All Escape from Tarkov Maps: Full EFT Guide

In the family of first-person tactical shooters, Escape from Tarkov is a standalone hit. This game provides an intriguing storyline with engaging missions, the ability to create weapons, and the necessity to solve complicated problems all the time.
Many address this game as ‘hardcore,’ and its brutality justifies this definition. Your survival and progress in Norvinsk essentially depend on your choice of the map. The #1 factors include loot access, PvP options, difficulty, and accessibility. In this blog, we’ll introduce the best Tarkov maps and explain how to pick the right one for you.
Best Maps in Escape from Tarkov
Tarkov maps are vital for players of EfT. Ask any pro, and they’ll rush you to learn their content by heart or burn the data out right in your mind. The exact map a player chooses to complete missions also matters. The same map can ideally fit a skilled BEAR or USEC but may turn out a complete disaster for a user who only makes initial steps into this somber territory.
So, which maps in Escape from Tarkov will be your cup of tea? Learn from our Tarkov map guide right now!
Customs – Best Map for Beginners
The safest choice for a starter is the Customs. This is a broad area that borders upon the factory facility and includes various non-residential buildings. The map provides enough loot opportunities. Still, like with all Tarkov maps, successful extractions from Customs require that you learn this map’s potential difficulties.
Best Loot Locations
The Customs map reveals multiple containers of loot. You’ll need to locate at least these keys:
- Room keys in the 4-story dorm.
- Gas Station Storage Room ley.
- Factory Exit key.
- Customs Office key.
- Safes in rooms 105,110, and 114 (2-story dorm).
- Safes/Quest keys in rooms 204, 214, and 220 (3-story dorm).
While searching, remember Reshala and his four guards who can emerge somewhere in between the gas station and Skeleton Construction. These are malign and shrewd enemies.
Survival Rules
When choosing Customs out of maps for Tarkov, it’s reasonable to bear in mind some hints from pros:
- Employ CQB weapons in dorms.
- Fight Reshala’s group from longer distances.
- Take cover in bushes to observe Scavs.
- Jump on objects to catch advantageous sight lines.
Our in-depth experience with the game has shown that planning extractions is the #1 task in the game. Although the Customs location provides a huge number of them, many remain restricted or have specific access requirements.
Why Choose the Customs EfT Map
What distinguishes Customs from all maps for Tarkov is its endless possibilities and pretty accessible mission to newcomers. If you plan your raids and escapes accurately, you can expect to progress quickly.
Interchange – Best Map for Looting
The Interchange map covers a unique area full of chemist’s shops, weapons traders, tech storage facilities, multi-storeyed shopping malls, and various caches. The Interchange might be the largest source of loot in EfT.
Best Places to Loot
In Interchange, every spot seems to carry loot potential, but the most precious riches in Idea, Goshen, Oli, and at the power station are sure to be locked. So, you’ll need these keys:
Key type: | What it unlocks: |
---|---|
KIBA Store Keys | Weapons & armor: modded AK assault rifles, ammunition, KIBA weapons, etc. |
Ultra Medical Storage Keys | LEDX skin transplants, defibrillators, and other expensive medical equipment |
Pharmacy Key | Antibiotics, morphine, etc. |
Idea Register Key | Cash |
As with other EfT maps, players should prioritize these spawns:
- Suitcases, coat racks, and jackets.
- Duffle bags.
- Shelves, toolboxes, etc.
- Weapon crates.
These are typical sources of keys. Other valuable things also tend to be hidden in such places.
How to Survive
The main strategy for the Interchange is to loot carefully. Scav raids are very frequent here, so you’ll need a workable survival plan:
- Study where Killa, the Scav boss, appears most frequently. Ragged English must be an alarm signal for you. Don’t let him ambush you in stores!
- If you explore the power station, start entering with a grenade first.
- Keep an eye on stairs and hallways. Expect deadly attacks from above.
As for extractions, the safest one is the Railway Exfil. Move through the railcars and tents in a very cautious manner. You may use extended caches as extract paths, too.
Why Choose Interchange
Interchange requires specific skills, but our practice shows that most users are quick to master this lucrative map. It brings the best loot, and if you have learned your escape route perfectly, you are sure to leave Interchange with immense riches in your hand.
Reserve – Best Military Loot Supplier
Among Escape from Tarkov maps, the Reserve belongs to the most dangerous. Anticipate furious combat and seek rare weapons? Then, this location is your priority.
Best Loot Locations
The must-visit areas in the Reserve location include the following buildings and facilities:
- The Dome.
- King Building.
- Bishops.
