Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features one of the longest and most detailed storylines in the entire GTA franchise. With over 100 main story missions spread across three cities and multiple countryside regions, completing the game from start to finish is a massive undertaking. Whether you are stuck on a specific mission or want to experience the entire story in order, this complete walkthrough will guide you through every chapter of CJ's incredible journey.

This guide covers every main story mission in chronological order, organized by the city or region where they take place. We have included helpful tips and strategies for the most challenging missions so that even first-time players can reach the end credits with confidence.

Before You Start: Essential Preparation Tips

Before diving into the mission list, here are some important things every player should do to make the walkthrough smoother:

  • Save Often: The game does not auto-save. Always return to a safehouse and save before attempting any mission you think might be difficult.
  • Build CJ's Stats Early: Visit the gym in Los Santos to increase muscle and stamina. Go swimming to raise lung capacity. These stats make almost every mission easier.
  • Buy Body Armor: Before every combat mission, visit Ammu-Nation and buy full body armor. It essentially doubles your health.
  • Learn Weapon Locations: Free weapons are scattered across the map. Picking them up saves money and ensures you are always armed.
  • Eat Regularly: CJ needs to eat to maintain his health. Visit any fast-food restaurant between missions.

Chapter 1: Los Santos – The Beginning (Missions 1–26)

The game begins in the city of Los Santos, which is based on Los Angeles. CJ has just returned home after learning about the murder of his mother. He quickly gets pulled back into the world of gangs, corrupt cops, and neighborhood warfare.

Big Smoke and Sweet Missions (Missions 1–10)

  1. In the Beginning: This is the opening cutscene and introduction. CJ arrives at the airport and is immediately picked up by Officers Tenpenny and Pulaski, who frame him for a murder and drop him in rival gang territory.
  2. Big Smoke: Ride a bicycle back to Grove Street with Big Smoke while avoiding Ballas gang members who chase you.
  3. Sweet and Kendl: A story cutscene where CJ reunites with his brother Sweet and sister Kendl.
  4. Ryder: Follow Ryder to get a haircut, then help him rob a pizza place. This mission teaches basic movement and interaction.
  5. Tagging Up Turf: Spray over 6 rival gang tags around the neighborhood. This introduces the collectible graffiti system.
  6. Cleaning the Hood: Visit a crack den and clear out the dealers using melee combat.
  7. Drive-Thru: Perform your first drive-by shooting from a car while Big Smoke eats his food. Aim for the rival gang car and destroy it.
  8. Nines and AK's: Visit Emmet's gun stash to learn basic shooting mechanics. Practice aiming and firing at targets.
  9. Drive-By: Cruise through Ballas territory and shoot rival gang members from a moving vehicle. Return to the garage to lose the wanted level.
  10. Sweet's Girl: Rescue Sweet who is trapped at a girlfriend's house surrounded by Seville Boulevard gang members.

OG Loc, Cesar, and Territory Missions (Missions 11–20)

  1. Cesar Vialpando: Meet Kendl's boyfriend Cesar. Complete a lowrider hydraulics minigame to earn his respect.
  2. OG Loc: Pick up OG Loc from prison and chase a rival on a motorcycle through the city.
  3. Running Dog: Chase a fleeing Vagos member on foot for Big Smoke. Stamina is crucial here.
  4. Wrong Side of the Tracks: One of the most famous missions in the game. Ride a dirt bike alongside a train while Big Smoke shoots at Vagos members on top of it. Keep a steady distance from the train so Big Smoke can aim properly.
  5. Just Business: Accompany Big Smoke to a meeting that goes wrong. Escape on a motorcycle through the LA River drainage canals while shooting pursuers.
  6. Home Invasion: Break into a house at night with Ryder and steal military crates without waking the owner. Be slow and quiet.
  7. Catalyst: Steal weapons from a military train with Ryder. Fight off rival gangs while loading crates onto a truck.
  8. Robbing Uncle Sam: Infiltrate a military supply depot with Ryder. Use stealth to take out guards, then use a forklift to load crates.
  9. OG Loc Missions (Continued): Complete several missions for OG Loc involving DJing, stealing music, and dealing with rival rapper Madd Dogg's manager.
  10. Reuniting the Families: A major story mission where Grove Street attacks a Ballas meeting. Rescue Sweet from inside a motel, then survive a massive police chase involving helicopters and SWAT teams.

The Green Sabre and Betrayal (Missions 21–26)

  1. The Green Sabre: This is the climactic mission of the Los Santos chapter. CJ discovers that Big Smoke and Ryder have betrayed Grove Street and are working with the corrupt officers and the Ballas. Sweet is ambushed and arrested, and Tenpenny forces CJ to leave Los Santos.

Additional missions in this chapter include territory defense missions, Cesar's lowrider races, and several tasks for the corrupt officers. Complete all available side missions before The Green Sabre triggers, as you will not return to Los Santos for a long time.

