FredericM:
I thought I could share with you my itinerary for 8 weeks in Ecuador and Peru.
Time for some feed back on this trip. More to come with reviews.
I almost followed my planned itinerary. I changed it slightly before leaving to fit the wishes of my travel partner. We changed the end for Nazca - Night bus to Cuzco (14h!) - Puno - Arequipa - Flight to Lima and back home. I've been warned flying to or from Arequipa can be tricky as flights are often cancelled due to bad weather in Arequipa. Unfortunately, I had no chance to test it myself with the Covid-19 crisis. Peru declared the state of emergency when we were in Cuzco and just back from Machu Picchu. I therefore missed a proper visit of Cuzco, some Qhapaq Nan sites, Rural temples of Cusco and Maras, plus Arequipa, Colca Canon, Toro Muerto, Puno, Tiwanaku, Temples of Collao and Lake Titicaca.
FredericM:
Anyone here has done Tiwanaku as a day-trip from Puno? Any advice?
As stated before, I didn't got any chance to investigate that.
FredericM:
Do you think it would be possible to visit Marhuamachuco on the way between Cajamarca and Trujillo in a single day? The travel time vary greatly depending on where I look.
The road between Cajamarca and Trujillo requires 6 hours. It is not possible to visit Marhuamachuco in between these. I took a night bus.
In sum:
World class sites: Machu Picchu and Galapagos (obviously!), but also Huascaran. Don't be afraid of the rainy season in the Andes (December to March). I was prepared for torrential deluge, but it barely rained. Moreover, it's the perfect time for the coast.
Really good sites: Nazca is unique. Chavin is the best of the three archeological sites north of Lima (Chan Chan, Caral), but all three are worth a visit (though Chan Chan is weaker). Guano Islands and Chachapoyas are the best TWHS I've visited. Almost in the world class category. Chankillo and Lomas de Lachay are also worth inscription, though being more niché.
Surprises: I really enjoyed Lima, more than what I was expecting from the reviews here. Same for Cuenca. I wasn't expecting anything from Pisco production sites, but I surprisingly had a really great time there.
Disappointments: Other than the sites I missed because of the current outbreak, I must tell I was expecting more from Quito. Among T sites, I am not sure about the OUV of Nasca Aqueducts and Central Railway from my visits. Trujillo is a very beautiful and pleasant city, but I'm unsure it would add anything to the list at this point. Huaca de la Luna is my highlight in this region and should definitly be on T list and inscribed quick! Finally, for various reasons, I had a bad time in Cajamarca and can't tell anything positive about this city.
Stay tuned for my reviews or ask any question here!