Every mount in Final Fantasy XIV moves at the same base speed — the difference comes from zone-wide speed enhancements you unlock as you play. Two tiers exist: Enhancement I and Enhancement II, and which one applies (and how you get it) changes depending on the expansion.
Since every mount can fly in every unlocked zone, and flight speed is faster than even the best ground enhancement, these upgrades mostly matter for zones where flight is restricted, or for the simple satisfaction of not sprinting everywhere on foot — including hunt train farming, where ground speed actually counts. For the full acquisition breakdown of every mount in the game, see the Mount Hub.
The Early Speed Perk
A small handful of cash shop mounts move at Enhancement I speed by default, even before you’ve unlocked it in a zone. Once you actually unlock the enhancement, they move the same as everything else — so the perk only matters early on.
| Mount | Source |
|---|---|
| SDS Fenrir | Cash Shop |
| Garlond GL-IS | Cash Shop |
| Hardy-Daytona | Cash Shop |
Note: The early speed perk does not function in the Occult Crescent.
Unlocking Enhancement I
Enhancement I is tied to Main Scenario Quests through A Realm Reborn, and unlocks automatically for the associated zone(s) as you complete them.
| Quest | Zone(s) Unlocked | Expansion |
|---|---|---|
| Brotherly Love | Middle La Noscea, Lower La Noscea, Central Shroud, East Shroud, Western Thanalan, Central Thanalan | A Realm Reborn |
| Come Highly Recommended | South Shroud | A Realm Reborn |
| Power of Deduction | North Shroud | A Realm Reborn |
| When the Worm Turns | Southern Thanalan | A Realm Reborn |
| In the Company of Heroes | Eastern La Noscea | A Realm Reborn |
| Lord of Crags | Upper La Noscea, Outer La Noscea | A Realm Reborn |
| Eyes on Me | Eastern Thanalan | A Realm Reborn |
| In Pursuit of the Past | Coerthas Central Highlands | A Realm Reborn |
| History Repeating | Western La Noscea | A Realm Reborn |
| Every Little Thing She Does Is Magitek | Mor Dhona | A Realm Reborn |
| The Ultimate Weapon | Northern Thanalan, Mist, The Lavender Beds, The Goblet | A Realm Reborn |
| Sounding Out the Amphitheatre | Coerthas Western Highlands | Heavensward |
| Lord of the Hive | The Dravanian Forelands | Heavensward |
| Matoya’s Cave | The Dravanian Hinterlands | Heavensward |
| Bolt, Chain, and Island | The Sea of Clouds | Heavensward |
| Waiting for the Wind to Change | The Churning Mists | Heavensward |
| Close Encounters of the VIth Kind | Azys Lla | Heavensward |
| Heavensward | Idyllshire | Heavensward |
| The Far Edge of Fate | Empyreum | Heavensward |
| The Lord of the Revel | The Ruby Sea | Stormblood |
| The Will to Live | Yanxia | Stormblood |
| Naadam | The Azim Steppe | Stormblood |
| The Lady of Bliss | The Fringes | Stormblood |
| The Price of Freedom | The Peaks | Stormblood |
| The Resonant | The Lochs | Stormblood |
| Stormblood | Shirogane, Rhalgr’s Reach | Stormblood |
Unlocking Enhancement II
Enhancement II only exists for A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood zones — a second speed tier added in patch 4.0 after PS3 support was dropped. From Shadowbringers onward, zones launch straight at what would have been Enhancement II speed, so there’s only one tier to unlock going forward.
You’ll need the base expansion’s Main Scenario Quests completed before you can buy maps for that expansion. Starting in Endwalker, you’ll also need Shared FATE Rank 2 in the zone (6 FATEs completed) before its vendor will sell you the map.
| Expansion | Vendor | Location | Cost Per Zone | Total Zones | Full Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Realm Reborn | Grand Company Hunt Billmaster | Ul’dah, Limsa Lominsa, or New Gridania | 250 Allied Seals | 17 | 4,250 Allied Seals |
| Heavensward | Ardolain | The Forgotten Knight, Ishgard (13.1, 11.9) | 250 Centurio Seals | 6 | 1,500 Centurio Seals |
| Stormblood | Estrild / Leuekin | Kugane (10.3, 10.2) or Rhalgr’s Reach (13.0, 11.7) | 250 Centurio Seals | 6 | 1,500 Centurio Seals |
Riding Maps by Expansion
A Realm Reborn — Enhancement II
Farming A Realm Reborn hunts? These are the zones you’ll be riding through most.
| Riding Map | Zone | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Middle La Noscea Riding Map | Middle La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Lower La Noscea Riding Map | Lower La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Eastern La Noscea Riding Map | Eastern La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Western La Noscea Riding Map | Western La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Upper La Noscea Riding Map | Upper La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Outer La Noscea Riding Map | Outer La Noscea | 250 Allied Seals |
| Central Shroud Riding Map | Central Shroud | 250 Allied Seals |
| East Shroud Riding Map | East Shroud | 250 Allied Seals |
| South Shroud Riding Map | South Shroud | 250 Allied Seals |
| North Shroud Riding Map | North Shroud | 250 Allied Seals |
| Western Thanalan Riding Map | Western Thanalan | 250 Allied Seals |
| Central Thanalan Riding Map | Central Thanalan | 250 Allied Seals |
| Eastern Thanalan Riding Map | Eastern Thanalan | 250 Allied Seals |
| Southern Thanalan Riding Map | Southern Thanalan | 250 Allied Seals |
| Northern Thanalan Riding Map | Northern Thanalan | 250 Allied Seals |
| Coerthas Central Highlands Riding Map | Coerthas Central Highlands | 250 Allied Seals |
| Mor Dhona Riding Map | Mor Dhona | 250 Allied Seals |
Heavensward — Enhancement II
These zones also cover every stop on the Heavensward hunt train.
