Derinkuyu Underground City: the deepest of Cappadocia

Derinkuyu is the multi-level underground city beneath the town of Derinkuyu, south of Nevşehir, and it is usually named the deepest of the underground settlements of Cappadocia. A visit is a descent by stairs and low passages past stables, storerooms, a chapel, ventilation shafts and big round stone doors. None of our 80 catalogue records mentions Derinkuyu or any underground city, and none gives a distance to it, so this guide rests on general knowledge, the climate file and what the records say about planning a long day. It gives no prices, no opening hours and no depth figure: sources disagree on the numbers, and the number matters less than the experience.

What Derinkuyu is

The name means “deep well”. The settlement is cut into soft tuff beneath a district town in Nevşehir Province, in the south of the region, and it was dug and extended over many centuries. Its exact origin and age are debated; it is usually linked with the Byzantine period, when communities used such places as refuge from raids, though earlier beginnings are suggested. The same soft rock that made carved churches and houses possible above ground made it possible to go down. Rooms underground keep a steady temperature, are hidden from view and can be sealed from within; those three advantages help explain why underground settlements appear in several places in the region, with Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı the two best known.

The scale is what surprises. This is not a cellar but a network of levels with living space, animal stalls, kitchens, storage and a place of worship, laid out so that many people could stay for periods. Only the upper levels are open to the public, and the route is usually signed, so you follow a path chosen for you rather than wandering.

Going down

You go down stairs and through passages that are low in places, so you stoop, and narrow in places, so groups walk in single file. The air is cooler than the street in summer and steady all year, because the temperature underground changes little: in Nevşehir the average July maximum is 28.5 °C and the January minimum −3.6 °C (MGM, 1959–2025), a gap you feel at the entrance. Wear shoes with grip, because stone steps can be worn smooth, and bring a light layer even in July.

What to look for

• Ventilation shafts. Narrow vertical shafts carry air down to the deeper levels. One is said to have doubled as a well.
• Rolling stone doors. Huge round stones stand beside passages. They could be rolled across the opening to seal a level, and are usually described as closable only from inside.
• Stables and kitchens. Animal stalls cut into the rock and ceilings blackened by cooking fires show how ordinary life went on below ground.
• Storerooms and pressing rooms. Cool, steady rock suits food and wine; the same logic keeps citrus fresh in the cold stores described in the Ortahisar guide.
• The chapel. A church-like chamber among the rooms shows that this was a settlement, not only a shelter.
• Low ceilings. Watch your head in the low sections.

Is it for you?

Claustrophobia. Derinkuyu is narrow, low and often crowded, and turning back against a stream of people is awkward. If you are unsure, stay near the front of your group and decide at the first level, or choose Kaymaklı, usually described as having wider tunnels.

Children. Many children love it, but hold the hands of young ones in the narrow stretches and leave the pushchair at the hotel. 33 of the 80 catalogue hotels list family rooms.

Mobility and health. The steps are steep and the ceilings low, so it suits wheelchair users and people with limited mobility poorly. If stairs or enclosed air trouble you, ask before you go.

When to go

Because the interior stays cool whatever the weather outside, Derinkuyu works on the days the valleys do not. July and August average about 2 rainy days each, while March and May average about 13 (MGM), when valley paths are muddy and an underground city is a sound choice. Like most major sights it is busiest when tour groups arrive, so first thing or the last hours tend to be calmer. Check opening days and ticket arrangements at the official source, and if you hold a museum pass, check whether it covers the site; this guide states no fee.

Before you go

• Check opening days and the ticket arrangement at the official source.
• Wear closed shoes with grip and clothes you do not mind brushing against rock.
• Carry water and a light layer, but leave large bags in the car or at the hotel; low passages and crowds make a backpack awkward.
• Agree a meeting point with your group in case you are separated in the passages, and keep to the signed route; do not enter closed or unlit side passages.
• Plan the return. A day in the south ends late, and 15 of the 80 catalogue hotels list a 24-hour reception.

Fitting it into your trip

Derinkuyu lies south of the main area, so it is a full day on the road rather than a morning. It is usually combined with Kaymaklı and the Ihlara Valley, and the 3-day itinerary treats this southern day as a replacement for another one. Nevşehir sits on the way; see the Nevşehir city guide. Without a car, a tour or taxi is the practical choice. If you can see only one city, Derinkuyu gives the deeper descent and Kaymaklı the easier tunnels.

Where to stay

Göreme holds 43 of the 80 hotels and is the usual base, but no record gives a drive time to Derinkuyu, so ask. Five records list concierge or tour help, which suits arranging a long day:

Hotel	Town	Rooms	What the record adds
Logos Cave Cappadocia	Göreme	9	24-hour reception, terrace, garden
Mimi Cappadocia Luxury Cave Hotel	Uçhisar	not recorded	24-hour reception, hot tub, Turkish bath
Nujel’m Cappadocia	Mustafapaşa	18	24-hour reception, heated floors
Taru Cave Suites	Ürgüp	not recorded	24-hour reception, terrace
Vita Cave Suites	Ortahisar	14	garden, shared lounge, heated floors

Artemis Cave Suites & Spa (Adults Only), pictured at the top, lists an underground hamam and spa; it takes adult guests only. All 80 records are on the hotel list. After choosing, you can book through gocappadocia.com, the regional booking platform created through the combined efforts of 175 Cappadocia hoteliers, with a best-price guarantee; this guide takes no commission.