Best Way to Transport Villagers in Minecraft

With the release of Minecraft server hosting 1.21, players now have access to both familiar transportation methods and a brand-new, imaginative approach known as the Happy Ghast method. In this guide, we’ll explore each method, but place special emphasis on this exciting new addition to the game.

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Traditional Villager Transportation Methods

Transporting villagers on a boat

Boats are the easiest and most accessible way to move villagers, especially over short distances and flat ground. All it takes is five wooden planks to craft a boat. To use this method, place the boat close to the villager and gently push them inside. Once seated, you can row the boat not only over water but surprisingly also on land, though it moves slowly on solid ground.

The boat method works great if you’re only moving villagers across a village or relocating them nearby. However, this approach struggles when you’re dealing with hills, stairs, thick forests, or rough terrain.

Transporting villagers in minecarts

When you need to move villagers across longer distances or through uneven landscapes, minecarts are the tried-and-true solution. This method involves laying down rail tracks (and powered rails for momentum), placing the villager inside a minecart, and sending them along the track to their new home.

While effective and relatively fast, minecarts require more upfront work. Gathering enough iron and redstone to craft rails and power them takes time. Additionally, building tracks over mountains, rivers, or dense forests can be tedious. But once set up, it’s one of the safest and most reliable ways to move villagers, especially if you plan to transport many of them.

The Happy Ghast Method

The Happy Ghast method, introduced in Minecraft 1.21, brings an imaginative twist to villager transport, blending elements of adventure, strategy, and aerial travel. This method isn’t just a new way to move villagers, it feels like an entirely new gameplay experience.

Here’s a closer look at how it works, and why it might become your favorite way to relocate villagers.

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Obtaining a Dried Ghast

Your journey starts in the Soul Sand Valley biome of the Nether. Here, you’ll need to search for a rare block called a Dried Ghast. It looks like a petrified ghast and is usually found hanging from the ceilings of large caves. Harvesting one requires a pickaxe, and sometimes battling off hostile mobs in the area.

The challenge of obtaining a Dried Ghast adds an adventurous start to this method. It's not simply about crafting something; it pushes you to explore a dangerous environment first.

Reviving the Ghast

Once you’ve collected the Dried Ghast, return to the Overworld and place it inside a pool of water. Over the course of several in-game days, the block will start to transform into a Ghastling—a small, ghost-like creature. Feed the Ghastling glowstone dust, and after enough time and care, it will grow into a Happy Ghast.

This stage feels almost like raising a pet or companion, creating an emotional connection with the creature. It’s not instant—it requires patience, preparation, and a few trips back and forth between dimensions.

Crafting and Equipping a Harness

To guide the Happy Ghast, you’ll need to craft a special harness. This recipe calls for three leather, two glass blocks, and one wool block. Once crafted, equip the harness onto the Happy Ghast. This step allows you to control its movement and attach objects (like boats) to it.

The harness functions like a saddle for the ghast, giving you the ability to ride it or attach leads to tow other items.

Preparing Villagers for Flight

Before taking off, you’ll need to secure the villagers inside a boat. Place the boat beneath the villagers, nudge them inside, and then use a lead to tie the boat to the Happy Ghast. You can also attach multiple boats to a single ghast, depending on how many villagers you’re relocating.

This setup allows you to suspend the villagers beneath the flying ghast, almost like airlifting them across the map.

Taking to the Skies

Once everything is in place, mount the Happy Ghast and steer it toward your destination. You’ll fly above forests, mountains, rivers, even oceans, bypassing obstacles that would normally block other transportation methods. The villagers, safely secured in their boat(s), will float beneath you until you reach their new home.

Flying with a Happy Ghast feels magical, turning what was once a tedious process into something exciting and cinematic.

Why the Happy Ghast Method Stands Out

The Happy Ghast method isn’t just another transportation trick—it transforms villager relocation into an adventure of its own. Here’s why it’s so special:

• Obstacle-Free Travel: Since you’re flying, terrain doesn’t matter. Rivers, cliffs, lava pools—none of these will get in your way.

• Memorable Gameplay: From finding the Dried Ghast to raising the Ghastling, every step adds narrative and meaning.

• Multi-Villager Transport: You can potentially move more than one villager at a time, reducing the total number of trips.

• Visual Appeal: Watching a giant ghast soar through the skies with villagers hanging below feels cinematic and fun.

However, it’s not without challenges. Obtaining the Dried Ghast, raising it, and crafting the harness all take time and resources. If you’re in a hurry, this might not be the fastest approach. But if you enjoy a process filled with discovery and creativity, it’s incredibly rewarding.

Which Method Should You Choose?

Your choice of transportation really depends on:

• Distance: Short distances? Go with a boat. Long distances? Minecart or Happy Ghast.

• Terrain: Rough terrain favors the Happy Ghast, as it flies over obstacles.

• Time vs. Fun: If you’re looking for speed, minecarts might win. If you want an adventure, the Happy Ghast is unbeatable.

• Resources: Boats are cheap. Minecarts and Happy Ghasts require more investment.

Result

In Minecraft 1.21, villagers can be transported using boats for short flat routes, minecarts for reliable long-distance travel, or the new Happy Ghast method, which lets you fly villagers across any terrain by raising and harnessing a Ghast to airlift them to their destination.

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