A path detection method and apparatus, where the method includes generating M virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) probe packets according to a source User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port number, a destination UDP port number, and a probe identifier when there are multiple equivalent paths between a source VXLAN tunnel endpoint (VTEP) and a destination VTEP, sending the M VXLAN probe packets to the source VTEP to forward the M VXLAN probe packets to the destination VTEP, receiving VXLAN advertisement packets from the source VTEP, the destination VTEP, and intermediate nodes in the multiple equivalent paths according to the M VXLAN probe packets, and detecting, according to the VXLAN advertisement packets, whether a fault occurs in a path of the multiple equivalent paths between the source VTEP and the destination VTEP.