How to Spend Two Days in Amsterdam … If you’re blind!

All the way back in January 2023 I spent two and a half days in Amsterdam. It was the first time I’d travelled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to a combination of factors, I felt like I’d lost all my confidence.

Here is how I made the trip work, and some recommendations if you plan on visiting.

Eat some good food

I’d recommend doing this even if you aren’t blind, because no one wants to starve. But enjoying the food a place has to offer is definitely a way you can fully experience travel even when you can’t see.

When I was walking around the city, I came across De Koffieschenkerij. I’d read a couple of Google reviews which recommended you try the apple pie, so I thought I’d give it a go. Almost a year and a half later, I still sometimes think about this apple pie because it was so good!!

The cafe is perfectly located for a visit to Oude Kerk, and to walk around the rest of the city. During my visit to Amsterdam I also ate some really good, incredibly unhealthy fried cheese sticks. And I wish I could tell you what else I ate but all I remember is the pie.

Go on a photography tour

I’d never tried this before, but I saw that it was possible to arrange a photo shoot getting your photos taken in interesting places around the city. I thought this would be really cool, as I often struggle to take my own photo. You will pay quite a bit of money for it, but when you consider that this is a personal experience and the photographer has to earn a living, I think it’s completely worth it.

David, the photographer, was so friendly and very willing to work with me. He explained what the background would be for each photo, and when he sent all of the photos to me he also included a text file with short descriptions of each one so that I would know what they were. All in all it was such a positive experience and I would definitely do something like this in another city as well.

I always recommend bringing a spare cane with you, and thankfully I did as I managed to drop mine in a canal. I was standing on one of the bridges having my photo taken when it slipped from where I’d tucked it in my elbow, sliding under the railing and into the water. There was no getting it back, but I had another in my backpack, so all was not lost!

Go for a walk

Amsterdam is such a walkable city. You can wander through it and enjoy the feeling of being there, without any destination in mind. I found that there was plenty very close together, and so I didn’t really need to have a plan. I feel like mid-week in January was the perfect time for me. The weather was cool and the city was very peaceful, which is absolutely what I’m after. I know some people go there to party but I definitely didn’t.

Some blind people I’ve spoken with have expressed concerns about the number of cyclists in the city. It’s true that you will come across a lot of people riding bikes, but I thought everyone was really respectful and mindful of the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see them. I personally didn’t have any trouble with them at all, so please don’t let this put you off visiting.

Take in the quiet of an old church

Yes, Oude Kerk literally means old church, and it certainly is. There is something about churches that I love, particularly ones with historical significance. There’s this specific smell that they have. And a sort of suspended silence, as if we have collectively taken a breath and are waiting for something to happen, but rather than feeling anticipation, we are caught in a moment of complete contentment.

It’s such a beautiful place and if you can get someone to describe it to you I would recommend to do so. This was one of those times I worked with an Aira agent who was able to tell me what they could see through the camera on my phone.

Make your way to the museums

I stayed in the museum quarter at the NH Amsterdam. The hotel was very comfortable and the staff were friendly. It was also situated incredibly close to all of the museums. I’d planned to visit them all, but that didn’t happen. I headed over to the Rijksmuseum with pretty low expectations, because what was I really going to find interesting at an art gallery?

I connected with an Aira agent as I figured this was my best chance of accessing anything, and asked one of the people working at the museum for directions to one of the main galleries. Like I said, I’d gone in fully expecting to hate it, but I didn’t. I loved all the descriptions I received about the paintings, and I found the gallery quite easy to navigate. I was so drawn in by my experience of walking round an art gallery alone, I bought another ticket and came back the following day to do it all over again. I thought the staff were really respectful. Now and then someone would ask me a question, but when I explained that I was connected with a visual interpreter who was describing the paintings to me, they were quite happy to let me do my own thing.

Typically you cannot take your backpack in with you, but because mine had a spare cane and some other bits and pieces in it they put a label on it so that security knew I was ok to have it on me. I really appreciated that they were willing to do this for me.

Did I do it all?

Not at all. In fact, I was supposed to go on a half-day tour out of the city, but I waited and waited and the bus didn’t show up! In the end though, I enjoyed my walk and exploring the city, so it all worked out. I’d also hoped to go on a boat around the canals, but I was so tired I ended up cancelling it. In some ways, this is why I love solo travel. I probably do less in a day than a sighted person can, or than I could if I was travelling with someone. But I can be completely selfish and let myself be guided by my own needs. If I’m tired, I sleep. If I want to relax, I read a book. If I want to do something interesting, I check the map and find a new place to go.

Amsterdam showed me that I could still do that. It was a turning point for me, and every day I am so thankful that I went.