Stella's Tomb Raider 3 Walkthrough - Updates for Tomb Raider 3 Remastered Coming Soon

IMPORTANT: There are two main routes through this level. These are described in detail in the section "CHOICE OF PATHS" (below). It is possible to complete the level using either path; however, if you choose the path THROUGH THE RUINS, you will miss one of the secrets. If you choose the path ALONG THE RIVER, you can get all five secrets but fewer kills and pickups.

It is possible to complete the path ALONG THE RIVER and then jump back across the river on foot to explore the RUINS. This is not necessary, but it is the only way to get everything. I only recommend trying it if you're a fairly expert raider, as it requires some very precise jumping. The walkthrough below includes notes at each point where you must make a choice of paths. The route with all items, kills, and secrets is also detailed on a separate page.

If you have already taken the path through the ruins and missed one of the secrets, you can make it up by finding the extra secret in the South Pacific Coastal Village level. This will still allow you to unlock the bonus level at the end of the game.

INDIA LEVEL 3:  THE RIVER GANGES

Updated: 2/5/24()

Kills: 37 (14/34)  Items: 30 (20/25), plus 2 keys (optional)  Save/power-up crystals: 7 (6/5)  Secrets: 5 (5/4)*

*The maximum number of kills, items, etc., will vary depending on which path you choose. The counts above are the totals for the level, followed by the totals for the RIVER path only and the RUINS path only in parentheses. The keys are found only on the path through the RUINS. See the note above for details. Also, one of the secrets includes the SHOTGUN if you didn't find it earlier.

LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)

River Ganges Video Walkthrough (all secrets but not 100%) by Eldincy

Objectives: Travel down-river on your borrowed quad bike to find the level exit. If you take the path through the ruins, you'll need to locate two keys and open two gates in order to drive the quad bike through for the final jump across the river.

LEDGE JUMPING ALONG THE RIVER - SECRET #1: That quad bike looks fun, but don't get on yet. First, go after a secret. Turn around so the bike is behind you. Follow the riverbank around past the temple exit and the carved blocks that almost fell on Lara during the last cut scene. Cross the patch of bare earth and step out to the edge overlooking the river. The rock wall will be on your right and a small green hill on your left. Turn around, drop back, and grab the edge. Then climb to the left along the rock wall and drop onto the rectangular green ledge just above the water. (screenshots)

NOTE: Save your game frequently during this sequence if you can. If at any time you fall into the river, you'll need to restart since the strong current and piranhas will quickly put an end to poor Lara. Also, if you don't already do so, I strongly encourage you to try the technique for setting up jumps described on my Strategy page.

Once Lara is standing on the green ledge below the climbable wall, turn around and take a carefully angled running jump to the tan stone ledge beyond the corner. Take running jump across the water to grab the next ledge and pull up. (This jump is a little tricky. Be sure to line it up carefully. Take off and grab from the middle or left side of the blocks, not the right side, or Lara will fall into the water instead of grabbing.) Turn left and take another running jump to grab the next ledge; pull up. Turn right and take another running jump to land on the L-shaped ledge. Turn left and walk to the other end of the L-shaped ledge. Sidestep to the left. Now take a standing jump to the next ledge. (Careful positioning is also important here. If you try to jump on the right side, Lara will bang her head on the low ceiling and fall into the water.) Next, take a running jump to the ledge ahead on the left. Turn right and take one more running jump to grab the last ledge. Pull up and enter the room for SECRET #1. (screenshots)

Inside is a series of angled blocks above sharp blades. Move to the back of the first angled block, just inside the room on the left. Jump straight up to grab the top of the block. Pull up, and let Lara start to slide down the other side of the block just briefly. Before she slides all the way into the blades, press and hold Jump + Action to leap over the blades onto the second angled block directly ahead. Continue holding these buttons and Lara should spring off the second block, then the third, and then grab the square column ahead. Pull up and collect a save/power-up crystal, a large medi pack, and a box of shotgun shells from the ledges. (screenshots)

NOTES: If you don't already have the SHOTGUN, you'll receive it here instead of the shells. I recommend saving about 15 shotgun rounds for the boss at he end of the fourth India level.

