How to Find an End City and Get Your Elytra

End cities are tall purpur towers on the outer islands of the End. They hold some of the best loot in the game: enchanted diamond gear, shulker shells for shulker boxes, and on some of them an end ship with an elytra.

You cannot reach them until you beat the Ender Dragon. This guide explains how to get to the outer islands, how to find an end city once you are there, how to tell which cities have a ship, and how to raid them safely in Java and Bedrock.

Open the end city finder

Step 1: Beat the dragon and use a gateway

End cities never generate on the main End island. They are on the outer islands, which start about 1,000 blocks from the center. The gap between is empty void, so you need a way across.

After you defeat the Ender Dragon, an end gateway appears near the edge of the main island. It is a small bedrock frame with a black portal block in the middle. Throw an ender pearl into it, or fly into it, to teleport to the outer islands.

• Each dragon kill adds one new gateway, up to 20 in total.
• Each gateway leads to a different spot on the outer islands, roughly 1,000 blocks out.
• When you use a gateway, a return gateway is created at the far end so you can get back.

To find the stronghold and the End portal first, read how to find a stronghold without eyes of ender.

Step 2: Spot an end city on the outer islands

End cities are big and bright. Look for these signs:

• Purple towers. Purpur blocks stand out clearly against pale end stone.
• End rods. These white light rods line the towers and glow in the dark sky.
• Shulkers. Yellow-purple box mobs attached to the walls.
• A floating ship. An end ship hovers next to some cities.

Go to the highest point near your gateway and look around with high render distance. End cities only spawn on larger islands that reach a certain height, so tiny floating islands are a waste of time. Chorus trees mark islands, but not cities.

You can bridge between islands with blocks, but the void kills instantly. Always sneak while bridging and carry ender pearls.

Find end cities from your seed

The outer islands are huge and many cities are far apart. A seed map saves a lot of bridging. Enter your seed in the end city finder and switch to the End dimension. Every city is marked, so you can see how far each one is from your gateway.

Copy the coordinates of the closest few cities. Not every city has a ship, so plan a route that visits several. Then note where your gateway dropped you, compare the two, and travel in that direction. Press F3 in Java to see your X and Z, or turn on Show Coordinates in Bedrock settings.

Because end city positions come from the seed, the map is accurate for your world as long as you choose the right edition and version.

Which end cities have an elytra

Only some end cities come with an end ship. The ship is the only place an elytra generates naturally. It sits in an item frame at the back of the ship, below deck, next to a dragon head. The ship also has two loot chests and a brewing stand with healing potions.

One elytra per ship means you may want several cities for a multiplayer group. You can also repair an elytra with phantom membranes or Mending.

How to raid an end city safely

• Bring slow falling potions. Shulker bullets give Levitation. When it wears off high up, you fall. Slow Falling saves you.
• Bring a shield. It blocks shulker bullets.
• Carry blocks and ender pearls. You will need to climb and bridge, and pearls help if you get knocked off.
• Use a water bucket. Water works in the End, so it can stop fall damage.
• Kill shulkers for shells. Two shells and a chest make a shulker box. Shulkers do not respawn, so take your time.
• Climb up inside, not outside. End city stairs and ladders are safer than towering up the walls.

Endermen are everywhere in the End. Do not look at them directly, or wear a carved pumpkin to stay safe.

Java and Bedrock differences

End cities, ships and gateways work the same way in both editions. The layout of each city is random, so city size and ship chance vary. Positions are different between editions on the same seed, so always set the correct edition on the map.

In both editions, the elytra does nothing on its own. Fly by jumping, then pressing jump again while in the air. Use firework rockets for boost, and avoid flying into walls at speed, which deals damage.

What to bring for an End city trip

An end city trip is a long way from home, and the void punishes mistakes. Pack these items before you leave:

1. Full diamond or netherite armor, ideally with Protection and Feather Falling boots.
2. A sword and a bow. Shulkers hide in their shells, so hit them when they open.
3. Ender pearls, at least a stack, for the gateway and for emergencies.
4. Two or three stacks of blocks for bridging and climbing.
5. Slow Falling potions for Levitation and long drops.
6. Golden apples and good food such as cooked steak or golden carrots.
7. An empty shulker box or ender chest to keep loot safe. Items in an ender chest are safe even if you fall into the void.

Before you head out, set your spawn point with a bed or respawn anchor near your Overworld base, not in the End. If you die in the void, your items are lost for good, and you will respawn at your spawn point.

Once you have an elytra, you can fly between islands. That makes finding more end cities far faster. Keep a stack of firework rockets in your inventory and fly high above the islands to scan for purple towers.

Each new city you find gives more shulker shells, more diamond gear and maybe another elytra. Many players clear five or more cities before heading home, so bring plenty of storage.

FAQ