Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

NOTE: Our rating is a 3-1/2 for the KimKim experience and working with Joe.

A beautiful island with amazing sights including verdant vistas, rolling gradation of greens, rugged and wild coastline a surprising amount of archeological history. So happy we toured around almost the whole island, starting in Dublin then south to Kilkenny and Kinsale, west to Dingle (our favorite) and up to Galway.

Many great experiences including the Ashling Hotel in Dublin (great location, helpful front desk folks and good breakfast selections), drinking Guinness and Jameson and hearing traditional music, quaint and colorful villages (Kilkenny, Cobh, Kinsale, Ennis, Dingle). Glad we made the stop at the Rock of Cashel, the Jameson Distillery tour in Midleton, the Titanic museum in Cobh and the Cliffs of Moher. Dingle Peninsula is a must-see and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Emlagh House with delightful and helpful staff, delicious breakfasts and great location. Doyle's restaurant in Dingle is a MUST.

The most challenging part for us was notably the driving, which can only be described as harrowing and stressful. We did not get much chance to enjoy scenery enroute to the locales as one was driving and one was navigating - very narrow roads, a lot of traffic circles and plenty of traffic. We missed stopping off at many sights just because it was too
tense getting back on the road and pressure to get to the next overnight. Also we were very disappointed outside Dublin that pretty much every pub we went in in Kinsale and Galway were not what we expected in terms of warm welcomes and jovial conversations. In some we were virtually ignored while locals chatted with the bartenders and made merry. We were also disappointed with our hotel in Galway - located on the ocean, which was beautiful, but waaaaaaayyyy out at the end of town with a commercial district that was overrun with casino-type buildings, fast food restaurants and convenience stores.

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Great location, great (friendly and helpful) front desk staff, great breakfast selection and wonderfully big, fluffy towels in the bath. There is a huge and beautiful park nearby, a free museum, a light rail that will take you directly to the Temple Bar area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

see above

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Greenmount House Luxury B&B

We did not stay at the Greenmount House - We stayed at the Emlagh House which was five stars all around! Lovely, helpful staff, wonderful breakfasts, cozy accommodations, wonderful location to walk to beach or to town.

Authenticity & Character

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Location

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Staff

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Cleanliness & Comfort

Note this rating is for Emlagh House

Actons Hotel

Cork

Beautiful hotel, spacious and comfy rooms, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful views, easy walking to all parts of town.

Staff

Ian (front desk manager) When we arrived, after a long day of driving on the LEFT side of the road on narrow streets and much traffic, there was NO parking. The person who greeted us at the hotel basically said "too bad." Ian was extremely helpful and found a way to keep my car safe until a spot opened up, so I could get settled in. If Ian wasn't working at the front desk that day, my rating would've been poor. The person who greeted us didn't even offer to help us find parking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

We did not stay at the Galmont House - we stayed at Salt Hill Hotel. Overall rating - 3 stars

Authenticity & Character

Location

situated in very commercial district, too far from town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

worst bathroom ever

Activity Review

Jameson Distillery and Blarney Castle

Cork

Overall this trip was most enjoyable and well planned. The few glitches were taken care of in a timely manner. Our accommodations were all excellent. Our guided trips were also well planned and our guides were very knowledgeable and flexible. In particular our guide in Killarney and Cork, Joe O'Donnell, was a pleasure to travel with. He was well prepared, kind, and highly professional. We appreciated how Kim Kim was able to help us plan such a personalized trip with all the sights we wanted to visit and activities we wanted to participate in. Our thanks to all the individuals who communicated with us and helped make our time in Ireland so memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast

Great location in Dingle. The hosts were most kind and accommodating. The B & B was very clean, rooms were very comfortable and the breakfast was simple, but tasty. We felt very welcome and had a pleasant stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town. Beautiful view.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doolin Inn

Doolin, Co. Clare

Great accommodations. The rooms was spacious, quiet and comfortable. Anthony's Restaurant was a true gem. Wonderful breakfasts and the dinner was 5 star!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Weir Lodge

Killarney

Great location. Easy walk into Killarney town. Accommodations were excellent. Staff was very kind and rooms were spotless. Breakfast was delicious with many choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The River Lee Hotel

