I posted this on another site, got varying responses and am still unsure, so let me try on here:

I was in Ecuador earlier this year and skipped the Galapagos and in Colombia the year before and skipped Cartagena. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.

I picture MP, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley being overwhelmed with tour buses, travel agencies and backpackers with Lonely Planets in one hand and cigarettes in the other. Am I wrong?

What do you think about skipping the gringo trail and heading up north instead, possibly to Cajamarca or Huaraz and seeing the mountains, smaller towns, lakes, etc... and meeting the locals? It will be my first time in Peru and I'll have probably 8 or 9 days.