The Tour de France is the biggest spectacle in the world of cycling.gettyThe world’s most famous bike race—by a wide margin—ended in Paris yesterday, but fans of cycling should start planning for next year now and also have the option to enjoy the history and traditions of the Tour de France outside of the July race much of the rest of the year. Here is how to ride like the Tour de France.Ride Like The Tour De FranceHot Trends In TravelThese trips merge two hot trends in travel, the growth of active travel and the skyrocketing popularity of sports event travel, as evidenced by the recent Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games and the World Cup. High profile industry publication Travel Weekly noted that 2026 “is shaping up to be a strong year for events travel,” and especially singled out sports events and noted the trend of luxury tour operators adding or creating new packages around attending major events—including the Tour de France. The Tour de France start and route change every year, and in 2026 it began in Barcelona, but it always ends in Paris. (Photo by Victor LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesActive travel, including cycling along with hiking and multi-sport adventures, has exploded in popularity since the pandemic, and I recently did a deep dive with a three-part series here at Forbes on Why Active Travel Might Be Your Perfect Vacation, on The Best Places To Take Active Travel Vacations, and Why You Should Consider A Private Active Vacation.MORE FOR YOUCompanies That Can Help You Ride Like The Tour De France There are many excellent tour operators running world-class guided cycling trips around the world, especially such popular hotspots as Tuscany, the Napa Valley and Burgundy. But for those who want to live out their own personal Tour de France experience, three companies standout. Top active travel tour operator EF Adventures has a unique partnership with the EF Pro Cycling Team that allows their guests to enjoy insider VIP access at the Tour de France and other major races. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIt’s hard to beat EF Adventures, mainly because they are the only major active travel tour company whose owners actually field a pro cycling team that competes in the main event, as well as other grand tours such as the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. The Team, EF Education-Easy Post, is American, but is majority owned by Sweden’s Education First, which also founded EF Adventures as a division with an ethos of active travel built on cultural learning, or as their story says, “on the belief that you truly understand a place by living it, not studying it from a distance.”EF Adventures is at the higher end of the guided luxury active travel spectrum and has a full slate of hiking, cycling and multi-sport adventures. But their most unique offerings are built around their exclusive access with the EF Team, including an extensive slate of Tour de France trips. This year they offered eight trips during the race itself, each with insider access, a combination of riding iconic parts of the race route, such as the legendary 21 hairpin turns on the Alpe d'Huez and the challenging climb to the summit of Mont Ventoux, and spectating at the actual event. For this they promise “You're not watching the Tour de France—you're inside it. As an exclusive guest of the EF Pro Cycling team, you get access to stage finishes from positions no general ticket reaches, team operations up close, and an invitation to the EF Pro Cycling end-of-tour party. The race looks different from here.”This is how most fans "see" the Tour de France, but wouldn't it be better with inside the ropes VIP access and invites to pro team parties?gettyThey also have trips in conjunction with the Tour de France Femmes, the women’s version, which occurs at the beginning of August. In addition, they do a similar race and ride program around the biggest event in gravel riding, the Strade Bianche in Tuscany, including a private EF Team meet and greet and the same kind of VIP access, plus the chance to ride riding Italy’s legendary “white roads.” Space is currently available for the race next February, and I wrote here at Forbes about why gravel riding is so hot, so appealing and the fastest growing segment of cycling worldwide.“We’ve designed these tours so that whether you’re chasing the thrill of climbing legendary alpine peaks or enjoying the slower rhythm of medieval villages and lakeside rides, you get to be part of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift experience. Through our ongoing partnership with EF Pro Cycling and Cannondale, you’re not just watching from the grandstands--you could be riding the same equipment as the pros, on the same routes they ride, and celebrating alongside them,” said EF World Journeys USA CEO Heidi Durflinger .They even have a partnership with Cannondale, who supplies the race bikes for the pro team, and options range from e-bikes to high performance carbon road bikes to the actual team-spec Cannondale EVO Hi-Mod racing models used in the Tour. While the 2027 plans for the race have not been released yet, EF is planning to have at least as many departures in conjunction with the Tour next July and are already taking reservations with a $1,000 deposit.If you want to experience some of the famous climbs of the Tour like Mont Ventoux and maybe check out a pro-level racing bike, but at a lower cost and without watching the actual race or having to travel to Europe in July, you can simply sign up for EF Adventures “regular” Provence bike trip, offered multiple times from April to October, with departures still available this fall and all of next year.Trek Travel is the other top option, and like EF Adventures, sits close to the high end of the luxury active travel spectrum, offering hiking and multi-sport but with a big focus on cycling. As the name implies, its was born out of Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles, one of the highest-profile manufacturers in the world, and while it is now a separate company, they have maintained a close relationship, including high-end Trek bikes on all tours with upgrade options to very high performance models. The close relations also gives them the ability to sell similar ride and view race packages during the Tour de France, including VIP access and team meet and greets with pro team Lidl-Trek. For cycling fans there is no stretch of road on the planet more famous than the 21 switchback turns up the Alpe d'Huez, the most iconic climb in the Tour de France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)Getty ImagesTrek Travel is the official tour operator of the Tour de France and offered six variations in 2026, from the race start in Barcelona to the classic climbs of the Pyrenees, the “Epic Climbs of the Tour” and the finish from the famed Alpe d’ Huez to Paris. Thay also offer a trip in conjunction with the Tour de France Femmes. Like EF Adventures, they are currently taking deposits for 2027.But what sets Trek Travel apart is more offerings when the race is not happening. Their Classic Climbs collection includes Classic Climbs: The Tour, which lets you follow in the footsteps of cycling’s greatest heroes at other times of the years. This trip tackles biggies such as Aubisque, Tourmalet, Galibier, and the two most mythic, Mont Ventoux and the Alpe d'Huez. There are four departures offered next summer, and the Classic Climbs collection also includes famous challenges from other pro races, in Switzerland, Italy, California and the Pyrenees. Trek also has trips in partnership with the Lidl Trek team to the “Spring Classics,” the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.Finally, DuVine Cycling + Adventure is very special among luxury active travel companies because it has a twin focus on cycling plus wine and gastronomy, and is excellent at both—I’ve traveled with them more than once, and wrote about my most recent experience, cycling through Croatia with DuVine, here at Forbes. They were also named the World’s Best Tour Operator by Travel + Leisure magazine, a very prestigious accolade in the travel industry. Great food, great wines and world-class guides are what make DuVine one of the very best luxury active travel companies in the world.Gwen Kidera for DuVineDuVine skews towards the more active end of the luxury active travel spectrum, especially with its collection of tougher Challenge trips, which include a coast-to-coast ride across Italy I’ve had my eye on. But in this category the biggie is is their Alps Challenge Bike Tour, which promises you will “immerse yourself in TDF lore, passing over and through some of the most iconic climbs and villages in Tour history.” These include famed ascents such as Galibier and the Alpe d'Huez. For the Challenge trips DuVine provides all participants with their highest end Colnago V4 carbon road bikes with Vision carbon wheels and top of the line Shimano Dura Ace Di2 electronic shifting. There’s also plenty of pinot noir! This trip has four scheduled departures in 2027 and is also available as a private. It is one of many ways you can ride like the Tour De France.