Chapter 2: The Badlands and Countryside (Missions 27–38)

After being exiled from Los Santos, CJ finds himself in the rural countryside. Tenpenny forces him to do dirty work while CJ secretly plots to take down the corrupt officers and rescue his brother.

Key Missions in This Chapter

  • Badlands: Assassinate a witness in a small countryside town. Use a sniper rifle from the hills for the easiest approach.
  • Body Harvest: Steal a harvester from a survivalist compound. Drive carefully as the harvester is extremely slow.
  • King in Exile: A transitional cutscene that moves the story toward San Fierro.
  • Cesar Vialpando Meetings: Meet Cesar at various locations where he provides evidence of Big Smoke's drug empire and the betrayal.
  • Catalina Missions: Team up with the unpredictable Catalina for four robbery missions. You can choose the order: a liquor store, a bank, a gas station, or a betting shop. Each plays out differently.
  • Wu Zi Mu and Farewell My Love: Compete in countryside street races. Winning these races earns you a garage in San Fierro, setting up the next chapter.

Tip: The Catalina missions can be frustrating because of her erratic behavior. Stay calm, focus on driving, and let the cutscenes play out. The rewards are worth it.

Chapter 3: San Fierro (Missions 39–58)

CJ arrives in San Fierro, the game's version of San Francisco, with a run-down garage. He must build a new crew, establish a legitimate business, and continue fighting against the drug trade that Big Smoke and Ryder are running.

Key Missions in San Fierro

  • Wear Flowers in Your Hair: Recruit new allies including The Truth, Dwaine, Zero, and Jethro to help run the garage.
  • 555 We Tip: Frame a district attorney by planting drugs in his car at a hotel. Use valet parking as your cover.
  • Deconstruction: Destroy a construction site after workers disrespect Kendl. Use a bulldozer to push portables into a ditch and bury the foreman.
  • Photo Opportunity: Photograph a meeting between Ryder, Big Smoke's associates, and a Loco Syndicate leader. Use the camera's zoom function.
  • Jizzy (Loco Syndicate Missions): Work for pimp Jizzy B to infiltrate the Loco Syndicate. These missions involve driving escorts around the city and eliminating threats.
  • T-Bone Mendez: Chase down thieves who stole a drug shipment. Use an SMG for drive-by shooting during the chase.
  • Mike Toreno: Locate a kidnapped Toreno by following the signal of his phone. Search the docks and construction areas.
  • Outrider: Use a sniper rifle and rocket launcher from a motorcycle to clear the path for a drug van entering the city.
  • Ice Cold Killa: Assassinate Jizzy at his club under the bridge. Fight through his guards and chase him if he escapes.
  • Pier 69: A massive shootout at the San Fierro pier. Snipe targets from a rooftop, then fight your way down to eliminate T-Bone Mendez and Ryder.
  • Toreno's Last Flight: Destroy Toreno's helicopter before it escapes. Use a rocket launcher for the best results.
  • Yay Ka-Boom-Boom: The final Loco Syndicate mission. Drive a bomb-rigged car into the drug factory and escape before it explodes.

Zero's Missions (Optional but Recommended)

Zero runs a hobby shop and has a rivalry with a man named Berkley. His missions involve remote-controlled vehicle minigames. While optional, completing them generates income from the shop property.

Chapter 4: Desert and Las Venturas Outskirts (Missions 59–67)

After dismantling the Loco Syndicate, CJ is contacted by Mike Toreno, who is revealed to be alive and working as a government agent. Toreno forces CJ to complete dangerous tasks in exchange for Sweet's release from prison.

Key Missions

  • Monster: Drive a monster truck through checkpoints in the desert within a time limit.
  • Highjack: Steal a tanker truck while it is moving. Cesar drives alongside while CJ jumps onto the truck.
  • Interdiction: Protect a helicopter delivery from enemy agents using a rocket launcher on a desert hilltop.
  • Verdant Meadows: Purchase an abandoned airstrip in the desert. This becomes your new safehouse and unlocks flight school.
  • Learning to Fly: Complete all flight school lessons. This is mandatory and teaches you how to fly planes and helicopters. Some lessons are very difficult. Practice until you earn at least a bronze medal on each.
  • N.O.E.: Fly a small plane below radar across the entire map to deliver a package. Stay low to avoid detection.
  • Stowaway: Board a moving government plane on the runway, fight through agents inside, plant a bomb, and parachute out.

Tip: The flight school missions are widely considered one of the hardest sections of the game. Take breaks if you get frustrated. Once your flying skill is maxed out, aircraft become much easier to control for the rest of the game.

Chapter 5: Las Venturas (Missions 68–88)

CJ arrives in Las Venturas, the game's version of Las Vegas. He teams up with Wu Zi Mu and the Chinese Triads to take on the Italian Mafia and pull off a massive casino heist.

