How to Make a Nether Portal in Minecraft

Nether Portal in Minecraft is one of the first big milestones in any survival run. It opens the door to the Nether — a dangerous dimension packed with rare resources you simply cannot get anywhere else. This guide covers everything: materials, frame sizes, how to light it, and what to do if something goes wrong.

TL;DR

• You need at least 10 obsidian (14 with corners) and Flint and Steel
• Build a 4 wide × 5 tall frame of obsidian (corners optional)
• Use Flint and Steel to ignite the inside of the frame
• The portal glows purple when active — step in and wait about 4 seconds
• No diamond pickaxe? Use the lava and water bucket method or find a Ruined Portal

What Is a Nether Portal?

A Nether Portal is a gateway between the Overworld and the Nether dimension. Once it is active, you can step through it to reach the Nether and come back the same way. The portal works in both directions.

The Nether is essential for game progression. You need Blaze Rods for brewing, Ancient Debris for Netherite gear, and Nether Wart for potions. None of that is possible without a working portal. Every step you take in the Nether equals eight blocks of Overworld travel, which also makes it great for fast long-distance movement.

Materials Needed to Make a Nether Portal

You only need two things to make a working Nether Portal:

• Obsidian — minimum 10 blocks (14 blocks if you want the full frame with corners)
• Flint and Steel — to ignite the portal (a Fire Charge also works)

How to Craft Flint and Steel

Open a Crafting Table. Place one Iron Ingot in the top-left slot and one Flint in the middle slot. That gives you Flint and Steel. Flint drops from Gravel when you mine it — it has about a 10% drop chance per block. Iron Ingots come from smelting Iron Ore in a Furnace.

How to Get Obsidian

Obsidian forms naturally when water flows over a lava source block. You need a Diamond Pickaxe or Netherite Pickaxe to mine it. Using anything weaker will break the block without dropping it. Mining one obsidian block takes about 9.4 seconds with a diamond pickaxe, so use Efficiency enchantments to speed things up.

Good places to find natural obsidian:

• Underground where water has hit a lava pool
• Ruined Portal structures (found in most biomes)
• Village Blacksmith chests (occasionally)
• Bastion Remnant chests in the Nether

You can also barter with Piglins using Gold Ingots — they have a small chance to give you obsidian in return.

How to Make a Nether Portal in Minecraft: Step by Step

Step 1: Build the Frame

Place obsidian blocks in a rectangular frame. The standard size is 4 blocks wide and 5 blocks tall. The four corner blocks are optional — a portal with just 10 obsidian (no corners) works perfectly fine.

The frame needs to be vertical, standing upright. A flat frame on the ground will not work. Build up the two side columns first, then connect them at the top and bottom.

Tip: Build a small platform to stand on when placing the top row of obsidian. This makes it much easier.

Step 2: Light the Portal

Select your Flint and Steel from the hotbar. Point at any obsidian block on the inside of the frame and use it. Here is how to activate on each platform:

• Java Edition (PC/Mac): Right-click
• Bedrock / Windows 10: Right-click
• Pocket Edition (Mobile): Tap the block
• Xbox: Press LT
• PlayStation: Press L2
• Nintendo Switch: Press ZL

Step 3: Enter the Nether

Once the portal is lit, the inside will fill with a purple glow. Walk into the purple area and stand still for about 4 seconds. You will then be transported to the Nether. A matching portal will appear on the other side, and you can use it to come back any time.

Nether Portal Size Options

The minimum portal size is 4 × 5 (including frame). But you can build much larger portals. The maximum size is 23 × 23. Anything larger than that will not activate. The corner blocks are always optional regardless of size, so a minimal portal only needs 10 obsidian and a large one can go up to 14 or more depending on design.

How to Make a Nether Portal Without a Diamond Pickaxe

No diamonds yet? You can still build a Nether Portal. There are two main ways to do it.

Method 1: Lava and Water Bucket (Casting Method)

This is the most popular method and the one used by many speedrunners. Instead of mining obsidian, you cast it in place using lava and water.

1. Find a lava pool or collect lava in buckets
2. Build a dirt or stone mold in the shape of the portal frame (just the outline, hollow inside)
3. Pour lava source blocks into each mold slot one at a time
4. Quickly pour water on the lava — it turns it into obsidian
5. Pick the water back up immediately so it does not spread
6. Repeat for every block in the frame
7. Light the finished frame with Flint and Steel

This takes practice. The trick is placing the lava source block correctly and covering it with water fast before it flows. Done right, you get a working portal without needing a single diamond.

Method 2: Find and Complete a Ruined Portal

Ruined Portals are broken portal structures that generate naturally in almost every biome in both the Overworld and the Nether. They always have some obsidian already in place. A chest nearby often contains more obsidian, sometimes Flint and Steel too.

Check the chest first. Fill in the missing obsidian blocks using the casting method or with any obsidian you have collected. Then light it. This is the fastest way to get to the Nether early in a survival game.

What Happens When You Enter the Nether?

After entering the portal, you appear in the Nether at a linked exit portal. The game picks the nearest existing portal in the Nether within range. If none exists, it creates one for you.

Your Overworld coordinates are divided by 8 to find your Nether position. So if you are at X=800, Z=800 in the Overworld, the Nether portal spawns near X=100, Z=100. This 8:1 ratio is why using the Nether to travel is so efficient.

Be ready when you arrive. The Nether is home to Ghasts, Piglins, Blazes, and other hostile mobs. Bring armor, food, and fire resistance. You can find a Nether Fortress to farm Blaze Rods and explore further.

Nether Portal Tips and Tricks

• Protect your portal: Enemies can walk through portals too. Build a wall or room around your Overworld portal to stop mobs from wandering in.
• Keep inventory on: If you die in the Nether without Keep Inventory enabled, you lose everything. Consider turning it on in early runs.
• Use Fire Resistance: A Fire Resistance Potion protects you from Ghast fireballs and lava. Bring one every trip.
• Breaking one obsidian block deactivates the portal. Just replace the block and relight it to get it working again.
• Link portals properly: To make sure two portals link reliably, build both manually at their correct matching coordinates (Overworld X/8 = Nether X).
• Crying obsidian does not work as a portal frame. It only crafts Respawn Anchors.
• Use a Totem of Undying if you plan on exploring deep Nether areas — it can save you from one fatal hit.

Useful Items to Bring Into the Nether

The Nether is brutal if you go in unprepared. These items will help:

• Golden Apples — provide absorption and fast regeneration
• Splash Potions — great for quick effects on the go
• Brewing Stand — set one up in the Nether for on-location potions
• Enchanted Armor — Fire Protection reduces fire and lava damage significantly
• Beacon — if you have one, set it up near your portal for buffs while farming

What to Do in the Nether

Once you are in the Nether, here is what to focus on:

• Find a Nether Fortress for Blaze Rods and Nether Wart
• Collect Ancient Debris to craft Netherite tools and armor
• Set up a Blaze Farm to stockpile Blaze Rods for potions
• Trade with Piglins — bartering can get you Ender Pearls and other useful drops
• Brew potions back in the Overworld using your Nether materials — check the full potions list for recipes

Also consider building a Gold Farm in the Nether — Zombified Piglins drop gold, which you can use for bartering.

Frequently Asked Questions