How to Make a Nether Portal in Minecraft

Co-authored by Zac Churchill

Last Updated: March 13, 2023

Nether Portals are used to transport yourself to the Nether in Minecraft. The portals are created from obsidian, one of the most difficult materials to mine in the game. If you have a diamond pickaxe, you can mine the obsidian and build the portal. If you don't have access to a diamond pickaxe, you can use a "mold" to create a portal structure without doing any mining. Nether Portals are available in all versions of Minecraft.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Diamond Pickaxe

1
Get a diamond pickaxe. It can be crafted with three diamonds and two sticks. You will need a diamond pickaxe if you want to mine obsidian.^{[1]
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- Obsidian allows the player to create a portal to the nether dimension.^{[2]
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- If you want to build a Nether Portal without a diamond pickaxe, you can build a "mold" using other materials and create obsidian in the correct shape for the portal.
- Alternatively, you can buy diamond pickaxes from master-level tool smith villagers.
- See Find and Mine Diamonds Fast on Minecraft for tips on finding diamonds.
- Diamonds are important in Minecraft because they are the ingredients for some of the most durable and efficient tools.^{[3]
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2
Fill some buckets with water. Obsidian is created by pouring water onto lava source blocks. One bucket of water will create one block of obsidian. You'll need at least ten blocks of obsidian, and you'll want to have extra water on hand in case something goes wrong, so pack accordingly.

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3
Find lava. Lava typically occurs deep underground, though you can stumble across a lava lake anywhere in the world. You'll have a very good chance of finding lava when your y-coordinate is at 11.
4
Pour a water bucket on the side of the wall, over the lava blocks. The principle here is to spread the water over the lava blocks. Any water the lava comes into contact with will become Obsidian.
- Putting out the lava can also remove your light source. Put some torches down before placing the water so that you can still see.
5
Collect the source water block using an empty bucket. By doing so, the obsidian underneath will be revealed.
6
Using your diamond pickaxe, mine the obsidian. You need 10 to make a portal. Rinse and repeat the water bucket trick as necessary.
- Note that mining obsidian takes a very long time (9.4 seconds). You can speed this up with the "Efficiency" enchantment.
- If you're standing in the water, be careful that the flow doesn't push you into the exposed lava.
7
Build the frame for your Nether Portal. You'll likely want to build the frame near your home so that you can easily resupply when you return from the Nether. The frame needs to be at least 4x5 blocks, but you don't need the corners, meaning you'll need ten blocks at minimum.^{[4]
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- Place two obsidian blocks next to each other on the ground, and then place a placeholder block on each end. Place three obsidian blocks in columns on each of the placeholder blocks. Put a placeholder block on the top of each column. Place two more obsidian blocks between the top placeholders. You can now remove the placeholder blocks to create the corner-less frame. The inside area should be 2x3 blocks of empty space.
8
Light the portal with flint and steel. This can be crafted with one iron ingot and one piece of flint arranged in a diagonal formation. The middle of the portal will glow purple when activated.
9
Stand in the portal for a few seconds. Depending on how strong your device's processor is, you'll be transported to the Nether in 4 seconds average. You can abort the teleport by stepping out of the portal, though it may be too late when your player's vision starts getting distorted. A return portal will be created in the Nether where you enter.
- Make sure to bring your flint and steel with you into the Nether. A ghast can put out your return portal, requiring you to re-light it.
  - That being said, you might have to consider bringing extra obsidian, probably another ten blocks, in case a ghast breaks or destroys the portal (although that is not common considering the strength of obsidian).

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Building a Portal with a Mold

1
Use this method if you don't have a diamond pickaxe. You can build a Nether Portal without the use of a diamond pickaxe by constructing a manmade waterfall and using lava buckets to build the obsidian frame.
2
Grab 2 buckets of water, 10 lava buckets, and a stack of cobblestone and dirt. You'll need this to make the frame for your Nether Portal.
3
Dig a 6x1 trench. 6 long, 1 deep. This will be considered the front of the frame.
4
Behind this trench, make a 6x3 high wall, with the 2 center blocks being 4 blocks high.
5
Place dirt blocks at the sides. You'll need this later to go up your mold.
6
Place 2 water blocks on the opposite ends of your cobblestone mold using your water bucket. A mini waterfall should arise.
7
Remember this principle from now on: Any empty block right next to or directly on top of a water block, will become an obsidian block if you strike it with a lava bucket. Therefore, be careful. If you accidentally create an obsidian block, it will remain there forever until you find a diamond pickaxe.
8
Make a pillar of obsidian 3 blocks high using your water buckets. Do this for both sides.
9
Notice the trench below with water. Use your lava buckets and make the base, 2 blocks side by side.
10
Use your empty buckets and collect the 2 water source blocks on top of your cobblestone mold. You'll need these to make the top of your Nether Portal.
11
Climb the mold and use your water bucket on the side of the overhang.
12
Use your lava bucket directly on the water source. The water should be extinguished and an obsidian block will take its place. Do this again for the other side.
13
Know that you now have very own Nether Portal in Minecraft, without the need for a diamond pickaxe!

Community Q&A

Question

Is the nether all underground?

Community Answer

The nether is not actually located underground, and you won't find it by digging. The nether exists in a different dimension, and can only be accessed by the nether portal.
Question

What we can get from Nether?

Pewdiepie Vietsub

Community Answer

From Nether, you can get lots of good stuff, including mobs and a Nether fortress (if you find one).
Question

What is the nether made out of?

Community Answer

The nether is comprised mostly of netherrack with lakes and rivers of lava. You'll find occasional soul sand pits, and glowstone will hang from the ceiling. You may be able to find nether quartz in caves. You may come across a nether fortress, loaded with loot and dangerous enemies.