The minute they step down off of the steps to the path on the main gate, several winged spirit demons are spawned from a black pool at the other end, which is your immediate destination. It's prudent to be near the pool to fight them as if one succeeds in picking up Yorda, that pool will be the destination. So run along the path toward the other end. They'll try to attack Ico and Yorda on the path, but if Ico and Yorda are running, they should be able to stay ahead of their attackers until they reach the other end. The spirit demons may get a bit closer when Ico and Yorda round the corner on the path but they can still make it. Once they arrive at the black pool, destroy the spirit demons, which should not be too difficult. Have Ico climb the ladder and call the princess up as well. She'll likely be abducted if he doesn't. Walk through the doorway and go over to the lever on the other side. Pull the lever to lower the drawbridge below inside. Note the sword in the alcove, which Ico doesn't need, as he's already carrying one. Move to the ladder and descend. Call Yorda at the bottom and wait for her to climb back down, then take her through the door and walk straight forward onto the newly lowered drawbridge.

Once across head to the left of the entrance to building housing the fallen chandelier. Walk along the pathway and note the rope that you pass on the way to the block at the end. Pull the block even with the first stone column that juts out from the wall. Climb up onto the box, then jump onto the column and have Ico pull himself up. Turn and face the taller column to the right (on the other side of the rope). Take a step and jump across to the taller column. Turn toward the rope and cut it. Have Ico walk off the end of the stone column and call to Yorda. Have them walk together to the right and then turn left to enter a familiar area. The stairway on this side ends abruptly, so have them run around to the other side and head straight down the stairway. You'll hear the black pool opening up as they start around. There's a black pool at the top of the stairs and several flying spirit demons around it. They'll probably get Yorda and carry her down to the other black pool below, which is in front to the desired exit point. Actually this time it works to your advantage and you may not have to fight these guys much at all. Once Yorda is carried off, run down the stairs and have Ico go to the black pool and pull her out. He may have to clear out some of the spirit demons first, but when they have the opportunity, they can run on ahead through the open Idol Doors just past the black pool.

Your next task is to get them over to the dangling rope that Ico most recently cut. Head straight down the stairs. Turn right at the bottom and make your way around and down to the lower floor. First head out back to the main gate area and sit on the stone couch and save your game! Then come back in and turn to the left and head through the nearby arch. Walk left across the three graves and you'll see the rope hanging over near the far corner. The easiest way to progress is as follows: Have Ico climb up high enough on the rope so that his feet are about level with the top of the arch of the second window. Ensure that his back is to the window, then simply jump. He'll jump through the window and land on the ledge behind, which is the exact result you need.

Walk along the ledge to the right into the next room. Turn right and climb over the small ledge, then walk over to the box and push it past the ladder and off of the ledge down into the next room. Climb down the short ladder and drop off the end. Pull the box left toward the wall with the windows, then pull it along the wall toward the open window. Stop when you get there and push it through the open window. Take a step forward and call to Yorda. Ico will lean down and extend a hand to Yorda, who'll grab it and be pulled up. Take her over to the right corner and up the stairs. Have her open the Idol Doors, then take her hand and go on through.

Head to the left, then go left again across the bridge. Have Ico leave Yorda at the locked door and continue right to the ladder and climb it. Head to the left and then climb up, where there's light streaming through. Continue on down to the pathway below. Head left and align Ico with the chain, then have him jump to the chain. Turn him around 180 degrees so that his back is facing the other side. Swing twice and have him jump at the end of the second swing. Head to the left and climb down the ladder to the ground. Now have Ico walk to the right until he reaches the wall, then turn left and continue until he reaches the box. Have him push it off and jump down after it.

Go over to the elevator in the far right corner. Pull the lever and ride it up to the ledge behind the door where Yorda was left. Get off of the elevator and carefully continue to the right past the door to the lever beyond and pull it to open the door that was blocking Yorda from passing through. Call Yorda, then take her to the elevator and head back down. Have them head back toward the block that Ico pushed off, but stop at the series of stone ledges along the way and climb up them. Head through the door, then down on to the suspension bridge and across to the ledge on the other side. Go to the right and sit on the stone couch and save your game. Then have them retrace their steps utill they've climbed back down the series of stone ledges. Now continue on to the far left corner and the block. Have Ico climb up onto the block then up onto the area above. Next turn him around and call to Yorda, to extend a hand to her and pull her up with him.

Walk straight ahead, then turn to the right, and continue to the ladder, that Ico came down. Have him climb the ladder, then call to Yorda to have her join him at the top. Next walk to the right and traverse the next ladder in the same manner. Once they're both on the top, have them stand on the pressure plate and join hands, then walk through the now opened door. Walk across the pathway to the vault and pass through the doorway. Next head down either pair of stairs. Head to the ladder and climb up to the small platform, move about three steps to the left, then jump and grab the metal rail above. Head to the left. Drop off onto platforms to switch rails as necessary until Ico reaches their end. The solution for the European version differs. There's a gap in the metal rail leaving Ico no way to cross over. However there's a switch on the third platform near the gap. Drop onto the platform and throw the switch. Have Ico descend on the nearby ladder until he reaches its end, then drop to the floor. Head over to the machine, that the switch activated, and stand on the wooden pole, which will bend a bit and then fling ICO up into the air. However, unaided it will not get him far enough. Timing as usual is important here. Have Ico jump just as the pole begins to go back down and he'll sail high enough to grab onto the stone ledge. Press the 'Triangle' button a few more times and he'll be up at the window in no time. (Thanks to Guðlaugur sigurjónsson for the foregoing.) Then head out the open window and climb down the ladder. Note the running water to the right and the turn style type control above it, that can be used to shut off the water. But that's for a bit later

