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Explorer Maps in Minecraft 26.3: Ancient City, Mineshaft & More

September 24, 2026 · 6 min read · Guide

For years, finding an Ancient City meant digging blindly through deepslate or loading a third-party chunk viewer. Minecraft 26.3 "Wilderness Bound" changes that. The update adds 12 new explorer maps that point directly to structures that never had one before, and renames the five old ones you might already know. Here is every map, where to find it, and how to use it.

1. What Changed in 26.3

Two separate things happened to explorer maps during the 26.3 cycle, and it helps to keep them apart:

• New maps were added. You can now find maps for the Ancient City, Mineshaft, Desert Pyramid, Warm Ocean Ruins, and eight biome-specific abandoned camp maps. These are loot-only, found inside abandoned camp chests, not sold by villagers.
• Old maps were renamed. Snapshot 10 renamed five existing cartographer-sold maps for clarity. The Jungle Explorer Map is now the Jungle Pyramid Map, the Ocean Explorer Map is the Ocean Monument Map, and so on. The structures they point to did not change.

A bug from earlier snapshots (MC-311431) that could make a camp map point back to the same camp that generated it was also fixed in Pre-Release 1. Camp maps now always point somewhere else.

2. Where to Find Abandoned Camps

Abandoned camps are the new surface structures introduced in 26.3, and they are the key to every new explorer map. They generate across 18 overworld biomes, including forests, taigas, meadows, cherry groves, and the new dappled forest. Look for campfire smoke while traveling. Camps are roughly as common as villages, so you should bump into them regularly during normal exploration.

Each camp contains at least one common chest with standard loot. Some camps also have a secret chest that holds the higher-value structure maps. The barrel loot table was also updated in Snapshot 7, replacing firework rockets with gunpowder.

3. All New Explorer Maps

These maps are exclusive to abandoned camp loot. No cartographer villager sells them, so you cannot shortcut your way to an Ancient City map with a trading hall.

Map	Leads To	Source
Abandoned Camp Map (8 variants)	Another abandoned camp	Common chest
Ancient City Map	Ancient City (below Y=0)	Secret chest
Mineshaft Map	Generated mineshaft	Secret chest
Desert Pyramid Map	Desert pyramid (temple)	Secret chest
Warm Ocean Ruins Map	Warm ocean ruins	Secret chest

The Ancient City Map is the standout. Ancient Cities were previously one of the hardest structures to locate in vanilla Minecraft, requiring either blind deepslate mining or external tools. This map is the first in-game method that points you straight to one.

4. Abandoned Camp Map Biomes

The abandoned camp explorer map comes in eight biome-specific variants. Each one points to another abandoned camp in the same biome type:

• Bamboo Jungle
• Cherry Grove
• Birch Forest
• Dappled Forest
• Flower Forest
• Pale Garden
• Swamp
• Windswept Forest

This creates a treasure trail mechanic: loot one camp, follow its map to the next, loot that camp, and repeat. Each camp along the chain gives you another chance at a secret chest with a high-value structure map.

5. Renamed Cartographer Maps

If you already have a villager trading hall, nothing about your setup changes. The cartographer still sells the same maps at the same tiers and prices. Only the item names are different:

Old Name	New Name (26.3)	Tier	Cost
Jungle Explorer Map	Jungle Pyramid Map	Apprentice	8 emeralds + compass
Swamp Explorer Map	Swamp Hut Map	Apprentice	8 emeralds + compass
Ocean Explorer Map	Ocean Monument Map	Journeyman	13 emeralds + compass
Trial Explorer Map	Buried Trial Chambers Map	Journeyman	12 emeralds + compass
Woodland Explorer Map	Woodland Mansion Map	Master	14 emeralds + compass

The five village maps (Desert, Plains, Savanna, Snowy, Taiga) were not renamed. They remain Apprentice-tier trades at 8 emeralds and a compass each.

6. How to Use an Explorer Map

Once you have a map, the mechanics are the same as they have always been for cartographer-sold maps:

• Hold it in your off-hand so you can see the map overlay while keeping your main hand free for tools or weapons.
• A white dot shows your current position. The structure icon marks the target. If you are outside the map's covered area, the dot appears at the edge pointing toward the structure.
• Travel toward the icon until the dot moves onto the map area and aligns with the marker.
• The player icon on maps was updated in Snapshot 7 to always show your facing direction, making navigation more intuitive.

For Ancient City maps specifically, the icon marks the surface position above the city. Once you arrive, dig straight down carefully. Listen for the Sculk Shrieker sounds that confirm you are above the deep dark, and torch your tunnel so you do not surface into darkness on the way back.

7. Tips for Map Hunting

• Carry spare chests: Abandoned camp maps are not stackable. Bring shulker boxes or ender chests if you plan to collect multiple structure maps in one trip.
• Follow the chain: Each camp map leads to another camp. Loot the second camp for another chance at a secret chest with a structure map, then follow that map too.
• Bring a compass: If you also want cartographer maps, bring spare compasses for villager trades. The abandoned camp maps do not require one, but the renamed cartographer maps still do.
• Mark your base: Use a lodestone or the Quick Home datapack to set a return point before following a map deep into unfamiliar territory.
• Check both chest types: The common chest has camp maps and standard loot. The secret chest has the four structure maps. Do not leave without checking every container.

Explorer maps have always been one of Minecraft's best exploration tools, and 26.3 expands them from a handful of cartographer trades into a full loot-based treasure trail. Whether you are hunting your first Ancient City or chaining camp-to-camp for rare structure maps, the Wilderness Bound update makes exploration more rewarding than ever.