How to Raid an Ancient City in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Sneak everything. Ancient cities at Y=-51 in the deep dark are full of sculk sensors and shriekers: four shrieker activations summon the warden. Crouch, break shriekers with a hoe, throw snowballs to distract sensors, and loot chests for echo shards, swift sneak books and the exclusive ward and silence armor trims.

What you need

Hoe (fastest against sculk)
Wool blocks (vibration-proof floors and bridges)
Snowballs (sensor distractions)
Night vision potions
Food, torches off, and nerves

Step by step

Find an ancient city in a deep dark biome at Y=-51, usually under mountains. Bring wool, a hoe, snowballs and night vision.
Crouch everywhere: sneaking makes no vibrations, so sculk sensors and shriekers ignore you.
Break every sculk shrieker you see with a hoe (fastest tool). Four activations of naturally generated shriekers summon a warden.
Throw snowballs away from you to distract sensors and shriekers while you cross open areas or loot.
Loot the chests: echo shards (recovery compass), swift sneak enchanted books, disc fragments for music disc 5, and the ward and silence armor trims found nowhere else.
Hunt the rare prize: ancient city chests have one of the highest enchanted golden apple chances of any structure.
If a warden spawns, do not fight it: lose line of sight, stay silent and let it burrow back after 60 seconds of no vibrations.

Java vs Bedrock

Ancient city loot and warden spawning are the same in Java and Bedrock. Ice box chests are a separate loot table worth checking in both editions.

Versions: Ancient cities exist since 1.19 (The Wild Update). Swift sneak, echo shards and the two trims remain exclusive to them.

Frequently asked questions

How many shrieker activations summon the warden?

Four per player. Each player has their own warning level that rises when they activate a naturally generated sculk shrieker, and at the fourth activation a warden emerges. Shriekers you place yourself never summon one.

What loot is exclusive to ancient cities?

Echo shards (for the recovery compass), swift sneak enchanted books, disc fragments (music disc 5), and the ward and silence armor trims. The chests also carry one of the best enchanted golden apple rates in the game.

What is the safest way to explore an ancient city?

Crouch constantly, cover your approach with wool (wool blocks and carpets do not transmit vibrations), break shriekers first with a hoe, and use snowballs to pull sensor attention away. Never run, never place or break blocks near sensors without sneaking.