Kaymaklı Underground City: wider tunnels, closer to Nevşehir

Kaymaklı is the underground city in the town of Kaymaklı, just south of Nevşehir, and it is the first of the two famous ones on the road towards Derinkuyu. It is usually described as the easier of the pair: wider tunnels, a shorter way from Nevşehir, and a route that suits a first underground visit. It is a multi-level settlement carved into soft tuff, with stables, kitchens, storerooms, wine presses, stone doors and ventilation shafts, and only its upper levels are open. None of our 80 catalogue records mentions Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu, and none gives a distance, so this guide uses general knowledge, the climate file and the hotel counts that help plan the day. It gives no prices, hours or depth figures.

Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu?

The two are often visited together and are easy to confuse. As they are usually described:

Question	Kaymaklı	Derinkuyu
Where	in the town of Kaymaklı, first on the road south	in the Derinkuyu district, further south
Tunnels	usually described as wider	narrower and lower in places
Depth	shallower	usually named the deepest
Visitor route	upper levels only, signed	upper levels only, signed
Suits	a first visit, nervous visitors, a half-day	those who want the deeper descent

The differences are matters of degree. Both are tuff, both were used as refuge, both were laid out with the same ingredients, and both are crowded when groups arrive.

What is inside

The rock is the same soft tuff that holds the churches and houses above ground, and the layout shows how a community could live in it:

• Stables. Animal stalls cut into the rock show that livestock came down too, not only people.
• Wine presses. Rooms with rock-cut troughs and basins are usually identified as places where grapes were pressed. Cool, steady rock suits wine, and the link continues in Ürgüp, where 4 Oda Cave House has a winery on site and Ürgüp Evi one next door.
• Kitchens. Ceilings blackened by cooking fires are a quiet detail that tells you where meals were prepared.
• Ventilation shafts. Narrow vertical shafts carry air to the lower levels.
• Stone doors. Round stones stand beside passages and could be rolled across them to seal a level; they are usually described as closable only from inside.
• Storerooms and sleeping spaces. Smaller chambers branch off the main passages.

The visitor route covers only the upper levels. The figure usually quoted is four open levels, but reports differ and the open section can change, so ask on arrival.

Why people dug down

The usual explanation is refuge. In the Byzantine period communities in the region were exposed to raids, and a settlement that can be hidden from view and sealed from within makes sense under those conditions. Whether the first rooms are older is debated, and the network clearly grew over time, so what you walk through is more likely layered than planned in one go. It is also a reminder of how the soft rock was used everywhere in Cappadocia: for churches around Göreme, for houses and storerooms, and here for an entire hidden settlement.

Wider does not mean wide

Kaymaklı’s main passages are usually described as wider than Derinkuyu’s, which is why some people find it easier. But you will still stoop in low sections, climb or descend steep steps and share narrow stretches with people going the other way. The route is signed, and the main difficulty is crowds: passing someone in a low passage takes patience. If you dislike enclosed spaces, decide at the first level, not the third; turning back against a stream of people is awkward. Wear shoes with grip, carry a light layer, and leave large bags outside. Check opening days and the ticket arrangement at the official source; if you hold a museum pass, check whether it covers the site.

If you have time for only one

Choose Kaymaklı if you have half a day, if anyone in your group is nervous about tight spaces, if ages in the group are mixed, or if you are coming from the Nevşehir side. Choose Derinkuyu if the idea of the deepest descent is the point of going and you have a full day for the road. Neither choice is a mistake, and both reward a guide or a short read beforehand, because many of the rooms look similar until someone tells you what they were.

When it is the better plan

The inside stays cool whatever the weather outside, which makes Kaymaklı useful on the days the valleys are poor choices:

Month	Average maximum	Rainy days	What it means
January	4.0 °C	12	cold and icy outside; below ground feels less harsh
March	10.3 °C	13	muddy valley paths
May	20.6 °C	13	showers; valleys are green but wet
July	28.5 °C	2	hot; the cool interior is a relief
October	18.3 °C	7	mixed; either choice works

These are Nevşehir figures from the Turkish State Meteorological Service for 1959–2025; for every month see when to visit.

Fitting it into your trip

Kaymaklı comes first on the road south, so it is the natural half-day choice from Nevşehir, and Nevşehir sits on the way; see the Nevşehir city guide. A full day can add Derinkuyu and the Ihlara Valley. The 3-day itinerary treats the south as a separate day. Without a car, a tour or a taxi is the practical choice. Uçhisar lies on the Nevşehir side of Göreme, so it is a little closer to the road south than Göreme is, but no record gives a distance; ask the hotel for the drive time.

Where to stay

Bedrock Cave Hotel, pictured at the top, is in Göreme’s Gaferli neighbourhood and describes churches, monasteries and castles within walking distance; it lists cave rooms with private bathrooms, a panoramic terrace, a buffet breakfast, a balloon view and family rooms. Five records list concierge or tour help, which suits a long day in the south: Logos Cave Cappadocia in Göreme, Mimi Cappadocia Luxury Cave Hotel in Uçhisar, Taru Cave Suites in Ürgüp, Vita Cave Suites in Ortahisar, and Nujel’m Cappadocia in Mustafapaşa. For families, 33 of the 80 records list family rooms. Every record is 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.