According to the Guardian Unlimited website, Madrid will be visited first, followed by London, New York, Paris and then Moscow, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed after finalising the schedule.
The reason for the order is purely logistical, an IOC spokesman said.
The evaluation commission's final report will be key to determining the bid winner, to be announced at the IOC session in Singapore next July.
The inspection panel, led by Morocco's 1984 Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion Nawal El Moutawakel, will meet bid leaders and city and government officials during the visits.
Its report will study issues such as venues, security, transportation, hotels and financing.
The findings are due to be published in May 2005.
IOC members have been barred from visiting bid cities since the Salt Lake City voting scandal in 1998 and 1999.
The team will visit Madrid from February 3 to 6, London from February 16 to 19, New York from February 21 to 24, Paris from March 9 to 12 and Moscow from March 14 to 17.
