Animal Crossing: New Horizons ACNH May Day Tour is a fun, limited-time event that brings a special maze island, exclusive rewards, and the return of the fan-favorite character Rover. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the 2026 ACNH May Day Maze—from start/end dates and island layouts to step-by-step walkthroughs and all the prizes you can collect.
ACNH May Day Maze & Tour 2026 Guide
The 2026 May Day Maze is a fun way to get exclusive items and extra Bells in ACNH. Remember, the event only lasts from April 29th to May 7th, so don’t miss your chance to participate. Follow the walkthrough above to complete the maze easily, meet Rover, and collect all the rewards. Whether you’re after Rover’s Briefcase, his photo, or 27,000 Bells, this guide has you covered!
ACNH May Day Maze 2026 Date
The May Day Tour event in ACNH is held on the same dates every year, and 2026 is no exception. Mark your calendar so you don’t miss out!
Event Dates: April 29th, 2026 – May 7th, 2026
Time: The event is available all day, every day during the dates above. You can join the tour at any time between these days, as long as you have your May Day Ticket.
Host: Tom Nook (he organizes the event and reserves your ticket)
Key Visitor: Rover (a friendly blue cat who waits at the end of the maze to give you a special prize)
Game Version Requirement: You need to have updated your ACNH game to Version 2.0 or later. Older versions may not have the May Day Tour available every year. The event was first added in the 1.2.0 April Free Update and has been a yearly tradition since 2022, thanks to the Version 2.0 Update released in November 2021.
When you open ACNH for the first time during the event period, Isabelle will make a special morning announcement to tell you that the May Day festivities have started. You can talk to Tom Nook at Resident Services for extra dialogue, but it’s not required to join the tour.
How to Get the May Day Ticket & Visit the Maze Island in ACNH?
From April 29th to May 7th, 2026, go to your island’s Airport.
Talk to Orville at the counter. He will tell you that Tom Nook left a May Day Ticket with your name on it (in the original 2020 event, you had to get the ticket from Tom Nook, but this changed later).
To use the ticket, select “I wanna fly!” and then choose “Use May Day Ticket” when Orville asks you what you want to do.
Important note: Each player can only use one May Day Ticket per year. You can’t trade tickets with other players because the ticket isn’t an item you can carry in your pockets. Also, once you leave the May Day Maze island, you can’t go back with the same character until the next year’s event.
ACNH May Day Maze 2026 Island & Layout
There are two different maze layouts in Animal Crossing May Day Tour, and the one you get in 2026 depends on the year. In Version 2.0 and later, even years (like 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026) have the First Layout, and odd years (like 2021, 2023, 2025, 2027) have the Second Layout. Here’s a detailed look at both layouts, so you can identify which one you’re playing on:
First Layout (2026’s Maze Layout)
The First Layout was added in Version 1.2.0 and is the one you’ll encounter in 2026. You can easily spot it by these clues:
A single fruit to the left of the maze entrance
No cliffs— the entire island is flat
The island is mostly covered by a hedge maze with obstacles like trees, rocks, bushes, and water holes. When you arrive, your inventory will be empty—you’ll need to find tools and materials on the island to clear the path. Here are some key details about this layout:
Water Holes: You can jump over them, but only in a straight line (east-west, west-east, north-south, or south-north). If you’re having trouble jumping, keep pushing the control stick in the direction you want to go—sometimes it takes a few seconds to work (this is a common issue many players face).
Tools Available: You’ll find a shovel and a worn axe on the ground. The worn axe can only chop down one tree before breaking, but the shovel and any axe you craft will last the entire maze.
Bushes: The bushes in the maze match the current season of your island. You’ll need to dig them up to access hidden items or paths.
Resources: You’ll find fruit, wood, tree branches, stone, and iron nuggets throughout the maze. These are essential for crafting tools and gaining energy (by eating fruit) to break rocks and dig up trees.
Second Layout (For Reference)
You won’t get this layout in 2026, but it’s good to know for future years. You can identify it by:
Two fruits to the left of the entrance, arranged diagonally
Multiple cliffs (you’ll need to craft a ladder to climb them)
This layout was added in Version 1.10.0 and has rugged terrain with items on two levels. You’ll still need to collect materials and craft tools, but the ladder is a key item here (you’ll get the DIY recipe for it if you haven’t learned it yet).
ACNH May Day Maze 2026 Walkthrough (First Layout)
Follow these step-by-step instructions to 100% complete the 2026 ACNH May Day Maze, meet Rover, and get all 9 Bell Vouchers. Take your time, and remember to save as much fruit as possible for the bonus Bell Vouchers at the end!
Step 1: Dig Up a Bush & a Tree
When you arrive on the island, pick up the shovel lying on the ground in front of you. Use the shovel to dig up the bush that’s blocking the native fruit to your left. Pick up the fruit, eat it (this gives you energy), and then use the shovel to dig up the tree that’s blocking your path forward.
Step 2: Collect the Worn Axe & Basic Materials
After digging up the tree, new pathways will open. Explore these paths to pick up tree branches, stone, and most importantly, the worn axe. Only use the worn axe to chop down trees—don’t use it to break rocks, or it will break too soon and you won’t be able to finish the maze.
Step 3: Chop Down the Top Left Tree with the Worn Axe
Once you have all the materials from the pathways, go to the top left of the maze. There’s a tree blocking two native fruits and one tree branch. Use the worn axe to chop down this tree—this will destroy the axe, but you’ll get the fruits and branch behind it.
Step 4: Break the Bottom Left Rock for an Iron Nugget
Head back to the bottom left of the maze. You’ll see a rock blocking an iron nugget. Eat one of your fruits to gain energy, then use the shovel to break the rock and pick up the iron nugget (you’ll need this to craft a better axe later).
