Tomb Raider I-III Remastered updates are in progress but will take time. For levels that have not yet been updated, I will continue to link to the ORIGINAL WALKTHROUGHS, which cover all the basics. Please check the introductory notes at the start of the first level for info on my process, modern vs. classic tank controls, etc. Note thatThis guide covers most but not all possible achievements/trophies. Follow this link for the archived classic Palace Midas walkthrough.

Secrets: 3  Pickups: 23, including 3 lead bars  Kills: 43
Save Crystals: 8 (New Game+ only)

NOTE: One one of the regular pickups in this level will be the MAGNUMS if you didn't find them earlier.

LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)

Palace Midas Video Walkthrough by Eldincy

OBJECTIVES: Find the room with five switches and use these in different combinations to open four different doors. Three of the doors lead to areas where you'll find lead bars. The three lead bars must then be turned into gold by a magical process, which you must discover. The fourth door leads the level exit, which can only be opened with the three gold bars.

LEVEL ENTRANCE - DOLPHIN POOL: Keep swimming, surface in a lovely pool decorated with dolphins, and climb out of the water. There are three passageways leading out of this room at ground level (and more up above). For now, climb out of the water on the north side (the same side of the pool as the underwater gate). Draw weapons, go around the corner into the hallway, and kill the charging crocodile (1). Continue to the base of a staircase. Don't go up yet. Instead turn right and follow the long passageway to an open area with a tall building. (screenshots)

NOTE: For more information about the Minoan dolphin fresco in the pool, as well as many other real-world items and locations featured in the games, check out the Arte-Factual series from Tomb Raider Horizons.

ROOM WITH MANY ALCOVES BELOW AQUEDUCT: Advance slowly to the left with weapons drawn. Give yourself room to back up while shooting at the 2 lions (2-3) that emerge from the second-to-last alcove. If you go in slowly, you can probably draw them out one at a time, then back away while firing. Or, jump up onto one of the safe blocks, opposite the alcove and back near the entrance, where the lions can't reach, and shoot them from above. When they're dead, continue to the far left end of the room where it's darker. Kill 4 bats (4-7) there and pick up a small medi pack (1) from the floor on the left. The sound of running water here suggests that this structure is actually an aqueduct. You'll get to the top later from above. (screenshots)

Turn around and head back toward the hallway where you entered. Pass it and continue to the far end of the room. Behind the building is a narrow alley with a gorilla (8) guarding 2 sets of magnum clips (2-3). Kill and pillage. Then return the way you came, through the long passage to the north. Make a U-turn to the right and climb the stairs to the top. (screenshots)

ROOM WITH SQUARE PILLARS AND FIVE SWITCHES: At the top of the stairs, turn left and advance cautiously into the next room. Three more gorillas (9-11) inside need your attention. You can probably kill them one at a time by advancing into the room to draw them out, then backing up while firing. (screenshot) When all the apes are dead, you can explore freely.

Here you see a number of tall square pillars, a high platform with 5 switches, and several closed doors. Note the inscriptions above the doors. Each has a series of five Greek letters—a different combination of omegas (Ω), which look like horseshoes with the curved end up, and upsilons (Υ), which look like capital Y's, for each door. Five symbols, five switches. Omega points up, Upsilon points down. Get it?

Before climbing up to the switches, pick up a few items: Cross to the far right (southeast) corner of the room. Here you'll find the lowest pillar. Climb on top and take a running jump to the next pillar. Then turn left, walk to the edge, and take a standing jump to grab the ledge above the door on the south wall. Pull up, follow this ledge to the far end and take a running jump to grab the ledge above the door in the southwest corner. Pull up and retrieve some magnum clips (4) and a small medi pack (5). Safety drop to the floor. (screenshots)

