Edit: see the 10th entry below for another supposed itinerary.
Would any of you who have traveled to Peru be equipped to judge whether my supposed itinerary could work?
Saturday: flights to Lima. Arrive about 9 to 11pm. Sleep in Lima. 1st night
Sunday: Museum or random outdoor sites? Bus to Nazca leaving about 5 to 6pm, arriving about 12:30am. Sleep in Nazca. 2nd night
Monday: flight over the Nazca lines. If extra time, guided tour to other sites. Bus to Arequipa leaving at 8:59pm, about 10 hours 15 minutes. 3rd night on the bus
Tuesday: drop stuff off at hotel. Guided or unguided tour, or various museums. Sleep in Arequipa. 4th night.
Wednesday: various museums. Sleep in Arequipa. 5th night
Thursday: Plane to Cusco leaving about 8am. Bus, taxi, or colectivo to Ollantaytambo. Sleep in Ollantaytambo. 6th night
Friday: Train to Machu Picchu. Bus and train back to Ollantaytambo. Sleep in Ollantaytambo. 7th night, 2nd night in Ollantaytambo
Saturday: Taxi tour of El Valle Sagrado? Sleep in Cusco. 8th night
Sunday: Taxi tour of Pisac ruins, Pisac market, Cusco ruins (Sacsayhuamán area, others, see taxidatum.com). Sleep in Cusco. 9th night. 2nd night in Cusco
Monday: Qorikancha (Inca temple ruins 8:30-5:30), Museo Inka?, various musems. Sleep in Cusco. 10th night. 3rd night in Cusco
Tuesday: Plane to Lima. Various museums. If time, Museo Central – MUCEN (art museum, 9-5). Sleep in Lima. 11th night, 2nd night in Lima (1st night of trip was in Lima)
Wednesday: Museo de Arte de Lima (10:30-6pm), Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología e Historía del Perú (9-7:30). Sleep in Lima. 12th night, 3rd night in Lima
Thursday: Huaca Pucllana Inca site (9-5, ticket includes required 1-hour guided tour), AMANO - Museo Textil Precolombino? (10-5), Museo Pedro de Osma? (10-6). 13th night, 4th night in Lima
Friday: Santuario Arqueologico de Pachacamac (9-5pm, 44 minute drive south of Huaca Pucllana), Museo Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo? (10-5pm), or other museum, 14th night, 5th night in Lima
Saturday: Flights back to Detroit
I am thinking of traveling in July. I get 10 weekdays paid vacation from work; including the middle weekend and the weekends at the beginning and end I could stretch my trip up to 14 nights; leaving on a Sunday I would get back to my apartment too late in the evening or early Monday to be awake enough for work on Monday. Unless I include July 4th in my trip and take the Monday after my last weekend of my trip off work?
Should I wait until tickets to Machu Picchu are available before buying plane tickets or just buy plane tickets first?
I am trying to avoid taking a whole-trip guided tour. I am open to doing day or part-day guided tours.