An explorer map gives you a destination to head for, such as an Ocean Monument, a set of Trial Chambers, or an Abandoned Camp. Cartographers sell several kinds, and others turn up in loot chests.
Where to get each map
| Map | Destination | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Monument Map | Ocean Monument | Journeyman cartographer |
| Woodland Mansion Map | Woodland Mansion | Master cartographer; Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Buried Trial Chambers Map | Trial Chambers | Journeyman cartographer; Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Jungle Pyramid Map | Jungle Pyramid | Some apprentice cartographers; Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Swamp Hut Map | Swamp Hut | Some apprentice cartographers |
| Village maps | Desert Village, Plains Village, Savanna Village, Snowy Village, or Taiga Village | Apprentice cartographer; available destinations depend on the villager’s biome type |
| Buried Treasure Map | Buried Treasure | Shipwreck map chest; some Ocean Ruins chests |
| Abandoned Camp Map | Abandoned Camp | Abandoned Camp common chest |
| Buried Ancient City Map | Ancient City | Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Buried Mineshaft Map | Mineshaft | Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Desert Pyramid Map | Desert Pyramid | Abandoned Camp secret chest |
| Warm Ocean Ruins Map | Warm Ocean Ruins | Abandoned Camp secret chest |
Cartographer maps cost emeralds and a compass. Level up the villager to see more offers. Their selection varies, and a map only appears when the game finds a destination for it.
Camp maps are named after their destination: Bamboo, Birch Forest, Cherry Grove, Dappled Forest, Flower Forest, Pale Garden, Swamp, or Windswept Forest. Maps only lead to camps in those eight biomes. Check the common chests in Abandoned Camps: their maps lead to a different biome from the camp you’re in. If the game fails to find a destination, the chest won’t have a camp map.
Older guides may call the Ocean Monument Map an “Ocean Explorer Map,” the Woodland Mansion Map a “Woodland Explorer Map,” or the Buried Trial Chambers Map a “Trial Explorer Map.”
Follow the marker
- Hold the map and find your player marker along its edge. North is at the top, east at the right, south at the bottom, and west at the left.
- Move toward the mapped area. If your marker is on the left edge, travel east; if it is at the top, travel south. If the marker is in the top-left corner, travel southeast.
- Keep checking the marker as you travel. Once you enter the mapped area, use the structure icon to reach the destination.
A small dot at the edge means you are far away. The marked structure may not be the closest one to you. Two maps can also lead to the same place.
“Buried” maps mark a spot on the surface; the structure is underground.
Find a destination with commands
With cheats enabled or operator permissions, you can use /locate instead of a map. Run the command for your destination in the Overworld:
# Abandoned Camp
/locate structure #minecraft:abandoned_camp
# Ocean Monument
/locate structure minecraft:monument
# Woodland Mansion
/locate structure minecraft:mansion
# Trial Chambers
/locate structure minecraft:trial_chambers
# Jungle Pyramid
/locate structure minecraft:jungle_pyramid
# Swamp Hut
/locate structure minecraft:swamp_hut
# Village (any type)
/locate structure #minecraft:village
# Buried Treasure
/locate structure minecraft:buried_treasure
# Ancient City
/locate structure minecraft:ancient_city
# Mineshaft (either type)
/locate structure #minecraft:mineshaft
# Desert Pyramid
/locate structure minecraft:desert_pyramid
# Warm Ocean Ruins
/locate structure minecraft:ocean_ruin_warmThese commands return coordinates. They find the nearest matching structure, which may be different from the one marked on your map.
Copy a map for another player
Combine one explorer map and one empty map in a crafting grid to get two matching maps. A crafting table lets you use up to eight empty maps with the original, producing up to nine matching maps. Each empty map needs its own slot.
Make empty maps with eight paper around a compass:
Craft Empty Map
8 × Paper + 1 × Compass → 1 × Empty Map
Ingredients
Why won’t paper zoom out my explorer map?
Adding paper to an explorer map won’t do anything, whether you try it in a crafting table or a cartography table. That recipe is for regular Map that aren’t locked or already fully zoomed out.