It’s May, the classics season is over, and so it’s already time to turn our attention to the Grand Tours ... and more specifically to Italy for the Giro d'Italia. The 2026 edition kicks off this Friday, May 8, in Nessebar, Bulgaria, with a total of 3,469 km on the schedule for the 184 riders representing the 23 teams at the start of this 2026 Giro d'Italia.

After the Grand Départ from Bulgaria with three road stages, the race will have its first rest day before resuming in southwestern Italy. It will then gradually head north before turning east after Naples, following the coast and crossing back west and into the north of the country to explore the northern region. This is followed by the now-familiar but still rather baffling transfer to Rome, where a loop stage will bring this 109th edition of the Giro d'Italia to a close!

In this article, you’ll find all the details of this route, including OpenStreetMap maps, stage profiles, and timetables. The route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia will hold no more secrets for you!

The 2026 Giro d'Italia maps are even better in the app... and available first!

Below you’ll find the stage maps for the 2026 [[Giro d’Italia]], but if you really want to dive into these maps ... they’re even better in the velowire app! And as usual, they’re available there before they’re published here!

In fact, for now you’ll find the first 3 9 stages here (the rest coming later on), while in the app the first 10 all 21 stages are already available!

Whether you’re heading to the race — whether as part of a participating team, the organizing committee, one of its partners, or simply as a cycling enthusiast lining the route — or if you just want to explore the 2026 Giro d’Italia maps in a different way, velowire invites you to check them out in the Maps section of the velowire app for a more convenient experience. That way, you’ll always have them with you, and as a little bonus: you can view them in full-screen mode, and if you’re traveling to the event, display your location on the map and move the map along with you, making it easier than ever to get there!

So don’t wait any longer—join the hundreds of users of the app by downloading the velowire app from the app stores:
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The Grand Départ of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Bulgaria 🇧🇬

For the first time in its history, the Giro d’Italia will start in Bulgaria 🇧🇬, marking its 16th Grand Départ abroad (and second in a row, following last year’s start in Albania). Three stages will take place in Bulgaria, starting with a flat stage between Nessebar (Несебър) and Burgas (Бургас) along the coast. The second stage will also be a flat stage, between Burgas (Бургас) and Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново), which heads inland. The third and final stage of this Grand Départ runs between Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, Plovdiv (Пловдив), and the capital, Sofia (София).

Following this Grand Départ in Bulgaria, the race will move to the southern tip of Italy. That is why a first rest day is scheduled for this coming Monday.

The 2026 Giro d’Italia route on OpenStreetMap, stage profiles, and hourly itineraries

Let’s not delay any longer; let’s take a detailed look at each stage of the 2026 [[Giro d’Italia]] one by one:

1/ Friday, May 8, 2026 - Nessebar (Несебър) 🇧🇬 > Burgas (Бургас) 🇧🇬 - 147 km

The first stage of the 2026 Giro d’Italia starts in Nessebar (Несебър), and as the riders head south along the coast, they pass through the finish city, Burgas, but at this point they continue on their way to a 22-km local circuit that they complete twice and where they encounter the day’s only difficulty, Cape Agalina (4). On the first lap, they contest the intermediate sprint in Sozopol, while at the exit of the circuit on the second lap, the “Red Bull km” sprint is on the program. They then leave the circuit, following the same route as the outbound leg in the opposite direction, to head back up to the finish in Burgas (Бургас), where the race veers left at the last moment to head toward the stage finish.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 1 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

2/ Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Burgas (Бургас) 🇧🇬 > Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново) 🇧🇬 - 221 km

The second stage starts in the previous day’s finish city, Burgas (Бургас), and this time the race heads inland; while the stage is fairly flat up to the sprint in Sliven, that’s where the challenges begin, with three Category 3 climbs: two in quick succession, the Byala Pass and the Vratnik Pass, before finishing the stage with the climb up the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass (^ 452 m / 3.9 km at 6.8%). It is then just a little over 10 kilometers further on that the stage victory will be contested at the finish in Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново).

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 2 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

3/ Sunday, May 10, 2026 - Plovdiv (Пловдив) 🇧🇬 > Sofia (София) 🇧🇬 - 175 km

This stage, starting from Plovdiv (Пловдив), is divided into two parts: a first part that climbs continuously to the Borovets ski resort (2nd category, 9.2 km at 5.4% (max 11%)), passing through the intermediate sprint in Dolna Banja, followed by a second section with a gentle, continuous descent to the finish in Sofia.

