version.
PC players can use the debugging tool, also known as the Console Command, to teleport themselves to any location on the map, including Solstheim.
This method is especially useful if the game glitches out for some reason, making you unable to travel via the conventional method.
Follow the steps below to move to Solstheim via the Console Command.
- Press the
~tilde key on your keyboard. - Type in
coc dlc2RavenRock03 - Press Enter to run the command. You’ll be teleported to starting point in Solstheim.
Here’s a video guide explaining the above methods.
How to Return to Skyrim?
Solstheim is a post-game area filled with moderate-level enemies that can be challenging if you’re still a beginner or in the game’s early stages.
So if you feel like you’re not ready to traverse through Solstheim yet, you can safely return to Skyrim by booking the passage from the ship’s captain, Gjalund. Again, this will cost you 250 gold coins.
Alternatively, you can also fast-travel back to Skyrim from the map.
How to Get to Solstheim Again?
After reaching Solstheim for the first time by boat, you’ll unlock the location permanently on your map. This allows you to travel back and forth between Skyrim and Solstheim at any time.
To head to Solstheim again, you can either pay Gjalund at the Windhelm docks to take you to Solstheim or, this time, use the map to fast travel directly to Solsetheim.
Note: Using the Console Command to teleport yourself to Solstheim will not unlock the location on the map. For that, you have to take the boat to Solstheim from Windhelm docks at least once.
