Derinkuyu Underground City in Cappadocia

Derinkuyu underground city in Cappadocia is a popular site to visit with your family during your trip to the region. Go down 8 stories underground to learn all about the underground cities in Cappadocia and how their intricate tunnel systems allowed thousands of people to safely live underground during the Arab-Byzantine wars.

Next, find out what to see and how to get there when you visit Cappaocia on your trip to Turkey.

Know Before You Go

COST: Check the Museums of Turkey App

HOURS: 8am – 7pm

BEST TIME TO GO: Year Round

LOCATION: Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey

PARKING: See Parking Attendant

TIME NEEDED TO VISIT: 1-2 hours

Kid Friendly | Derinkuyu Underground City is kid friendly. For kids under 5, it could be a little scary with so many tunnels and rooms. It is well-lit.
Accessibility | The tunnels are narrow and small underground. You will not be able to take a stroller or wheelchair underground in the city.
Food & Drinks | There are markets outside though you cannot take food or drinks in the underground city.
Restrooms | There are restrooms at the entrance before you go into the city. There are no restrooms in the underground city.
Itinerary | Visit Derinkuyu underground city, then head over to Ihlara Valley to go hiking and explore the cave churches in the first 1km of the trail into the valley.
Caution | If you are claustrophobic, have back or knee issues, or trouble ducking or squatting, this may not be the site for you.

Derinkuyu Underground City Fast Facs

UNESCO World Heritage
8 stories underground
Sheltered around 20,000 people

History of Derinkuyu

Derinkuyu is believed to have been built as a shelter to escape during the Arab-Byzantine wars in the region between 780 and 1180 AD. Derinkuyu is the largest underground city that has been discovered in Cappadocia going as deep as 8 stories underground and was able to shelter around 20,000 people which is mind-blowing! The city was hand carved into volcanic rock with narrow tunnels connecting rooms, mills, and churches throughout the underground city.

In the region of Cappadocia, there have been over 200 underground cities discovered, with Derinkuyu and Kaymakli being the most visited. Many of them are connected creating a web of cities providing a way for people to travel underground and stay hidden for long periods. It is said that the first underground city was discovered when a man was doing some renovation work in a room in his home, and he broke through into one of the tunnels by accident.

Next, we’ll look at what to see when you visit Derinkuyu underground city in Cappadocia.

What to See at Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu was a bucket list site we wanted to take the kids on our visit to Cappadocia. While we were all excited to visit the underground city, we didn’t realize how much fun they were going to have going underground. Since our last visit to Derinkuyu over 10 years ago, the passageways and tunnels that you can tour through have changed, so this trip to Derinkuyu was new for all of us.

As you make your way towards the entrance of the underground city, you’ll see many local vendors selling Cappadocia souvenirs. You can buy a ticket at the entrance or use your Museum Pass to enter Derinkuyu. There are restrooms at the entrance before you go into the underground city.

Once you enter, you’ll go down some stairs before entering the first few rooms to explore. The temperature is cool 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round so if you visit in the summer, don’t forget to take a hoodie or jacket so you don’t get cold while you’re underground.

Derinkuyu Tunnels

You’ll see a narrow tunnel that is obviously going down. One of the things to note is if you have any knee or back issues or are claustrophobic, this probably is not the site for you. The tunnels are narrow and most of the time you will need to duck or squat so that you do not hit your head.

The tunnel heading down is quite long and we quickly realized that you must come back up the same tunnel. There were visitors that we had both had to squeeze past each other or step off into a few little cave rooms you see sporadically along the tunnel.

Since the kids are small, they absolutely loved the tunnels as they didn’t have to squat down as much as the rest of us. The tunnels and rooms are well lit and there once you get to the lower levels, you can explore through tunnels to different rooms.

Underground City Artifacts

Some of the things you’ll see on the route through Derinkuyu are a millstone, the round rock stones to close off entrances if there were invasions, the air passage running through the city, stables, cellars, storage areas, and the popular church at the lower level.

After we went back up through the tunnel, we came to some other levels of the underground city where the tunnels were very low. The adults had to squat and waddle like ducks up that path which the kids thought was hilarious.

We were in the underground city for about an hour and if the kids had their way, we probably would’ve been there longer. They wore their headlamps and had so much fun exploring every nook and cranny they could find throughout Derinkuyu.

Next, we’ll look at how to get to the underground city of Derinkuyu.

How To Get There

The underground city of Derinkuyu is about a 30-minute drive from Goreme, in the village of Derinkuyu, one of the villages of Cappadocia. We recommend renting a car while you are in Cappadocia so that you have the freedom to explore. If you don’t want to take off on your own with your family, we suggest a custom family tour that will provide you with the flexibility needed for traveling with kids.

You will park along the street and then walk over to the entrance of the site. Parking is free.

Read our Route guide for Antalya to Cappaddocia.

Sites Near Derinkuyu Underground City

Kaymakli Underground City Cappadocia

Kaymakli is another popular underground city in Cappadocia, just 10km from Derinkuyu. It is smaller than Derinkuyu and sheltered around 3,500 people allowing them to live underground for months at a time. You can go underground and visit the first 4 floors of the city.

Ihlara Valley in Cappadocia

Ihlara Valley is the 2^nd longest & deepest gorge in Turkey, (after Saklikent Gorge in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.). The valley is 14km long and some places 120 meters deep. If you enjoy hiking, you can spend the day here or head out on the first 1km of the trail to visit cave churches in Ihlara Valley.

Final Thoughts on Derinkuyu

Ultimately, Derinkuyu underground city in Cappadocia is a fun site to explore with kids. Getting to learn more about the history of the area and going underground is a highlight of your trip to Cappadocia.

Also, learn about the top Cappadocia sites to add to your tinerary: