Towering above Hyrule are various Sky Islands that you can access for new enemy encounters, better loot, among many other things. Reaching these areas, however, is not something that you will be able to do from the beginning of the game. Getting to the Sky Islands requires you to have access to a number of abilities featured in Zelda: TOTK. Want to learn how to reach the Sky Islands in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? We have got you covered!
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Sky Islands
There are a few ways to reach the Sky Islands in The Legend of Zelda: TOTK – some easier than others. Below, we have provided a complete rundown of all the different ways you can use to access these Sky Islands:
Ascend
Ascend is probably the simplest method of reaching otherwise inaccessible areas. The problem with Ascend is that it requires you to have a solid ceiling directly above you as it works if you have something concrete to phase through it. If there is nothing but thin air above you, you will not be able to ascend upward.
Use Jump Pads
Scattered throughout Hyrule are various Jump Pads that you can use to reach higher platforms. It is important to note that these will not send you soaring into the air directly on top of a Sky Island but you should be able to combine it alongside other methods.

Recall
It is one of the new abilities featured in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This basically lets you rewind time which causes an object to retrace its path. While trying to reach a Sky Island, see if there is a boulder falling nearby and then use Recall to send it upward. As it is going up, jump on it to reach your destination.
Ultrahand
Another ability that you can use to reach the Sky Islands is Ultrahand. This lets you glue multiple objects together to create things like vehicles, hovercrafts, etc. For example, if you glue multiple fans to a platform, you will create a makeshift hovercraft that you can ride to travel upward.
Glider
If you need to travel from one high platform to another one, you can use the Glider to fly across. However, do note that you will need to reach the initial high platform using one of the ways mentioned earlier.

Why Should You Access the Sky Islands?
Sky Islands in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are essentially outgrowths of Hyrule. While not absolutely necessary, there are a bunch of things you will find on these Sky Islands. These include but are not limited to enemies, gear, rare items, etc. Therefore, we would encourage you to explore these whenever you get the chance, especially since these are not difficult to get to.
This is how you can reach the Sky Islands in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You can also see our complete coverage of the game over at our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom guides hub.