Escape from Tarkov Customs Map Beginner's Guide

The Customs map in Escape from Tarkov is the city’s main industrial zone, located near the Factory. It includes a wide variety of industrial facilities, a freight train terminal (once connected to Skier’s past lore), warehouses, dorms, offices, and unfinished construction projects. This map is medium in scale, supports 6–12 players, and spawns up to 20 Scav bots in waves. Being semi-open, most fights happen at medium ranges, though dorm areas are heavily CQB-focused. At the same time, elevated areas like the construction site provide sniper vantage points, albeit with very limited cover.

Customs is commonly seen as the most beginner-friendly map in Escape from Tarkov, for several reasons:

• Spawns and extractions are simple to understand. If you spawn on the western Customs side, you’ll generally extract in the east, and vice versa. This straightforward orientation makes the map easy to learn.
• Main hotspots like Dorms, Construction, and the New Gas Station draw most player attention, leaving other areas relatively safer for beginners to loot.
• The map’s design provides ample cover, allowing new players to counter better-geared opponents by limiting long-range engagements.

If you’d like to see a similar detailed guide on Streets of Tarkov once it’s available, let us know in the comments. In the meantime, check out our Streets of Tarkov Map Preview.

Points of Interest

The Customs map features a wide range of areas to explore, from abandoned dorms to warehouses and construction zones. Below are some of the most important locations and potential loot.

Note 1: Left-clicking on the map will open a larger version in a new window.
Note 2: We will continue expanding this guide with more details in the future, breaking down locations further and adding more points of interest.

1. 3-Story Dorm Building

This is one of the two Dorm buildings and a frequent PvP hotspot. Thanks to quest objectives and some of the best loot on the Customs map, players almost always visit this area. Expect plenty of close-range firefights inside, with some mid-range engagements along corridors and between the two dorms. Access requires multiple Dorm Room Keys. It’s also one of Reshala’s possible spawn locations, and houses the famous Marked Room (3rd floor, Room 314).

2. 2-Story Dorm Building

Smaller than its 3-story counterpart, this building is another high-traffic PvP zone. Like the other dorms, it contains valuable loot and quest objectives, and it’s a possible Reshala spawn site. With multiple Dorm Keys, you can fully explore it. Expect heavy close-quarters combat.

Location: Northern part of Customs, north of Construction, at the road ending perpendicular to the main street. The shorter building on the east side, marked as number "2" on the map.

3. New Gas Station

A central PvP hotspot, the New Gas Station contains some of the best loot in Customs, such as medical supplies, keys, and cash. It’s also another Reshala spawn point, making it a must-visit location for loot hunters and PvP players alike.

Location: Eastern Customs, north of the shipping yard and southeast of Dorms, right next to the main road. Marked as number "3".
Loot: Keys (MES, Goshan, Gas Storage, San. 306), meds, cash registers, weapon box, and possible drops from Reshala and his guards (modded AKs, Golden TT pistol, Labs Keycard, Bitcoin, armor, and more).

4. Construction Site

Located centrally, this unfinished structure offers sniper vantage points but is very exposed. It’s not ideal for loot but is excellent for Scav-kill quests, as Scavs spawn here frequently.

Location: Middle of the map, south of Dorms, west of the bridge, adjacent to the road. Marked as "4".
Loot: Unknown Key (for Extortionist quest), ammo box, duffle bags, weapon case in the locked Factory Shack, and Scav loot.

5. Customs Storage Area

This industrial zone is filled with garages, containers, and shacks. It’s particularly useful for beginners to find provisions and meds. Be cautious, as players often camp on rooftops here.

Location: Western Customs, just south of Crossroads extraction, next to Customs and Trainyard. Marked "5".
Loot: Keys (San.310, Dorm 214), two weapon crates, medcase in a white car trunk, duffle bags, and jackets.

6. Customs Area / Trainyard

This section includes the “Big Red” factory building, trainyard, and a parking lot. Spawns are scattered here, making it dangerous early on. Big Red contains an office locked behind the Customs Office Key, required for quests. Without the key, loot here is limited.

Location: Southwest Customs, east of the Storage Area, southwest of the bridge. Marked "6".
Loot: Locked office (3 PC blocks, safe, jacket, loose loot), weapon crates, jackets, duffle bags, and San.310 key (on a bus seat at trailer park).

7. Shipping Yard / Warehouses

This area is defined by huge freight cranes and is close to Boiler spawns. It features a locked room accessible with the Factory Key. Approach carefully, as PvP is common here.

Location: Southeast Customs, south of New Gas Station, on the opposite side of the road. Marked "7".
Loot: Log. Office Key (in a car trunk), weapon crate, cabinets, two weapon boxes, loose loot, and jackets.

8. Old Gas Station

This out-of-service station is an extraction point, but not always active—look for green smoke. Inside, random high-value loot can spawn, making it worth a quick check. Scavs often appear nearby.

Location: Southeast Customs, south of New Gas and Shipping Yard. Marked "8".
Loot: Random loose loot (including weapon cases and armor) and medical supplies in the western section.

9. Smokestacks / Boiler

This industrial extraction zone is on the far eastern side of the Customs map. Compared to western spawns, this side offers better loot opportunities and exploration. Its industrial chimneys make it easy to identify.

Location: Far east Customs, east of Shipping Yard. Marked "9".
Loot: Factory Key spawn, Military Base Checkpoint Key, Dorm 110 Key, along with scattered lootable containers, weapon boxes, jackets, and Scav loot.

Conclusion

Escape from Tarkov is a punishing game with a steep learning curve. This Customs map guide was created to help newer players understand the layout, hotspots, and loot potential of one of the game’s most beginner-friendly areas.

We hope you’ve found this guide useful. If we missed anything important, or if you have suggestions on how to improve, leave us your feedback in the comments. Gamer Choice always strives to provide the most detailed and accurate resources for Tarkov players.