Step 5: Break Another Rock & Dig Up a Tree for the DIY Workbench
Go to the bottom right of the maze. There’s another rock and a tree blocking access to a DIY Crafting Workbench. Pick up any wood on the path first. Eat another fruit for energy, break the rock, then pick up the fruit behind the rock, eat it, and dig up the tree blocking the workbench.
Step 6: Craft a Flimsy Axe & Then a Regular Axe
Behind the rock and tree, you’ll find DIY recipes for a flimsy axe and a regular axe (you probably already know these recipes, but they’re there just in case). Walk up to the DIY Workbench and craft the flimsy axe first, then use the flimsy axe and your materials to craft a regular axe. Now you have all the tools you need to finish the maze!
If you’re missing materials, retrace your steps to find any wood or tree branches you missed. You can also shake trees to get more branches.
Step 7: Chop Trees for Extra Fruit
From the DIY Workbench area, go straight left to find a tree blocking two native fruits. Chop it down with your regular axe to get the fruits. You don’t need these to finish the maze, but they’re important for getting all the Bell Vouchers later. Then, go back to the area where you found the iron nugget (bottom left) and chop down the last remaining tree (except for the three in a row at the north end of the island).
Step 8: Chop the Final 3 Trees to Meet Rover
Follow the path behind the tree you just chopped down. Pick up the third native fruit (you’ll need this for the bonus Bell Vouchers) and keep going until you see three trees in a row at the very top of the island. Chop down all three trees with your axe, then go to the campsite where Rover is sitting. Talk to him—he’ll congratulate you and tell you about your prize.
How to Get All 9 Bell Vouchers
Now that you’ve met Rover, you can get the Animal Crossing Bell Vouchers. There are two groups of vouchers—here’s how to get both:
First Group (4 Vouchers): Look to the left of Rover’s campsite—there are bushes blocking four Bell Vouchers. Dig up the bushes and pick up the vouchers.
Second Group (5 Vouchers): Dig up the bushes north of Rover’s campsite to access the outer edge of the island. Follow the path along the hedge fences all the way to the top left, then straight down to the bottom left. You’ll see three rocks blocking five more Bell Vouchers. Eat your remaining three fruits to gain energy, break the rocks, and pick up the final vouchers!
ACNH May Day Maze 2026 Rewards & Prizes
There are three main rewards you can get from the May Day Maze: Rover’s Briefcase, Rover’s Photo, and Bell Vouchers. None of these items will be in your inventory when you leave the island—they’ll be mailed to you the next day (sent by Dodo Airlines or Rover). Check your mailbox at home to collect them!
1. Rover’s Briefcase
It’s a furniture item that can’t be customized. You can’t buy it from Nook Shopping, so keep it in your storage if you want to use it later. It sells for 2,000 Bells if you decide to sell it.
How to Get It: If it’s your first time completing the May Day Maze (ever, not just 2026), Rover will mail you his briefcase the day after you meet him.
2. Rover’s Photo
It’s a photo item that can’t be customized. It sells for only 10 Bells, so it’s better to keep it as a collectible.
How to Get It: If you’ve completed the May Day Maze before (in any previous year), Rover will mail you his photo instead of the briefcase. You can also get it by doing the maze again—either wait until next year or use a secondary player character.
3. Bell Vouchers
Each Bell Voucher sells for 3,000 Bells at Nook’s Cranny. If you get all 9, that’s 27,000 Bells total! Don’t sell Bell Vouchers in the drop-off box outside Nook’s Cranny—you’ll get fewer Bells. Talk to Timmy or Tommy directly to get the full 3,000 Bells per voucher.
How to Get Them: As you saw in the walkthrough, there are 9 Bell Vouchers in total (4 near Rover, 5 near the bottom left of the island). You need to save enough fruit to break the rocks blocking the second group.
How to Reset the May Day Maze If You Mess Up?
It’s easy to make a mistake in the maze—like using the wrong tool or eating too much fruit too early. If you get stuck or can’t get all the Bell Vouchers, you can reset the island:
Open your NookPhone and go to the second page.
Launch the Rescue Service app (it has a helicopter icon).
Pay 100 Nook Miles, and Resetti’s rescue crew will send you back to the start of the island, resetting everything you did (all tools, materials, and progress will be reset).
Note: You can only use the Rescue Service if you’re still on the May Day Maze island. If you’ve already left, you can’t reset—unless you use a secondary player character to try again.
How Many Times Can You Do the May Day Maze?
Each player can do the May Day Maze once per year. But if you want to do it more than once, create a second player character on your island—they’ll get their own May Day Ticket and can complete the maze too.
Can You Take Bushes/Flowers Home from the Maze Island?
No—don’t waste time digging up bushes or flowers on the maze island. When you leave, all items in your inventory (except the rewards that get mailed to you) will be lost. If you want bushes for your own island, wait for Leif to visit your Resident Services plaza—he sells bush saplings.
Where Are My Prizes After Leaving the Island?
Don’t panic if your inventory is empty when you get back to your island! All your rewards (Rover’s item and Bell Vouchers) will be in your mailbox the next day. Dodo Airlines mails the Bell Vouchers, and Rover mails his gift.
Key Tips for Success
Save as much fruit as possible—you’ll need it to break rocks for the bonus Bell Vouchers.
Only use the worn axe to chop down one tree (the top left one)—don’t waste it on rocks.
If you’re stuck jumping over water holes, keep pushing the control stick in the direction you want to go—it will work eventually.
Retrace your steps if you’re missing materials—you probably missed a tree branch or piece of wood.
