Path of Exile 2 brings a fresh take on the action RPG genre with enhanced graphics, a new campaign, refined mechanics, and deeper build customization. While many players look ahead to the game’s complex endgame systems, farming early in the campaign — particularly in Act 1 — is essential. Efficient farming in the first act not only improves your gear but also provides early currency, crafting items, and vendor recipes that can make the POE 2 Currency rest of the campaign much smoother.

Below, we’ll cover the best farming spots in Act 1 of Path of Exile 2, focusing on enemy density, layout simplicity, item drops, and repeatability.

1. The Submerged Passage
Why it’s great:

High monster density

Linear and easy to navigate

Frequent loot drops

Great for leveling from 5 to 9

The Submerged Passage is one of the first farming-friendly zones available in the game. It’s a narrow, tunnel-like area filled with tightly grouped enemy packs that are perfect for builds with area-of-effect skills. This location is excellent for farming early gear, collecting Scrolls of Wisdom, and potentially finding 3-linked gear — which is especially valuable early on.

Bonus tip: Keep an eye out for the entrance to the Flooded Depths side zone, which offers an additional passive skill point upon completion.

2. The Ledge
Why it’s great:

Very straightforward map layout

Packed with enemies

Rare chance to find strongboxes

Minimal interruptions, ideal for quick runs

The Ledge is a classic farming zone from the original Path of Exile, and it returns in PoE2 as a top-tier early farming location. The path is extremely linear, which makes it easy to clear quickly and efficiently reset by using the waypoint or a Portal Scroll. Many players use this area to grind experience and currency between levels 9–12.

If your build is just coming online, this is the perfect spot to test it out and gather early orbs, crafting materials, and gear upgrades.

3. The Prison / Lower Prison
Why it’s great:

Dense layout with lots of side rooms

Great source of magic and rare items

Chance to find locked doors with extra loot

Common location for encountering rare enemies

The Lower Prison provides one of the first opportunities in Act 1 to farm higher-quality magic and rare gear. It’s a sprawling dungeon with lots of connected rooms, and each of these rooms can be filled with clusters of undead enemies. If you’re looking to collect gear for vendor recipes or just want to find an upgrade for your weapons and armor, this is a great place to grind.

Tip: Check for doors requiring keys or levers — these often hide chests with better loot.

4. The Ship Graveyard
Why it’s great:

High enemy density

Ideal for corpse-based or AoE builds

Decent chance for crafting materials and rings

Easy to loop through for repeat farming

By the time you reach the Ship Graveyard, you’ll be a bit more powerful and ready to tackle larger groups of enemies. This area is perfect for gathering crafting bases, especially spellcaster-focused gear due to the number of undead mages and elemental creatures. It also has a high probability of dropping rings and amulets, which can be used in valuable vendor recipes.

5. Cavern of Wrath and Cavern of Anger
Why it’s great:

Final farming zone before Act 1 boss (Merveil)

Filled with elemental enemies

Excellent loot potential for magic and rare items

Ideal for preparing gear before moving to Act 2

These twin zones mark the end of Act 1 and are often overlooked as farming locations. However, they are packed with enemies, particularly elemental casters and melee hybrids that can drop early resistance gear. Farming here before tackling the boss can significantly increase your survivability and help you collect the gear needed to handle Act 2’s spike in difficulty.

Conclusion
Farming efficiently in Act 1 of Path of Exile 2 can give you a significant advantage in the early game. Whether you're leveling quickly, searching for crafting bases, or gathering currency and vendor recipe items, these zones offer the best value for your time and effort.

To maximize your efficiency:

Use movement skills to speed up runs

Prioritize linked items for vendor recipes (RGB sockets = Chromatic Orb)

Clear zones quickly and reset them often

Focus on farming gear that matches your build’s needs

Starting strong in PoE2 sets the foundation for long-term success — and with these Act 1 farming spots, you’re already on the cheap POE2 Currency right path.