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 3 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

R1/ Monday, May 11, 2026 - first rest day

After these first three stages of the 2026 Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria, the riders and race followers will then head to southwestern Italy and Catanzaro, where they will rest on Monday, May 11, before setting off on Stage 4 the following day.

4/ Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - Catanzaro > Costenza - 138 km

Stage 4 will be relatively short at 138 kilometers, but it is far from being the shortest.

While the first half of the stage after the start in Catanzaro is flat, it is from the intermediate sprint in San Lucido that the climb up the day’s major challenge begins: Cozzo Tunno (2nd category, 14.5 km at 5.9% / max 11%), whose summit lies 43 kilometers from the finish in Costenza.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 4 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

May 13, 2026 (Wednesday) - Praia a Mare > Potenza - 203 km

Following the short stage the day after the rest day, a longer stage—203 km—is on the schedule, starting from Praia a MarePrestieri (3rd category). The descent is not continuous, and at the top of one of the small climbs, the sprint in Francavilla in Sinni takes place. The race then continues briefly westward, still descending, before turning north and then northeast along Lake Pertusillo and beginning the final section of the stage heading north. There, they face another challenging climb with the Montagna Grande di Viggiano (2nd category, 1,405 m / 6.6 km at 9.1% / max 15%) and then remain on a plateau before beginning the descent toward the finish in Potenza.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 5 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Paestum > Naples - 142 km

Returning to the coast, this 6th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, starting from Paestum, is relatively flat. It is only after heading inland past Salerno that the riders will have to climb a Category 4 climb in Cava de' Tirreni. They then continue northwest and, after turning west toward the finish city, reach the intermediate sprint in Brusciano. In the urban area around Naples, they cover another twenty kilometers or so on wide roads before preparing for the stage finish, which will likely come down to a sprint!

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 6 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Friday, May 15, 2026 - Formia > Blockhaus - 244 km

At 244 kilometers, this 7th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia will be the longest of this edition... and not the easiest either! Starting from Formia on the coast, it will cross the country from west to east on a relatively flat route at first, along the coast, before getting tougher as it heads inland... especially starting from the intermediate sprint in Venafro.

Shortly after, the riders will climb the Category 2 pass at Roccaraso (^ 1,245 m / 6.9 km at 6.4%). They will then remain on a plateau for a while before descending... toward the base of the final climb, the Blockhaus, which is 13.6 kilometers long (1st category, 1,665 m / 13.6 km at 8.4%).

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 7 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Chieti > Fermo - 156 km

Stage 8, starting in Chieti, features a completely different profile, with the first section—nearly 100 kilometers—entirely flat along the coast, leading up to the sprint finish in Cupra Marittima. It is upon turning inland that the riders will encounter a succession of climbs, even “walls,” including Montefiore dell’Aso (3rd category), the climb to Monterubbiano (4th category), and then the climb to Capodarco (4th category, 225 m / 2.5 km at 6.3%)—which they will really have to tackle by bypassing the finish line and pushing on to the coast before turning back to climb this challenge. At the summit of this climb, they will be just 7 km from the finish in Fermo.

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 8 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Sunday, May 17, 2026 - Cervia > Corno Alle Scale - 184 km

Stage 9 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia begins with about 100 kilometers of flat terrain after the start in Cervia, heading toward Bologna. The riders then reach the intermediate sprint in Marzabotto, and that’s where the road begins to climb. First gently, then with a slightly steeper gradient for the ascent to Querciola (3rd category, ^ 823 m / 11.3 km at 4.3% / max 15%) .. and then even steeper with the final climb to the summit of Corno alle Scale (1st category, ^ 1,471 m / 10.8 km at 6.1%).

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 9 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

R2/ Monday, May 18, 2026 - second rest day

After this first week of racing, the 2026 Giro d'Italia takes a break by the sea in Viareggio.