Drop down to the floor, taking care not to fall into the blades. Exit the room and retrace your path along the river to get back to the climbable wall. Climb back up to the start of the level.

INTO THE CAVES: Above and behind the bike is a small, raised opening containing MP5 clips and flares. (screenshot) Jump up to grab the edge, crawl in, and pick up the goodies. Then back out of the opening and drop to the ground.

Get on the quad bike and ride around past the temple exit toward the ledge where you climbed down to the river earlier. This time, race the bike up the little green hill to jump it across the river into the tunnel on the other side. (screenshot)

QUAD BIKE CONTROLS: To get on, stand on either side of the bike facing it and press Action. Press Action to go forward, Jump to reverse. Steer with Left and Right. To dismount press Roll + Left/Right. Note that using Forward + Back controls together to substitute for Roll won't work here as it does for a standing reverse roll. You must use the actual Roll button (End on the PC, backslash on the Mac, and Circle on the PS1). Some wider gaps require an extra burst of speed to cross. For a "turbo" boost, stop the bike, hold the brake (same button as Sprint), then press and hold Action to rev the engine. You'll see the back wheels spin, but the bike won't move. Release the brake to speed forward faster than you normally would. See the TR3 Controls page for a complete list of vehicle controls.

Ride through the tunnel, staying close to the right wall as you pass the first deep pit on the left. Stop and get off the bike before the second pit, which spans the width of the tunnel. Walk to the edge, turn around, drop back, and grab the edge. Then climb down into the pit. To descend long ladders faster, press and release the Action button repeatedly. At the bottom the chime sounds for SECRET #2. Pick up shotgun shells, flares, and a large medi pack. Climb out of the pit and get back on the bike. (screenshots)

Now you need to jump the bike across the second pit, where you found the secret. You may want to use turbo here, but it's not necessary as long as you start far enough back to get up some speed before making the jump. (screenshots)

Continue through the tunnel to an area with several ramps. Make a U-turn to the right onto the base of the first ramp. Then either use turbo or just speed up in order to jump the small gap in the slope. Make another U-turn to the right to position the bike at the base of the next ramp. This time, you will need a turbo boost get across the wide gap between the two ramps. Once you clear the gap, park the bike near the small, gold gate and walk to the edge of the ramp you just jumped on the bike. Take a running jump across the gap to grab the opposite ramp and pull up. Turn right and take another running jump to grab the edge of the rectangular opening in the cave wall. (screenshots)

Follow the passage. There's a cobra on the right just around the first corner. Kill it and continue. After a little climbing and crawling, you'll come to a hole in the floor above the gate where you left the quad bike. Jump over it. Continue along the passageway, killing another cobra and picking up the small medi pack on the ground nearby. Safety drop through the hole near the cobra and medi pack to land on the other side of the gold gate. Press the button to the right of the gate to open it. When you do this, 2 monkeys attack from behind. Shoot them and grab the save/power-up crystal if you need it. (screenshots)

IMPORTANT - CHOICE OF PATHS: Get back on the quad bike and drive through the gate. Now you must choose which path to take through the rest of the level. (screenshot) The RIGHT PATH leads down over some tan rocks to a spot where you can jump the quad bike back across the river. This way you get to explore the ruins but you miss one of the secrets. If you choose this path, skip down to the section "RIGHT PATH - THROUGH THE RUINS," below. The LEFT PATH leads upward through a series of caves and along the river. This route bypasses the ruins but enables you to find all the secrets.

NOTES: It is possible to complete the path ALONG THE RIVER and then jump back across the river on foot to explore the RUINS. This is not necessary, but it is the only way to get everything. I only recommend trying it if you're a fairly expert raider, as it requires some very precise jumping. This route is covered on a separate page.

If you think you may want to try this when the time comes, it's important to first follow the RIGHT PATH - THROUGH THE RUINS—on foot, not on the quad bike—just to the ledge overlooking the river. Doing this triggers the appearance of a monkey on the opposite bank, which you can then shoot. (screenshot) If you miss him as he scurries across the bank and disappears down a hole, that's OK. You'll be able to get him later when you explore the ruins. But if you don't trigger him now he'll never appear, and you'll be one kill short. Once you've done this, return up the tunnel to the quad bike and proceed along the LEFT PATH, as described below. (Thanks to Zak and tartancroft for this tip.)

