Is Cappadocia worth it, or is it too touristy?
Cappadocia is touristy because the landscape earns attention. Go for valleys, rock towns and dawn light, not only the balloon photo, and it becomes more than the machinery around it.
Answer
The worst Cappadocia trip is built around one image. The better one gives the landscape time: early light over strange valleys, cave-like rooms cut into stone, dusty walks, viewpoints that are not only about posing, and evenings when the tour groups thin. Göreme can feel busy and commercial, especially when every plan points at balloons and package tours. That does not make the region empty hype. It means the trip needs to include ground-level time, not just a dawn spectacle. Cappadocia is worth it when you let the scenery do more than decorate a photo.