Once you’ve reached the high-level stages of Elden Ring, leveling up and upgrading gear becomes significantly more rune-intensive. At this point in the game, efficient farming is less about survival and more about speed and reward. Whether you’re preparing for New Game Plus or fine-tuning your build, the right farming locations can save you hours of grinding.

Here are 16 of the best rune farming spots tailored for high-level characters, tested and refined by seasoned players.

1. Mohgwyn Palace – Albinauric Cliff

Probably the most well-known late-game rune farming area. Using a high AoE weapon like Sacred Relic Sword allows you to wipe out the Albinauric mob clusters for massive rune gains per run. This is often considered the gold standard for late-game farming.

2. Mohgwyn Palace – Bloody Crow of Mohg Invasion Spot

Just up the slope from the Albinaurics, you can bait the invader to fall off a cliff for an easy rune gain. It’s less efficient than AoE farming, but it's entirely passive and safe for AFK or casual sessions.

3. Haligtree – Prayer Room to Elphael Inner Wall

This route is packed with enemies that drop large amounts of Elden Ring Runes, especially Cleanrot Knights and Scarlet Rot infected foes. Be prepared for a challenge, but the payoff is excellent.

4. Haligtree Canopy Walk

The treetop traversal area offers dense enemy placement and tough fights, perfect for high-damage AoE builds. Using ranged spells or large sweeping weapons can make short work of the clustered foes.

5. Consecrated Snowfield – Wandering Nobles

These seemingly weak enemies are grouped tightly, making them ideal for AoE rune farming. A few wide swings can net tens of thousands of runes quickly, especially with rune-boosting gear or Physick buffs.

6. Crumbling Farum Azula – Dragon Temple Lift

Fast enemies, but high rewards. Kill the beastmen and knights around this zone for consistent rune drops. Their aggression makes it a test of timing and endurance.

7. Farum Azula – Dragon Temple Rooftop

This location is full of beastmen that often travel in packs. With enough damage, you can mow them down before they react. Great for builds that rely on chain kills or FP-efficient AoE skills.

8. Mountaintops of the Giants – Giants’ Gravepost

Hunt down the fire giants and beasts for large rune payouts. They’re durable, but high-level characters should find the challenge manageable with upgraded weapons.

9. Zamor Ruins

Good density of enemies, some of which drop rare Elden Ring items. Farming here also gives you a chance to collect crafting materials along with runes, making it a versatile stop.

10. Flame Peak – Fire Monks

These enemies are aggressive and grouped around ruins. AoE spells or weapons with fire resistance will help here. Their rune drop rate is solid, and they respawn close to the grace point.

11. Lake of Rot Shoreline

Only viable for high-level characters with immunity gear or spells. Clear out pests and rot creatures for substantial runes. It’s slow but profitable, and useful if you’re farming while exploring for hidden items.

12. Nokstella – Eternal City

The enemies here are magical constructs and slimes, all of which drop fair rune amounts and occasionally rare materials. A well-built caster can clean house here efficiently.

13. Deeproot Depths – Across the Roots

This late-game zone hides strong enemies with worthwhile rune rewards. Be cautious of large beasts and surprise attacks, but if you're at high level, you can farm them on a loop.

14. Leyndell, Ashen Capital

After the city transforms, the ash-covered streets become filled with powerful enemies that are ideal for high-level farming. Knights and Cleanrot variants drop large rune amounts consistently.

15. Dragonbarrow – Fort Faroth Vicinity

Even after out-leveling the area, returning with a high-powered AoE build can yield fast rune returns. The flying enemies and wandering beasts offer enough density to justify short bursts of farming.

16. Forbidden Lands – Between Grand Lift and Capital

This narrow corridor is packed with Black Blade Kindreds and other strong foes. It’s not for casual farming, but if you’re up for the challenge, the rune payout is solid and satisfying.

Farming runes at high levels requires not only strong builds but also optimized routes and gear. Equip items like the Gold Scarab and maximize your flask bonuses to increase returns per run. For players looking to bypass the farming grind entirely, some in the community opt to buy Elden Ring items or top up their Elden Ring runes from trusted sources like U4GM, especially when fine-tuning PvP builds or preparing for tough NG+ content.

Whether you’re stacking runes for late-game gear or planning your next respec, these 16 farming spots will keep you stocked and battle-ready for whatever lies ahead in the Lands Between.