Kehjistan is one of the major open world regions in Diablo 4, a sun-scorched desert full of ancient ruins, cultists, and demonic strongholds. On the southwestern edge of this region you find Gea Kul, a key coastal town that plays an important role in the main story and serves as a very useful hub for endgame activities.
Many players first hear about Gea Kul when they start looking for the mount unlock quest or when the campaign sends them deeper into Kehjistan. It can be a little confusing if you are exploring freely and are not sure how to actually reach this part of the map. The good news is that Kehjistan and Gea Kul are not permanently gated behind late game content. You simply need to progress past the early campaign and then travel there safely and efficiently.
This guide explains how to gain access to Kehjistan, how to reach Gea Kul, and what to focus on when you first arrive.
Requirements and recommendations before entering Kehjistan
Technically, you can walk toward Kehjistan as soon as the open world becomes available after the prologue and early story in Fractured Peaks. However, there are some strong recommendations that make the experience much smoother:
- Finish the prologue and reach Kyovashad. This unlocks the core systems of the game, like vendors, your stash, and more waypoints.
- Aim for around level 25 to 30 before you spend serious time questing in Kehjistan. You can physically enter at a lower level, but the enemies in many parts of Kehjistan can hit very hard for undergeared characters.
- Unlock a few waypoints in neighboring regions such as Dry Steppes or Scosglen. This makes traveling back and forth much easier.
- Complete at least the early parts of the main campaign. This ensures that story quests will appear correctly once you get close to Kehjistan and Gea Kul.
While not absolutely mandatory, being properly geared, with upgraded healing potions and a reasonably optimized build, makes the first visit to Kehjistan far more enjoyable. The monsters in this region are aggressive, and you will often fight large packs of enemies at once.
Story progression route into Kehjistan
The cleanest and most natural way to reach Kehjistan is to follow the main campaign. After the initial chapters in Fractured Peaks, the story branches and allows you to choose which region to tackle next. One of those branches sends you toward Kehjistan and introduces this region with dedicated quests and NPCs.
When you pick the story arc that takes place in Kehjistan, the main questline will:
- Mark quest objectives in the southwestern part of the overworld.
- Lead you toward the border between the earlier regions and the deserts of Kehjistan.
- Gradually move you deeper into the region, toward important hubs and quest locations.
Following the campaign into Kehjistan has several advantages:
- You encounter level-appropriate content that scales with your character.
- You are guided past several waypoints, which makes later travel far easier.
- You meet important NPCs and unlock additional content, including dungeons and side quests connected to the main story.
If your priority is to experience the narrative as intended, or if you are near the recommended level range, letting the campaign guide you into Kehjistan is usually the best choice.
Free exploration route into Kehjistan
If you prefer to explore on your own, or you are simply curious and want to unlock the map early, you can also reach Kehjistan by walking there without relying on the main story.
A general approach looks like this:
- Start from Kyovashad or another waypoint in Fractured Peaks. Make sure your potions are upgraded and your gear is repaired.
- Head toward the western and southwestern exits of the region. You will gradually move into drier, rockier terrain as you approach the borders with other regions.
- Pass through neighboring regions on your way to the desert. The specific route can vary depending on which waypoints you have unlocked, but you will be traveling across open world zones that connect directly to Kehjistan.
- Keep moving toward the southwestern edge of the world map. As you do this, the environment will shift into full desert and ruin-filled landscapes, and the map will clearly mark you as being in Kehjistan.
The key idea is simple: once the open world is available, there are no hard barriers preventing you from entering Kehjistan. The game world is designed so that all major regions are interconnected, so persistent exploration will always get you there.
Just remember that if you arrive very underleveled, standard enemies can take you out quickly. If that happens, consider unlocking a nearby waypoint, then returning after you gain a few levels elsewhere.
How to find and unlock Gea Kul
Gea Kul is located on the southwestern coastline of Kehjistan. It is a small but very important seaside town that you will eventually visit during the main campaign. Even if you arrive there by free exploration, it is still a fully functional hub with vendors and services.