Cork

The hotel was a short walk to the main part of Cork. Our room was clean, comfortable and quiet. We enjoyed the meals we had - breakfast, dinners and cocktails in the lounge. The staff was very kind and helpful. My husband was ill while there and they put us in touch with medical assistance within minutes! I am so appreciative of their help.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore the Beara Peninsula

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver, Joe, was very knowledgeable and shared much information about the area's history and culture. Made our day unforgettable

Transport

I will start by saying our time in and around Westport with our guide Jim Henry was one of the best parts of our trip. He’s friendly, knowledgeable, extremely accommodating, empathetic and an overall pleasure to spend time with. We learned a great deal from him.
We really enjoyed having multiple choices of places to stop along our routes. Most routes we accomplished 1-3 stops. On the causeway coast we did 6 of 7. We were exhausted after but it was worth every step. If we get the opportunity we will be in touch for another trip in the south of the island.
Thank you to all who were involved!!

We loved all the accomodations that Joe found for us. He reserved the perfect car for us and made several reservations for outings that was so helpful. The links to maps was so helpful, and the suggested activities and restaurants were very useful.

Claire did an amazing job of helping us plan our trip. Every reservation was exactly as she said it would be. Not only did she do a great job with the itinerary before we left, she also touched base with us on the trip to make sure all was going well. Having spent 40 years in the travel business, I was extremely pleased with her attention to details.

Dublin transfer to the airport to pick up the car - driver right on time
Car Rental - Europcar was good
Titanic Experience in Belfast - interesting
Taxi Tour in Belfast - Paul was very informative
Ferry to Rathlin Island - perfect and they allowed us to return early
Bogside History Tour in Derry - very interesting and informative. Sorry, but I cannot remember his name.
Hotels: Excellent other than the Warren in Belfast. The Warren was quirky but not my favorite. Loved the Ghan House
Dinners: Land to Sea in Dingle - wonderful

Hotel Reviews

Heatons Guesthouse

Dingle

The hotel is on the edge of town, but an easy walk into town to the restaurants. The room was large and comfortable with a sea view. I appreciated the hot tea and chocolate cake when we checked in!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ghan House Hotel

The Ghan House is lovely as is the staff. The dinner was very good. We needed an earlier breakfast than what is normally served, and it was no problem. This was definitely one of our favorite hotels during a 23 night trip!

Authenticity & Character

Felt like stepping back in time.

Location

Five minute walk from the town.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The warren Belfast

BELFAST

The Warren Belfast was not very clean, especially the bathroom where both the soap dispenser and shower were very dirty. There was no closet, just a couple of pegs for clothes, which was manageable, but the hygiene was a concern. Breakfast was self-service with no utensils provided to pick up the bread, making it seem a bit unsanitary

Elephant Rock Hotel

Portrush

The Elephant Rock Hotel in Portrush was a nice stay. Although nothing particularly stood out, the location was fine, and overall, it served its purpose well. We had a comfortable stay.

Ship Quay Hotel

Londonderry

The Ship Quay Hotel in Derry was fine, not deluxe, but clean. The staff was really nice, especially in both the bar and dining areas. We appreciated the wonderful location and friendly service.

Activity Reviews

Land to Sea : Michelin Recommended dining

Dingle Town

Absolutely exquisite!

Quality of Experience

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

Very interesting. It was interesting to see the Irish side of the "Troubles". It was not always the same as what we were seeing in the U.S.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great London Taxi

Guided Bogside History Walking Tour

Londonderry (Derry)

We spent two days in Derry. Did this tour on the first day. It was an eye opener for an American.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

After an amazingly well-organized and experienced trip to the Azores and Portugal two years ago with KimKim, my expectations were high for KimKim. Unfortunately, the organizational piece was uneven and lacked details until the trip was underway.

After fine-tuning our plans for SW Ireland by Zoom with Dean on Monday, the 23rd of October, two day before we were to leave for Ireland, it was my understanding an updated/detailed itinerary with important phone contacts was to reach me before flying to Shannon. Dean assured me that a driver would be at the airport to transport me upon my early morning arrival at 5:35AM to my hotel, the Doolin Inn. This did not happen as I had to wait three hours for someone to pick me up. I attempted many frustrating calls and emails to KimKim and Dean directly. Throughout our trip, Dean never responded to me regarding the driver not showing up.

