Itinerary help

Lima-Huancayo is 7 hours
Huancayo-Huancavelica is 3 hours
Huancavelica-Ayacucho is 8 hours via Rumiachaca? Is there a faster route?
Ayacucho-Cuzco is another 15 hours (!), shall I stop anywhere in the between?

If you go this way you will see a whole lot of Andes highland areas that most tourists miss. Much of this country is really beautiful, especially I think around Ayacucho and Huancavelica. I have no idea where is Rumiachaca. Between these places in the Andes, generally there is only one road that buses can use, so no faster way. If you use collectivos between places, that's not fast, though they do drive on the dirt roads. Whether the time is worth it, I can't say.

If time is the issue, you could take a quick afternoon bus Lima to Paracas, spend the night and see the Ballestas islands in the morning, then maybe one night at Huacachina desert oasis. Then from Ica, you can take a bus to Ayacucho, and from there to Huancavelica, or skip that and go direct to Cusco.

It will be the rain season, so i think this route is not a good idea.

Thanks both.
Willemspie, not a good idea because dangerous, not beautiful under the rain, slower...? Can you please elaborate? Thanks.
Any alternative itinerary to make the most of my two weeks?

PS I have been asked anything between 1000 and 2000 USD for a two day inca trail?? what is the right price?

Most likely you will see little or nothing of the landscape, only clouds. And yes if it rains heavily the road may become very slow and difficult. It is a better season for the coast, possibly you can visit Trujillo Huanchaco Chiclayo and their archeological sites.. Or an alternative is the Colca or Cotahuasi canyons, they get clouds and rain too, but less so.

I have seen prices around $450 per person for the two day Inca Trail (for example with Alpaca Expeditions) and they would want at least two people but that shouldn't be a problem. I have always thought it is a lot of money as you are really only hiking one day. The second day is for visiting Machu Picchu. The 4 day Inca Trail is only $200 more. We chose to just do a day hike to Aguas Calientes (via Llactapata). Then we visited Machu Picchu the next day and climbed MP Montana.
You will want a day for Cusco, a day for the ruins north of Cusco (don't miss Sacsayhuaman) and Pisac. A day for Chinchero, Moray, the Maras salineras and the Ollantaytambo ruins. The granaries in Ollantaytambo are nice too. You might enjoy a tour and/or homestay with Awamaki:

https://awamaki.org/visit/

I have not been to Huancayo-Huancavelica-Ayacucho and know nothing about that area but I remember reading a post of someone who said it would be great after Ayacucho on the way to Cusco to stop in Andahuaylas and maybe Abancay.

I liked Arequipa but didn't need more than a day there. We enjoyed the Colca Canyon but as you are less into scenery and more into people and cultures the villages (Chivay, Yanque, Cabanaconde) would probably be of more interest to you than the canyon. I would say you need at least 3 days in that area. We took an overnight bus from Cusco to Arequipa.

We were in Peru in January but were lucky as we had hardly any rain. Because of El Nino the rains came later this year.

It looks like a lot of bus travel with only 12 (?) days. A day for Lima, 6 days Cusco-Sacred Valley-MP, 3 days Arequipa and the Colca valley... that would mean you have only 2 days left.

I have traveled a good bit of this part of Peru during December, and it's not true you only get rain and clouds. There can be rain sometimes, but I also got a lot of sunshine in places like Huancayo and Ayacucho. The only place I remember formidable rainfall was passing through La Oraya. The rainy season is not all that rainy in the Andes.

What about getting from Lima to Ayacucho via Pisco instead of Huancayo? Is the Pisco Area a better place to visit vs Huancayo and Huancavelica?

When I said you could go via Paracas, that is Pisco area. I'm not aware of a lot to do in Pisco; it's a flat coastal city that is still recovering from an earthquake a few years ago. But a few hours from there is Ica, and the Huacachina desert oasis, and that is interesting, and you can go to Ayacucho from Ica.