Here is how to get access to Gea Kul in practice:
- Enter Kehjistan from the north or northeast. Whether you came via story or free exploration, you will initially be in the more northern parts of the region.
- Follow the roads heading southwest across the desert. Roads are safer than cutting straight across the sand, since they reduce the number of enemies that can ambush you and give you more predictable encounters.
- Watch your world map for the town icon near the southwestern coast. As you uncover more of the fog of war, the Gea Kul icon will appear clearly on your map.
- Approach the town gates and step inside. Once you enter Gea Kul, its waypoint becomes available, and the town is permanently unlocked as a hub.
The first time you arrive, you should immediately:
- Activate the Gea Kul waypoint. This is crucial. It turns the town into a fast travel destination and saves a huge amount of time in the future.
- Locate the key vendors such as the blacksmith, occultist, healer, and the stash.
- Check for any active campaign objectives or side quests, as many players reach Gea Kul in the middle of a major story segment.
After this initial setup, Gea Kul becomes one of your most useful bases in the southern parts of Sanctuary.
What Gea Kul offers once it is unlocked
Once you have access to Gea Kul, it functions just like other major towns in Diablo 4, with a few additional perks related to its location and role in the campaign.
Key features in Gea Kul include:
- Waypoint: This is the most important element. Being able to teleport in and out of Kehjistan’s southwest corner drastically reduces travel time for dungeons, world events, and campaign quests in the area.
- Vendors and crafting services: You will find a blacksmith, vendor, and other typical town services that allow you to repair, upgrade, and salvage your equipment.
- Quest hub: Gea Kul is involved in important story moments. When you arrive as part of the main campaign, you will find unique NPCs and cutscenes that move the narrative forward.
- Access to late game content in the region: Many world events, dungeons, and other activities in southwest Kehjistan become much more convenient once you can use Gea Kul as a base of operations.
Because of this combination of services and location, unlocking Gea Kul early and activating its waypoint is a very strong quality-of-life upgrade for your character.
Tips to survive Kehjistan and the area around Gea Kul
Reaching Kehjistan and Gea Kul is only the first step. The enemies you encounter in this region can be dangerous if you are not prepared. A few practical tips can make your time there much smoother:
Stay near roads while exploring. Roads often lead to waypoints, towns, and quest locations and generally contain more manageable encounters. Cutting across the desert can drop you into the middle of large enemy packs with less room to maneuver.
Upgrade your healing potions before you commit to long runs. Potions are your lifeline in Diablo 4. Before pushing deep into Kehjistan, make sure you have upgraded your potion tier at the alchemist based on your current level. This makes a huge difference when an elite pack corners you.
Prioritize unlocking nearby waypoints and strongholds. As you explore around Gea Kul, look for waypoints on your map and try to claim them as soon as you reasonably can. Strongholds in the region can be challenging, but clearing them permanently changes the local area and often rewards a new waypoint or useful hub.
Do not be afraid to kite and reposition. Many enemies in Kehjistan use ranged attacks or spells, and they sometimes appear in large mixed groups. Move constantly, drag enemies into better positions, and avoid tanking everything face first unless your build is designed for it.
Use Gea Kul as a gear checkpoint. After a few dungeons or events in the surrounding desert, return to Gea Kul to salvage unwanted gear, upgrade important items, and check vendors for potential upgrades. This creates a steady rhythm: explore and fight, then return to town to power up.
Adjust your World Tier if needed. If reaching Kehjistan or Gea Kul feels overwhelmingly hard and enemies are deleting your character in seconds, consider lowering your World Tier. It is better to progress comfortably and learn the region than to repeatedly die on an overtuned difficulty.
With Kehjistan unlocked and Gea Kul added to your network of waypoints, a large part of Diablo 4’s world opens up. From this desert hub you can launch expeditions into nearby dungeons, push deep into the campaign, farm specific content in the area, or simply enjoy exploring one of the most atmospheric regions in Sanctuary.