Nightmare Dungeons are a core part of the endgame in Diablo 4, and it doesn’t take much adventuring to know not all of them are made equal. This means some Nightmare Dungeons are better to farm than others, as anyone who’s followed up a Blind Burrows run with a Black Asylum attempt may know.
These dungeons are one of the best ways to get XP in Diablo 4 since their buffs ahead of season one, meaning they’re now one of the quickest ways to level—provided you’re up for the challenge. Facing enemies at least three levels above you is essential for maximum XP gain, though you should be pushing for higher-leveled mobs as long as you’re not sacrificing much time per clear.
With dozens of Nightmare Dungeons available, it may be hard to know if that sigil for Ferals’ Den is worth your time (spoiler: it may not be). Luckily for players grinding those endgame activities, though, content creator Raxxanterax kept diligent records of his ventures into Nightmare Dungeons and made a tier list of his findings, which he made accessible through a video and a spreadsheet.
To calculate those numbers and account for variations regarding characters and builds, Raxxanterax used both a speed-clearing Druid Werewolf build and the slow-but-powerful Bone Spear Necromancer to clear these dungeons, combining the time it took with both characters to get broader data. These calculations refer to solo play but are bound to hold up well in groups.
Here is a tier list showing the best Nightmare Dungeons to farm XP in Diablo 4. This information is based entirely on calculations from content creator Raxxanterax and refers to the state of the game before season one. We’ve maintained Raxxanterax’s terminology, which uses the “goat” tier for the absolute best dungeon in that category. Values can vary based on changes to Nightmare dungeons, meta shifts, and other balancing adjustments.
Diablo 4 Nightmare Dungeon tier list (solo XP farming)
Players who have been in the Nightmare Dungeon game for some time have certainly heard of Blind Burrows, and Raxxanterax’s tier list reinforces its status as the best Nightmare dungeon to farm XP. Blind Burrows is short and relatively easy to clear, but it has enough mob density (and pesky Spider Hosts) to ensure the time you spend there gives you XP in droves. Guulrahn Canals, Sunken Ruins, Aldurwood, and Raethwind Wilds round out the list of S-tier dungeons, according to Raxxanterax. Champion’s Demise, another fast and popular dungeon, sits comfortably at an A tier for solo farming, though its rank may skyrocket as a group.
| Rank | Dungeon | XP/h (mi) | Tier |
| 1 | Blind Burrows | 35.8 | Goat |
| 2 | Guulrahn Canals | 34.1 | S |
| 3 | Sunken Ruins | 32.4 | S |
| 4 | Aldurwood | 30.7 | S |
| 5 | Raethwind Wilds | 30.4 | S |
| 6 | Maulwood | 28.6 | A |
| 7 | Champion’s Demise | 28.1 | A |
| 8 | Demon’s Wake | 27.4 | A |
| 9 | Whispering Pines | 26.8 | A |
| 10 | Lost Archives | 26.1 | A |
| 11 | Witchwater | 26.1 | A |
| 12 | Kor Dragan Barracks | 25.8 | B |
| 13 | Ancient’s Lament | 25.7 | B |
| 14 | Earthen Wound | 24.8 | B |
| 15 | Zenith | 23.8 | B |
| 16 | Abandoned Mineworks | 23.6 | B |
| 17 | Onyx Hold | 23.5 | B |
| 18 | Shadowed Plunge | 23.0 | B |
| 19 | Renegade’s Retreat | 22.3 | C |
| 20 | Cultist’s Refuge | 21.9 | C |
| 21 | Dark Ravine | 21.3 | C |
| 22 | Serpent’s Lair | 20.8 | C |
| 23 | Black Asylum | 20.7 | C |
| 24 | Guulrahn Slums | 20.6 | C |
| 25 | Conclave | 20.6 | C |
| 26 | Maugan’s Works | 19.8 | D |
| 27 | Shivta Ruins | 19.7 | D |
| 28 | Feral’s Den | 19.6 | D |
| 29 | Crusader’s Cathedral | 18.0 | D |
| 30 | Prison of Caldeum | 17.1 | D |
We’ve farmed Nightmare Dungeons to exhaustion with our Bone Spear Necromancer, and our experience lines up with Raxxanterax’s finding. Blind Burrows has been the gold standard for Nightmare Dungeons since launch, but we also recommend Champion’s Demise, especially if you have some friends willing to try it out. We’ve been avoiding Prison of Caldeum, Black Asylum, Crusader’s Cathedral, Maugan’s Works, and Shivta Ruins. The experience wasn’t in it for us, but Raxxanterax’s tier list confirms you might as well salvage any Sigils you get for them.
