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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Nevşehir
Base in Nevşehir only for the underground cities and cheap beds; most travellers sleep in Göreme and pass through.
Nevşehir is the provincial capital of Cappadocia at 1,224 m, 30 km from its own airport and about 10 km from Göreme. It has no fairy chimneys but has the Kayaşehir rock labyrinth, a Seljuk castle and the best access to Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu and Mazı underground cities. Beds cost less than in Göreme, and the town is a working Turkish city rather than a tourist village.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- Apr–mid-Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (snow and ice at 1,224 m)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₺3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Tourism information line 170
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | ₺60–150 |
| Soup or a kebab plate | ₺200–450 |
| Beer with a meal | ₺150–300 |
| Bottle of Cappadocia red wine | ₺400–1,200 |
| Dolmuş ride in town | ₺30–60 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | ₺250–400 |
| Underground city entry, adult | ₺100–500 depending on site |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAV · Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport
- At Tuzköyü, 30 km north of town; Turkish Airlines from IST and Ajet from SAW, about 90 min. Taxi or transfer to town; most arrivals continue to Göreme.At Tuzköyü, 19 mi north of town; Turkish Airlines from IST and Ajet from SAW, about 90 min. Taxi or transfer to town; most arrivals continue to Göreme.
- ASR · Kayseri Erkilet
- The other Cappadocia airport, about 1 h 15 min by road via Avanos; more flights and often cheaper.
Typical fares
- NAV airport → Nevşehir centre, taxi
- 30 km, about ₺800–1,20019 mi, about ₺800–1,200
- Nevşehir → Göreme, dolmuş
- about ₺60–100, 20–30 min
- Nevşehir → Kaymaklı, bus
- about ₺70, 20 kmabout ₺70, 12 mi
- Nevşehir → Ankara, intercity bus
- about 3 h non-stop
Get around
The centre is walkable: castle, Kayaşehir, Kurşunlu Mosque and the bazaar sit within about 15 minutes of each other. For Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu and Mazı you need wheels — dolmuşes run south along the D765 about every 15 minutes in season, or take a taxi or rental car. Local buses 1 and 2 link the centre with the otogar; pay by card on the halk otobüs.
See and do
Known for
- Kayaşehir underground rock city
- Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu underground cities
- Seljuk castle on the hill
- Cappadocia red wine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kaymaklı underground city | Dolmuş or bus south on the D765, about 20 km, then a short walkDolmuş or bus south on the D765, about 12 mi, then a short walk | About 45–60 min |
| Derinkuyu underground city | Same D765 south, 15 km past KaymaklıSame D765 south, 9.3 mi past Kaymaklı | About 1 h 15 min |
| Mazı underground city | Dolmuş or car east of Kaymaklı | About 1 h |
| Göreme | Dolmuş from Saatçi Hoca Cd, about 10 kmDolmuş from Saatçi Hoca Cd, about 6.2 mi | About 20–30 min |
| Ürgüp | Dolmuş or car east | About 30 min |
| Avanos | Dolmuş or car northeast | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Atatürk Blv and around)
- Walk to the castle, Kayaşehir and the mosque complex; buses and dolmuşes to the underground cities leave from here.
- Nar quarter
- Old lanes on the north side with small cellar 'cave hotels'; quieter, still walkable to the centre.
- Near the otogar (D300, 5 km southwest)
- Only for a late bus arrival or an early departure; nothing to do on foot.
- Göreme or Uçhisar instead
- Sleep there if balloons and fairy chimneys are the point of the trip; Nevşehir is the cheaper, plainer fallback.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederimteh-shek-kewr eh-deh-REEM |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| Two tickets, please | İki bilet, lütfenee-KEE bee-LET lewt-FEN |
| Where is the bus stop? | Otobüs durağı nerede?oh-toh-BEWS doo-rah-uh NEH-reh-deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yeem |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- Underground cities are narrow, low and steep in places: claustrophobia and slippery steps are the real risks, not crime.
- Nevşehir Museum is closed for reconstruction: check before you plan around it.
- The Lunapark in the centre has been closed; don't count on it.
- Winter brings snow and ice at this altitude; summer afternoons are hot and dry.
- Balloon flights launch from Göreme, not Nevşehir: you need a pre-dawn transfer, and flights cancel in wind.
Nevşehir is a calm provincial city and violent crime against visitors is rare. The real hazards are low tunnels and steep steps in the underground cities, winter ice, and unlicensed balloon or tour touts: book through your hotel or an operator with a licence.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Nevşehir yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kayaşehir underground rock city
- Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu underground cities
- Seljuk castle on the hill
- Cappadocia red wine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Turkish Ministry of Culture — Kaymaklı: muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?DistId=KYY&SectionId=KYY01
- Turkish Ministry of Culture — Derinkuyu: muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?DistId=DKY&SectionId=DKY01
- Wikivoyage: Nevşehir, revision 5270313 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270313
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Nevşehir
Bu adrese lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Nevşehir; the US, UK and most others are in Ankara, with consulates in Istanbul. Your hotel can reach a local fixer for lost passports.
Carry small lira notes: some dolmuşes and village shops are cash only, and the otogar has no ATM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/nevsehir). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.