Finding a camel isn't actually the hard part; it’s the waiting. You spend hours trekking through a desert biome, squinting at the horizon for a desert village, and once you finally spot that tall, goofy-looking mob sitting in the center of a town square, you realize you've forgotten the most basic thing. You need a saddle. Most players think you can just hop on and go, like you're playing a simplified version of Red Dead Redemption, but Mojang decided to make camels a bit more sophisticated than your average horse.
If you want to know how to ride a camel in Minecraft, you basically need to treat it like a specialized piece of military hardware rather than just a pet.
These guys are tall. Like, really tall. When you’re sitting on a camel, most melee mobs can’t even touch you. Imagine a zombie trying to reach your ankles while you’re safely perched six feet up in the air, just vibing. It’s a complete game-changer for night-time travel, yet so many people ignore them because horses are "faster." Speed isn't everything when you're being swarmed by husks in the middle of a sandstorm.
Tracking down the desert's tallest resident
You won't find camels just wandering around the dunes like sheep or cows. They are strictly urban dwellers. Specifically, they only spawn in desert villages. Usually, you’ll find one or two just hanging out near the village well or tucked away in a corner of the path. They aren't rare in the sense of a Pink Sheep, but they are localized. If you haven't found a desert village yet, you're out of luck.
Don't bother looking in the Badlands or near desert temples. They won't be there.
Wait. Before you go running off, check your inventory. Do you have a saddle? You can’t craft them. You have to find them in chests—think dungeons, bastions, or fishing them up if you have the patience of a saint. If you don't have a saddle, that camel is just a very tall lawn ornament.
The actual mechanics of how to ride a camel in Minecraft
Alright, so you’ve found the village. You have the saddle. Now what?
First, the camel has to be standing up. These mobs have a habit of sitting down whenever they feel like it, and honestly, I relate to that. When a camel is sitting, you cannot mount it. You have to wait. Or, if you’re impatient, you can try nudging them, but usually, it's just a waiting game. Once it stands up, right-click (or use your interact button) with an empty hand to mount it.
👉 See also: Why Living Books Just Grandma and Me Still Matters to Every 90s Kid
Here is where the magic happens. While you're on the camel, open your inventory. You’ll see a slot for the saddle. Drop it in.
Now you’re in control.
Why the dash mechanic is a big deal
Camels don't jump like horses. If you press the jump button, they don't go vertical; they go horizontal. They lunge. This dash can clear huge gaps—up to 12 blocks if you time it right. It’s perfect for crossing ravines or escaping a sticky situation where a creeper is getting a bit too close for comfort.
The dash has a cooldown. You'll see a bar at the bottom of your screen. If you spam it, you’re going to have a bad time. You have to be tactical. Use the dash to clear a river or a small canyon, then let the camel catch its breath. It feels much more like driving a vehicle with a turbo boost than riding an animal.
Two players, one hump
One of the coolest features—and something people often overlook when learning how to ride a camel in Minecraft—is that they are built for two.
You can have a friend hop on the back. The player in the front controls the movement, while the player in the back is free to use a bow or a crossbow. This turns the camel into a literal tank. While the front rider focuses on navigating the dunes and dashing over obstacles, the back rider can pick off skeletons and spiders with ease. Since you're both sitting high up, the melee mobs just stand there looking confused while you rain down arrows.
Breeding and maintenance: Cactus is king
If you want more camels, you need cactus. It’s the only thing they eat. It’s their version of a golden carrot.
To breed them:
- Get two adult camels together.
- Feed each one a piece of cactus.
- Wait for the hearts to appear.
- Enjoy your new baby camel (which is adorable, by the way).
Cactus also heals them. If your camel takes damage from a stray arrow or a fall, feed it some cactus. It’s cheap, easy to farm, and keeps your ride healthy. Just don't walk into the cactus yourself while you're trying to feed them. Minecraft logic is weird, but the thorns still hurt.
The height advantage: A survivalist’s dream
Let’s talk about why you’d actually choose a camel over a horse or an elytra. Obviously, the elytra is king for late-game travel, but for early-to-mid-game exploration, the camel is underrated.
👉 See also: Why the AC Shadows Megalithic Vault Is Changing Everything We Know About Naoe and Yasuke
The height is the primary selling point. Most two-block-high mobs (Zombies, Husks, Creepers, Vindicators) simply cannot hit you. You are physically out of their reach. You can literally walk through a crowd of zombies and just wave at them. Endermen can still hit you, and obviously, Skeletons are still a threat because of their range, but for general land travel, you are nearly invincible.
However, this height is a double-edged sword.
You cannot fit through two-block-high openings. If you try to ride a camel into a standard house or a low-hanging cave, you’re going to get suffocated or knocked off. You need a three-block clearance. This makes navigating dense forests a nightmare. Stick to the plains, the deserts, and the savannas.
What most players get wrong about camel movement
I’ve seen a lot of complaints that camels are "slow."
They are slower than a high-tier horse. That’s a fact. But they have a different rhythm. A horse is a sprinter; a camel is an off-road vehicle. A camel can walk over 1.5-block-high obstacles without jumping. That means they can step over fences and stone walls like they aren't even there.
Think about that. You don't have to jump. You just walk forward.
This makes traversing a village or a cluttered base much smoother than it is with a horse, which constantly gets hung up on every little hitch in the terrain. The "slow" walk speed is compensated for by the fact that you aren't constantly stopping to navigate around a fence post.
Strategic takeaways for your next desert trek
If you’re planning to integrate camels into your survival world, keep a few things in mind. They aren't just "desert horses." They are a specialized mob for specific tasks.
🔗 Read more: Odd Glob of Wax WoW: How to Get the Slimy Snailemental Mount
- Lead them if necessary. If you don't have a saddle yet but found a camel, use a lead. You can drag them back to your base and keep them in a pen until you raid a nearby desert temple for a saddle.
- Park them carefully. Because they sit down when idle, they can be a bit of a pain to get moving again if you're in a hurry. Try to keep them in an open area so you have room to maneuver once they stand up.
- Use them for mob hunting. If you need to clear out a large area of land-based mobs, the camel is your best friend. Get a friend on the back with a Power V bow and you’re basically an apex predator.
- Watch the water. Like most mounts, camels aren't great swimmers. They will sink in deep water, and you'll be forced to dismount. Always look for a bridge or use that dash mechanic to clear small ponds.
The camel is one of the most unique additions to Minecraft in recent years. It’s not meant to replace the horse, but to offer a different way to experience the world. It’s about defense, utility, and teamwork.
Next time you find yourself in a desert village, don't just loot the chests and leave. Grab a piece of cactus, find a saddle, and see how much better the game feels when you're looking down at a Creeper that can't actually reach you.
Your first priority should be securing a saddle from a nearby structure, as the camel is useless for transport without one. Once equipped, focus on mastering the dash timing; it is the difference between a smooth ravine crossing and a fatal fall. Keep a cactus farm running back at your base to ensure you can heal your mount after long expeditions. Finally, always plan your routes through open biomes, as the camel's height makes forested areas more of a liability than an asset.