Best Nightmare Dungeons to farm for Glyph XP in Diablo 4
If you’re only looking to increase your Glyph levels, Raxxanterax may also have the solution. He ran through Nightmare Dungeons to find the best ones to clear quickly, providing more XP for your Glyphs. Glyph XP hinges only on the Sigil’s rank, so these will be the best choices if you’re only after that. Here are his findings, but your time may vary a bit.
| Nightmare Dungeon | Time (s) | Rank | Tier |
| Guulrahn Canals | 138 | 1 | Goat |
| Aldurwood | 166 | 2 | S |
| Maulwood | 167 | 3 | S |
| Witchwater | 179 | 4 | S |
| Raethwind Wilds | 181 | 5 | S |
| Blind Burrows | 182 | 6 | S |
| Sunken Ruins | 187 | 7 | A |
| Cultist’s Refuge | 192 | 8 | A |
| Lost Archives | 194 | 9 | A |
| Maugan’s Works | 195 | 10 | A |
| Earthen Wound | 197 | 11 | A |
| Shivta Ruins | 201 | 12 | B |
| Serpent’s Lair | 208 | 13 | B |
| Crusader’s Cathedral | 210 | 14 | B |
| Guulrahn Slums | 211 | 15 | B |
| Dark Ravine | 215 | 16 | B |
| Demon’s Wake | 221 | 17 | B |
| Shadowed Plunge | 236 | 18 | C |
| Zenith | 236 | 19 | C |
| Renegade’s Retreat | 238 | 20 | C |
| Abandoned Mineworks | 240 | 21 | C |
| Prison of Caldeum | 242 | 22 | C |
| Whispering Pines | 243 | 23 | C |
| Ancient’s Lament | 245 | 24 | C |
| Champion’s Demise | 254 | 25 | C |
| Feral’s Den | 256 | 26 | C |
| Onyx Hold | 272 | 27 | D |
| Kor Dragan Barracks | 284 | 28 | D |
| Conclave | 303 | 29 | D |
The S-tier dungeons to farm for solo XP continue at the top for Glyph levels but with minor changes to their order. Guulrahn Canals takes the top spot, followed by Aldurwood, Maulwood, Witchwater, Raethwind Wilds, and Blind Burrows. Since only speed matters here, you’ll see some shakeup in the lower ranks, with Onyx Hold, Kor Dragan Barracks, Conclave, and Black Asylum moving to the bottom.
Best Nightmare Dungeons to farm for XP and Glyph XP in Diablo 4
If you’re looking for a well-rounded mix of character XP and Glyph progress, Raxxanteraxx also calculated the best dungeons for both at the same time based on the rankings of both categories combined. Both have an equal weight in these calculations. For brevity’s sake, we’ve only included contenders for S and A tiers this time.
| Nightmare Dungeon | Combined Rank (XP + Glyph) | Rank | Tier |
| Guulrahn Canals | 1.5 | 1 | Goat |
| Aldurwood | 3 | 2 | S |
| Blind Burrows | 3.5 | 3 | S |
| Maulwood | 4.5 | 4 | S |
| Raethwind Wilds | 5 | 5 (tie) | S |
| Sunken Ruins | 5 | 5 (tie) | S |
| Witchwater | 7.5 | 7 | A |
| Lost Archives | 9.8 | 8 | A |
| Demon’s Wake | 12.5 | 9 (tie) | A |
| Earthen Wound | 12.5 | 9 (tie) | A |
| Cultist’s Refuge | 14 | 11 | A |
Most of these dungeons are already among the best to farm in the community, so players are bound to recognize most names at the top. Blind Burrows, Aldurwood, Maulwood, and Guulrahn Canals (not to be confused with Guulrahn Slums) are at the top, but the other Nightmare Dungeons in this list are bound to be good to farm if you have an appropriate Sigil for them.
