The route was revealed on 24 February 1956. The race contained eight stages with mountains, which contained sixteen categorized climbs. The race route all together contained 3 rest days and 23 stages across 25 days of racing, of which 18 were mass-start stages, two individual time trials, one team time trial event, and one individual time trial run as a relay. The relay event took place in San Marino. The second day of racing featured a split stage where the second half was a team time trial that was contested at night to not interfere with a local football match that was happening in the afternoon. The planned tenth stage from Salerno to Frascati was deemed an electoral stage at the route's announcement and was chosen to be removed because it fell on the day of Italian municipal elections. Three new Dolomite mountains were climbed during this edition of the race: Monte Bondone (), San-Pellegrino (), and Vallès ( meters). Eleven categorized climbs from the Apennines were included in the race route, with the Pian di Creto () being utilized in the second stage. For the first time in race history, the cities of Lecco, Rapallo, Salice Terme were stops for the Giro.