Which farewell tawaf do pilgrims perform before leaving Mecca?

Which farewell tawaf do pilgrims perform before leaving Mecca? They perform Tawaf al-Wadaa, the farewell circumambulation. It is the tawaf associated with departing the holy city after completing Hajj.

Tawaf means circling the Kaaba, and each tawaf consists of seven counterclockwise circuits. Tawaf al-Wadaa is performed near the end of the pilgrimage, after the major Hajj rites, as pilgrims prepare to leave Mecca. Its Arabic name means “farewell tawaf.”

It is easily confused with other named tawafs. Tawaf al-Qudum is an arrival tawaf for pilgrims entering Mecca, while Tawaf al-Ifadah—also called Tawaf al-Ziyara or Tawaf al-Hajj—is the central visitation tawaf performed during Hajj. Tawaf al-Umrah belongs specifically to Umrah.

The farewell tawaf is not a separate journey around a different structure: it is still performed around the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram. Pilgrims may be unable to touch or kiss the Black Stone because of crowds, so attempting physical contact is not the defining feature of the rite.