The End Portal is in a Stronghold, and you find it by following Eyes of Ender

The End Portal sits inside a Stronghold, a structure buried underground that you cannot see from the surface. To reach it, you craft Eyes of Ender and throw them. Each eye floats toward the nearest Stronghold, then disappears into the ground. You follow where it went, dig down, and explore the Stronghold until you find the portal room.

This process takes time — you may need to craft and throw 8 to 12 Eyes of Ender before you reach the Stronghold, and the Stronghold itself can be large and confusing. But it is the only way to reach the End dimension in Survival mode.

Key Takeaways

  • You need Blaze Powder and Ender Pearls to craft Eyes of Ender, which means defeating Blazes in the Nether first.
  • Each Eye of Ender floats toward the nearest Stronghold and sinks into the ground when it reaches it, marking the location.
  • Strongholds are always underground and can be found in any biome, but they are rare — only a few exist per world.
  • Once inside the Stronghold, the portal room contains a frame made of End Portal Blocks with a green portal in the center.

Crafting Eyes of Ender

To craft an Eye of Ender, you need one Ender Pearl and one Blaze Powder. Ender Pearls drop from Endermen, which spawn at night in the Overworld or anytime in the End dimension. Blaze Powder comes from Blazes, which live in Nether Fortresses.

To reach the Nether, build a Nether Portal using 10 Obsidian blocks arranged in a 4×5 rectangle, then light it with a Flint and Steel. Once inside, search for a Nether Fortress — a structure made of dark brick and wood. Blazes spawn there and drop Blaze Rods when defeated. Smelt or craft Blaze Rods into Blaze Powder at a crafting table.

You do not need many Eyes of Ender to start — throw one or two to find the direction of the nearest Stronghold, then dig toward it. You can craft more as you go if the Stronghold is far away.

Throwing Eyes of Ender and following them

Hold an Eye of Ender in your hand and right-click (or use your secondary action button) to throw it. The eye floats upward and moves toward the nearest Stronghold. Watch where it goes — it will move in a straight line, sometimes through blocks, sometimes over terrain. Follow it on foot or by flying if you are in Creative mode.

The eye will eventually sink into the ground or disappear. This marks the location of the Stronghold. Mark the spot with a torch, a pillar, or a waypoint in your map so you do not lose it. If the Stronghold is very far away, throw another eye from that spot to narrow down the direction further.

Eyes of Ender can break when they sink into the ground, so you may not recover them. Bring extra materials to craft more if needed.

Digging down and exploring the Stronghold

Once you know where the Stronghold is, dig straight down or tunnel downward at an angle. Strongholds are always underground, usually between Y-level 0 and Y-level 64 (you can see your Y-level in the debug screen by pressing F3 on Java Edition). Dig carefully — you may hit lava, water, or mob spawners.

When you break into the Stronghold, you will see stone brick walls, dark oak wood, and sometimes torches. The structure is a maze of corridors and rooms. Look for the portal room, which contains a frame made of End Portal Blocks arranged in a 3×3 grid with the center block missing. The green portal appears in the center when all 12 frame blocks are in place.

If the portal frame is incomplete, you can craft End Portal Blocks using Ender Eyes, but this is rare — most Strongholds have a complete frame ready to use.

What to bring before entering the portal

The End is dangerous. Bring a full set of armor (Iron or better), a sword, a bow with arrows, a pickaxe, blocks for building, and food to heal. You will face Endermen and the Ender Dragon. The Ender Dragon is the final boss — it flies around the arena and destroys blocks, so you cannot hide behind walls.

Bring a bed if you are playing on Hard difficulty. When the Ender Dragon is near, sleeping in a bed causes an explosion that damages the dragon. This is one of the fastest ways to defeat it.

If you die in the End, you drop your items and respawn in the Overworld. You can return to the Stronghold and retrieve your items if you mark the portal location.

Strongholds are rare and only a few exist per world

Each Minecraft world contains only 128 Strongholds (in Java Edition). They are spread far apart, so the nearest one may be thousands of blocks away. If you throw Eyes of Ender and they lead you in different directions, you are seeing different Strongholds — follow the one that seems closest.

Once you defeat the Ender Dragon and leave the End, the portal closes. You can return to the End later by building another Nether Portal and finding a new Stronghold, or by using the exit portal that appears after the dragon dies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find the Stronghold without Eyes of Ender?

No. Eyes of Ender are the only way to locate a Stronghold in Survival mode. In Creative mode, you can fly around and search, but in Survival you must craft and throw them.

What if an Eye of Ender breaks and I do not see where it went?

Throw another one from a different location. Each eye points toward the nearest Stronghold, so throwing from different spots helps you triangulate the direction. Mark your current location so you can compare where the eyes point.

Can I use a map or coordinates to find the Stronghold?

Not without Eyes of Ender. Some players use third-party tools or mods to see Stronghold locations, but in vanilla Survival mode, Eyes of Ender are required. You can write down the coordinates where each eye sinks to help you navigate.

What happens if I fall into lava while exploring the Stronghold?

You take damage and may die. Bring a Water Bucket to place on lava and create a safe path. You can also wear Fire Resistance armor or drink a Fire Resistance potion if you have one.

Do I need to defeat the Ender Dragon to beat the game?

In Java Edition, defeating the Ender Dragon triggers the end credits and is considered beating the game. In Bedrock Edition, the game does not end, but the dragon is the final major boss. You can play without fighting it if you choose.