Key Missions in Las Venturas

  • Fender Ketchup: Intimidate a Mafia member by driving recklessly with him on the hood of your car until his fear meter fills up.
  • Explosive Situation: Steal dynamite from a quarry. Use a dirt bike to escape before the timer runs out.
  • Architectural Espionage: Photograph the blueprints of Caligula's Casino by sneaking into the city planning department.
  • Key to Her Heart: Follow a casino employee, discover her secret, and use it to get a keycard for the heist.
  • Dam and Blast: Plant explosives inside the Sherman Dam to cut power to the Las Venturas strip during the heist.
  • Breaking the Bank at Caligula's: The casino heist itself. This is a long, multi-stage mission. Disguise yourself as a casino worker, use the keycard to access the vault, load cash onto a forklift, fight through Mafia guards, and escape via a helicopter on the roof. Bring full armor and plenty of ammunition.
  • Madd Dogg: Save rapper Madd Dogg from jumping off a casino roof. Position a truck with a mattress below him to catch his fall.

Additional Las Venturas Missions

Several missions in this chapter involve working for the Triads, dealing with Mafia retaliation, and completing tasks for various contacts. The story builds toward CJ's eventual return to Los Santos for the final confrontation.

Chapter 6: Return to Los Santos – The Finale (Missions 89–100)

CJ finally returns to Los Santos to rescue Sweet, reclaim Grove Street, and take down Big Smoke and Officer Tenpenny once and for all.

Key Final Missions

  • Home Coming: Return to Grove Street and take back the neighborhood from crack dealers and Ballas. Reclaim your territory through gang warfare.
  • Beat Down on B Dup: Confront B Dup, a former ally who turned to drugs, and force him to reveal Big Smoke's location.
  • Grove 4 Life: Take over key territories with Sweet. This involves multiple gang war battles across Los Santos.
  • Riot: Officer Tenpenny's court case collapses, triggering a city-wide riot. Los Santos descends into chaos.
  • Los Desperados: Help Cesar take back his neighborhood from the Vagos during the riot.
  • End of the Line: The final mission. Assault Big Smoke's crack fortress in East Los Santos. Fight through four floors of heavily armed enemies. Confront and defeat Big Smoke in a dramatic showdown. Then chase Officer Tenpenny across the burning city in a fire truck pursuit. This is the longest and most difficult mission in the game.

Final Mission Tips: Bring an M4, a shotgun, full body armor, and plenty of health. The crack fortress is dark and enemies attack from all directions. Use the lock-on system and take cover whenever possible. The Tenpenny chase sequence requires careful driving since the fire truck is heavy and difficult to control.

The Hardest Missions and How to Beat Them

Wrong Side of the Tracks

Keep a medium distance from the train. Too close and Big Smoke cannot aim. Too far and the bullets will not reach. Let the train reach the open bridge area where Big Smoke has better angles.

Supply Lines (Zero's Mission)

This remote-controlled airplane mission has limited fuel. Plan your attack route efficiently and take out the closest targets first. In the Definitive Edition, the fuel bug has been fixed, making it slightly easier.

Learning to Fly

The circle landing and helicopter challenges are the hardest. Approach landing strips slowly, reduce speed early, and use gentle inputs. For helicopters, practice hovering before attempting precision movements.

End of the Line

Use the SWAT tank (available during the riot) to enter the building for extra armor. Inside, switch between the M4 for long range and shotgun for close quarters. The final chase just requires persistence and steady driving.

What You Need for 100% Completion

Finishing the main story is not the same as 100% completion. To fully complete GTA San Andreas, you also need to:

  • Complete all 100 main story missions
  • Spray all 100 graffiti tags in Los Santos
  • Photograph all 50 snapshots in San Fierro
  • Find all 50 horseshoes in Las Venturas
  • Collect all 50 oysters across the water
  • Complete all vehicle side missions (taxi, ambulance, firefighter, vigilante)
  • Finish all street races
  • Complete flight school, boat school, bike school, and driving school
  • Buy all available properties
  • Complete all gym challenges
  • Finish all quarry, trucking, and freight train missions
  • Take over all gang territories in Los Santos

Achieving 100% completion rewards CJ with unlimited ammo, a Rhino tank spawning at his house, a Hydra jet at the airstrip, and a special t-shirt.

Final Thoughts

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas offers one of the richest and longest single-player campaigns in open-world gaming history. With over 100 missions that span three cities, a massive countryside, and a desert region, the journey of Carl Johnson is truly epic. Whether you are playing for the first time or revisiting this classic, following this walkthrough will ensure you experience every major story beat and overcome every challenging mission along the way.

Take your time, explore the world, build CJ's skills, and most importantly enjoy every moment of this legendary game. Good luck out there in San Andreas.