LEFT PATH - ALONG THE RIVER (all secrets): Beyond the gold gate, where the tunnel splits, turn left and head up the brown slope and around to the right. Jump the next wide gap on the right side (no need for turbo if you get up a little speed before the jump) then quickly turn the corner to the right to keep from falling into the chasm on the left. Ride forward slowly, hugging either wall to avoid falling into the hole in the middle of the path. Continue up the slope to the well-lit opening on the left.

STONE BRIDGE ACROSS THE RIVER: Ride down onto the stone bridge and dismount. Take a standing jump from the edge to grab the ledge with the Desert Eagle clips. Pull up, get the ammo, and then climb into the small opening above. Crawl through to find SECRET #3harpoons, Uzi clips and a save/power-up crystal. Return to the bike and get on. (screenshots)

Speed forward along the stone bridge to jump the gap and land in the canyon on the other side of the river. Turn right and then follow the left canyon wall until you come to a narrow, stone ramp that runs up the left wall. If you don't care about getting all kills and pickups, you can skip the next paragraph. (screenshots)

If you want all kills and pickups, leave the bike here for now. Follow the dirt path that runs along beside the ramp all the way to the wall ahead. Turn right and continue to a ledge with a big tree overlooking the river. There's a dark cave and a climbable wall far off to the left. Ignore them for now; you'll approach that area from a different direction soon. For now, jump around to the far side of the tree. Then take a running jump across the river to grab the rock ledge on the other side. Pull up and take the Uzi clips. A pair of vultures flies in from the treetops. Shoot them. Then take a running jump from the angled block in the corner back across the river to grab the tree root; pull up. Hop back around the tree and follow the path to the left through the canyon and back to the quad bike. (screenshots)

NARROW LEDGES AND TREETOPS ON THE QUAD BIKE: Get on the bike and ride up the long ramp. Keep the wall on your left as you maneuver carefully up and around the narrow stone ledge. The leafy treetops look solid enough, but they're not. Stay on the ledge or you'll fall through. When you reach the corner just before the gap in the ledge, position the bike facing the gap and the river beyond. Use turbo to jump the small gap and keep going, sailing across the river and landing on the rocky ledge on the other side. (screenshots)

CAVE AND LEDGES ABOVE THE RIVER: Dismount, grab the save/power-up crystal, and climb down the rock ladder, getting off on the block on the right side. Kill the cobra in the small, dark cave. Take the Desert Eagle clips and climb back up the way you came. (screenshot)

Drive the bike around to the area above the cobra cave and position it in the corner near where the save crystal was. The corner should be behind and to your right, the cliff wall with the climbable section just ahead on your right, and the gap above the river straight ahead. From that position, jump across the river one more time. (screenshot)

ROCKY SLOPE: You'll end up in a canyon at the top of a rocky slope. Get off the bike and leave it here. Your four-wheeling days are over for now. Pick up the walk-through with the section titled "THE TWO PATHS CONVERGE AGAIN," below.

RIGHT PATH - THROUGH THE RUINS (missing one secret): If you chose this path in the cave where the two routes split, above, drive down the rocky path to the right and jump the quad bike across the river. You don't have to use turbo for this jump, but it helps to drive along the left side of the ramp and build up some speed before the jump. (screenshots)

After crossing the river, drive forward to the right corner of this overgrown area and down into the hole. You'll pass a small medi pack sitting on the ground at the edge of this hole, but if you dismount, turn around, and wait, a monkey will climb down toward you carrying the medi pack. Shoot it and take the health. (screenshots)

This area is shown on the MAP OF THE RUINS. I've linked to it instead of including it on the page since this is the alternate path. Why waste ink printing something you may not need, right? The hole where you enter this tunnel is shown at the bottom right corner. Note that the map includes some spoilers, such as the location of various items, enemies, etc.

