Best Ancient City Seeds

Ancient cities directly under or next to spawn — swift sneak, echo shards and the deep dark's best loot, minutes into a world.

Java Edition 1.21.4 · 15 verified seeds · updated 2026-07-16

Map of Minecraft seed -270571135385422128 around spawn Explore this seed
#1

-270571135385422128

An ancient city 23 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
32, -16 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
2,245 blocks
  • Ancient City23
  • Trial Chambers72
  • Ruined Portal339
  • Village369

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Old Growth Birch Forest · Dark Forest · Forest · Birch Forest · Lush Caves

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Map of Minecraft seed -3233952926566355346 around spawn Explore this seed
#2

-3233952926566355346

An ancient city 32 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Sunflower Plains)
Stronghold
1,862 blocks
  • Ancient City32
  • Trial Chambers295
  • Ruined Portal387

Nearby biomes: Plains · Forest · River · Frozen Peaks · Meadow · Dripstone Caves

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Map of Minecraft seed -3342623880671365767 around spawn Explore this seed
#3

-3342623880671365767

An ancient city 97 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Grove)
Stronghold
2,447 blocks
  • Ancient City97
  • Ruined Portal273
  • Trial Chambers286
  • Village458
  • Woodland Mansion794

Nearby biomes: Forest · Snowy Taiga · Deep Cold Ocean · Snowy Plains · Deep Frozen Ocean · Stony Shore

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Map of Minecraft seed 5266677757566444571 around spawn Explore this seed
#4

5266677757566444571

An ancient city 116 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
48, 0 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
1,884 blocks
  • Ancient City116
  • Village387
  • Ruined Portal410
  • Trial Chambers420

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · River · Forest · Taiga · Old Growth Spruce Taiga

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Map of Minecraft seed 482483921256712026 around spawn Explore this seed
#5

482483921256712026

An ancient city 158 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
-32, -80 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
1,675 blocks
  • Ancient City158
  • Ruined Portal260
  • Village292
  • Trial Chambers446

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Forest · Plains · Meadow · River · Birch Forest

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Map of Minecraft seed -6450948820410331241 around spawn Explore this seed
#6

-6450948820410331241

An ancient city 158 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Lush Caves)
Stronghold
2,589 blocks
  • Trial Chambers64
  • Ancient City158
  • Jungle Temple385
  • Ruined Portal405
  • Village422

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Jungle · Forest · Lush Caves · Plains · River

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Map of Minecraft seed -6354986687812580643 around spawn Explore this seed
#7

-6354986687812580643

An ancient city 170 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
-64, -64 (Plains)
Stronghold
2,201 blocks
  • Ancient City170
  • Ruined Portal288
  • Trial Chambers317

Nearby biomes: Ocean · Plains · Forest · Deep Ocean · Cold Ocean · River

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Map of Minecraft seed 9001582158769228163 around spawn Explore this seed
#8

9001582158769228163

An ancient city 204 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
1,501 blocks
  • Ancient City204
  • Trial Chambers286
  • Village419
  • Ruined Portal439

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Snowy Plains · Snowy Taiga · Taiga · Grove · Frozen River

Open in Seed Map →Full seed profile →
Map of Minecraft seed -1205681787161633908 around spawn Explore this seed
#9

-1205681787161633908

An ancient city 209 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
32, -32 (Forest)
Stronghold
1,720 blocks
  • Ancient City209
  • Trial Chambers280
  • Ruined Portal409
  • Ocean Monument419

Nearby biomes: Cold Ocean · Lush Caves · Deep Cold Ocean · Taiga · Stony Shore · Old Growth Pine Taiga

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Map of Minecraft seed 1615592419621279172 around spawn Explore this seed
#10

1615592419621279172

An ancient city 223 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
-16, 16 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
1,338 blocks
  • Ruined Portal182
  • Ancient City223
  • Village458
  • Trial Chambers480

Nearby biomes: Snowy Plains · Dripstone Caves · Taiga · Grove · Stony Shore · Snowy Taiga

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Map of Minecraft seed 743376594977561811 around spawn Explore this seed
#11

743376594977561811

An ancient city 225 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
-144, 112 (Savanna)
Stronghold
2,135 blocks
  • Ruined Portal158
  • Ancient City225
  • Village253
  • Pillager Outpost416
  • Trial Chambers429
  • Ocean Monument448

Nearby biomes: Savanna · Lukewarm Ocean · Forest · Dripstone Caves · Plains · Savanna Plateau

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Map of Minecraft seed -1249525945132409448 around spawn Explore this seed
#12

-1249525945132409448

An ancient city 226 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
2,109 blocks
  • Ruined Portal48
  • Ancient City226
  • Village358

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Flower Forest · Plains · Forest · Snowy Slopes · Jagged Peaks

Open in Seed Map →Full seed profile →
Map of Minecraft seed -6914478129458495689 around spawn Explore this seed
#13

-6914478129458495689

An ancient city 226 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
-16, -16 (Old Growth Birch Forest)
Stronghold
1,610 blocks
  • Ancient City226
  • Trial Chambers229
  • Ocean Monument262
  • Ruined Portal272

Nearby biomes: Plains · Dark Forest · Forest · Cold Ocean · Deep Cold Ocean · Birch Forest

Open in Seed Map →Full seed profile →
Map of Minecraft seed -2977343057558716997 around spawn Explore this seed
#14

-2977343057558716997

An ancient city 227 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 0 (Dripstone Caves)
Stronghold
1,708 blocks
  • Ancient City227
  • Ruined Portal238
  • Village272
  • Trial Chambers330

Nearby biomes: Dripstone Caves · Plains · Forest · Deep Lukewarm Ocean · Lukewarm Ocean · Savanna

Open in Seed Map →Full seed profile →
Map of Minecraft seed -4328847023588813944 around spawn Explore this seed
#15

-4328847023588813944

An ancient city 242 blocks from spawn (dig down in the deep dark) — swift sneak, echo shards and recovery compasses early.

Spawn
0, 48 (Forest)
Stronghold
1,972 blocks
  • Ruined Portal80
  • Village182
  • Ancient City242
  • Trial Chambers498
  • Woodland Mansion1,106

Nearby biomes: Forest · Dripstone Caves · Lush Caves · Plains · Birch Forest · Jagged Peaks

Open in Seed Map →Full seed profile →

How this list is made

Each seed here has an ancient city within 350 blocks of spawn horizontally — dig down carefully into the deep dark and you're there. Ancient cities generate deep underground (the city floor sits around Y -51), so the coordinates on the card are where to dig, not where to walk.

City chests are the only source of Swift Sneak books and hold echo shards, enchanted golden apples and disc fragments — top-tier loot if you can avoid waking the warden.

Want to scout any of these worlds first? Open a seed in the interactive seed map to pan the full world, toggle structures and copy teleport commands.

Playing an older version? This list is also verified separately for 1.20 · 1.19 — worldgen changes between versions, so each list has its own seeds.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reach the ancient city?
Head to the card's X and Z, then dig down (not straight down) toward Y -51. You'll pass through the deep dark — sneak near sculk sensors and shriekers, because four shrieker triggers summon the warden.
What loot do ancient cities have?
Swift Sneak enchanted books (found nowhere else), echo shards for recovery compasses, enchanted golden apples, music disc fragments and plenty of enchanted gear.
Do these seeds work on Bedrock?
No — these are Java Edition seeds, verified on 1.21.4. Bedrock places its ancient cities elsewhere for the same seed.