A vehicle control device includes: a travel section determination unit configured to determine a forward travel section that is a travel section having a different road gradient from a current travel section in which a vehicle is currently traveling and that is ahead in a travel direction of the vehicle; a forward gear stage selection unit configured to select a forward gear stage which is a gear stage of the vehicle in the forward travel section; and a shift control unit configured to, in a case where the selected forward gear stage is lower by two or more stages than the current gear stage which is a gear stage of the vehicle in the current travel section and when the vehicle is positioned within a predetermined range from a start position of the forward travel section, perform downshift from the current gear stage to the forward gear stage.