Stardew Valley Ginger Island Guide: How to Unlock It

To unlock Ginger Island in Stardew Valley, finish the Community Center (or the Joja Warehouse), read Willy's letter, then repair the boat in the back of his Fish Shop with 200 Hardwood, 5 Iridium Bars and 5 Battery Packs. After that, a round trip to the island costs 1,000g. On the island, Golden Walnuts are the currency: you spend them with parrots to open new areas.

Last checked: November 9, 2026, for version 1.6.15.

How to unlock Willy's boat

1. Complete the Community Center or the Joja Warehouse. Either route works. A day or so after the final ceremony, Willy sends you a letter.
2. Visit the Fish Shop on the beach. The door behind Willy's counter is now open, and the room behind it holds a broken boat.
3. Repair the boat in three places. Each part takes one material:

4. Sleep. Willy fixes the boat overnight, and a short cutscene plays.
5. Buy a ticket. From then on, a trip to the island and back costs 1,000g.

Where to get the boat materials

• Hardwood. The large stumps in the Secret Woods drop it and grow back. You need at least a Steel Axe to clear the log at the Secret Woods entrance. Mahogany trees, grown from Mahogany Seeds, also drop Hardwood.
• Iridium Bars. Smelt 5 Iridium Ore with 1 Coal in a furnace. The Skull Cavern is the main source of ore; see our Skull Cavern guide for how to farm it.
• Battery Packs. Lightning Rods on your farm catch lightning during storms and turn it into Battery Packs. Place several before stormy seasons.

Golden Walnuts and the parrots

Ginger Island has 130 Golden Walnuts in total. They are hidden in trees, buried in the sand, given as puzzle rewards, and dropped by fishing, digging and the Volcano Dungeon. Parrots across the island take walnuts in exchange for upgrades:

All of them together cost 116 walnuts. The remaining 14 walnuts are a buffer, and 100 found walnuts also open Qi's Walnut Room.

Since 1.6, a golden Joja parrot will find all your remaining walnuts for a price. It is a shortcut for players who want the late-game rewards without the hunt.

What to do first on Ginger Island

The island opens up in stages. A good order for your first days:

1. Find Leo's hut in the eastern jungle. Grab the walnut in the clearing on the way, and give it to the parrot in his treehouse. This opens the way to Island North.
2. Pay the turtle 10 walnuts. This opens Island West, which holds the island farm. It is the biggest single upgrade.
3. Unlock the Island Farmhouse for 20 walnuts. Sleeping on the island lets you spend full days there without the boat.
4. Repair the Dig Site bridge in Island North for 10 walnuts. Professor Snail is trapped behind a rock at the dig site; blow it up with a bomb and he moves into the Island Field Office.
5. Try the Volcano Dungeon once you can handle combat. The Volcano Bridge (5 walnuts) saves you from cooling lava every visit.

Bring a Watering Can and some bombs on your first trips. Water cools lava in the volcano, and bombs free Professor Snail and break rocks fast.

The island farm

Island West holds a farm that ignores seasons. Crops planted there keep growing all year, like a second greenhouse, though you cannot construct buildings on it. Tilled soil there dries out and decays just like on your main farm.

That makes it a strong home for high-value crops that need a long run, such as Ancient Fruit or Starfruit. Use the crop profit calculator with its Greenhouse / Island setting to compare crops, and the farm planner to fit sprinklers around them.

Easy Golden Walnut sources to start with

These need no special puzzle knowledge:

• Walnut bushes and trees. Walk the paths and shake every bush you can reach; several hold walnuts.
• Golden Coconuts. Take your first Golden Coconut to Clint, who cracks it for a Golden Walnut. Later coconuts hold island items.
• Field Office survey. At the back of Professor Snail's tent, answer the two survey questions: 22 for the plant count and 18 for the starfish. Each correct answer is worth a walnut.
• Fossil collections. Professor Snail pays walnuts for completed fossil sets: 6 for the Large Animal, 3 for the Snake, and 1 each for the Mummified Frog and Mummified Bat.
• Gem birds. On rainy island days, a bird appears in one area and drops a gem when you approach. Place each of the four gems on the matching pedestal at the jungle shrine for a walnut reward.
• Fishing and digging. Walnuts can also come from fishing and from digging up spots on the island.

Lost journal pages, often found by cutting weeds, point to buried walnuts. Read them whenever you pick one up.

The Volcano Dungeon and the Forge

The Volcano Dungeon in Island North is a 10-floor dungeon whose layout changes on each visit. The top floor holds the Dwarvish Forge, where you can enchant weapons and tools and combine two rings into one. Volcano floors also hold Golden Walnuts, ore and the occasional Mystic Stone.

Treat it like a mini Skull Cavern: bring healing food, your best weapon and your Watering Can.

Qi's Walnut Room

Once you have found 100 Golden Walnuts, Mr. Qi lets you into his Walnut Room on the island. Inside are a special orders board with Qi's late-game challenges, which pay Qi Gems, a shop where you spend those gems, and a Perfection Tracker that lists everything left for 100% completion.

Tips for island trips

• Leave early. The boat trip costs a chunk of the morning, so go as soon as you can.
• Warp home. A Warp Totem: Farm or the island Farm Obelisk gets you home without waiting for the boat. Warp Totem: Island does the reverse and skips the ticket.
• Befriend Leo. He is the boy whose parrot opens Island North. Duck Feathers and Mangoes are among his loved gifts.
• Open the resort when you can. Villagers visit it, which makes island days more social.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to Ginger Island in Stardew Valley?

Complete the Community Center or the Joja Warehouse, then follow Willy's letter to the back room of his Fish Shop. Repair the boat with 200 Hardwood, 5 Iridium Bars and 5 Battery Packs, and buy a 1,000g ticket.

How many Golden Walnuts are there in Stardew Valley?

There are 130 Golden Walnuts on Ginger Island. Unlocking every parrot upgrade costs 116, and you need 100 found walnuts to enter Qi's Walnut Room.

Can you grow crops on Ginger Island in winter?

Yes. The island farm has no seasons, so crops keep growing all year. You can't construct buildings there, but you can place sprinklers and machines.

How much is the boat to Ginger Island?

A round trip costs 1,000g once the boat is repaired. A Warp Totem: Island takes you there without a ticket.

Where is the Forge in Stardew Valley?

The Dwarvish Forge is on the top floor of the Volcano Dungeon in Island North. It enchants weapons and tools and combines two rings into one.

What should I do first on Ginger Island?

Give your first walnut to Leo's parrot, then pay the turtle 10 walnuts to open Island West and the farm. The Island Farmhouse is a good next step, because it lets you sleep on the island.