Not to miss

Muharraq Island

Muharraq has been spared much of the modernising that's transformed and smoothed over Manama in recent years. Its souk is funkier and more interesting than the one in the capital and there are a couple of well-preserved traditional houses, the Bait Shaikh Isa Bin and the Bait Seyadi.

Both houses date from the early 19th century and are worth visiting. Bait Shaikh Isa Bin features beautiful plaster work and carved doors and has a working wind tower - an ingenious structure designed to direct the slightest breeze into the interior.

Visit the 16th century Abu Mahir Fort where, if you ask nicely, your escort might let you climb the watchtower and take in the excellent view of the Manama skyline. Its sister fort, the Qal'at Arad, also dates from the Portuguese era and has been beautifully restored in places. The small dhow building yard is a good spot to see Bahrainis at work on their traditional fishing boats. Buses run regularly between Muharraq and Manama.

Manama

Manama, located at the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island, is the very new capital of a very old place. Along the city's northern edge, most hotels and official buildings sit on reclaimed land and are brand new, while some neighbourhoods just blocks inland are the same as they were 50 years ago.

The city's major attraction is the National Museum, a modern building with excellent exhibits well-marked in both Arabic and English. The museum covers 7000 years of Bahrain's history, including its grave mounds and temples; its Dilmun, Tylos and Islamic periods; and Arabic writing and calligraphy.

Next to the museum's parking lot is a number of reconstructed traditional buildings and boats. Even if you're not an aficionado of Islamic calligraphy, plan on hitting Beit Al-Qur'an, a museum and research centre downtown. Calligraphy is central to Muslim culture and is closely connected to religious life. The centrepiece of the museum is its large collection of Korans, some dating from the 7th century. You'll need a magnifying glass to read the Koranic verses written on a grain of rice.

The Al-Fatih Mosque offers non-Muslim visitors a rare opportunity to enter a mosque. You can't miss it: big enough to hold 7000 worshippers, it's the largest building in the country.

Royal Tombs

The Royal Tombs are the largest and most impressive of Bahrain's 85,000 burial mounds. Located in the village of A'ali the tombs may or may not have been the final resting places of kings, but they're definitely large: up to 15m (50ft) high and 45m (150ft) in diameter.

A'ali is also the home of Bahrain's best-known pottery workshop, and many fine pieces are available for purchase.

Bani Jamrah

This small village is famous for its weavers, whose cloth comes in many different patterns and can be bought at their shacks. The shacks are located a few hundred metres outside of the village proper - a subtle indication that visitors are welcome to drop in on the weavers but not on the villagers. The shack across the road from the cemetery is the one where most visitors go to see demonstrations of weaving and to buy cloth. To reach the village, located about 10km (6mi) west of Manama, take a bus from the capital to the Ad-Diraz Temple and walk the remaining few hundred metres.

Al-Areen Wildlife Park

This small park is a conservation area for many of Arabia's indigenous species, including the Arabian oryx. You can also see zebras and other animals that have been introduced to the island from elsewhere.