TUNNEL INTO THE RUINS: You'll need to find two keys and open two large gates before you can drive the quad bike through the ruins. So leave the bike near the hole for now and proceed on foot. As you head through the tunnel and up the slope, you'll meet 3 more monkeys. Two come from the top of the slope on the left, one comes from behind you. At the first bend, you may notice a small, raised crawlspace on the right. (It's marked '3' on the map.) Pass it for now. When you reach the place where you have to take a standing jump to get up the slope, make the jump and then climb onto the ledge on the left. Go through the greenery-covered passageway at the left end of the ledge ('1' on the map). Kill the cobra inside the cave and crawl under the low overhang to find the FIRST GATE KEY. (The key is indicated by an orange 'K' on the map. This cave is drawn with dotted lines on the map since it is above the main passageway.) Exit the way you came. (screenshots)

Hop down from the ledge and continue to the left. Pass the entrance to the ruins on your right and look for another smaller opening on the left ('2' on the map). Inside are flares and Uzi clips. Return to the path and head back down the slope. Climb through the small opening you passed earlier, now on your left ('3' on the map). This leads into the building. (screenshots)

L-SHAPED ROOM WITH LIT TORCHES AND TWO KEYHOLES: As you climb out of the green passageway into the room with the brown floor, look to your right to spot a monkey trying to steal a small medi pack off the windowsill with the gold lattice. (screenshot) Two more monkeys emerge as you move forward so stay alert. Grab some shotgun shells in the alcove opposite the first burning torch. Then continue around the corner past 2 locks in raised alcoves (both labeled 'L' on the map). Pass beneath the relief of Ganesha, the Hindu god with the elephant's head, enter the small, dead-end passageway ahead, and climb through the hole in the ceiling to the next area ('4' on the map). (screenshot)

OUTDOOR AREA WITH QUICKSAND POOL AND TWO GATES: Climb out of the hole near a big tree. Turn left, move forward into a muddy area between two buildings, and shoot a couple of monkeys. There are two large gates here, both locked. The gate on the right is surrounded by a pool of quicksand. There's a save/power-up crystal on the ledge above and to the right of the left gate. Either climb the green blocks in the far corner to reach it or just stand beneath the ledge, jump straight up, and grab it. Then pull up, get the crystal, and drop back down. (screenshots)

The gates don't open yet, so you'll need to find another way into the next area. Climb onto the greenish rocks next to the left gate and turn to face the big tree near where you entered this area. Take a standing jump to grab the edge of the taller green block between the stone ledge and the leafy part of the tree. Pull up. Turn to face the tree and take a running jump from the green wall to the branch. Take a standing jump from the branch to the opening between this area and the next ('5' on the map). (screenshots)

COURTYARD WITH LARGE TREE AND TWO-STORY BUILDING: Jump from the opening in the wall to the first tree branch. Jump to the branch on the left, which connects with the L-shaped ledge on the side of the building. Kill the monkey on the ledge and jump across the branches to the doorway on the upper level of the building ('6' on the map).

NOTE: If you miss any of these jumps and fall to the ground below the tree, use the greenish blocks in the corner to climb back up to the opening in the stone wall and try again. Both floors of this building are shown on the map. They're labeled '2-story building, upper and lower levels.' The upper level, where you enter, is shown offset from the main map at the bottom left.

INSIDE THE TWO-STORY BUILDING: Enter the building and head to the left, past the hole in the floor, and around the corner to the left. Shoot 2 monkeys. When you approach the items on the far side of the room, 2 more monkeys come in from behind. Kill them as well and pick up a rocket, Uzi clips and the SECOND GATE KEY. (screenshot)

Return to the hole in the floor (marked '7' on the map and shown in this screenshot) and drop down into the room below. Be sure to drop on the side away from the fire-breathing statue. Shoot another monkey. Go around to the far end of the room, kill yet another monkey, and push the button in the raised alcove ('B' on the map) to open the large gate with the quicksand pool, as well as the small gate next to the button. (screenshot) Doing so also lets in 4 more monkeys. One enters immediately. The others converge as you step into the doorway.