Return to the southeast corner and climb onto the blocky tan structure to the right of the switch platform. Climb up to the second level and position Lara at the corner of the ledge nearest the switch platform, facing it. Check the angle by using the Look button to make sure Lara's head is lined up with the second fluted golden column from the left side of the switch platform. Hop back and then take a running jump (without grabbing) to land on the platform. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you have trouble making that jump, you can go the long way. Return to the shortest pillar, climb up, take a running jump to the second pillar and another running jump to the third. From there, take a running jump to grab the top of the next pillar. Pull up and take a standing jump to the fifth and a running jump to grab the last pillar. Now jump over to the switch platform, which should be on your immediate right. (screenshots)

Before doing anything else, drop through the hole in the floor and use the switch below to open the nearby gate. Now you can reach the switches more easily next time. (screenshots)

UNREACHABLE HEALTH PACK: Return to the switch platform, but before using the 5 switches, let's get a tricky pickup and unlock an achievement/trophy. If you stand on the left side of the switch platform and use Photo Mode (F3 on keyboard, L3 + R3 on controllers; i.e., click both analog stick buttons at the same time) , you can spot a large medi pack on top of the blocky tan structure to the left. That's where we're headed. Jump back over to the sixth pillar, and from there, take a running jump onto the tan structure. (screenshots)

You can't reach the ledge with the medi pack using any normal jump, so we'll need to take advantage of a bug. Turn so the tall block with the medi pack is in front of Lara and the drop-off is on her right. Step forward and right until her chest is touching the block and her right foot is at the edge. Pivot about 45 degrees to the right, keeping Lara's left arm and foot against the wall and her right foot as close to the edge as possible. Press and hold Jump (no directions, no grab) to make her jump in place. As she jumps, she'll inch forward little by little. If you've set it up correctly, you'll notice her left arm and lower leg start to creep into the block a little more with each jump. After a few jumps, Lara will reach a critical point. The game will interpret her position as being inside the block, reject this information as impossible, and reposition her in a "legal" spot on top of the corner. Pick up the large medi pack (6) and the "You Corner Bug!" achievement/trophy should unlock. Safety drop to the ledge below, then again to the floor. (screenshots)

NOTE: Visuals help a lot when learning the corner bug. In addition to the screenshots, check out my basic corner bug video tutorial, classic Midas medi pack video and/or remastered "You Corner Bug" video. And if you like the corner bug, you'll LOVE its siblings, the crawling and swimming corner bugs, detailed in the the Classic Tomb Raider Useful Bugs section.

FIRE PILLAR ROOM (FIRST LEAD BAR): Return to the switch platform. As you probably figured, using the switches in different combinations opens the four doors leading out of this room. You can explore these side areas in any order you like. I suggest trying the most difficult first. Then, if at first you don't succeed, you can always go on to the other rooms and try this one again later. Lower the leftmost switch so you have, from left to right: Down, Up, Up, Up, Up (Υ Ω Ω Ω Ω). The door with the matching symbols, on the south side of the room, opens. Drop down and go inside. (There's a convenient save crystal here in New Game+.) (screenshots)

You're now facing a pool and five square pillars with flames on top. Your goal: The shiny object in the alcove on the far side of the pool. Before tackling the platforming challenge, kill some R.O.U.S.: 3 rats (12-14) swimming in the pool. If Lara won't target them from the edge, take a swim, then climb out on the steps below the entrance to shoot. Now, if you slip while making your way across the pillars, they won't start nibbling as you swim back to the steps. (screenshots)

Standing on the floor tile in front of the first burner turns off the flames, but only temporarily. Once you step off that tile, you have just over 10 seconds to reach the far side of the pool before the burners reignite. Here's how: Position Lara's feet on the brown line in front of the first pillar, squarely facing the middle of the next pillar. Save the game. The timer won't start until Lara begins to run, so take your time getting set up. Now, press and hold Forward, then Jump. Continue holding both buttons to take a smooth series of running jumps from pillar to pillar. Each time Lara lands on a pillar, gently press Left or Right to steer her in the direction she needs to run. At the fourth pillar, keep holding Forward and Jump until take-off. Then press and hold Action to grab the edge of the last pillar. Pull up and run/jump forward as quickly as possible before the torches ignite. Pick up the FIRST LEAD BAR (7)—one of three you'll need to finish the level. (In NG+ there's also another save crystal on this side of the torches.) (screenshots and video)

