This year's Grand Départ takes place in Bilbao, with the first stage of the race set to take place entirely within the largest city in the Basque Country. The next day's racing will take the cyclists to San Sebastian, a cultural and culinary hotspot on the coast of northern Spain. The action will then head over the border into the French part of the Basque Country.

Continuing from the Basque Country, the peloton arrives in south-west France. The next 17 stages will see the riders tackle France's most challenging terrains. Following two days of climbs in the Pyrenees, the cyclists will sprint through Bordeaux, before crossing the Massif Central's imposing volcanic peaks. Next lies the sprawling vineyards of the Rhône-Alpes region, between Roanne and Beaujolais. The cyclists then reach the Alps, scaling the towering peaks of Mont Blanc and Courchevel, before heading to the Vosges and making their way through the stunning Col du Platzerwasel mountain pass. The final day takes the tour from the outskirts of Paris to the iconic finish line on the Champs-Élysées.