Minecraft worlds are vast sandboxes which span literally millions of blocks. They are huge, and as such, you’ll want a faster way to explore them than just running around and frequently stopping to eat in order to replenish your limited stamina. Luckily there are options, and since the 1.21.11 Mounts of Mayhem update there are even more.
Transport in Minecraft comes in two forms: mobs which you can ride, and vehicles or items which you can craft. We take a look at all the transport options, where to find them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one to help you travel efficiently.
Horses, Donkeys, And Mules
There are a variety of land mounts in Minecraft. These are mobs which you can attach a saddle or harness to and then ride. Horses, donkeys, and mules are the most common mounts and all work in the same way.
They need to be tamed first before you can add a saddle to them. This requires you to have an empty hand, then click the horse, donkey, or mule to mount it. The animal will buck at first and throw you off. Repeat the process until hearts appear, and the animal lets you stay on.
A tamed animal can have a saddle attached to it and can (usually) be bred. Two horses breed to make a horse, two donkeys breed to make a donkey and a horse and a donkey breed to make a mule. You cannot breed mules.
You’ll also find horses, zombie horses, and donkeys naturally in plains and savannahs. Donkeys also spawn in meadows. Mules can only be bred and do not naturally spawn.
Regular horse and donkey stats are determined by averaging the parent’s stats and adding a random variation. Breeding horses and mules will eventually lead to better stats.
The differences between donkeys and mules are primarily visual, since mules combine horse looks with donkey looks. Horses have a much larger variety of appearances.
Horses, donkeys and mules all require a two block space to move, are leadable as well as ridable, and can be affected by speed potions.
Horse, Donkey, And Mule Comparison
These are the differences in speed, health, jump and utility between all types of horse, donkey and mule.
For comparison, a player’s default walking speed is 0.1, which is around 4.3 blocks per second.
|
Mount |
Speed |
Health |
Jump Height |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Horse |
0.1125 – 0.3375 Average 0.225 |
7 – 15 Hearts Average 11.5 |
Varies 1.25 – 5 Blocks Average 2.5 blocks |
Uses horse armor |
|
Zombie Horse |
0.2 Static |
12 Hearts Static |
Varies 1.25 – 5 Blocks Average 2.5 blocks |
Uses horse armor Burns in sunlight if unarmored Is healed by harming potions Is harmed by healing potions Not affected by poison |
|
Skeleton Horse |
0.2 Static |
12 Hearts Static |
Varies 1-5 Blocks Average 2.5 blocks |
Cannot be bred or fed Cannot use armor Is healed by harming potions Is harmed by healing potions Can breathe underwater |
|
Donkey |
0.1125 – 0.3375 Average 0.225 |
7 – 15 Hearts Average 11.5 |
Varies 1.25 – 5 Blocks Average 2.5 blocks |
Cannot use armor Can be equipped with a chest Chest adds 15 inventory slots |
|
Mule |
0.1125 – 0.3375 Average 0.225 |
7 – 15 Hearts Average 11.5 |
Varies 1.25 – 5 Blocks Average 2.5 blocks |
Cannot use armor Can be equipped with a chest Chest adds 15 inventory slots |
Minecraft: A Complete Guide To Beacons
Minecraft beacons provide helpful powers to boost your survival experience. Here’s all you need to know about making a beacon.
Camels
If you’re looking for a little more versatility, then consider a camel. These naturally tame and passive animals spawn in deserts and desert villages and can be ridden. All you need to do is equip a saddle and up to two players can ride them. They have a static health of 15 hearts.
Camels are slower than other mounts, walking at around the same speed as players, but similarly can also sprint, which temporarily doubles their speed. Every 2.75 seconds, a camel can dash which launches them 12 blocks forward and one block upward.
Camels cannot jump but can naturally step up 1.5 blocks.
The biggest advantage of camels, aside from holding two players, is that their height means that the majority of hostile melee mobs cannot damage a player on a camel. Zombies, hoglins, vindicators, silverfish, endermites, and piglins cannot attack. However, spider, wolves, magma cubes and slimes can still reach you due to their jumping abilities.
Llamas aren’t included since you cannot ride a Llama. You can equip them with a chest and a carpet to give them a unique look, but they can only be led by a lead. A Llama on a leash will signal up to nine other llamas to follow behind in a line.
Pigs And Striders
Pigs and striders work using the same mechanics, except pigs spawn in the overworld and striders are only found in the Nether. Both are passive mobs which you can add a saddle to and mount. They then need to be led by dangling a stick and carrot, or stick and warped fungus, in front of them.
Pigs spawn in Taiga, Badlands, Savannah and Jungle biomes in the overworld. You can find striders in any nether biome where there are lava areas with air blocks above them.