NOTES: If you are able to grab the edge of the last pillar, but the flames come on before you can pull up, traverse as far as possible to either side. Then pull up and quickly run straight forward past the flame. Lara will lose some health but hopefully won't catch fire. (screenshots) There are a few other methods for this section in the CLASSIC GUIDE, which I find too complicated or too unreliable, but you're welcome to check them out. If you're playing on PC, you can also download a save file with Lara past this point.

You may unlock the "Tempered Lara" achievement/trophy by accident while attempting this run. If Lara does catch fire, jump in the pool to put it out, and the achievement/trophy should pop. If you make it across without incident, save the game, step into the flames, then douse them...et voilà! (screenshots)

Swim back across the pool, climb out on the steps on the left, and exit the room. Another gorilla (15) will be lurking about. Kill it and return to the switch platform. (screenshots)

SPIKE ROOM (SECOND LEAD BAR): Now arrange the 5 switches from left to right: Up, Up, Down, Up, Down (Ω Ω Υ Ω Υ) to open the door to the right of the entrance. Descend and enter the room, taking care to walk through or run carefully around the spikes. Go through the doorway on the right and locate the movable block beside the ramp. Pull it twice then go behind it and use the switch to raise a series of pillars in the room with the spikes. (screenshots)

Go up the ramp and then follow the passage to a doorway overlooking the spike room. (NG+ players get a save crystal here.) Walk to the edge of the opening and take a standing jump to the top of the nearest pillar. Jump from pillar to pillar counterclockwise around the room (running jumps all) until you're facing the doorway of the small room in the northeast corner. Walk to the edge of the pillar, take a standing jump into the doorway, and immediately backflip out onto the pillar. A gorilla (16) appears out of thin air, and it's very hostile after being teleported here. Shoot it from the safety of the pillar. Then jump back over and retrieve the second SECOND LEAD BAR (8). (screenshots)

Jump back to the pillar, then jump carefully over the spikes to a clear spot on the floor. Return to the other room and climb back up to the switches. (screenshots)

SAND ROOM - ROUNDABOUT ROUTE TO THE DISTANT TEMPLE (THIRD LEAD BAR): Now we're headed for the DISTANT TEMPLE on the far west side of the level. This area is reachable at ground level, but we need to get onto the TEMPLE ROOF, so we'll have to make our way there through the caves.

Arrange the 5 switches to match the inscription over the door to the left of the entrance: Up, Up, Down, Down, Up (Ω Ω Υ Υ Ω). Go through the door, around the tall, square pillar in the center of the room, and through the doorway at the back. Turn right and go down the stairs to the small room at the bottom. Pull the movable block once to cause the ceiling to collapse in the room above. Return up the stairs and continue straight ahead up several more flights of stairs to an opening overlooking the now sand-filled room. (screenshots)

Take a standing jump from the doorway to the flat ledge below and to the right. It's easy to overshoot, so aim for the right side of this two-tile area, or press Action as you jump to shorten the distance Lara travels. Take a running jump from the left side of the flat ledge to grab the right (lower) side of the broken pillar. Pull up and then take another running jump along the right side of the broken pillar to grab the left (higher) end of the angled ledge just to the right of the elevated doorway. Pull up again and jump into the doorway. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you miss any of these jumps and slide to the floor, just return through the doorway on the west side (screenshot), turn left, and climb the stairs to get back to the doorway overlooking the sand pile.

