Turkey / Cappadocia / Derinkuyu Underground City

— Ancient Ruin

Derinkuyu Underground City

Last updated: August 2026 Read time: 3 min

Location Derinkuyu (30km from Göreme)

Hours 08:00–19:00 (summer) 08:00–17:00 (winter) Last entry: 30 minutes before closing

Ticket price from $20

Typical visit 1–1.5 hours

Nearest transport Rental car (~40 min from Göreme) or Green Tour minibus

Derinkuyu Underground City Tickets — Derinkuyu Underground City is a multi-level ancient settlement carved roughly 60 meters into the rock near the town of Derinkuyu in Cappadocia, believed to date back to around the 7th–8th centuries BC and later expanded by early Christian communities as a refuge from persecution and raids. It’s the deepest of Cappadocia’s many underground cities, with 8 of its estimated 18–20 levels currently open to visitors.

Why visit Derinkuyu Underground City? (Derinkuyu Underground City Tickets)

Derinkuyu’s original construction is thought to date to the Phrygian period around the 7th or 8th century BC, later substantially expanded by Byzantine-era Christian communities who used the tunnels as shelter during Arab raids in the 7th–9th centuries. At its fullest historical use, the city’s more than 1,200 rooms — including living quarters, stables, wine and oil presses, a chapel, and ventilation shafts — could reportedly shelter thousands of people underground for extended periods. A roughly 10-kilometer tunnel is believed to have connected Derinkuyu to the nearby Kaymaklı underground city, its “sister” settlement. Massive circular stone doors, still visible at several levels, could be rolled shut from the inside to seal off sections against intruders — a defensive detail that makes the engineering feel startlingly deliberate rather than improvised.

Source: Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

What should I know before visiting?

Lower levels have narrow passages (60–70cm wide in places) with low ceilings requiring ducking — mild claustrophobia can be tested on the deepest sections.
Upper levels (1–3) remain spacious and manageable for most visitors, including those uneasy about tight spaces.
Wear layered clothing — underground temperatures stay cool year-round regardless of the weather outside.
A guided tour adds meaningful historical context that’s easy to miss navigating independently.
Visit at opening or after 15:00 to avoid the mid-morning tour-bus crush.

How much are tickets and what are the hours?

Admission runs approximately $20 (around 650–800 TL). The site is open daily, roughly 08:00–19:00 in summer and 08:00–17:00 in winter.

How do I get to Derinkuyu Underground City from Cappadocia center?

Derinkuyu sits about 40 minutes by car from Göreme. It has no direct public transit connection from Göreme, so most independent visitors rent a car or join a Green Tour minibus circuit, which typically pairs it with Ihlara Valley in the same day.