Hajj can be performed in one of three ways — Tamattu, Qiran, or Ifrad — and your group leader will guide you on which applies to your journey. Whichever type applies, the key rituals stay the same in substance: ihram, the stand at Arafah, Rami, Tawaf, Sa'i, and Nahr, performed in sequence and, ideally, at the pace your Murshid (guide) sets rather than rushed.
It helps to know the difference between what's obligatory, what's mandatory, and what's simply recommended. The Arkaan — the obligatory acts of Umrah — are wearing ihram, Tawaf, and Sa'i; missing any one of these invalidates the Umrah entirely. The Wajibs — mandatory but with a way to correct a miss — are entering ihram from the correct Meeqat and shaving or trimming the hair; missing one of these requires a sacrifice, not a repeat of the whole Umrah. The Sunnahs — ghusl and perfume before ihram, wearing white, the Talbiyah, Ijteba, and specific dua and gestures — carry no penalty if missed, but are worth doing where you're able.
Tawaf itself is seven rounds of the Kaaba, beginning at the Black Stone (Hajr Aswad). The key landmarks around the Mataf are Maqam Ibrahim, Rukn Yamani, and the Hateem — worth knowing by sight so the layout feels familiar rather than disorienting in a large moving crowd. Men keep the right shoulder bare during this state (Ijteba), and walk briskly for the first three rounds (Raml) before returning to a normal pace.
Sa'i follows — seven trips between the hills of Safa and Marwah, around three miles in total. Between Rukn Yamani and the Black Stone, it's traditional to recite the dua "Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah wa fil akhirati hasanah wa qina adhaban-nar" — a simple prayer for good in this life and the next.
None of this needs to be memorised perfectly before you travel. Our group leaders walk pilgrims through each rite as it comes, but having the shape of it in your head beforehand means you can spend more of the moment itself in reflection, rather than working out what happens next.