How to Get Elytra in Minecraft and Start Flying

6 September 2026 · 5 min read

Vitalij Pobereznik · how we check facts

To get elytra in Minecraft, you need to reach an End Ship — a structure generated on the outer islands of the End dimension inside an End City — and take them from an item frame in the treasure room, after defeating or sneaking past a guardian shulker. This is not a quick errand around the corner; it is a sequential endgame route through several structures of the End dimension. Below is a step-by-step path built from verified sources, without invented details.

What elytra are and why they matter

Elytra are a chestplate-slot armor item that lets a player glide smoothly through the air after jumping from a height. According to the community Minecraft Wiki, they were added in Java Edition 1.9 (snapshot 15w41a) as part of the Combat Update. It is one of the most sought-after endgame items in the game: elytra offer a form of movement no other gear provides, which is exactly why hunting for elytra becomes a separate goal for many players once they finish the main storyline with the Ender Dragon.

Step one: get into the End dimension

The road to elytra starts long before the flight itself. First you need to find an end portal, which hides inside an underground stronghold, gather ender eyes to activate it, and jump through. This is the standard way into the End dimension, and without it none of the later steps are even reachable.

Step two: defeating the Ender Dragon

On the main End island, a player meets the Ender Dragon — the final boss of the core storyline. The first kill matters for more than just bragging rights: it is exactly what activates the end gateway portals around the main island. Without that kill, reaching the outer islands where End Cities with ships hide is not possible the normal way.

Step three: outer islands and the End City

After the dragon fight, end gateway portals appear around the main island. Throwing an ender pearl into one of these portals teleports a player to the outer islands of the End — and, according to the Minecraft Wiki, that is exactly where End Cities generate, together with End Ships inside them. The islands consist mostly of small patches of land with chorus-fruit plants and void all around, so moving between them takes care — hopping between islets or bridging the gaps.

An End City is easy to recognize: it is a tall, sprawling structure of obsidian blocks and purpur blocks that stands out clearly against the empty islands. Inside and around it are plenty of shulkers — mobs that hide inside their own block-shells and fire projectiles carrying a levitation effect that flings a player into the air. Climbing the city’s stairs and bridges is worth doing carefully, keeping distance from shulkers or clearing them right away.

Step four: the End Ship and its treasure room

Not every End City has a ship, but the End Ship is the only place in the game where elytra can be found. The ship connects to the city’s main tower by a bridge lined with end rods, and usually hangs apart in midair, as if docked off to the side. According to the Minecraft Wiki, inside the ship’s treasure room, elytra sit fastened in an item frame, and the ship itself is guarded by a separate shulker — it needs to be defeated or very carefully avoided to reach the frame holding the elytra.

Step five: grab the elytra and start flying

Break or activate the item frame, take the elytra, and equip them in the chestplate slot instead of regular body armor. To start flying, jump from a sufficient height and press jump again in midair — the character switches into gliding mode. Firework rockets are used to accelerate and climb during flight: firing a rocket right in the air while gliding gives a sharp burst forward and slightly upward.

Elytra durability and how to repair them

Elytra do not last forever: according to the Minecraft Wiki, their durability is 432 points in Java Edition and 433 in Bedrock Edition — slightly different numbers for the two editions. Other differences between the editions are covered in the Java Edition vs Bedrock Edition guide. Once durability runs out, elytra break and stop working, so it is worth repairing them ahead of time: by combining two damaged pairs of elytra together, or through a mending enchantment gained while collecting experience. The enchanting table guide helps with preparing the right enchantment.

What is not officially specified

• Exact coordinates or a guaranteed distance to the nearest End City with a ship are not given on the Elytra page — island and city generation depends on the specific world, so this guide does not invent numbers here.
• The chance a given End City contains a ship is likewise not reduced to a single figure by the sources, so this guide deliberately does not quote a percentage.

Preparing gear before the trip

Before heading out to an End City, it is worth preparing sturdy gear in advance — shulkers and the void surrounding the islands do not forgive mistakes. A good benchmark is upgrading to netherite, which gives the toughest armor and tool set currently in the game, making the elytra hunt considerably safer once equipped.

In short

Elytra in Minecraft are obtained only from the End Ship on the outer islands of the End dimension: first defeat the Ender Dragon to activate the gateway portals, then reach an End City, climb past shulkers to the ship, and take the elytra from the item frame in the treasure room. After that, all that is left is equipping them, jumping from a height, and keeping the flight going with firework rockets.