Boat and bike tour Hansa Highlights boat and bike

Name: Happy Cycling Holidays
Address: Hengelosestraat 300a, Enschede, Nederland, 7521 AN
Telephone: +31 (0)53 430 34 35
Location: Happy Cycling Holidays

This tour takes you through one of the Netherlands' most beloved cycling regions. Discover the area at your own pace by bike and boat. Each day, you'll explore historic towns, scenic river landscapes, and a variety of natural areas. In the evening, return to your floating hotel, De Holland or De Nassau, moored in one of the charming harbours along the route. » read more about Boat and bike tour Hansa Highlights boat and bike

Amsterdam, Wijk bij Duurstede, Wageningen, Arnhem, Doesburg, Zutphen, Deventer, Whije, Zwolle, Kampen, Elburg, Harderwijk, Spakenburg, Huizen, Naarden, Muiden
The most popular cycling regions in the Netherlands
The ship is your floating hotel

GPS APP E-bike Zwaarte zwaarte_1

Boat and bike tour
Round Trip
8 days
Individual

from 799 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

from 799 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

Where Rivers Build Cities

For many centuries, the rivers of the Netherlands were important trade routes. Ships travelled between rich Hanseatic towns and busy ports across northern Europe. Along the Rhine and IJssel rivers, boats carried grain, wood, wine, spices, and fine cloth. Traders met on lively market squares, and their success helped build the beautiful canal houses, town halls, and churches you can still admire today in places like Deventer, Kampen, and Arnhem.

Timeless Hanseatic Towns

These towns were once part of the Hanseatic League, and their history is still easy to see today. As you walk through the streets, you pass church towers, old brick warehouses, and quiet courtyards. Small cafés sit on sunny squares where traders once met, and friendly locals welcome visitors just as they have for generations. In Deventer, historic bookshops and libraries show the town’s love of learning. In Kampen, proud merchant houses line the harbour, recalling ships that sailed to faraway lands. In Arnhem, green parks and riverside streets tell stories of courage and renewal. Together, these towns create an inspiring cycling holiday in the Netherlands, full of history, beauty, and peaceful moments.

Kampen

A Bridge Too Far

In Arnhem, the Rhine river looks peaceful today, but in September 1944 it became the centre of one of the most dramatic battles of World War II. British paratroopers landed nearby during Operation Market Garden, hoping to capture the bridge. For days they held their position, surrounded and outnumbered, waiting for help that never came. In nearby Oosterbeek, visitors can learn more at the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, where personal stories bring those days to life. Back in Arnhem, the John Frost Bridge now carries cars and bicycles every day. A quiet crossing that feels very different once you know its past.

A City of Books and Sweet Traditions

Deventer is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, once a proud Hanseatic trading town along the IJssel river. Walk through its streets and you find hidden courtyards, old churches, and cosy bookshops that show the town’s love of learning. Each summer, thousands of visitors arrive for Europe’s largest open-air book market. And in local bakeries, the smell of Deventer Koek, a spiced honey cake baked since medieval times, still drifts into the street. A perfect spot for a well-deserved break.

Deventer Koek

Where Land and Water Meet

Travelling by bike and ship means you can explore without worry. Your luggage stays on board, meals are prepared, and each day begins in a new riverside town. You cycle quiet paths through fields and old harbour towns, while your floating hotel follows the same waterways that once linked the Hanseatic cities. Here, land and water have always shaped life together. Rivers for trade, lakes for fishing, and reclaimed land for farming. This gentle way of travelling lets you enjoy Holland’s nature, history, and comfort at an easy pace.

When are you going to take this trip?

Boat and bike tour Hansa Highlights boat and bike

Prices and dates

Routes

Boat and bike tour Hansa Highlights boat and bike

Details

Included

7 nights with halfboard and packed lunches
Coffee and tea on board till 4 p.m.
Welcome drink
Use of bed linen and towels
Daily cleaning of the cabin
Climate-controlled cabin
Daily briefings
Semi guided cycling tours (independent cycling, tour leader is available for questions and/or emergencies)
Some short walking tours
BBT cycling map and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)
GPS tracks
Use of a waterproof pannier bag
Biodegradable water bottle
Wi-Fi is available in restaurant – data use is not included
Maps and navigation app for your smartphone

Excluded

Coffee and tea on board after 4 p.m.
Drinks
Bicycle rental or E-bike rental
Helmet rental
Personal insurances
Gratuities (at your discretion)
Entrance fees and excursions
Fees for ferries
Transfers to/from the docking place
Parking fees
Inbound and outbound travel
Tourist tax

Bike information

The bicycles on board are unisex city bikes of the brand Velo de Ville C100, with lightweight frames and normal mount (ladies model), with easy-to-handle Shimano 7 gears, hand brakes, gel-saddle (height adjustable), a lock on the frame and pannier bag. All bikes have 28 inch wheels. Some smaller frames are available on board for smaller persons. For large gentlemen (from 1.90m and above) we have a few traditional men’s models (with a horizontal bar) available.
The e-bike is a Velo de Ville CEB 200 with Nexus 7 gears, 4 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model). E-bikes available (on request, limited stock, pending availability).
Prices of other bikes (e.g. children’s bikes, “slip streamers”/tag-a-long, tandem bicycles etc. and child’s saddles (rear) are on request.
Bicycle rent is optional. Guests are also allowed to bring their own bicycles/e-bikes (limited number of parking places available). Guests can book a parking place for a normal bicycle or a parking and charge station for an e-bike for a small additional fee. For safety reasons it is no longer possible to charge the batteries of your own e-bikes in the cabin. The crew will inform you where on deck/ on board you can recharge your battery. However, the crew or tour operators are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of guests own bicycles or e-bikes.

Prices

Rental bicycle: € 90 per week
Rental E-Bike: € 225 per week (only on request, limited number available)
Parking own bicycle: € 10 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
Parking + charging station own E-Bike: € 25 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
Helmets: A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment.

On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place.
A detailed cycling map, route tips and a GPS app are available for guests. You cycle individually and at your own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions, breakdowns or emergencies.
On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 11.00 am.
The distances for the recommended cycle tours are approximate.
The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
Canal cruise Amsterdam: Ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam – special price for our guests: € 16 (at the ticket desk approx.: € 19). Please book your ticket in advance and you can collect it on board of your ship on the first day of the tour.

Ships
Please bear in mind that the ship is both your hotel and a machine that needs to be maintained and operated - both during the day and at night. Operational noise is therefore unavoidable.

Departure dates

Weekly form April 6 up to and incl. Oct. 12

The boat

The cozy river cruiser De Nassau offers a home away from home for about 67 passengers. The ship has been partly renovated and restyled in the winter of 2018/19. All of the 33 cabins are well-equipped and perfect for a good night’s’ sleep. In the large salon on the upper deck, with large panoramic windows around, you will find the restaurant, bar and lounge area. This is a great spot for some serious relaxing, drinking and eating after a day on the pedals! Unless there is sun, then you should go to the partially covered sun deck, where chairs and sun loungers invite for a stay.