Once equipped with a saddle, you can mount both pigs and striders and lead them. A pig is led with a carrot on a stick, while a strider is led by warped fungus on a stick.
You can travel through a one block space by riding a pig.
Pigs will slowly accelerate up to 5.20 blocks per second and have five hearts of health. They can walk through one block deep water. They do take fall damage, but this doesn’t cause knockback. All variants of adult pig can be ridden.
Striders are fastest on lava, where they run across the surface at up to four blocks per second. If they are going against the flow of lava they will be slower. They can also survive in the overworld, but they turn a purple colour and look very sad. On land, they move at a speed similar to walking. They will also automatically walk over a one block gap, or up a one block step.
Happy Ghasts
Happy Ghasts were added in the Chase The Skies update, and are cheerful versions of ghasts which exist in the overworld.
These versatile mobs are slow but incredibly useful for transportation. They travel at around 0.05 blocks a second, just a little faster than walking. They are flying mobs and can move from ground height to build height, allowing them to easily move around obstacles.
You can leash a happy ghast to keep it in one place and can also attach mobs, boats, or chest boats to them using leads. This allows you to transport a large number of mobs or items over long distances.
How To Spawn A Happy Ghast
To spawn a happy ghast, you’ll need a dried ghast which can be found next to nether fossils in soul sand valleys in the nether. Bring it to the overworld, and then leave it in water for 20 minutes.
It will turn into a ghastling, which will grow up into a happy ghast. You can feed the ghastling snowballs to speed up the process.
How To Fly A Happy Ghast
A happy ghast will fly towards and follow a player holding a harness. You can equip the harness in the same way you would a saddle by clicking on the ghast.
A harnessed happy ghast can be ridden by up to four people. It will be controlled by the person who mounted it first. If any of the passengers stand up, the ghast will stop moving.
An unharnessed happy ghast will also stop moving if you stand on it, allowing it to be used as a platform.
Nautilus
The nautilus is a water-dwelling neutral mob which can be tamed and ridden. It also protects the rider from drowning while they are mounted and is immune to poison.
You can find nautilus in small groups of up to three in all ocean biomes. They will follow any player with a fish or bucket of fish. To tame them, you will need to specifically feed them pufferfish.
Once tamed, you can add a saddle to them and ride them. You can also equip them with Nautilus armor, which comes in all the same variants as regular and horse armor.
Nautilus have seven hearts of health and will give you the Breath of the Nautilus buff which pauses your oxygen bar. They move at 6.5 blocks per second, and they can dash, similarly to the camel.
If taken onto land, they move far more slowly and will take suffocation damage.
Vehicles
There are also three types of vehicle in Minecraft: minecarts, boats, and rafts.
Minecarts
Minecarts are the most versatile vehicle, but they do require rails to run. Regular rails will allow a minecart to move, but only based on gravity. To move along a straight line, you’ll need to use powered rails to boost speed. The speed of a minecart will vary, depending on the terrain as well as the number of powered rails used.
Regular minecarts are the only type players can travel in. Other types have different purposes.
|
Type |
Recipe |
Use |
|---|---|---|
|
Minecart |
5 Iron Ingots in a U shape |
Transports players or mobs |
|
Minecart With Chest |
Chest next to a Minecart |
Transports up to 15 stacks of items |
|
Minecart With Furnace |
Furnace next to a Minecart |
Provides momentum for other minecarts |
|
Minecraft With Hopper |
Hopper next to a Minecart |
Collects dropped items from a block above |
|
Minecraft With TNT |
TNT next to a Minecart |
Explodes when damaged |
Since minecarts do require rails, and your control is limited, they are mostly useful for a short regular journey such as up and down a mineshaft or between buildings.
Boats And Rafts
You can craft a boat by placing five matching planks of any wood type into a U shape into the crafting table. They are usable on most surfaces and their speed on each is as follows.
|
Surface |
Speed |
|---|---|
|
Water |
8.0 Blocks/sec |
|
Ice (Inc Frosted and Packed) |
40 Blocks/sec |
|
Blue Ice |
72.72 Blocks/sec |
|
Land |
2.0 Blocks/sec |
|
Slime Blocks |
1.81 Blocks/sec |
|
Honey Blocks |
1.053 Blocks/Sec |
|
Soul Sand |
1.053 Blocks/Sec |
Boats can carry a combination of two players, two mobs, or one of each. You can also add a chest to a boat, then use it to transport one player or mob plus 15 slots of inventory storage.
Boats cannot be rowed upwards, but they can be rowed off the edges of cliffs and any player or mob inside will not sustain fall damage.
You do not deplete hunger while riding a boat, making them very efficient for crossing oceans or large stretches of ice biomes.
If you craft a boat out of bamboo, using the same recipe, it becomes a raft. This will function in exactly the same way, it just doesn’t have edges around it in the design.
