Minecraft /locate Command: Find Villages, Biomes and Cities

/locate tells you the coordinates of the nearest structure or biome of a given type. On Java, /locate structure #village finds the nearest village; on Bedrock it’s /locate structure village. The result shows the X and Z coordinates and a distance, and on Java you can click the coordinates to teleport there.

/locate syntax

Java Edition

/locate structure <structure>
/locate biome <biome>
/locate poi <point_of_interest>

Bedrock Edition

/locate structure <structure> [useNewChunksOnly]
/locate biome <biome>

useNewChunksOnly (Bedrock) set to true skips structures in chunks you’ve already visited. Since Bedrock 1.21.100, /locate biome needs the namespace: minecraft:desert, not just desert.

Structures you’ll search for most

What you want	Java	Bedrock
Village	#village	village
Stronghold	minecraft:stronghold	stronghold
Ancient city	minecraft:ancient_city	ancient_city
Woodland mansion	minecraft:mansion	mansion
Ocean monument	minecraft:monument	monument
Nether fortress	minecraft:fortress	fortress
Bastion remnant	minecraft:bastion_remnant	bastion_remnant
End city	minecraft:end_city	end_city
Trial chambers	minecraft:trial_chambers	trial_chambers
Pillager outpost	minecraft:pillager_outpost	pillager_outpost

You have to be in the right dimension: run fortress and bastion searches in the Nether and end city searches in the End.

Examples

/locate structure #village
/locate structure minecraft:ancient_city
/locate biome minecraft:cherry_grove
/locate biome minecraft:mushroom_fields
/locate poi minecraft:armorer

Bedrock:

/locate structure stronghold
/locate structure pillager_outpost true
/locate biome minecraft:deep_dark

Getting there

/locate doesn’t move you. Use /tp with the X and Z it gave you and a high Y, then fall or fly down:

/tp @s 1234 200 -5678

If you teleport underground into a structure like an ancient city, you might land in stone. Teleport above it and dig down, or use spectator mode.

Common mistakes

• village on Java. Use #village; plain village fails because Java splits villages by biome type (village_plains, village_desert and so on).
• Wrong dimension. No fortress shows up in the Overworld.
• Missing namespace on new Bedrock. minecraft: is required for biomes on 1.21.100+.
• Trusting the Y value. It isn’t the real height of the structure.
• Searching too far. Rare biomes may be beyond the search radius. Move and try again.

For strongholds without cheats, eyes of ender do the same job. If you want a biome right next to spawn, pick it with a seed instead; see finding and using seeds. Back to the commands hub.