Valheim is a huge game, and getting around the world takes a lot of time. Fortunately, there is a way to fast travel in Valheim by using portals. These objects create a gateway between two fixed points, allowing you to cross long distances instantly. However, you’ll need to track down a few rare resources before you can craft a portal. Here’s a look at what you need to get started and a few critical details about how portals work.
How to fast travel in Valheim
Portals are the only way to fast travel in Valheim. To craft a portal, you first need to find Greydwarf Eyes, Fine Wood, and Surtling Cores. Once placed, you can fast travel between any two portals that have been given the same tag.
The fast travel system in Valheim is a little unusual. Portals definitely help cover long distances, but they have a few drawbacks we’ll go over later. Plus, you’ll only be able to craft a portal after acquiring bronze and tracking down a number of other advanced materials. Let’s dive into the specifics.
How to create a portal
First things first: You’ll need these items in order to craft a single portal:
- Surtling Cores x 2
- Greydwarf Eye x 10
- Fine Wood x 20
Since you need at least two portals to fast travel, you’ll want to double those numbers your first time. Two portals require twice the crafting requirements.
Fine Wood shouldn’t be hard to find. You can get it from Birch trees, which appear throughout the Meadows biome as pale trees with dark spots. However, you’ll need at least a Bronze Axe in order to chop down Birch trees. If you haven’t made bronze yet, you’ll need to summon the first boss Eikthyr and use its antlers to craft a pickaxe used for mining.
Greydwarf Eyes are a little tougher. These are dropped by Greydwarfs, the blue-eyed bigger brothers of Greylings. These usually hang out in the Black Forest biome, and tend to attack in groups. Fortunately, a Bronze Axe or even a basic Torch will dispatch them quickly.
Finally, you’ll need Surtling Cores. These are the rarest of all portal materials. They are primarily found in Burial Chambers, which are underground lairs spread throughout Black Forest biomes. Burial Chambers are dangerous places to visit, since they’re both pitch-dark and filled with hostile skeletons. Knowing how to parry effectively is the best way to take skeletons out. Once cleared, each Burial Chamber should contain five or more Surtling Cores.
With all the materials in your inventory, you can craft a portal using the Hammer. You can find it under the Misc tab.
How portals work in Valheim
After you’ve crafted and placed a portal, you need to give it a tag. The tag acts as a way of identifying each portal, allowing you to travel between specific fixed points.
The portal tag system is what makes Valheim fast travel somewhat confusing. In order to travel between two portals, they both need to have the same tag. As such, if you travel through one, then decide to change the tag, you won’t be able to return home. To make matters worse, other players can change the portal tag, potentially leaving you stranded in faraway locations.
Thus, the smart way to travel is to create a hub network of portals. The central hub will have one portal for each location you wish to visit, and each destination will have one specific portal used to return to the hub. This method requires more materials, but it guarantees you’ll arrive in a safe space each time you fast travel.
Alternatively, you can place one portal at each of your destinations, then change the tag to the location you want to fast travel to. Just be sure to remember what you changed the tags to, as you won’t be able to return without first applying the correct tag.
There’s one more thing worth mentioning: Enemy mobs are hostile toward portals. If you leave one out in the open, monsters will eventually destroy it. You can build defenses around it for protection, but it’s probably safer just to build it indoors.