UNLOCKING THE GATE AND RETURNING TO THE QUAD BIKE: Exit through the small gate you just opened. Now you're back in the COURTYARD WITH THE LARGE TREE, where you jumped across the tree branches earlier. Go around the corner of the building to the right, toward the gate with quicksand around the bottom. There are shotgun shells in the high alcove opposite the gate. Jump up to grab the ledge at either end where it's a little lower. Get the ammo and drop back down. (screenshots)

Return past the big tree, climb the greenish blocks in the corner, and jump into the opening in the stone wall ('5' on the map). Drop down on the other side into the OUTDOOR AREA WITH THE QUICKSAND POOL AND TWO GATES, where you found a save crystal earlier. Drop into the hole behind the tree ('4' on the map) and follow the passage back to the L-SHAPED ROOM WITH LIT TORCHES AND TWO KEYHOLES. As you move from the narrow passageway into the main room, turn around to spot the 2 locks in the raised alcoves on either side of the Ganesha relief. Use the GATE KEYS in these locks to open the other large gate, which you can see through the gold lattice window. (screenshots)

Now go around the corner, past the lit torches, to the other end of the L-SHAPED ROOM. Go down the steps in the far left corner and and climb through the green opening to get back to the tunnel where you first entered the ruins ('3' on the map). Head down the slope to find the quad bike where you left it earlier. (screenshots)

DRIVING THROUGH THE RUINS: Now that you've opened both gates, you will be able to drive the quad bike through the ruins. The route is marked with red dots on the map and shown in this series of screenshots.

Follow the tunnel up the hill. At the top, turn right and drive forward under the man-made stone archway. Turn left and continue past the gold lattice window, through the gate, and up the muddy slope into the area between the two gates. Go carefully here to avoid driving into the quicksand. Position the bike near the wall facing the second gate with the quicksand below it. Race forward up the slope and jump across the quicksand to land beyond the gate. You can use turbo here, but it isn't necessary if you get a long enough run-up.

On the other side of the quicksand, turn right then left between the corner of the building and the big tree. Drive around behind the building and follow the alley between the building and the mossy, stone wall. At the end, turn right and right again to emerge on a new section of the riverbank. You can see a save/power-up crystal on the opposite bank, but don't jump across yet.

RIVERBANK BEYOND THE RUINS: Get off the bike and shoot the 2 monkeys. You can also run them over, but the kills won't count toward your final stats. If you don't care about getting every item, you can get back on the bike and skip this next bit.

EXPERT CHALLENGE: If you like, you can now go after some Uzi clips and harpoons sitting on a ledge downriver. Getting to the goodies is not too hard, but getting back can be difficult. Since this is optional, I've included instructions on a separate page and in this short video.

When you are finished exploring this side of the river, get back on the quad bike and jump across the piranha-infested water to the GREEN CAVE with the save/power-up crystal. (screenshot) There are 2 more monkeys in this cave. Again, if you want the kills to count in your stats, you must get off the bike and shoot them.

Now head to the left, through the cave, past a large opening overlooking a WATERFALL, to a clearing at the base of a rocky slope.

ROCKY SLOPE - THE TWO PATHS CONVERGE AGAIN: Regardless of which route you took to get here, you should now be in a wide canyon with a steep, rocky slope.

NOTE: If you're not interested in getting all the secrets, you can skip the next section and pick up the walkthrough below at the WATERFALL section.

If you came via the PATH ALONG THE RIVER, you'll enter this area at the top of the slope. Slide down on the left side to land on one of the flat blocks below. Then walk to the edge of the block, take a standing jump forward to grab the stone ledge protruding from the canyon wall, and pull up. If you came THROUGH THE RUINS, you'll enter this area from below. Climb the rocks on the right side of the slope. Turn around, jump to grab the stone ledge protruding from the canyon wall, and pull up. (screenshots)

After climbing up onto the rocky ledge, draw pistols and shoot the 2 vultures that fly in from the top of the canyon. Move to the other end of the ledge and jump across the gap to the next ledge, where a path runs between two clumps of rocks. Go around the rocks to the right and take a running jump to grab the high ledge on the opposite side of the canyon. (If you're having trouble with this jump, check the page with screenshots for a few notes.)

