A few tawaf tips
There is an unlimited supply of Zamzam water in the mosque. Drink, drink, drink! It is truly miracle water. It will refresh you and give you the kind of energy you didn’t know you had. It’s a good idea to make all your special duas when drinking. Please only drink this water and don’t start pouring it over yourself (yes, people do that).
If you get tired, thirsty, need to refresh your wudu, whether it’s time for prayer, or for any other reason, you may pause your tawaf. Note the exact place that you stopped and make sure to resume from there or from a few steps behind.
Talking is allowed during tawaf, but refrain from idle chatter and try to concentrate on praying as much as possible.
I needed to stop about halfway through tawaf, sit down, drink some Zamzam water and rest. If there was room near the railing, we liked to just stand there and look at the Kaaba. It was actually really enjoyable to take in the whole atmosphere.
You need to be on full alert while doing the tawaf. Be completely aware of people and wheelchairs around you. Just like you would change lanes while driving, look behind you to see if someone is coming, then move ahead. Signal your next move to the people around you to avoid collisions. It really is a lot like driving! You just have to be engaged to the environment.
When I got tired of walking, I would start sliding my feet (I wore socks) on the marble floor in a skating motion. It was much easier than walking for me and I moved faster.
Tawaf, 2013
Women are to pray in designated areas, unless they get stuck in the middle of a tawaf and can’t get to one of the areas. Tawaf has to be paused for salat. It is unlawful for women to pray next to na mehram men. Even so, some women absolutely refused to move into the designated areas. Of course I didn’t want to get caught in such an awkward situation, so I made sure to pause my tawaf when I still had enough time to get to the women’s section. One can resume tawaf from where it was left off after prayers.
After completing tawaf, offer 2 rakat nafal prayers behind Maqam-i-Ibrahim if possible, or anywhere in the mosque. Drink your fill of Zamzam water as per sunnah, and head towards the saee area.