How to Tame and Ride a Llama in Minecraft: PC & Console

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Learn how to place a carpet or chest on your llama’s back

Co-authored by Pixlriffs and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: November 28, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Taming and Riding a Llama
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• Leading a Llama
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• Customizing a Tamed Llama
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• Video
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• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Llamas are a neutral mob you can encounter and tame within the Minecraft universe. While they can technically be ridden by your playable character, you can’t steer them like you would a horse, donkey, mule, camel, or pig (using carrot-on-a-stick). Still, we’ll walk you the basic steps to taming and riding a Minecraft llama on PC, PS4, Switch, and other devices, as well as how to lead it around and mount it with a chest or carpet.

Mounting and Controlling Llamas in Minecraft

To ride a llama, first tame it by feeding it 10 pieces of wheat, and then mount the llama continuously until hearts appear. You unfortunately can’t control llamas in the same way you can steer and control a Minecraft horse, so they’re not a very effective means of getting around in-game.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Taming and Riding a Llama

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1. 
   1
   Find a llama in savanna and windswept biomes. If you don’t have a llama already, head to your nearest savanna biome (including a savanna plateau or windswept savanna) and search for one. You can also track llamas in windswept gravelly hills biomes, along with windswept hills and forests.
2. 
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   Feed the llama 5 hay bales or 10 pieces of wheat to improve its temper (optional). Llamas are easier to tame when their temper levels are higher, which can be done by feeding it either 5 hay bales or 10 pieces of wheat (it will bleat at you when it’s no longer hungry).

   • Each piece of wheat you give a llama improves its temper by 3, while each hay bale improves its temper by 6.
   • Note: You don’t technically have to this, but it can make the taming process a bit easier.
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3. 
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   Mount the llama several times until hearts appear. Use the “Mount” function in your game to hop on the llama’s back. The llama will likely buck you off its back at first, which is totally normal—just keep mounting it until hearts pop up on your screen. That means you’ve tamed it! Here are the “Mount” controls for different devices and consoles:

   • PC and Mac: Right-click
   • Xbox: LT
   • PlayStation: L2
   • Pocket Edition: “Mount” button
   • Nintendo Switch: ZL
4. 
   4
   Enjoy the ride as the llama moves you around. Since llamas can’t be equipped with saddles, it’s impossible to steer the llama and control the direction it goes in. In the meantime, either dismount the llama or enjoy whatever random journey it takes you on. When you’re ready to dismount:

   • PC and Mac: Left ⇧ Shift
   • Xbox: Press right stick
   • PlayStation: Press right stick
   • Pocket Edition: Hit the middle/crouch button 2 times
   • Nintendo Switch: Press right stick
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Section 2 of 3:

Leading a Llama

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1. 
   1
   Obtain a lead in game. You can craft one using 4 string and 1 slimeball, or you can sometimes find one in an Ancient City, Trail ruins, or a Woodland Mansion (or in Buried treasure, if you’re playing Bedrock Edition). Another quick (and more brutal) way to get leads is by killing the trader NPC (or otherwise separating them from their llamas).
2. 
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   Attach a lead to your llama to lead it around. While holding a lead in your hand, secure it to the llama to create an active leash. Now, wherever you walk, the attached llama will automatically follow. The in-game controls to attach a lead are:

   • PC and Mac: Right-click
   • Xbox: LT
   • PlayStation: L2
   • Pocket Edition: “Leash” button
   • Nintendo Switch: ZL
   • Use the same control (or the “Unleash” option in Pocket Edition) to remove the lead from the llama.
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Section 3 of 3:

Customizing a Tamed Llama

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1. 
   1
   Put an empty chest on your tamed llama to give it saddlebags. Make a chest with 8 wooden planks and place it in your inventory. While approaching a tamed llama, hold the chest in your hand and use the in-game controls to place it on your llama’s back. Then, ride the llama and pull up your inventory to access the saddlebags.

   • Transfer items from your inventory to your llama’s saddlebags to turn your llama into a walking storage unit! This can be helpful if you’re moving to a new location in-game.
   • The number of inventory slots your llama has depends on its in-game strength stat. Some llamas might only manage 3 inventory slots, while others can manage up to 15 slots in their saddlebags.
2. 
   2
   Put a section of carpet on your tamed llama to give it a colorful outfit. While riding your llama, pull up your in-game inventory—you’ll see a singular slot to the left of the llama’s icon. Place a piece of colored carpet there to automatically dress your llama in a fun outfit.

   • You can do this on a llama with or without saddlebags attached.
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Tips

• Try not to accidentally hit the llama during the taming, riding, or leading process. They can attack you with their spit, which damages you (and can even kill you, in large enough amounts).
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