- Knight Buildings.
- Bunker.
- Train station.
Besides multiple weapon crates, these areas hide spawns of costly techs, meds, military ammunition, etc. The most precious keys include RB-MP21, RB-TB, RB-ST, RB-AM, and RB-PS81.
Survival Guide
Plan the extraction. The best escape routes include the train that departs every 8 minutes and manholes. You might need a Red Rebel ice pick with you to unlock them. Avoid close battles against Gluhar as well.
Why Choose Reserve
The Reserve map is the best provider of military equipment and weapons. Here, you can loot specific techs that may be very useful in your further raids.
Shoreline – Best for Patient Looting
A green, rural area unusual for maps of Tarkov is covered in the Shoreline map. Its loot reserves are rarer, but the map contains interesting spawns with valuable haul.
Best Locations for Loot
The health resort is the main source of loot here. The most lucrative part is the East Wing of the administration building. However, the keys are to be found in the West Wing.
Essential Hints
Don’t buy this quietness. It won’t last too long. So, your mission in the Shoreline is to loot the best spawns and extract yourself on time. Here are the rules for this map:
- Obtain the essential keys from the Administration building first.
- The best treasures are hidden in the resort safes, and you’ll need keys E222, E226, E310, and E328 to grab the most valuable loot.
- Be ready to escape within 10-15 minutes.
- Use the Tunnel, Pier Boat, Road to Customs, or CCP Temporary as an extraction path. However, study their requirements.
The Shoreline is all about keys, so using the Custom Keys Tool may help. The most dangerous enemies are the Sanitar Scavs and their boss.
Why Choose Shoreline
Shoreline provides a unique adventure in terms of landscapes and loot specialties. If you enjoy picking keys and know how to manage your time, this might be one of the best Tarkov maps for you.
Labs – Best Map for High-Risk Raids That Pay High Rewards
A standalone area is the Lab. You need 9 keys to get the most out of it, but dangers are impending, and the toughest point here is the escape itself.
Best Loot Locations
Most rooms in the Lab contain expensive equipment, medications, weapons, and more, so take it as the loot place in general. However, you’ll need keys and keycards to these rooms. The Lab itself is only accessible to those who possess at least the Lab entry key! So, make sure to get keys from Therapist. Another way is collecting them from raids.
Survival Guide
Managing your time and remaining concentrated are as important here as in all other Tarkov maps. What makes the Lab special is the extraction process. The Lab hides numerous escape routes:
- Main Elevator.
- Sewer Manhole.
- Ventilation Shaft.
- Parking Gate.
- Med Elevator.
- Cargo Elevator, etc.
Some of these methods require manual triggering, so you need to explore all the possibilities before the raid. It’s crucial to know which ones are the fastest. In the Lab, it’s better to spend more time looting, but you must ensure rapid extraction for yourself.
Why Choose the Lab
Ready to take higher risks and try to gain truly profitable loot? The Lab map in EfT is what you seek. It gives exhausting info about rewards, and these raids will test your knowledge and strategic planning abilities.
Lighthouse – Best for Rogues & Loot Hunters
The Lighthouse map has been added recently, and many users prefer it to all the others. The secret of its ever-growing popularity is in its diverse gameplay. This coastal area contains such objects as village cottages, a water treatment plant, and a train yard. There’s a lonely Lighthouse in the southern area, but for some reason, an atrocious sniper keeps this location intact…
Best Loot Sources
The Lighthouse belongs to those maps for EfT that provide loot all over the land. However, values differ, and you should move toward the following first-priority areas:
- Chalets, especially one in the South.
- Village.
- Water Plant.
The latter is full of loot, but its main danger is Rogues that will madly protect their dwellings. The profits include rare keys, weapons, ammo cases, and others.
How to Survive
Prepare yourself for Rogues, much more effective guards than Raiders. In the Lighthouse area, they will insanely fight using mounted guns and grenade launchers. The most workable approach for this map is to move stealthily through the area. Try to ignite battles from long distances. As soon as you clear the location, loot it methodically and get extracted.
Why Choose Lighthouse
The Lighthouse map still hides unknown treasures though many players have been using it for their raids for a while. This map provides dynamic and intriguing experiences to users who can enjoy both incredible loot possibilities and insanely severe battles.
Conclusion
Escape of Tarkov maps differ in complexity and profitability, but there aren’t good or bad maps in this game. They require different approaches and skills, and it’s up to you to choose the best-fitting one for your playstyle. Our experience proves that the most consistent approach to EfT is experimenting with different maps, thus using all the opportunities and working out your strategy for the game.