Cappadocia Underground Cities: Derinkuyu vs Kaymaklı Guide

What the Cappadocia underground cities are

These are multi-level settlements carved down through the soft rock, not caves opened for show. Derinkuyu could shelter around 20,000 people with their livestock and food stores, and the complex included wells, chapels, stables, cellars, wine and oil presses and communal rooms. Heavy stone doors on each floor sealed the passages, and ventilation shafts, some very long, kept air moving through the levels.

To get a feel for what life there was like takes imagination, because the small hollows in the rock look much alike and the labels are sparse. The exception is the kitchen at Derinkuyu, where soot staining the ceilings shows centuries of fires. Expect cramped, dim and cool conditions, with low tunnels and narrow passages rather than broad chambers.

How many there are and how many you can visit

The count is uncertain. One travel account puts the number of underground cities in Cappadocia at over 200, and a commercial Cappadocia site says more than 30 have been identified, with only a few open to visitors. Either way, the two names that come up for travellers are Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı, and those are the ones worth building into a day.

Derinkuyu: the deepest known underground city

Derinkuyu is described as the deepest known underground city in Cappadocia. It sits in Nevşehir Province, and one account gives it a depth of about 60 m across 18 storeys, while the BBC describes it as burrowing more than 85 m with 18 levels of tunnels. It is generally attributed to the Phrygians in the 8th to 7th centuries BC, though it is not confirmed who built it; it was then enlarged in the Byzantine era and used as a refuge from invaders.

Inside, the scale is impressive but the detail is hard to read without help. Expect heavy stone doors that sealed each floor, stables, storage rooms, chapels and presses for wine and oil, plus ventilation shafts threading between levels. The site is large enough that a guide earns their fee by explaining what each hollow was used for, and the entrance is one place you can pick one up if you arrive independently.

Kaymaklı: the widest, and the one that feels like a maze

Kaymaklı is known as the widest underground city in Cappadocia and sits about 19 km from Nevşehir. It first opened to the public in 1964, and it is thought to have held around 3,500 people. Four of its eight levels are open to visitors, where you can see a stable, living spaces, churches, storage rooms, wine and oil presses and kitchens.

The structure is what sets Kaymaklı apart from Derinkuyu: the tunnels are lower and narrower, the route is steeper in places, and it feels more like a maze than Derinkuyu does. If you want the tighter, more disorienting experience, this is the one.

Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı: how to choose

Choose Derinkuyu for depth and scale and the sense of a whole society stacked in layers, with a kitchen and stone doors that make the engineering more legible. Choose Kaymaklı if you want the maze-like feel of low, narrow tunnels and steep passages. Whichever you pick, allow about an hour inside.

Neither city is a slick museum, so the honest expectation is dark, tight and crowded when a coach group arrives. Both reward a guide far more than a self-guided wander, and a guide can be hired at the entrance if you are not on a tour.

How long each visit takes

Give yourself about an hour for each city. That allows for the descent, the low tunnels and the climb back out, and it is long enough to see the main features without rushing. If you plan to see both Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı on the same day, allow roughly two hours underground plus travel between them.

Getting in and around: tours versus arriving yourself

Tours are the simplest option because transport, timing and often a guide are arranged for you, and the underground cities are a common stop on regional circuits. Arriving independently gives you more control over the hour you spend inside and the chance to pair the visit with the region's above-ground sights. Either way, plan around transport to Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı rather than counting on walking between them; check transport options and site hours with the Nevşehir provincial tourism office before setting out.

Guides and signage inside the tunnels

Signage inside the tunnels is sparse, so the numbered rooms and hollows are hard to interpret without explanation. That makes a guide a good idea, whether you join a tour or hire one at the entrance in Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı. A guide turns a dim maze into a legible settlement by pointing out the stables, churches, presses and ventilation shafts and explaining how the levels connected.

What to bring and who should skip it

Bring a light sweater, because it is rather cool underground even when the surface is hot. A tripod helps in the poor lighting, and shoes with grip are sensible for uneven floors and steep sections. Keep bags small so you can move through the low tunnels.

The underground cities are not a good fit for everyone. If you are claustrophobic, the narrow tunnels can be genuinely difficult, and the tightest sections cause some visitors to turn back. Anyone unsteady on their feet should weigh up the steep, uneven tunnels before booking.

Claustrophobia and tight tunnels: an honest warning

The single most important thing to know before booking is that the tightest tunnels are very tight. Some passages are so low and narrow that people barely get through, and a larger visitor may find the fit impossible rather than merely uncomfortable. If that sounds daunting, the above-ground Cappadocia sights, including the Göreme Open-Air Museum with its painted rock-cut churches, are a better use of the day.

Where the underground cities sit in a Cappadocia trip

The underground cities sit in Nevşehir Province, away from the main visitor towns of the region, so they work best as a half-day excursion rather than a spur-of-the-moment stop. Pair Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı with the valleys, viewpoints and rock-cut churches you will already be visiting, and check distances before committing to both cities in one day.

Pick one city, or both, and go early

For most visitors, one underground city is enough, and Derinkuyu is the stronger first pick for depth and scale. Add Kaymaklı if you want the narrower, maze-like tunnels and have a spare hour. Whichever you choose, bring a sweater and shoes with grip, and go in prepared for low passages.

Book a tour if you want transport and a guide arranged, or arrive yourself and hire a guide at the entrance. Check current opening hours and tour availability with the site before you go.