TOP OF THE AQUEDUCT: Climb the rocks on the right to an opening across from a water-filled aqueduct. (There's a save crystal here in NG+.) Mind the gap. It's a long way down. You can see some items in a hole below, but don't drop down yet. (screenshots)

Kill 2 bats (17-18) and 2 gorillas (19-20) from the doorway. You can probably also target another gorilla (21) running around in the room below. If you're patient, you can dangle Lara from the edge to attract its attention. Then pull up and shoot. But if you can't kill it from this height, that's OK. You may be able to injure it so it'll be easier to kill later. (screenshots)

Take a running jump jump across to the walkway around the aqueduct. If you look down, you'll notice you're now high above the area where you killed the lions earlier. Two crocodiles (22-23) swim along the aqueduct here. You may need to take a dip to draw them out so you can shoot them from the walkway. When it's safe, swim through the tunnel at the west end of the aqueduct and surface in a small cave. Climb out of the water on the right. Turn left then climb up on the rocks. Walk forward (with the pool on your left) until Lara won't walk farther. Face the middle or left side of the angled block ahead (the right side is too high). Take a standing jump over it and immediately jump again to land on the rocks ahead. Lara will slide down to a flat spot in the corner. Turn left and walk/slide down to the magnum clips and small medi pack (9-10), which are SECRET #1. (screenshots)

Swim back through the tunnel and return to the north end of the aqueduct where you entered this area. Safety drop into the hole with the small medi pack, shotgun shells and Uzi ammo (11-13). This is SECRET #2. If you didn't kill the gorilla (21) from above, do it now by jumping up and down until you get a pistol lock on it, then continuing to jump and fire until it's dead. Then take a standing jump out of the hole. (screenshots)

AQUEDUCT MIDDLE TIER: You're now on the middle level of the aqueduct, above where you killed the first 4 bats (4-7) at the beginning of the level. Go into the dark room ahead. It contains many shallow alcoves. One of these—the second on the right—has a small medi pack (14). Grab it and return to the openings overlooking the area below. Jump from the left opening to the building ahead on the left. Two more gorillas (24-25) are hiding ahead: one in the second alcove, another in the farthest. You can probably kill the first one from safety by jumping across the gap to get its attention then back-flipping to the ledge where you started. For the second, advance to the next-to-last alcove, wait for the gorilla to emerge, get a pistol lock, and backflip away firing. Just be careful not to fall off the high ledge as you fight. (screenshots)

NOTES: If you go quickly, you can kill the first gorilla, then jump over to the alcove with the large medi pack, below, and shoot the second gorilla from across the gap. If you lose your footing here and Lara survives the fall, you'll have to make your way back to the ROOM WITH FIVE SWITCHES and retrace your steps through the SAND ROOM to the TOP OF THE AQUEDUCT. Then drop down into the pit where you found secret #2 again.

ROUNDABOUT ROUTE TO THE DISTANT TEMPLE: After dealing with the gorillas, turn to face the rock wall across the gap. You'll notice a large medi pack (15) in the long, horizontal crevice in that rock wall. Take a running jump to grab the flat part of the crevice near the medi pack and pull up. If Lara won't pull up, traverse a little to the left where the ceiling is higher and try again. Take the medi pack. Then drop back to grab the edge and traverse all the way to the left. Drop onto the flat corner block, roll, draw pistols, and kill 2 bats (26-27) that fly out of the alcove on the other side of the gap. Then take a running jump over there. (screenshots)

Follow the twisting passageway up a series of ramps and ledges until you emerge in a cave with 3 break-away floor tiles (28-30/51). You'll want to shatter all three for the After Us The Deluge! achievement/trophy. Run across the first two tiles to the niche on the right with the large medi pack (16). Pick it up. Then run from the safe nice onto the third cracked tile at the corner, where the gap is small, and keep running onto the solid floor. (Or, take a standing jump onto the cracked tile and quickly run on to the solid floor.) (screenshots)

NOTE: If Lara falls through, she'll land safely in the pool at the end of the aqueduct, near secret #1. You'll then have to swim/climb all the way back here.

