About the Underground Cities
Cappadocia has 36+ underground cities carved from soft volcanic tuff, with Derinkuyu and Kaymakli being the largest and most impressive. Built as early as 8th-7th centuries BCE and expanded by early Christians fleeing persecution (3rd-5th centuries CE), these multi-level complexes housed up to 20,000 people with livestock, food storage, wineries, churches, and sophisticated ventilation systems. They represent remarkable engineering achievements carved entirely by hand. Pair this stop with the Cappadocia guide and the wider Turkey overview.
⏰ Opening Hours & Best Times
- Hours: Daily 8 AM-7 PM (April-October) | 8 AM-5 PM (November-March)
- Closed: Open every day including holidays
- Last entry: 45 minutes before closing
- Best time: Opening at 8 AM or after 4 PM (fewer tour groups, less crowded tunnels)
- Avoid: 10 AM-2 PM in peak season (narrow tunnels become congested with groups)
- Temperature: Constant 13°C (55°F) year-round underground - bring layers
💰 Costs
- Derinkuyu admission: ₺250 (€8) per person
- Kaymakli admission: ₺250 (€8) per person
- Museum Pass Cappadocia: ₺950 (€29) covers both cities plus other sites for 3 days
- Group tours: ₺600-1,000 (€18-30) per person with admission and guide (1.5 hours)
- Private guide: ₺3,500-6,000 (€100-180) up to 6 people (doesn't include admission)
- Combined day tours: ₺1,200-2,000 (€35-60) including multiple Cappadocia sites
Guide essential: Without expert narration, the underground cities are just confusing tunnels. Guides explain how ventilation worked, identify room purposes, share escape strategies, and keep you from getting lost in the maze.
🎯 Derinkuyu vs. Kaymakli - Which to Visit?
- Derinkuyu: Larger (8 levels, 85m deep), more impressive, but more crowded. Best if visiting only one.
- Kaymakli: 4 levels open, narrower tunnels, fewer tourists, closer to Goreme (20 min vs. 40 min)
- Both similar in: Architecture, purpose, time period - seeing both is somewhat repetitive
- Time available: If short on time, Derinkuyu alone; if 2+ days in Cappadocia, visit both
- Claustrophobia: Kaymakli has narrower passages - Derinkuyu slightly more spacious
- Distance between: 10km apart, 15-minute drive
🎯 Why Use a Guide
- Decode room functions: Identify churches, wine presses, stables, kitchens, storage rooms
- Engineering marvels: Explain ventilation shafts (some 85m deep), water wells, rolling stone doors
- Historical context: Why built, how used during invasions, life underground for months
- Safety navigation: Easy to get disoriented in maze - guides keep you on marked routes
- Defense systems: Point out booby traps, narrow chokepoints, massive stone doors to block invaders
- Archaeological insights: Recent discoveries, ongoing excavations, theories about builders
✨ Don't Miss (Derinkuyu)
- 🚪 Rolling stone doors: Massive circular stones (300-500kg) that sealed tunnels from inside
- 💨 Ventilation shafts: 52 shafts reaching all 8 levels - ingenious air circulation system
- ⛪ Cruciform church: Cross-shaped room on 7th level with vaulted ceiling
- 🍷 Wine presses: Rock-carved vats where grapes were crushed and fermented
- 🐴 Stables: Rooms with feed troughs carved into walls for livestock
- 🏫 Missionary school: Large room believed used for education and meetings
- 💧 Water wells: Deep wells accessed from multiple levels for drinking water
- 🔒 Communication holes: Small openings between levels for talking and passing items
📝 Practical Tips
- Claustrophobia warning: Tunnels narrow (1-2 people wide), ceilings low (1.5-2m), tight spaces
- Fitness required: Lots of stairs, crouching, climbing - not wheelchair accessible
- Wear layers: Surface hot in summer, underground constant 13°C - bring jacket
- Closed-toe shoes: Uneven floors, low ceilings, slippery when wet - sneakers essential
- Watch your head: Low doorways and ceilings - tall people will be ducking frequently
- Photography allowed: No flash recommended, bring phone/camera with good low-light capability
- Allow 1-1.5 hours: To explore open sections without rushing, 2 hours with detailed guide
- Not for everyone: Small children, elderly with mobility issues, severe claustrophobia - skip it
- Best combined with: Goreme Museum or valley hikes on same day (cities are 30-40 min from Goreme)
- Panic exits: Multiple escape routes marked - guides know them all