10/ Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Viareggio > Massa - 42 km - individual time trial

After this second rest day of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, the riders will resume competition individually in a long, 42-kilometer time trial starting in Viareggio. The course is almost entirely flat, with just a tiny hill at the end, making it ideal for time trial specialists. The course follows the coastline, but in a somewhat surprising way. Starting off heading south, the riders will soon have to make a U-turn and then ride all the way back north along the coast to Massa, where they will briefly enter the city before making another U-turn and head toward the finish line, where riders will take turns in the hot seat —occupied by whoever has the best time— while waiting for the last rider to arrive and thus determine the winner of this stage.

Below you will find the route map, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the 10th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

11/ Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Porcari > Chiavari - 195 km

This Wednesday, May 20, the 11th stage starts in Porcari and will then cover approximately 80 km of flat terrain as it heads toward and follows the coast, passing through the sprint in Luni. It is then after La Spezia that the riders will encounter a series of climbs, including the Passo del Termine (3rd category), the Colle di Guaitarola (2nd category, 619 m / 9.9 km at 6.2% / max 11%), the Colla dei Scioli (3rd category, 406 m / 5.7 km at 6.4% / max 15%), and even the Red Bull km, at La Costa. From there, only 12.6 kilometers will remain until the finish in Chiavari!

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 11th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Imperia > Novi Ligure - 175 km

After the start in Imperia and a short stretch inland over a small hill, the route of this 11th stage is also fairly flat, running along the coast through Albenga, Finale Ligure, and Savona before heading back inland and passing through the intermediate sprint in Stella, followed by the stage’s two climbs: Colle Giovo (3rd category) and Bric Berton (3rd category).

Passing through Ovada, the riders then head toward the finish in Novi Ligure.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 12th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Friday, May 13, 2026 - Alessandria > Verbania - 189 km

Starting in Alessandria, the riders face a northward stage featuring a gently ascending profile followed by flat terrain as they pass through the intermediate sprint in Stresa. By this point, the stage is already nearing its end, but the riders will still face a short zigzag north of the finish town, which will change the course’s dynamics. There, they will tackle two consecutive climbs: Bieno (4th category, ^ 333 m / 2.4 km at 5.5%) and Ungiasca (3rd category, ^ 581 m / 4.7 km at 7.1% / max 13%), before heading toward the finish in Verbania.

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 13th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Saturday, May 23, 2026 - Aosta > Pila (Gressan) - 133 km

This Saturday, May 23, marks a true mountain stage for the 2026 Giro d'Italia, starting in Aosta. When you look at it on the map, you can see that the organizers really went out of their way to design this sequence of climbs, giving it a very distinctive shape: it heads east first to tackle the Saint-Barthélémy climb (Category 1, 1,619 m / 15.8 km at 6.5% / max 13%), then retracing their steps (though not along the same roads), before repeating the same pattern heading north, passing through the Roisan sprint and the Category 3 climb of Doues. Back in Aosta, the riders will then head west to climb Lin Noir (1st category, 1,284 m / 7.4 km at 7.9% / max 12%).

They will then climb a little further toward Verrogne (2nd category, 1,587 m / 5.6 km at 6.9% / max 12%). This is followed by a long descent to Gressan, before beginning the final climb toward the finish in Pila, a Category 1 climb (^ 1,793 m / 16.5 km at 7.1% / max 11%).

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 14 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Sunday, May 24, 2026 - Voghera > Milan - 157 km

After a mountainous Saturday, this Sunday will clearly favor the sprinters. Indeed, the course is virtually flat for this somewhat unique stage between Voghera and Milan. It is a unique stage in that it begins with a semi-circular route leading to the sprint in Pavia, before following two straightaways toward Milan, where the riders complete a circuit by first following a sort of ring road around the city center, then briefly entering the city streets, and finally returning to the start of the circuit by following the ring road in the opposite direction.

Below you will find the schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 15th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

R3/ Monday, May 25, 2026As the final week of the 2026 Giro d'Italia begins, the riders get to rest for a third and final time.

16/ Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Bellinzona > Carì - 157 km

Starting from Bellinzona, a rather mountainous stage awaits the riders, with a gentle, gradual climb to Biasca, after which the riders climb toward Torre (3rd category) before retracing their steps and climbing—on the other side of the Brenno River—toward Leontica (2nd category, ^ 874 m / 3 km at 8.5% / max 14%). They then reach the end of the loop they joined at Roccabella, heading back toward Biasca, sometimes following the same roads as on the way out, or veering slightly off them.

