There are several endgame activities that you can grind to level up your character in Diablo 4 such as taking on the Helltides or completing objectives for the Tree of Whispers, but farming nightmare dungeons is always going to be your go-to activity.
This is because running nightmare dungeons gives you tons of experience points as well as loot. Unlike the normal dungeon variants you encounter in World Tier 1 and 2, nightmare dungeons start from World Tier 3 difficulty.
Since there are over a hundred different dungeons in the game, you might be wondering if you should just start doing dungeons at random. That is not how it works. Certain dungeons give more XP and more loot or are just much easier to complete for better rewards.
The following guide lists out some of the best nightmare dungeons to reset and farm for XP and Glyphs in Diablo 4 so that you can make your grind more efficient.
Take note that the list of nightmare dungeons below has been created for the most latest Diablo 4 patch. The upcoming seasonal updates can possibly buff or nerf dungeons. When that happens, we will update our list as needed.
Best nightmare dungeons for XP farming in Diablo 4
These are the best nightmare dungeons to run solo as well as in a group for the most amount of XP in Diablo 4. They have the best clearance speeds in the game among all dungeons, the highest monster (mob) densities, and the easiest map layouts.
Aldurwood
Aldurwood is one of the more popular nightmare dungeons to farm solo in Diablo 4 as well as in a group. The map has a simple layout but your dungeon objectives are going to require you to explore three different corners, so playing with friends helps your clearance speed by splitting up.
Compared to most of the other dungeons on this list, Aldurwood has a lower enemy density but there are guaranteed elite enemies around the map to give you loads of experience. Watch out for those elite Tusked Chargers though. They are a menace at higher tiers.
Blind Burrows
Blind Burrows is easily the best nightmare dungeon to spam in Diablo 4 right now when it comes to farming the highest amount of XP in the shortest time.
It is a small dungeon with an incredibly high concentration of enemies which include a lot of elite monsters. The map layout is linear, so you never have to backtrack.
With a fast enough movement speed and high-damage AoE build, you can get excellent clear speed since you only need to push forward.
Champion Demise
Champion’s Demise has quickly become another favorite nightmare dungeon to farm in Diablo 4. This one, however, is specifically recommended for when playing in a group since there is a little running around involved.
While it features a simple enough map to navigate, playing in a group helps you finish its objectives faster. You though get to encounter a couple of elite enemies in the first area with loads more enemies of the normal variant waiting for you in the second one.
This dungeon may not have the fastest clearing speed on this list when it does give you a lot of XP.
Guulrahn Canals
Guulrahn Canals is unquestionably one of the top nightmare dungeons to farm solo in Diablo 4 right now. It has a high number of enemies, including elites, with a simple objective to slay everything in sight.
You are going to face a ton of zombies and spiders in Gullrahn Canals which are some of the easiest mobs to take out in D4. This is also why Guulrahn Canals has an incredibly fast clear time while giving you high XP.
Raethwind Wilds
Raethwind Wilds has risen in popularity as of late as a great nightmare dungeon to spam back-to-back in Diablo 4.
Its map layout is simple and straightforward. You do not need to backtrack. There is a high enemy density that gives you loads of XP to soak, particularly in the second area where you have to kill guaranteed elite spawns before going on to the boss.
You can run this dungeon solo or with a group of players, the latter cutting down your clearance time though.
Sunken Ruins
Sunken Ruins features small and narrow paths to navigate in Diablo 4, making it another excellent nightmare dungeon to farm as much as possible.
You are going to encounter large groups of enemies that should be easy enough to take out together in one big AoE skill. Sunken Ruins has no boss, so you can clear it much more quickly.
Best nightmare dungeons for Glyph leveling in Diablo 4
The difference between farming XP for characters and for Glyphs is that Glyph leveling depends on your nightmare sigil tier in Diablo 4. Hence, the higher the tier, the more XP you get for your Glyphs after completing the nightmare dungeon.
In other words, the best nightmare dungeons to farm for Glyph XP have to have the fastest clearance speeds and shortest map size in Diablo 4.
Aldurwood, Blind Burrows, Guulrahn Canals, Raethwind Wilds, and Sunken Ruins are all excellent nightmare dungeons to farm to level up your characters as well as your Glyphs. Below are a few more options to consider for your Glyph leveling if you start getting bored of running the same dungeons.
Cultist Refuge
The Cultist Refuge is a short dungeon that is not as packed with enemies as some of the other top-tier nightmare dungeons in Diablo 4. You can, however, still get a good enough amount of XP for your Glyph leveling.
There is no boss here, and your only objective is to slay all enemies before taking down a couple of High Priests that are surrounded by elite mobs. In other words, you can clear this dungeon pretty quickly for some quick XP.
Lost Archives
The Lost Archives has been bouncing back and forth in tiers since launch but is still considered as one of the best nightmare dungeons to level up Glyphs in Diablo 4.
The dungeon is not too large and the mob density is decent. Even if you are running this dungeon solo, you can get it over with in about 3 minutes.
Maugan’s Works
Maugan’s Works is another short dungeon with excellent clear speeds for a decent amount of XP for your Glyphs in Diablo 4. It has a linear map design with no backtracking whatsoever. You only have to free prisoners who are all located close by. Then face the Knight Council for some additional XP and loot.
Maulwood
Maulwood has one of the highest enemy densities among all dungeons on this list in Diablo 4. If you have a good enough build with excellent mobility and AoE bursts, this dungeon is perfect to amass a ton of XP.
This dungeon has no boss waiting for you at the end of it, making it easier to steamroll right through everyone and everything.
Witchwater
Witchwater has been a bit under the radar since Diablo 4 was launched. It mostly gets unnoticed as one of the best nightmare dungeons to farm both XP and Glyphs.
It is full of spiders and snakes, both of which are easy to kill by the dozens. You just need to come prepared with poison resistance and skills that let you escape crowd-control effects such as stuns and immobilization.