Drop down off the end of the ladder and walk around the stairs to the left. Pull the switch next to the stairs there to open the door above the stairs. Have Ico stand next to the nearby tree and give it a good whack with his sword. Doing so will cause an apparently heavy semi-round orb to fall from the tree, which nonetheless can be thrown a good distance and will bounce about when it lands. Have him pick it up and then head up the stairs and rejoin Yorda inside the vault. Look to the left (back towards the two sets of stairs) at the three doors in the wall and note the different colored one in the center. Pushing on only the right side of it will cause it to pivot on its axis and swing around so that they may pass through into an adjacent room with another of those slowly pulsating circles on the floor.

Stepping on the circle with Yorda will cause a fairly square basket to be raised on a pedestal on the stage in front. Ico then needs to get up on the stage and stand to either side and toss the round object into the stone basket. This is easier said than done! A simpler solution is to first go up on stage and place the round object in the square outline on the stage floor. Now take Yorda down to the pulsating circle and have them both stand on it. The round object will fly up and then drop back into the stone basket as it rises.

If you wish to do it the hard and honest way, Ico can throw the orb into the basket from several angles, but the one that should be the easiest is from the left. He needs to be two or three steps from the wall and running toward the basket when he throws it. You'll likely make a number attempts before being successful, Once done, a mace will fly through the window behind Ico and fall to the floor below the stage. Ico can now replace his sword with the more powerful mace.

Now it's time to go shut the water off. Exit the building and turn left once down the stairs. Head over to the rushing water and have Ico push the block into the water. He should then back up a few steps and take a running leap across the water. Done correctly, he'll land next to the opposite wall and jump up onto the bank. If he lands farther away than that, quickly move him toward the opposite side and jump up onto the bank. Next head toward the source of the running water until you see a ladder on the left. Have him climb it. Once on the top, continue to the left. Once again the solution for the European version differs. The ladder only descends half way in that version and can not be jumped to. However, note the wooden shacks on either side of the big water wheel. Jump onto one of them. Use the 'R2' button to get a good look at his surroundings. Next jump onto the water wheel, where there are no spikes. The spikes will not harm ICO, just dump him unceremoniously back into the water. Expect to try this more than once! Next pull up and quickly turn to the wall and jump to the big iron bar (or handle). Press the 'Triangle' button until he's up to the water gate turnstile. (Thanks to Guðlaugur sigurjónsson for the foregoing.) Turn it to shut the water off. Have him stand on the right side near the outer end of the top arm. Push the 'Circle' button and 'Left directional' button to start it turning in a counter-clockwise direction (for off). After he's made two complete revolutions, the sluice gate will close and the water will be shut off.

Climb down the ladder and then drop down into the newly dry stream bed. Have Ico call Yorda to join him there. Then take her in the direction the stream was traveling and through the opening. You need to press the 'X' button once he's gone over the edge in order for the scene to switch. Have her jump down onto the ramp, then head down the stairs to the left. Go through the doorway and down onto the suspension bridge again and across it (note the box below that has come to rest after having been dumped into the stream) to the stone couch, where you last saved and do so again. Head to the right, then down and around the stairs to the bottom. Turn right and head down to the bottom of the now dry aqueduct. Call Yorda down as neccessary. As Ico is dropping off the final ledge to the bottom, one or two portals will open nearby. However the spirit demons have now met their match. A hit or two with the mace is all it takes to dispatch one. Have them both walk over to the box and climb up on it, then on to the ledge above. Move them forward and have Yorda open the Idol Doors and send the two of them through.

Send them left down the stairs then make a U-turn to the left at the bottom. They should now walk along the side of the stairs and continue in that direction along the left side of the stream until they reach the stream falling over the side, which can be walked through with impunity, so do so and then proceed through the stream to the ladder. Have Ico climb it and then call Yorda up after him. Take her hand and continue walking down the path. After a short peaceful saunter, they encounter a large gap in the wooden bridge, which is however jumpable by Ico. He must take a running jump and do this, then stand at the edge and call Yorda to extend his hand and just catch her as usual. Have him pull her up, then the two of them can continue along the wooden pathway until they reach the elevator. Have them both get on it, then Ico can pull the lever to send it down. He and Yorda should then head over to the stone couch, so you can save your game.

They should next head to the right and down the stairs. Continue along the pathway until you see a pipe to the left. Have Ico go to the pipe and leave Yorda at the bottom. He can use it to climb up to the roof area, where he finds some tracks and a vehicle of sorts. Have him stand behind the car and push it to the right as far as it will go. Next have him climb up on it and then make a running jump to the area to the right, which he can do. Have him then pull the switch to lower the connecting drawbridge, which causes three portals to open and Yorda to be abducted. One portal is on the other side of the lowered drawbridge. One is in the area behind the pipe before it heads up. A third one appears above the stairs near the stone couch, which is the one she'll most likely be taken to. Remain in this area as it has walls around the edges and let the spirit demons come to Ico and Yorda, who're much less likely to be knocked over the edge there. Defeat the them one by one until the portals disappear in puffs of black smoke. After destroying the demons, head back down the stairway and across the drawbridge into the next area.