Menethil Harbor to Gadgetzan travel guide

Travel from Menethil Harbor to Gadgetzan
This guide is for Alliance characters who have made it to Menethil Harbor (usually overland from Ironforge), and who wish to reach Gadgetzan in Tanaris.

The first step, regardless of later choices, is to take the ship at the southern dock to Theramore.

From Theramore, the safest way to Gadgetzan, especially for lower level characters, is to swim. You may want to bring swim speed and/or water breathing potions along for the sake of convenience. There are some nasty critters in the Theramore harbor, so as you approach by ship, before you get into the harbor, jump into the water and start following the shoreline south to Steamwheedle Port. Pay attention to where you are swimming and stick to the light blue water. The dark blue water is close to the shore in this area. Gadgetzan is west down the road from Steamwheedle Port.

NB: Swimming from Theramore Isle to the coast of Tanaris can be extremely dangerous while in the Dustwallow Marsh waters if you don't take some basic precautions: you're very likely to encounter Murk Threshers (level 39-43) and Elder Murk Threshers (level 43-45) (pleisiosaurs like the ones in Darkshore). Swim around them to avoid their aggro radius. Very rare, but still very dangerous, are Coral Sharks, level 45-46 elites.

A faster, though nominally costlier, way to get to Gadgetzan while swimming, is to strategically die as soon as possible upon entering Tanaris. When you reach the southernmost edge of the Theramore area and you are about to be in Thousand Needles, notice that the area changes to Tanaris instead. From now on, all you have to do is drown yourself and rez with the Spirit Healer near Gadgetzan!

If you don't like the water, another way to get there is to travel across Dustwallow Marsh, until you see an indication for The Barrens. Continue to The Barrens, and at the first crossroad turn left, heading south. At the end of the road, there are two elevators, The Great Lift, guarded by two PvP Horde tauren around level 35, that bring you to Thousand Needles. If you are having trouble dealing with the guards and don't care about the repair bill, all you need to do is jump down, as there is a graveyard close to the base of the elevators. If you are a mage, priest or paladin, you may also use Slow Fall, Levitate, or Divine Shield respectively to jump down and avoid dying in the process. At the first crossroads, continue to walk heading east. (If you have the time, you might want to go west first to Thalanaar, an Alliance-friendly Night Elf outpost at the eastern extremity of Feralas (close enough so that you don't have to worry about high-level mobs) to get the flight path there.) After some minutes heading east, you reach Shimmering Flats, a white-salt highland. Travel now to the south, following the road. Walk on a mountain road, then get down, always following the road. You are now just outside the city walls of Gadgetzan.