The Aether Wiki: Genesis of the Void
Aether Portal
Display Aether Portal.png



Consists of

Glowstone.png Glowstone
Display Aether Portal Block.png Aether Portal

Can generate post-generation

Yes, when the player builds an appropriate frame and activates it with Bucket of Water

Disambig.png This page is about the structure. For the actual portal block associated with it, see Aether Portal.

An Aether Portal is a special structure that allows a player to go to the Aether by walking through the blue swirls.


Aether Portals are made by creating a five by four frame out of Glowstone blocks and then pouring a Bucket of Water inside the frame. This activates the portal and creates the blue swirls.

Aether Portals are designed to look like the opposite of Nether Portals. Instead of the dark Obsidian block, the frame of an Aether Portal is built using bright Glowstone blocks. To activate the portal the player must use a Bucket of Water at the bottom of the portal frame, the same way one would use Flint and Steel to activate a Nether Portal.

It is required to make a Nether Portal before making an Aether Portal because Glowstone is required to make the portal. Therefore, it is recommended to search for water, lava, and diamond if one intends to go to the Aether. However, Aether Portals do not function in the Nether.

As of newer versions, Aether Portals can be made before a player enters the Nether as Glowstone can be found easily by hunting Witches at night, or by trading with Villagers. This method isn't very effective, as Witches are very strong and only have an uncommon chance of dropping Glowstone Dust. You need four Glowstone Dust to make one Glowstone block. Trading with Villagers is effective, but you need several Emeralds to get enough Glowstone to build a portal. You need ten Glowstone blocks to build a portal without edges. You need fourteen Glowstone blocks to build a full Aether portal.



Hostile Paradise.png Hostile Paradise Ascend to the Aether through a glowstone portal None Enter an Aether Portal and then travel to the Aether.


  • Aether Portals will spawn whenever a player falls out of the Aether too far away from a existing portal. Since the player would die from the fall damage, the portal that is spawned from that is most of help.
  • One single Aether block is six Overworld blocks in distance traveled.


Issues relating to Aether Portal structure are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues for Aether Portal there.


  • Initial release: Introduced
  • Aether Portals no longer generate in the Overworld when a player falls off of the Aether
  • 1.6.4-3.41: Fixed an issue where Aether Portal teleport sounds would play globally for all players on a server
  • 1.7.10-1.3 Fixed Aether Portal generation
  • 1.7.10-1.5: Disabled Aether Portals in the Nether