Go through the doorway beyond the cracked tiles and slide down a long ramp. Drop down onto a rocky ledge, then climb down more rocks to emerge on a ledge above the DOLPHIN POOL at the level entrance. A lion (28) emerges from the opening at the far end of the ledge. You should have plenty of time to kill it with pistols as it approaches. Follow the ledge all the way around to the doorway where the lion emerged. (screenshot)

Continue through a rocky cave to a raised opening on the left. Climb up and step out onto a ledge overlooking a LOW-CEILINGED ROOM WITH BROKEN COLUMNS Kill 2 gorillas (29-30) from above. If they run off, hang from the ledge to get their attention. Then pull up and continue shooting. Turn right and take a running jump to the next ledge. (screenshots)

NOTE: Be careful not to fall down into the room below. If you do, you'll have to reload your last save or travel all the way back to this point from the switch room. You can also use the corner bug at this spot to get back up if you don't mind cheating.

Go through the opening on the right into a CAVE WITH A POOL. If you can get a lock on it, kill the crocodile (31) in the water with your pistols before jumping in. Then swim down through the short flooded passageway, surface on the other side, and climb out of the water. Climb up the right side of the angled block to an opening next to the TEMPLE ROOF. (screenshots)

DISTANT TEMPLE: Mind the gap between the cave opening and the temple rooftop. If Lara falls down, there are enemies below, and it's a long trek to get back to this point. Draw pistols and shoot 2 bats (32-33). Then jump across the gap onto the roof. Cross the roof and pick up the THIRD LEAD BAR (17) (plus a save crystal in NG+). (screenshots)

If you're patient, you can kill 2 lions (34-35) and 2 gorillas (36-37) from the roof before climbing down. You'll probably need to hang from the edge to bring the gorillas near enough to target, then pull up and shoot. When the coast is clear, safety drop from the low end of the roof to the floor. (Lara loses a tiny bit of health doing this. If you're playing it safe, head for the back corner of the roof, near the cave opening, and drop down onto the sloping rocks. Lara will slide to the ground uninjured.) (screenshots)

Approach the temple door, pick up the large medi pack (18) and enter (the door opens automatically). (NG+ players will find another save crystal here.) Follow the passageway to a switch and use it to open the gate to a GARDEN just south of the DOLPHIN POOL. (screenshots)

Exit the temple, go down the stairs, and re-enter the LOW-CEILINGED ROOM WITH BROKEN COLUMNS at ground level. Ready weapons to take out the 3 gorillas (38-40) now running around in here. They can climb the low blocks, so this would be a good time to use the shotgun if you have ammo for it. One shot at close range should kill each of them. If you only have pistols, try to jump and evade as well as you can while firing. Continue on through the far doorway to the DOLPHIN POOL, where you entered the level. Turn right and go downstairs to the gate you just opened. (screenshots)

GARDEN AND MIDAS STATUE: Enter cautiously. Two more gorillas (41-42) lurk in the garden. Draw them out one at a time, then back away firing. Approach the sundial in the middle of the room. If you also examined the Inca calendar wheel in the third secret area in the Caves, you'll now unlock the "It's About Time" achievement/trophy. (screenshots)

Turn around to face the entrance. Then find the switch on the right (south) wall behind a small tree. Use it to open the gate to the right (also on the south wall of the garden). Enter and proceed slowly. As you turn the corner, a pair of chomping blades begin to work. At this point the chime sounds for SECRET #3. So you can actually go only this far and the secret will count. But if you want all pickups, and the shattered tile for the "After Us The Deluge!" achievement/trophy, you'll have pass the trap. (screenshots)

Between the blades is a break-away floor tile (31/51) with spikes below. So you can't pause between the blades without falling into the spikes. You'll have to jump past both sets. Walk forward until Lara is standing about one walking step before the blades, facing the jagged gap in the center. If possible, listen to the sounds the blades make. There are two "clangs" then a "scritch," as the blades clamp together then begin to separate. Take a standing jump past the blades right after the second "clang," or just as the blades begin to separate. As you pass over the cracked tile, it should collapse, adding to your total for the achievement/trophy. Pick up the goodies from around the small room—magnum clips, shotgun shells, and a small medi pack (19-21). Exit past the blades the same way you came in, and return to the GARDEN. (screenshots)

