Taif

Taif needs 2 days: the rose gardens (base of Saudi Arabia's rose water industry) on one, and the Al Hada cable car with mountain views on the other. March-May coincides with the rose harvest, when the fields bloom fully. It's more accessible than Riyadh or Jeddah, with more domestic than international tourism. It's known as Saudi Arabia's «city of roses», producing rose oil used in luxury perfumery worldwide, and its 1,700m altitude makes it a traditional cool refuge from the heat of the rest of the country.