I still am unsure as to whom Dean works for: KimKim, an intermediary or Walk, Hike Bike which provided our guide, Joe, who was amazing with every detail of our time with him. He made sure he was clear about each days expectations and execution of each hike, activity and/or drive. Joe was knowledgeable, curious and a treat to experience my first trip to Ireland with him.

Méadhbh was our travel specialist and she was fantastic. Despite the time change prior to our trip she was quick to respond to all of our questions. Especially after a last minute change in our travel dates. She was very thorough and provided us with so much information. This was only our second time using a tour company to plan our entire trip and we were very pleased with everything she booked. From Trevor who took us on a food tour in Belfast to Johnny who was our Black Cab tour driver and onto the Gobbins Cliff walk with a lovely young lady whose name I forget. We saw a lot in our 8 days in Northern Ireland and Méadhbh was always available to answer questions and help us out.
We really enjoyed Ballycastle and all to do in that area. We only had 1 day in Londonderry but had some great food. And Carlingford is worth the visit. Great pubs and awesome restaurants. Of course Belfast is so full of history, beautiful architecture, and wonderful pubs. An afternoon at Tollymore National Park is highly recommended. Just beautiful.
I would absolutely use Kimkim again for future travels.

Every aspect of our trip to Ireland that Kim Kim helped us plan was absolutely wonderful!
We loved our two day stay in Dublin. The Dublin Food and Drink tour was a blast and a great way to see some of the city and learn about and taste traditional Irish food. I can’t remember the tour guide’s name but he had a great personality and really made the tour even more enjoyable. We also loved the Historical walking tour. We learned so much about the history of Ireland and Dublin in particular.
We loved Donegal town and Harvey’s Point hotel. Our day tour with Henry was fantastic and we especially loved the Slieve League Cliffs. Henry was so knowledgeable and loved spending the day with him. He recommended great restaurants and pubs for music.
We loved the drive to Galway by way of Achill Island. This was a great recommendation to take the long way and fit in the island.
On our way to Doolin, we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher visitors center and walked out to the cliffs. The views were spectacular but this area was very touristy and crowded with huge tour buses.
We loved our afternoon ferry out to Inisheer island and the bike ride all around the island. One of our favorite tours for sure!
I think perhaps Dingle Town was our favorite…. staying at the Pax House was unlike any place I’ve ever stayed. The rooms, the scenery from the common rooms and our bedrooms, and the beautiful breakfast prepared by the owner was simply amazing. An experience never to be forgotten! The Archaeological Tour of the peninsula was great. So beautiful!
Really enjoyed Killarney and the Cahernane House Manor. The National Park Walking Tour was nice and the Ring of Kerry Day Tour was great. Aiden, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and had so much good information about Ireland’s history and that area in particular. He was so enjoyable to spend the day with.
The last night of our trip at the Cashel Palace Hotel was beautiful with a wonderful breakfast the next day.

Hotel Reviews

Pax Guest House

Dingle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pembroke Townhouse Dublin

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Shamrock Inn

Doolin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cahernane House Manor Hotel

Killarney

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harvey's Point Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cashel Palace Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dublin Food and Drink tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Donegal!

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells Guided Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historical Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

DAY TOUR: Highlights Of South Donegal

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archaeological Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ring of Kerry Private Day Tour

Kenmare

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aran Island Tour - Day Trip to Inisheer from Doolin

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was carefully planned and coordinated by Claire and her teammates. Our fairly robust itinerary went smoothly and included walking food tours, e-bike tours, guided hikes, a visit to an island, a boat tour of a lake, and an hidden gems tour and more. The guides on the tours were informative and entertaining. The 3 private drivers were friendly and competent and made our 4 + hours of travel time pass quickly with their stories, etc.

