How to Make a Nether Portal

Quick answer

• Build an obsidian frame 4 wide and 5 tall, leaving a 2 by 3 gap.
• You only need 10 obsidian. The corners can be any block, or nothing.
• Light the inside with a Flint and steel or a fire charge.

A Nether portal is your way into the Nether. You can build one early, even before you have diamonds.

Nether Portal CalculatorConvert Minecraft Overworld coordinates to Nether coordinates and back, so your portals link to the right place every time→

Building the frame

1. Place 2 obsidian on the ground, side by side.
2. Build 3 tall columns up from each end, one block out.
3. Put 2 obsidian across the top.
4. Light the bottom of the inside with flint and steel.

Without a diamond pickaxe

Mining obsidian needs a diamond pickaxe. Instead, make it in place:

1. Build a mould from dirt or cobblestone where each obsidian block should go.
2. Pour a Lava bucket into each spot.
3. Pour a Water bucket over it so it turns into obsidian, then pick the water back up.

Distance

1 block in the Nether is 8 blocks in the Overworld. Use the calculator above to work out where to build a linked portal.

Cheat sheet

• 4 wide, 5 tall
• 10 obsidian, no corners needed
• Flint and steel or a fire charge
• Lava plus water if you have no diamonds