Cappadocia’s underground cities: Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı

Why were underground cities built?

The volcanic tuff of Cappadocia is soft enough to carve with simple tools but hardens when exposed to air. People have been digging into it for thousands of years. The underground cities were enlarged over many centuries, especially in the Byzantine period, as refuges from raids and wars.

When danger approached, whole villages moved below ground with their animals and supplies. Huge rolling stone doors sealed the corridors from inside, and ventilation shafts brought fresh air down many levels.

Derinkuyu: the deepest

Derinkuyu reaches a depth of around 85 metres over many levels, of which several are open to visitors. Inside you will see stables, communal kitchens with soot-blackened ceilings, wine and oil presses, wells, a chapel and the famous rolling stone doors.

The descent involves steep, narrow stairways and low tunnels, and it gets cooler the deeper you go. It is about 40 minutes by road from Göreme.

Kaymaklı: wider and closer

Kaymaklı is about 30 minutes from Göreme and has fewer open levels than Derinkuyu, but its rooms are more spread out and connected by a maze of passages. It is one of the best places to understand daily life underground: storage rooms, kitchens, stables and a chapel lie close together.

Because it is not as deep, Kaymaklı can feel less intense for visitors who are unsure about enclosed spaces.

Which one should you choose?

Both are impressive, and most visitors see only one. Choose Derinkuyu for depth and drama, Kaymaklı for an easier visit with more rooms close together. Guided Green Tours usually visit one of the two depending on crowds that day.

• Deepest experience: Derinkuyu.
• Shorter drive and easier walking: Kaymaklı.
• Travelling with young children: Kaymaklı is usually simpler.
• Photography: both are dim; a phone with night mode works best.

Practical tips for your visit

• Wear flat shoes with good grip — some steps are worn smooth.
• Bring a light layer; it stays around 13–15 °C underground all year.
• Expect to bend down in low tunnels; tall visitors should take care.
• If you feel claustrophobic, stay on the upper levels and follow the exit signs.
• Visit early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the busiest hours.
• Entrance tickets are around €13 per person in 2026 and are listed separately in our tour prices.

A short history

Some of the earliest underground spaces in Cappadocia may date back thousands of years, and they were expanded over many centuries. The cities were used most intensively in the Byzantine period, when Arab raids swept across Anatolia and local Christian communities needed places to hide.

Many were still used as shelters, storerooms and stables until the early twentieth century. Derinkuyu was rediscovered for visitors in the 1960s, when a resident found a passage behind a wall of his house.

Other underground cities

Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı are the largest and most visited, but there are many more. Özkonak near Avanos is smaller and quieter, Mazı has carved stone doors in a pretty village, and Gaziemir near Güzelyurt includes stables, a winery and a hamam. They are good choices if you want to avoid crowds.

Combining with Ihlara Valley and Selime

The underground cities lie on the road south to Ihlara Valley, so most visitors see them on the same day. The Green Tour combines an underground city, a walk through Ihlara Valley, lunch in Belisırma and Selime Monastery, with transport and a guide — the simplest way to see southern Cappadocia in one day.

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