NOTES: If you don't already have the MAGNUMS, you'll get them here instead of ammunition. If the cracked tile doesn't break when you jump over it, it is possible to run across the tile just as the blades begin to separate. The timing is tricky, and Lara will lose some health, but it can be done. Or, stand about one full tile plus one walking step back from the nearest blade, jump forward onto the cracked tile as the blades begin to separate, then immediately run or jump forward to clear the second blade.

Cross the garden past the sundial to the far left (northwest) corner. Climb on the low ledge, turn around and walk to the edge. Then take a standing jump to grab the edge of the roof. Pull up and take the large medi pack (22). (screenshot) Then follow the passageway at the back of the roof to a cave containing a massive statue of King Midas, now in pieces.

Save the game. (In NG+, there's a convenient save crystal on a ledge near the statue.) Then, just for fun, vault onto Midas's hand to unlock the "Midas' Touch" achievement/trophy. This also counts toward the "Deadline" achievement/trophy, in which you must find all 36 ways to die. (screenshots) Reload and this time use the magic hand to change the 3 LEAD BARS you've collected into 3 GOLD BARS. To do this, face the side of Midas's palm and "use" each of the lead bars as you would use a key. (screenshot)

NOTE FOR NEW PLAYERS: After transmuting the lead bars into gold, check your inventory. Press Esc (keyboard), View (Xbox), touchpad (PlayStation), – (minus on Switch) to open the inventory. Then press Up to access the upper menu ring. Press Left/Right to examine the items here. You should have one piece of the Scion and 3 Gold bars. (screenshot)

ROOM WITH FIVE SWITCHES (AGAIN) AND LEVEL EXIT: Return through the garden, up the stairs, past the DOLPHIN POOL, around the corner to the right, along the hallway where you met the first crocodile, then straight ahead to the stairs leading up to the switch room. Reset the switches to match the inscription over the last door: from left to right, Down, Up, Up, Up, Down (Υ Ω Ω Ω Υ). Drop down and go through that door, which is below the right side of the balcony on the north side of the switch room. Enter with weapons drawn and kill the charging lion (43). If Lara takes a little damage here, don't bother using a medi pack. She'll be fully healed when you start the next level. (screenshots)

Climb to the top of the stairs and go out onto the balcony to find some shotgun shells (23) (and a save crystal in NG+). Then come halfway back down the stairs, enter the small side chamber, and place the 3 GOLD BARS in the niches in the 3 alcoves. (This works exactly like using a key.) Doing so opens the exit, just to the right. Slide down into the next level. (screenshots)

†UPDATE HISTORY: 3/15/24 - First major update for the Remastered version. Updates made prior to the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered release, including credit for tips sent in by other players, are tracked in the original guide.
3/16/24 - Added notes on what to do if the cracked tile in secret area #3 doesn't break when Lara jumps over it. Thanks to Debates for letting me know this could be a problem and suggesting a solution.
5/27/24 - Added running totals for the break-away tiles needed for the "After Us the Deluge" achievement/trophy.
10/21/24 - Updated level map.

DARK MODE: I plan to add optional dark mode for these pages, but my current priority is updating the walkthroughs. Meanwhile, may I suggest a reputable dark mode browser extension, such as Dark Reader? (Download only from trusted sites, like darkreader.org or your browser's web store.)

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Walkthrough text and diagrams copyright © - Stellalune (). The full-color level maps belong to VGCartography and are used with permission. Follow them on Twitter/X, YouTube, and DeviantArt for more fantastic game maps. Feel free to copy or print this walkthrough for personal use. By all means, share it with friends, but please include this credit line so people can send me their feedback. No part of this walkthrough may be reproduced on another site without permission.

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