How to Move Between Worlds in Minecraft

Last Updated: July 29, 2015

In Minecraft, the main endgame content includes traveling to the Nether and the End, which are two of the three worlds the player can access, with the third being the Overworld, where the player initially spawns. The only way to access these worlds is through portals that have specific requirements to be created. Creating the portals to the Nether and the End is not as hard as it seems.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating the Nether Portal

1
Create 14 obsidian blocks. Equip a lava bucket by dragging it from its current location in your inventory to the first of 9 blocks in the bottom row of the inventory, and then press 1 to activate the lava bucket.
- Walk around the map until you find water, and once you do, right-click the water to place lava directly on it. This reaction will create an obsidian block.
- Use a diamond pickaxe to harvest the obsidian by left-clicking on the obsidian block.
- Repeat the process 13 more times so that you end up with a total of 14 obsidian blocks.
2
Create the bottom of the portal. In the location you wish to build the portal, place four obsidian blocks side by side in a line on the ground by right-clicking with the blocks equipped. This will serve as the bottom of the portal.

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3
Make sure the portal frame is the right shape. To do this, right-click on top of each of the two-end blocks and stack 4 more obsidian blocks vertically so that the portal frame appears in a U shape.
4
Complete the rectangle of obsidian. Right-click between the two upper areas of the U to fill it with obsidian.
5
Craft flint and steel. First, put iron ore into a furnace to make an iron ingot, and do the following steps in the sequence specified:
- Destroy gravel by left-clicking with a shovel until a flint is dropped.
- Right-click on a crafting table to open the crafting menu, and in the 3x3 grid of boxes at the top-left corner, place the iron ingot in the left column in the middle row by dragging it from the inventory into the appropriate box.
- Drag a flint from your inventory to the bottom row, middle column, and click to place it.
- Click the picture of flint and steel that appears on the right to craft it.
6
Activate the flint and steel. Drag it into the first slot at the bottom-left corner of the inventory then press 1.
7
Spark the portal to the Nether. To do this, right-click within the frame.
8
Teleport to the Nether. Jump into the portal, and stand there until you are teleported to the Nether. This will take a few seconds.
- If you leave the portal before you see the loading screen, you will not be teleported to the Nether.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating the End Portal

1
Gather or craft 13–14 Eyes of Ender. Eyes of Ender can be bought from priest villagers for roughly 8 emeralds each.
- To craft Eyes of Ender, right-click a crafting table, and place blaze powder into the leftmost column of the 3x3 group of boxes. Drag and place an ender pearl to the middle box of the group. Once done, left-click the Eye of Ender that appears on the right to craft it
2
Activate the Eye of Ender. Drag it into the first slot in the bottom row of your inventory, press 1, and right-click to use the Eye of Ender.
3
Follow the trail. The eye will begin leading the path to the location of an End portal. It will first travel above the surface until the player is near the X and Z coordinates of the portal. As the eye moves, it will leave a purple trail that you can follow to help keep track of it.
- Once the eye reaches the horizontal coordinates, it will travel downwards toward the portal (because all End portals are underground). After a few seconds, the eye will either drop to the ground to be collected again or be destroyed. It has a 1-in-5 chance of being destroyed each time it is used.
4
Right-click each of the 12 blocks that make up the frame of the End portal. Do so once the End portal is located. This will place the Eyes of Ender in them.
- One or two of these blocks may already have Eyes of Ender in them. If this is the case, skip these blocks, and continue filling the frame until all of the frame is filled and the portal opens.
5
Travel to the End. Jump into the End portal to be instantly transported to the End. Be careful as this is a one-way portal. That means if you enter it, the only way to get out is to beat the final boss (the Ender Dragon) or die.

Image titled Move Between Worlds in Minecraft Step 13

Community Q&A

Question

How do I ignite the portal?

Yoroe

Community Answer

You use a flint and steel to ignite the portal. To make a flint and steel, put one flint and one iron in a crafting table.
Question

How do I get obsidian?

SunPuppy

Community Answer

To get obsidian, pour a bucket of water over some lava. The lava should turn into black blocks. Mine it with a diamond or netherite pickaxe.
Question

How to find an end portal?

SunPuppy

Community Answer

To find an end portal, throw an eye of ender. It should lead you to wherever the portal is. Throw it a couple of times, until it falls down instead of forward. Dig down, and you should find a stronghold containing the portal.