Travel Time In Skyrim

Travel Time in Skyrim

(reposting from my Hero story)

Hires Map | Hires Travel Days Map

I wanted to make a note about Skyrim’s geography. I don’t recall where I found it, but someone else estimated that Skyrim was approximately the size of the country Poland. Early on when I started writing “Hero by Mistake”, I calculated distances between landmarks by road travel, and plugging in the maximum distance a horse could travel in a day whether carrying a person or dragging a cart. I am putting this at 16 travel hours per day for Skyrim’s hardy horses – this is twice the max for Earth’s horses, so we’ll blame this on magic, yes? Heh. I estimated how many travel days it would take to reach any given place, more or less. So, I estimated that horse-travel days by road from Whiterun to Windhelm would be about three (in Polish terms, this would be approximately from Bialystok to Lodz). Windhelm to Riften would be about four days byhorse or cart (approximately Bialystok to Rzeszow). Double that time if you’re walking. I don’t know how accurate my calculations are, but at least they’re more accurate than in-game travel!

An easy guide is using the above map of Skyrim. Diagonally, each grid square is one travel day by horse/cart, 1.5-2 days foot travel. If you want to “push” travel time (say, you need to get somewhere RIGHT NOW, extend beyond the grid square slightly). I tried to account for easier road travel, and more difficult travel across rough terrain.

Travelers might make use of landmarks for camp sites, such as huts and monuments. So for instance, one horse travel day could be between Rorikstead and Swindler’s Den, between Karthwasten and Sky Haven Temple, between Ivarstead and Froki’s Shack, or between Morthal and Meeko’s Shack. These distances would be about 2 days of foot travel at the very least. 

Comparisons

312 kilometers (aka Windhelm to Whiterun)

Horse travel: 3 days, 16 hours per day, 6-7 km/h, 48 hours total

Fit foot travel: 8 days, 8 hours per day, 4-5 km/h, 66 hours total

Child/family/unfit foot travel: 30-50 days, 3-5 hours per day, 2-3 km/h, 104-156 hours total

Example Calculations

Windhelm to Whiterun

Northern Path: Windhelm stables, Nightgate Inn, Lorcius Farm, Whiterun stables - three horse travel days

Southern Path: Windhelm stables, camp across the river from Cronvangr Cave, cross the river at Mixwater Mill, kill bandits at Valtheim Towers and camp there, camp in or near Stormcloak camp, Whiterun stables - four horse travel days

Windhelm to Riften

Windhelm stables, Kynesgrove, camp near Mzulft or Imperial camp, Shor’s Stone, Riften stables - four horse travel days

Whiterun to Solitude

Northern Path (avoiding Labyrinthian): Whiterun stables, Lorcius Farm, Fort Dunstad, Stonehills mine, Morthal, Meeko’s shack, Dragon Bridge, Katla’s Farm (Solitude stables) - seven horse travel days

Western Path: Whiterun stables, Fort Greymoor, Hamvir’s Rest, Labyrinthian, Morthal, Meeko’s shack, Dragon Bridge, Katla’s Farm (Solitude stables) - six horse travel days (not overnighting in Labyrinthian)

Winterhold to Windhelm

Winterhold, camp near Stillborn Cave, camp near Forsaken Cave, Windhelm stables - three horse travel days