How to find hidden treasure chests in Genshin Impact

James Busby
Genshin Impact treasure chests

Genshin Impact’s stunningly beautiful open-world is absolutely begging to be explored, but some of Teyvat’s treasures prove extremely difficult to find. Fortunately, our handy guide will give you the necessary knowledge to uncover these hidden gems. 

Like all good open-world games, Genshin Impact puts a huge emphasis on exploration. Not only is the very act of adventuring through Genshin’s vast and colorful world incredibly fun, it’s also extremely rewarding. In fact, the land of Teyvat is teeming with a variety of deadly enemies, monolithic bosses, dark dungeons, and most importantly – hidden treasures for the player to uncover. 

If you’ve been busy playing through miHoYo’s popular open-world game, then there’s a good chance you’ve opened up your fair share of treasure chests. These loot-filled containers house a variety of goodies that range from powerful weapons to game-changing artifacts and character enhancing tomes. However, while the majority of Genshin Impact’s overworld treasure chests are easy to find, there are a few that require a little extra work to find.

Here are all the things you need to look out for when uncovering the game’s hidden treasure chests. 

Collect carrots for a bountiful surprise

Carrots Genshin Impact
You may want to grab more than one of your five a day when treasure hunting in Genshin Impact.

While collecting carrots in Genshin Impact won’t give your characters enhanced night vision, they can sometimes reward you with a treasure chest. You’ll need to collect these healthy veggies if you wish to use Genshin Impact’s best recipes, so picking them should be always a top priority when foraging. 

Scan your surroundings for any carrots that are clustered together in groups of three or four, as this is a telltale sign that this particular patch will yield a treasure chest. Simply pluck them up from the ground and claim your newfound prize. Not bad for consuming one of your five a day, hey? 

Light torches and campfires

Genshin Impact torches
This will feel incredibly familiar to Legend of Zelda fans.

While Genshin Impact is more than just a Breath of the Wild clone, it does heavily borrow some mechanics from Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series. One of these areas is in the way players can unearth hidden treasure chests. In most cases, simply lighting any previously lit torches, campfires, and totems will reward you with a treasure chest. 

While this method won’t always reward you with a chest, it doesn’t take very long to do. We’ve certainly been rewarded with bountiful amounts of loot when following this tip, so be sure to do it too if you want to claim some extra rewards.

Destroy stone towers

Genshin Impact stone pillars
Leave no stone pillar unturned in Genshin Impact.

These stone towers aren’t just some Hilichurl’s passion project – in fact, they can net you some quick loot if you spot them out in the open. Each pillar only takes a couple of hits before it turns into rubble, allowing you to destroy all three statues in mere seconds. Once you’ve obliterated them, you should see a treasure chest spawn where the statues once lay. 

Break Hilichurl targets and watchtowers

Hilichurl targets Genshin Impact
These wooden structures aren’t just for target practice.

Hilichurl camps can be located everywhere across Teyvat and these goblin-like creatures usually serve as punching bags for the Knights of Favonius. Genshin Impact’s daily quests often require you to mop up hordes of Hilichurls, giving you plenty of opportunities to test out your current party’s damage and elemental synergies. Wiping out the more sizable camps will also reward you with an Exquisite chest.

However, there is an area that is usually overlooked by the majority of Genshin Impact players. Some Hilichurl camps will have wooden targets that are clustered together. While these wooden structures may look like simple set dressing, they can actually be broken and will often grant you a loot-filled reward.  

Dig up mounds of earth

Genshin Impact mud mound
These small mounds of earth hold a big surprise.

These muddy mounds of dirt are a little tricky to spot, particularly if you’re not specifically looking for them. In fact, we have passed Genshin Impact’s muddy outcrops dozens of times before our curiosity finally got the better of us. There seems to be no set location for these dirt spawns, but they do appear more frequently near trees and open fields. Simply equip an Anemo character and blow away the dirt with their wind ability to claim your prize. 

Hit floating slimes

Genshin Impact slimes
You’ll need to hit all three of these balloon-like slimes to grab some free loot.

Genshin Impact wouldn’t be your typical anime ARPG without the humble slime and these gelatinous enemies come in all shapes, elements, and sizes. However, there is a particular type of slime that prefers to spend its day floating around trees and buildings. Make sure you always check the skyline whenever you go exploring through dense forests or areas with lots of foliage, as you’ll invariably find a trio of slimes floating around. Simply shoot all three to unlock a chest. 

Examine fallen statues and ancient totems

Genshin Impact ruins
Genshin Impact’s ancient statues may be old, but they do offer some great prizes.

The shining twinkle is usually a dead giveaway that an object has hidden loot for you to secure, but sometimes there will be no visual prompt at all. Certain statues and ancient ruins in Genshin Impact will feature treasure chests, so be sure to examine them carefully before moving on to your next location. After all, you’ll need as much loot as possible if you wish to enhance all your artifacts and weapons. 


If you want to level up the rest of your Genshin Impact gameplay, then be sure to check out our other tips guides.