Riyadh & Jeddah, 4 Nights

King Khalid International is north of the city, and the drive into central Riyadh takes about three-quarters of an hour. After check-in, take it slowly: Riyadh is a city of long distances and wide roads, and much of its life happens after sunset, when the heat eases. An evening walk along one of the newer boulevards or a mall, followed by dinner, is enough. Indian restaurants are common, reflecting the city's large Indian community.

The National Museum tells the story of the Arabian Peninsula from rock art and incense routes to the founding of the modern state, and it is the best single introduction to the country. Beside it stands the Murabba Palace, the square mud-brick complex from which King Abdulaziz ruled. In the free afternoon, the Masmak Fortress in the old centre, whose capture in 1902 began the unification of the kingdom, is a short ride away. Diriyah's At-Turaif, the first Saudi capital, can be added as a ticketed evening visit.

A quiet morning, then the transfer to the airport for the flight west across the peninsula to Jeddah, about two hours. On arrival, a private transfer brings you to the hotel. Jeddah feels different at once: humid, sea-facing and long used to travellers from across the Indian Ocean. Evening on the Corniche, where families picnic along the seafront, is a good first look at the city.

The tour starts along the Corniche, the long seafront road with its open-air sculptures and, offshore, King Fahd's Fountain, one of the tallest in the world. The Tayebat museum is a warren of rooms re-creating Hijazi architecture and displaying costumes, coins and manuscripts. The tour ends in Al-Balad, the historic quarter listed by UNESCO, where tall houses of coral stone carry carved wooden balconies called rawashin. You then walk the old souks independently for an hour before being collected.

Breakfast and checkout, with time to rest before the private transfer to King Abdulaziz International Airport. If your flight is later, the hotel can usually hold bags while you walk along the seafront near the hotel for a last hour. Allow generous time for check-in, which can be busy during pilgrimage seasons, when Jeddah's airport handles large numbers of Umrah and Hajj travellers alongside regular passengers.