The stage then continues northwest until they turn toward the finish at the summit of Carì (1st category, ^ 1,644 m / 11.7 km at 7.9% / max 13%).

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 16 of the 2026 [[Giro d’Italia]]. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - Cassano d'Adda > Andalo - 202 km

A long stage awaits the riders of the 2026 Giro d'Italia this Wednesday, May 27, and it will be punctuated by climbs of varying difficulty scattered throughout the route. It features the Passo dei Tre Termini (3rd category), the climb to Cocca di Lodrino (also 3rd category), the sprint at Roncone (because yes, even the sprint is at the top of a hill), and finally the Red Bull km, which is merely a springboard to Andalo-Lever (3rd category, ^ 1,136 m / 8.3 km at 3.6% / max 9%) that they will tackle in a final circuit before the finish in Andalo.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 17 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Thursday, May 28, 2026 - Fai della Paganella > Pieve di Soligo - 171 km

Stage 18, starting from Fai della Paganella, features a unique profile. To begin with, the route between the virtual start and the actual start of this stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia is a steep descent, and while the stage does feature some elevation changes afterward, it remains generally on a slight downhill gradient.

Two climbs are featured on this route: one midway through the stage, Fastro (3rd category), and one toward the end of the stage, the famous Muro di Ca’ del Poggio (4th category), whose summit is located just 9.3 kilometers from the finish in Pieve di Soligo. The intermediate sprint is scheduled for Guia.

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 18 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Friday, May 29, 2026 - Feltre > Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) - 151 km

The third-to-last stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia will be a mountain stage, starting in Feltre. The riders will head toward Agordo and then climb the Passo Duran (1st category, ^ 1,601 m / 12.1 km at 8.2% / max 14%). After descending this pass, they will already be at the foot of the Coi climb (2nd category, 1,501 m / 5.8 km at 9.7% / max 19%), and after a short descent, they will continue up the Forcella Staulanza climb (2nd category, ^ 1,766 m / 6.3 km at 6.7% / max 10%). It is on this climb that they will battle for the Palafavera intermediate sprint. After the descent, they then tackle the climb to Passo Giau, which, at an altitude of 2,236 m, will be the Cimma Coppi—in other words, the highest point of the 2026 Giro d’Italia (9.9 km at 9.3% / max 14%).

The descent from this peak then brings them to the foot of yet another climb, the Passo Falzarego (^ 2,105 m / 10.1 km at 5.6% / max 10%). After a long descent, all that remains is a short but no less steep climb to the finish line in Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) (2nd category, 5 km at 9.6% / max 15%).

Below you will find the time schedule, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 19th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Saturday, May 30, 2026 - Gemona del Friuli > Piancavallo - 200 km

For this penultimate stage, starting from Gemona del Friuli, the first part will be completely flat, winding slightly north of Udine, until the intermediate sprint in Forgaria nel Friuli, located at the top of a small hill. Shortly after, the riders will climb the Clauzetto climb (3rd category, ^ 558 m / 6.9 km at 5.7% / max 9%), and a few dozen kilometers further on, they will reach a circuit around the final climb, which they will complete twice, Piancavallo (1st category, 1,290 m / 14.5 km at 7.8% / max 14%).

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for the 20th stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Sunday, May 31, 2026 - Rome > Rome - 131 km

The final stage of the 2026 Giro d'Italia takes place—as has been the case for the past few years—around Rome.

After the start, the riders head down Via Cristoforo Colombo toward the coast and continue on to Lido di Ostia before turning back to contest an intermediate sprint in front of the Fontana dello Zodiaco and begin the return journey to Rome. Upon arrival, they will complete a final circuit, which they will ride eight more times after a first pass over the finish line (following nearly a full lap of the circuit), adding another 76 kilometers (8 x 9.5 km) to this stage, bringing the total distance to 131 kilometers. Part of this circuit takes place on the small cobblestones of Italy’s capital (sanpietrini).

Below you will find the timetable, profile, and OpenStreetMap map of the route for Stage 21 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Click on the images to enlarge them.

The route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia in Google Earth

Would you prefer to see the route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia at a glance, or would you like to fly over one or more stages? You can do so by downloading the KMZ file below (a KMZ file is a zipped KML file):

>> Download the 2026 Giro d'Italia route in Google Earth (KMZ file, 2.3 MB)

door Thomas Vergouwen
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