You get elytra in only one place in Minecraft: an End ship, the flying ship moored beside some End cities on the outer islands of the End. Each ship holds one pair, in an item frame in its treasure room, so first you beat the Ender Dragon, then you cross an End gateway with an Ender Pearl. Elytra cannot be crafted or traded.
Once you have them, equip them in the chestplate slot, jump, and press jump again in midair to glide. This guide covers the way there, flying with rockets, repairing them before they wear out, and the only enchantments they take, as they work in Java 26.3 and Bedrock 26.50.
Step 1: reach the outer End islands
- Find a stronghold and its End portal: our stronghold page finds it from your seed or from two Eyes of Ender.
- Beat the Ender Dragon. When it dies, a small End gateway portal opens near the edge of the main island.
- Throw an Ender Pearl into the gateway (it is too small to walk into): you land on the outer islands, about 1,000 blocks out, with a gateway home next to you.
Step 2: find an End city with a ship
End cities are tall purple towers on the outer islands, and only some of them have an End ship floating beside them. Our End city page shows where they generate in your world, with the nearest ones listed, and our seed map puts them on the map.
- Bridge or pearl your way across: the islands are far apart, and the void kills.
- Shulkers guard the city and the ship. Their bullets make you float with Levitation: a bucket of milk ends the effect, and a ceiling of blocks stops the climb.
- On the ship, go down to the treasure room at the back: the elytra hang in an item frame on the wall, next to two chests and, at the bow, a Dragon Head.
Step 3: fly
| Control |
Java |
Bedrock |
| Start gliding |
Jump, then jump again in midair |
Jump, then jump again in midair |
| Stop gliding |
Land or touch water |
Land, touch water, or jump again |
| Climb |
Dive to gain speed, then pull up, or use a rocket |
The same |
A glide starts at about 7 blocks per second and gains speed as you dive. A Firework Rocket used while gliding pushes you to about 33.5 blocks per second: craft one from Paper and 1 to 3 Gunpowder, and the more gunpowder, the longer the boost. Leave out firework stars, or the rocket explodes on you. In rain or water, a trident with Riptide also launches you into the air.
Flying straight into a wall at speed hurts: the damage grows with the speed you lose. Slow down before you land, and do not fly over the void with worn elytra.
Step 4: keep them working
Elytra have 432 durability in Java and 433 in Bedrock, and lose 1 point per second of gliding: about 7 minutes of flight. At 1 point left they stop working rather than break, and look torn until repaired.
| Repair |
How |
What it gives back |
| Phantom Membrane |
On an anvil, with the elytra |
108 points (25%) per membrane |
| Another pair of elytra |
On an anvil or a grindstone |
Both durabilities added, plus 21 |
| Mending |
Collect experience while wearing or holding them |
Repairs as you play |
Phantoms drop the membranes: they come down at night once you have gone three days without sleeping. Each anvil repair costs more levels than the last, until in Java the anvil refuses with "Too Expensive!", which is why Mending is the long-term answer. A grindstone also strips every enchantment except curses.
The only enchantments elytra take
Elytra are not armor: they give no protection and take only four enchantments, all from an enchanted book on an anvil.
| Enchantment |
Max level |
What it does |
| Unbreaking |
III |
Makes durability last longer: about four times with Unbreaking III |
| Mending |
I |
Repairs them with experience orbs |
| Curse of Binding |
I |
Cannot be taken off |
| Curse of Vanishing |
I |
Disappears when you die |
Unbreaking III and Mending are the set to aim for: our best elytra enchantments page shows the cheapest anvil order, and our enchantments list explains each one. Protection cannot go on elytra, so a chestplate's protection is the price of flying.
Your cape shows on your elytra too: our capes guide lists every cape and how to get it.
