Yeah, I use this method. I first PGP encrypt the wallet backup, then zip it, and finally attach it to a message on Gmail or some other mail service. Pretty convenient.
Even with a password protected wallet I would never leave it on the cloud without secondary encryption because someone could still see your transactions and addresses.
To restore the backup for bitcoin core, shut down the client and replace the current wallet.dat with your backup copy. Then restart the client.
Agree, it must be encrypted by you, before you put it in cloud