How to Find an End City in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: End cities generate on the large outer islands of the End, in the midlands and highlands, where chorus trees grow. You reach the outer islands through an End gateway. Only End ships, found at some cities, contain elytra and dragon heads.

An End city with chorus plants in Minecraft — End city. Gameplay screenshot by Dabmasterars via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

What you need

Ender pearls for gateway access and emergencies
Slow Falling potions or water bucket
Shield
Stack of blocks for bridging
Pickaxe and food
Elytra + fireworks for further trips

Step by step

Defeat the ender dragon to open a gateway near the central island. Throw an ender pearl into the gateway block to reach the outer islands. Record the return gateway coordinates before exploring; if you arrive on a small island, bridge carefully to a large one.
Look on the large islands where chorus trees grow. End cities usually generate in flat midlands or highlands areas.
Search in a grid: End cities only generate in chunks numbered 0-8 plus or minus a multiple of 20. You may find several clustered together or travel thousands of blocks without finding one.
Spot the towers of end stone bricks and purpur blocks, lit by end rods and ender chests. Shulkers guard them: block or strike their projectiles, which inflict Levitation if they hit you. Plan for a safe landing before climbing.
Loot the rooms: loot rooms have two chests with valuable loot at the end of a small parkour area, and some have one normal chest next to an ender chest. Loot includes enchanted iron and diamond tools, weapons and armor.
Check for an End ship: each tower direction has a 50% chance of a bridge, and each bridge has a 12.5% chance of an End ship, with at most one ship per city. The ship holds an elytra in an item frame and a dragon head, and three shulkers spawn on it.

Java vs Bedrock

Java has named End Midlands and End Highlands biomes where cities generate; Bedrock uses The End biome. In both editions, search the large outer islands and check separately for an End ship.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How rare are End cities?

You may find several clustered together or travel thousands of blocks before finding one. They generate on a noticeable grid in chunks numbered 0-8 plus or minus a multiple of 20.

Does every End city have an elytra?

No. Elytra appear in an item frame inside an End ship. Each generated bridge has a 12.5% ship chance, and at most one ship can generate per city; this is not a 12.5% chance per city. If there is no ship, keep searching other cities.

What can I find in an End city?

Enchanted iron and diamond tools, weapons and armor, shulkers and, in End ships, elytra and dragon heads.

What lights an End city?

End rods and ender chests are the only light sources.