Pull up, turn right, and walk to the end of this ledge. There's a small ledge with a green opening ahead on the right. Take another running jump, setting it up beforehand so Lara takes off at the outer corner of this ledge and lands on the angled block just to the left of the green opening. Slide back and grab the edge. Traverse to the right, pull up onto the ledge, and crawl in to find SECRET #4Desert Eagle clips and a small medi pack. (screenshots)

NOTE: This will be secret #3 if you took the PATH THROUGH THE RUINS, as described above.

To get back to where you started, crawl out of the cave and turn right. Take a running jump onto the angled block in the corner. Hold the Jump key to spring off of the slope and land on the ledge to the left, where you were before. Move to the end of this ledge, turn left, and take a running jump across the canyon to grab the ledge on the other side. (This is the reverse of the jump you did earlier.) Pull up and go forward between the two clumps of rocks. Jump across the gap to the ledge where you shot the vultures. Move to the other end of this ledge and safety drop onto the block below. Now head forward to the bottom of the canyon and enter the GREEN CAVE on the right. (screenshots)

GREEN CAVE NEAR THE WATERFALL: If you came via the path ALONG THE RIVER, you'll meet 2 monkeys here. Shoot them and get the save/power-up crystal. If you came THROUGH THE RUINS, you'll have already done this. (screenshot)

EXPERT CHALLENGE: If you took the PATH ALONG THE RIVER and want to try jumping across the river to explore the RUINS, please refer to this separate page for advice. This is entirely optional. You'll still get all secrets if you continue with the normal walkthrough, you just won't have all kills and items.

WATERFALL: Now it's time to head for the end of the level. Inside the GREEN CAVE is a well-lit opening overlooking the river. Go through to an open area were the water spills over a cliff into a small pool. Climb onto the tan rocks on the left. Walk down the slope to the end of this rocky ledge. If you want all the goodies, don't jump into the water just yet. There's some ammo on a small ledge on the far side of the pool and a secret inside the little cave below on the right. Take a running jump across the gap to the next stone ledge. Kill 3 more vultures. Here it may help to jump across and trigger the appearance of the vultures and then jump back to the ledge you came from, where you'll have more room to maneuver as you shoot. When the coast is clear, jump back across the gap to the rectangular ledge that runs along the left canyon wall. (screenshots)

Move to the end of this ledge and jump to the small square ledge ahead on the right. Safety drop to the ledge below and pick up harpoons and MP5 clips. Turn around and take a running jump across the pool to grab the horizontal crevice. Traverse to the right, pull up, and crawl into the cave. This is SECRET #5. Get the goodies—a save/power-up crystal, harpoons and shotgun shells—then back out and drop into the pool. (screenshots)

NOTE: This will be secret #4 if you took the PATH THROUGH THE RUINS, as described above.

Notice the broken raft in the pool below the falls. Apparently Tony came this way as well. Swim down and grab the small medi pack sitting on the bottom near the raft. Then climb out of the pool and follow the rocky passage behind the waterfall to finish the level. (screenshots)

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UPDATE HISTORY: 11/25/01 - Added first version of the alternate walkthrough describing how to complete the level with all 5 secrets by first following the PATH ALONG THE RIVER and then jumping across the river to explore the RUINS.
10/1/02 and 1/25/12 - Updated the section on jumping across the river and back.
3/28/14 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1998. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as various other corrections and clarifications.
2/5/24 - Added VGCartography's level maps, with permission. Visit VGCartography on DeviantArt for high-res versions, and follow on Twitter/X and YouTube for more fantastic game maps.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walkthrough could not have been written. Thanks also to Lin and Laura (aka 'the fix'), who instructed me in how to get across the river and back again for all kills, items, and secrets; to DustyShinigami, Lawrence, tartancroft, WL, and Zak for offering a few refinements and alternate strategies for that section; and to Hugh G. and Shammi for other help with this level. 

WAS THIS WALKTHROUGH HELPFUL? If not, I apologize and invite you to contact me with any questions. If you need help right away, I recommend the r/TombRaider subreddit. Other fan-run forums are listed at tombraiders.net/stella/community.html. If this site was useful, please consider supporting it financially or in other ways. For details, visit tombraiders.net/stella/support.html. As always, I welcome your corrections/suggestions. Thank you!

Stella's Tomb Raider Site: tombraiders.net.