Tour de France: The Pyrenees to Paris VIP Race Access

Overview

Welcome to the Pyrenees and the decisive final mountain stages of the 2027 Tour de France. Your guides will meet you at the Pau train station at 11:00 AM for a 90-minute private shuttle to Saint-Lary-Soulan, followed by lunch and a bike fitting to ensure your comfort throughout the week. Your first ride climbs to the Lac de Cap-de-Long, where towering Pyrenean peaks ring a high mountain lake. At 13.6 miles, an an averge gradient of 6%, it’s a worthy first test for the climbs to come. Return the way you came to the Mercure Saint-Lary, your home for the next four nights and the perfect base for the riding and live race action ahead. This evening, we’ll raise a glass to the week before your first taste of Pyrenean mountain cuisine.

Overview

Today brings a double dose of Pyrenean climbing, with hard-won ascents and fast descents from start to finish. Head out along the valley to the Col d’Aspin, a Tour de France climb since 1910 that the race has crossed more than 70 times. At the foot of its descent, you’ll join tomorrow’s race route and power over the Category 2 Hourquette d’Ancizan, the penultimate climb of Stage 18. Back in Saint-Lary-Soulan, those with legs left to burn can tackle the formidable Col du Portet, the highest point of this year’s Tour at 7,267 feet and the site of tomorrow’s final summit finish. Return to the hotel to watch the sprint finish into Pau on TV as the race reaches the foot of the Pyrenees. Dinner is on your own tonight, with your guides ready to share their picks for the best mountain cooking in town.

Overview

Today is the queen stage of the 2027 Tour, with nearly 18,000 feet of climbing from Pau over the Soulor, Tourmalet, and Hourquette d’Ancizan before the final summit finish on the Col du Portet above Saint-Lary. We’ll set out on an early ride to stay ahead of road closures and make the most of this unforgettable day. You’ll climb the Col d’Azet to the Lac de Génos-Loudenvielle, then descend through Arreau and back along the valley to the hotel. Freshen up over lunch, then head to the course to collect souvenirs from the passing caravan alongside die-hard fans who have staked out the roadside for days. As the race draws near, we’ll make our way to the VIP zone about six miles below the summit, where an exclusive open-top bus offers panoramic views, an open bar, and big screens capturing every move. It’s the perfect spot to watch the fight for yellow unfold on the toughest day of this year’s race. Once the stage is won, we’ll return to the hotel for dinner, ready for tomorrow’s ascent of the legendary Col du Tourmalet.

Overview

Today you’ll ride alongside one of the most decorated riders in women’s cycling. Lizzie Deignan—Trek Travel ambassador, former world champion, and winner of the first women’s Paris-Roubaix—joins us for the day. Together, you’ll set out through the valley from the hotel and back over the Hourquette d’Ancizan, this time from the opposite side to yesterday’s Stage 18, on your way to Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, where you’ll attack the eastern face of the Col du Tourmalet, with Lizzie out on the road with the group. From the village, the climb rises nearly 11 miles at an average of 7.4% to almost 7,000 feet, a hard-won ascent the Tour has crossed more than 80 times. At the summit, pause to honor Octave Lapize, the first Tour rider to conquer the col in 1910, then refuel over lunch with views of the high Pyrenees spread out before you. A thrilling descent leads back to Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, where you can take on one final climb over the Col d’Aspin or hop in the van back to the hotel. This evening, we’ll gather with drinks to watch the Stage 19 finish into Laruns on TV as Lizzie shares stories from nearly two decades in the professional peloton, followed by dinner together at the hotel.

Overview

As the race sweeps into the Bordeaux wine region on the penultimate stage, a private shuttle brings you from the mountains to board France’s high-speed TGV in Pau, bound for the Tour’s highly anticipated final day in Paris. Over roughly five hours, the Pyrenean peaks give way to the farmland of the southwest and, at last, a capital ready to welcome the race home. Check into the Mandarin Oriental, where contemporary Parisian style sets the scene for tomorrow’s celebration on the Champs-Élysées. Dinner is on your own tonight, so step out into a Paris summer evening, with the city’s famed bistros and sidewalk cafés yours to discover and the Tuileries Garden steps from your door.

Overview

The 114th Tour de France comes to a triumphant close today, and all of Paris turns out to celebrate. Sleep in or linger over an extra cappuccino as fans from around the world fill the boulevards, flags in hand, and the city comes alive with anticipation. This afternoon, your guides will lead you behind the security line to the prestigious Lidl-Trek Tribune, where the excitement builds as the riders sweep into the heart of Paris. Reserved for the Lidl-Trek Team, its sponsors, and our Trek Travel guests, this private space on the Champs-Élysées offers an unforgettable vantage point for the day’s final showdown. Savor a celebratory toast and an elegant cocktail-style standing lunch on the terrace, then settle into the grandstands for breathtaking views of the peloton speeding by at over 30 miles per hour as the riders complete their final laps and race toward the finish. Tonight, we’ll gather for a farewell dinner to toast the fanfare and drama of the 2027 Tour de France in the City of Light.

Overview

Your final morning begins with a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, as you reflect on a week of Pyrenean cols and the cheers of the Champs-Élysées. You’ll say farewell to your guides at the Mandarin Oriental at 10:00 AM, but your room is yours until noon, leaving time for last-minute shopping along the Rue Saint-Honoré or a stroll to the Seine. When you’re ready, the hotel concierge can help arrange taxis or transfers for your onward travel.