After exploring the Fungal Wastes in Hollow Knight, your main destination is the City of Tears, but you also have access to Deepnest, Fog Canyon, and the Royal Waterways depending on what abilities and items you’ve collected. The Fungal Wastes sits at a crossroads in the game’s map, connecting to six different areas, so your next move depends on how thoroughly you’ve explored and what you’re ready to tackle.
City of Tears: The Main Path Forward
The City of Tears is the intended next major area after the Fungal Wastes, and reaching it requires a specific item: the City Crest. You get this by defeating the False Knight back in the Forgotten Crossroads. If you already have it, head to the west side of the Fungal Wastes and look for a large gate guarded by a statue of the Great Knight Hegemol. Insert the City Crest into the statue’s slot to open the gate. This consumes the Crest permanently, so there’s no going back on that decision.
The City of Tears is a sprawling area with shops, new NPCs, lore, and several boss encounters. It also serves as a hub connecting to other mid-game and late-game zones. If you’re unsure where to go, this is almost always the right answer.
Deepnest: The Harder Detour
If you’re looking for a challenge, Deepnest is accessible from three different points within the Fungal Wastes. The most common entrance opens after defeating the Mantis Lords in the Mantis Village. Beat them, and the Mantis warriors guarding the gate below will step aside and let you through into the eastern section of Deepnest.
You can also reach Deepnest by dropping to the bottom of the Fungal Core near the Mantis Village, which leads to the same eastern section. A third, sneakier entrance sits east of the Moss Chapel on the ground level. It only reveals itself after you’ve walked past it and tried to turn back.
Deepnest is one of the most hostile areas in the game, filled with aggressive enemies, limited lighting, and very few benches. It’s worth exploring eventually, but if you haven’t upgraded your nail or collected several mask shards, the City of Tears is a better next stop.
Fog Canyon via Queen’s Station
Queen’s Station, a Stag Station inside the Fungal Wastes, connects directly to the southern end of Fog Canyon. If you’ve unlocked the Stagway network, you can fast travel here easily. Fog Canyon itself is a smaller transitional area, but it leads to the Teacher’s Archives and connects back to Greenpath and the Forgotten Crossroads. You need the Mothwing Cloak (the dash ability) to navigate the Fungal Wastes properly, and Fog Canyon assumes you have it as well.
Pick Up the Mantis Claw First
Before leaving the Fungal Wastes entirely, make sure you’ve grabbed the Mantis Claw. This ability lets you cling to walls and jump off them repeatedly, effectively letting you climb vertical surfaces. It’s found within the Mantis Village section of the Fungal Wastes. Without it, large portions of the City of Tears and nearly every area beyond it are inaccessible. Wall jumping is as fundamental to progression as dashing, so don’t skip it.
Charms and Items Worth Grabbing
The Fungal Wastes has several pickups you might miss on a first pass. Leg Eater, an NPC tucked away in the area, sells three Fragile charms: Fragile Heart (350 Geo), Fragile Greed (250 Geo), and Fragile Strength (600 Geo). These break when you die and cost 150 to 350 Geo to repair, but they’re powerful while active. Fragile Strength in particular adds significant damage to your nail and stays useful for the entire game. If you have the Defender’s Crest charm equipped when you talk to Leg Eater, all his prices drop by about 20%.
The Dashmaster charm is hidden beneath a statue below the Mantis Village, near the entrance to the Royal Waterways. It reduces your dash cooldown by a third and lets you dash downward by holding down, which makes general movement noticeably smoother. It costs two charm notches.
Recommended Order
For most players, the cleanest progression looks like this: grab the Mantis Claw, fight the Mantis Lords if you’re ready (they’re optional but reward you with a useful charm and Deepnest access), buy what you can from Leg Eater, then head to the City of Tears through the western gate. Save Deepnest for after you’ve found a couple more upgrades and explored the City. Fog Canyon and the Royal Waterways can wait until you have abilities that make them worth revisiting.