| Riding Map | Zone | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Coerthas Western Highlands Riding Map | Coerthas Western Highlands | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Sea of Clouds Riding Map | The Sea of Clouds | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Azys Lla Riding Map | Azys Lla | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Dravanian Forelands Riding Map | Dravanian Forelands | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Dravanian Hinterlands Riding Map | Dravanian Hinterlands | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Churning Mists Riding Map | The Churning Mists | 250 Centurio Seals |
Stormblood — Enhancement II
Same coverage applies to the Stormblood hunts zones.
| Riding Map | Zone | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fringes Riding Map | The Fringes | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Peaks Riding Map | The Peaks | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Lochs Riding Map | The Lochs | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Ruby Sea Riding Map | The Ruby Sea | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Yanxia Riding Map | Yanxia | 250 Centurio Seals |
| Azim Steppe Riding Map | The Azim Steppe | 250 Centurio Seals |
Shadowbringers — Enhancement I
Shadowbringers is the first expansion with only one speed tier. Maps are sold by default once you unlock each zone’s Gemstone Vendor — the same six zones covered on our Shadowbringers hunts page.
| Riding Map | Vendor | Zone | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Riding Map | Siulmet | Lakeland | (35.5, 20.6) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Kholusia Riding Map | Zumutt | Kholusia | Tomra (11.8, 8.9) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Amh Araeng Riding Map | Halden | Amh Araeng | Twine (10.6, 17.1) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Il Mheg Riding Map | Sul Lad | Il Mheg | (16.2, 30.6) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Rak’tika Greatwood Riding Map | Nacille | The Rak’tika Greatwood | Fanow (27.9, 18.2) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Tempest Riding Map | Goushs Ooan | Tempest | (33.2, 18) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
Riding maps are also available for the two Save the Queen: Blades of Gunnhildr zones:
| Riding Map | Zone | Vendor / Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozjan Southern Front Riding Map | The Bozjan Southern Front | Resistance Quartermaster (14.2, 29.6) | 25 Bozjan Clusters |
| Zadnor Riding Map | Zadnor | Resistance Quartermaster (34.7, 35) | 25 Bozjan Clusters |
Endwalker — Enhancement I
Same rules as Shadowbringers, with one addition: you’ll need Shared FATE Rank 2 (6 FATEs completed) in the zone before its vendor sells the map. These are the same six zones on our Endwalker hunts page.
| Riding Map | Vendor | Zone | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labyrinthos Riding Map | Faezbroes | Labyrinthos | (29.9, 12.9) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Thavnair Riding Map | Mahveydah | Thavnair | (25.8, 34.6) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Garlemald Riding Map | Zawawa | Garlemald | (12.9, 30.1) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Mare Lamentorum Riding Map | Tradingway | Mare Lamentorum | (21.8, 12.2) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Elpis Riding Map | Aisara | Elpis | (24.4, 23.4) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Ultima Thule Riding Map | N-1499 | Ultima Thule | (30.9, 28.0) | 70 Bicolor Gemstones |
Dawntrail — Enhancement I
Same Shared FATE Rank 2 requirement as Endwalker. These zones line up with our Dawntrail hunts page.
| Riding Map | Vendor | Zone | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urqopacha Riding Map | Tepli | Urqopacha | (27.5, 11.7) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Kozama’uka Riding Map | Kunuhali | Kozama’uka | (17.4, 11.0) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Yak T’el Riding Map | Rral Wuruq | Yak T’el | (13.8, 12.7) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Shaaloani Riding Map | Mitepe | Shaaloani | (28.6, 30.8) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Heritage Found Riding Map | Toashana | Heritage Found | (16.3, 9.6) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
| Living Memory Riding Map | Clerk PX-0029 | Living Memory | (22.0, 37.5) | 90 Bicolor Gemstones |
A riding map is also available for the Occult Crescent:
| Riding Map | Zone | Vendor / Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Horn Riding Map | South Horn | Expedition Antiquarian (38.1, 7.0) | 3,000 Enlightenment Silver Pieces |
Where to Spend Your Currency First
If you’re managing seals or gemstones across multiple zones, prioritize like this:
- Actively farming a zone? Buy that riding map first — the speed difference is most noticeable while doing dailies, hunt trains, or gathering runs.
- A Realm Reborn players: 4,250 Allied Seals for all 17 zones is a long-term goal, not a day-one purchase. Prioritize whichever zones you actually revisit — Mor Dhona and the Thanalan zones tend to see the most repeat traffic.
- Shadowbringers onward: since it’s Shared FATE Rank 2 gated, the map effectively unlocks itself as you naturally play through the zone. There’s rarely a reason to rush it.
Chasing mounts while you’re out there? Check our Mount Farming Guide, our Easiest Mounts in FFXIV ranking, or the Multi-Seat Mounts guide if you’re riding with company.