Desert temple vs Jungle temple in Minecraft: How different are the two structures?

Finding structures can be one of the most exciting aspects of playing Minecraft in survival mode. Two of the most interesting structures within the game are desert temples (also called desert pyramids) and jungle temples.

Minecraft is full of structures within the worlds of the game waiting to be explored by players. Structures in Minecraft come in a wide variety, with some being bigger than others, and some being more worthwhile than others as well.

Most importantly, they are all different in their own ways and will provide players with a different experience with every structure.

While their names sound similar, desert temples and jungle temples are actually quite different from each other. They share some similarities, but overall, they are distinctly different Minecraft structures.

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The major differences between desert temples and jungle temples in Minecraft

Biome

As their names suggest, both desert temples and jungle temples can only be found in their designated biomes: deserts and jungles, respectively.

Desert biomes are quite common, while jungle biomes are some of the rarest in Minecraft. So, though both structures have roughly the same spawn rate in general, jungle temples are naturally more rare overall due to the rare environment required for them to generate.

Loot

One of the most important elements of most Minecraft structures is the loot. Both desert temples and jungle temples have plenty of loot awaiting within them, but gamers should expect to find a combination of different items from each one.

Jungle temples have two total loot chests. One of them is a hidden chest, so players will have to break down walls in order to find it.

The possible loot within jungle temple chests include:

• Diamonds
• Emeralds
• Saddles
• Iron Horse Armor
• Golden Horse Armor
• Diamond Horse Armor
• Enchanted Books
• Iron Ingots
• Gold Ingots
• Bamboo
• Bones
• Rotten Flesh

Desert temples have four chests in total, all of which are stationed at the bottom of the structure. Players will either have to jump or dig down to reach these chests located in a large hole under the center terracotta area inside a desert temple.

The possible loot within desert temples include:

• Enchanted Golden Apples
• Golden Apples
• Diamonds
• Emeralds
• Iron Ingots
• Gold Ingots
• Saddles
• Iron Horse Armor
• Golden Horse Armor
• Diamond Horse Armor
• Enchanted Books
• Spider Eyes
• String
• Gunpowder
• Rotten Flesh
• Bones

Clearly, both structures have amazing loot with some overlap in items, making desert temples and jungle temples somewhat similar in that way.

Looks

The moon rises above a desert temple (Image via Minecraft)

Visually, desert temples and jungle temples are evidently different.

Desert temples are big and could be considered medium to average in terms of size when compared to other Minecraft structures. They are made mostly out of sandstone and terracotta blocks, which help them fit well into the desert biome, but they are usually easy to spot given their size.

As its alternate name points out, desert temples are made of pyramids and towers, but the main attraction is underneath all of the beautiful exterior design elements and inside the hole with chests.

Jungle temples, on the other hand, are a bit tiny compared to other Minecraft structures. Consisting of cobblestone and mossy cobblestone, it can be a bit more difficult to spot a jungle temple given how it can so easily blend right into the surrounding environment. However, the insides of jungle temples are intricate and multilayered.

Similarities

The redstone trap within a jungle temple (Image via Minecraft)

Although they are so different, desert temples and jungle temples bear some similarities too. The most notable similarity between jungle temples and desert temples is the fact that players can get trapped, injured, or killed within them.

If a player steps on the pressure plate at the bottom of a desert temple, they have little chance of surviving the explosion of TNT that will follow. Similarly with a jungle temple, a redstone arrow trap awaits players inside, so it must be deactivated in order to successfully raid a jungle temple.