General
The annual Hajj pilgrimage takes place in the Grand Mosque and at other sites around Makkah over five days in the month of Dhul Hijjah and is typically booked as a package with guides to lead you through the full itinerary of rituals and prayers. During the rest of the year, however, most of the sites remain empty, so it’s well worth hiring a car to take you to see some of these significant landmarks without any crowds: the plains of Arafat, the valley of Muzdalifah, and the Jamarat, where the final ritual of the Hajj takes place.