3 min read · Published October 2026 · Updated October 2026
Kaymaklı Underground City
A city of rooms
Kaymaklı spreads sideways. Storage with jar sockets, a kitchen, a stable, a church with a single nave and an apse, and corridors that meet at angles. The same round stone doors appear, sized to the width of one person. Ventilation shafts drop through several floors. You feel the press of the rock more than the drama of a single deep well, which is Derinkuyu’s note. Both were refuges. Neither is a place to add a second underground city on the same morning.
Why the shared tours stop here
It is the practical south stop: shorter drive from Göreme than Derinkuyu, and enough rooms to fill an hour before the bus continues toward Ihlara. That combination is the green day in /travel-guide/cappadocia-red-and-green-tours. Our private underground tour, /tours/cappadocia/underground-city, uses Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu and then returns via Avanos. It does not already include the gorge. If the morning you travel is a holiday and Kaymaklı’s stair is a queue, we switch to Derinkuyu rather than wait it out.
What to skip
Özkonak, Mazı and the hamlet cellars are real cuttings and a thin reason to add a page or a day. Once you have walked Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu you have seen the type. Spend the next hour in Ihlara if the day is the south, or in the Göreme museum if the day is the north. The church inside Kaymaklı is enough sacred architecture underground. The painted churches are above ground at /travel-guide/goreme-open-air-museum.
Overview for travelers
Kaymaklı is the underground city most green-tour coaches use, south of Nevşehir and closer to Göreme than Derinkuyu. Four of about eight levels are open. In 2025 it received 460,262 visitors, more than Derinkuyu. The passages are narrower and the plan is a warren of rooms rather than a deep shaft. This guide expands on what to expect on the ground — beyond generic advice — from a team that runs private tours across Turkey daily. Rules and prices change; we note practical tips our guides share with guests.
Step-by-step on arrival
When you land in Turkey, having kaymakli underground city sorted reduces stress. Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen have SIM vendors, ATMs and official taxi desks — we still recommend pre-booked transfers on arrival day. Keep passport, e-Visa (if required) and hotel address handy for immigration and drivers.
Common mistakes to avoid
Changing money at aggressive street rates, booking unlicensed tours from hotel touts, and overloading one day with Ephesus plus Pamukkale are frequent errors. Pack for walking and mosque modesty even on coast trips. Trust licensed TURSAB operators for guiding and transfers.
When to ask for expert help
Multi-city routes, cruise shore days, balloon rebooking and ANZAC dawn services benefit from local coordination. Contact Turkey Travel Agency for a free itinerary — we handle flights, hotels, guides and timing in one quote.