Hotel Reviews

Skeffington Arms Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Randles Hotel Killarney

Co. Kerry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fleet

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galway Food Tour

Galway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Killarney boat tour

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dublin Highlights and Hidden Gems Walking Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All hotels and hotels staff were amazing. We loved all os the tour guides. Our favorite ones were:
1. Donegal Tour Guide - Henry
2. Ollie Tours - Eleanor (Aran Island bike tour)
3. Mossies Tour- Helen (archaeological tour of Dingle Pen)
4. Killarney Guided Walks - John O’Connor (Killarney National Park)
5. Killarney Touring Co - Aiden O ‘Donaghue ? (Ring of Kerry)

Hotel Review

Pax Guest House

Dingle

We are 65 years old and have traveled quite a bit. This is our favorite hotel we have ever visited. The setting was so quiet and peaceful. The view was gorgeous. The hospitality and breakfast was the best we have ever experienced. I could go on and on. It was perfect in EVERY way.

Authenticity & Character

It is small enough to make each customer feel cherished.

Location

Beautiful views. Easy walk to the village.

Staff

Waitresses and housekeepers were so friendly. The owner introduced himself personally to all guests and asked if he could be of help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Donegal!

Ireland

The tour guide was very personal and shared so much history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was amazing - so knowledgeable in the history of the area, so friendly

Transport

DAY TOUR: Highlights Of South Donegal

Ireland

Whoops - see above post

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aran Island Tour - Day Trip to Inisheer from Doolin

Ireland

We over the bike tour. Such a magical island. Wonderful scones.

Quality of Experience

The remoteness of the island and seclusion of the inhabitants made us feel as if their lives haven’t changed much in the last few years.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eleanor was very friendly and knowledgeable. Great sense of humor.

Transport

Bikes were the way to go!,,

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

The park was beautiful - not crowded - many deer. It felt like a magical place.

Quality of Experience

The park is beautiful and not crowded.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was so much fun! Burst out in Irish songs sporadically. He loves hiking like we do.

Transport

Archaeological Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland

Wonderful history shared with us.

Quality of Experience

The sunny weather allowed us to see amazing views. What a special place!! Not as crowded as the Ring of Kerry.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helen was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable about the local history and very friendly.

Transport

Ring of Kerry Private Day Tour

Kenmare

Very beautiful tour even in bad weather.

Quality of Experience

The views were gorgeous. The bog village village and the sheepdog demonstration were amazing!,,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aiden was great,,,

Transport

The most important thing to say is that from KimKim's initial intake representative to our local specialist Dean who handled our planning and trip, they listened to what WE said we liked, did not like, and wanted. We have never used a travel agent or planner before, because we had never found that before. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, as they say. Probably had a bit of an edge in the beginning because I was just 'Waiting for it'. We knew Ireland would be wonderful; we didn't know we would meet a travel planner that was great as well.

Will mention one more thing. We tested the offer of 'Call or chat me any time' a few times during the trip, often from the middle of nowhere (our favorite places). Dean knocked it out of the park each time. Whether it was helping us find an obscure place, sleuthing some history for us, or locating where we could purchase a hard to find electronic device.

Memorable adventure

We were in Ireland for three weeks, from Aug 28 to Sept 17. This was our first trip to Ireland, and everything went well. We mostly followed the itinerary Justine had set up for us, though we did skip a couple of items when we found other things we chose to do instead. Among the highlights, actually, were two stops we added on our own — the medieval town of Athenry and its castle (which we learned about when we just happened to tune in to a TV program on the town on one of our first nights in Ireland) and the ruins of Sligo abbey, which were spectacular. We'd recommend both to other travelers to Ireland. We spent a little over four days in Dublin (for logistics reasons, we chose to put Dublin at the end of our trip, rather than the start), but we could have spent our whole three weeks there and not seen all the things there are to see and learn there. We skipped the Guinness brewery tour Justine had set up in favor of a visit to the Irish National Archaeology Museum. Fascinating! That's another thing we'd recommend to other travelers. Think: bog bodies!

And, while we skipped the Guinness tour, we did sample plenty of Guinness on the trip. We also skipped a 2.5-hour walking tour of Dublin. We did plenty of walking without the tour! :-) We did make use of three-day passes we bought for one of the hop-on/hop-off bus companies in Dublin. On previous trips to big cities in Europe, we’ve found those buses make good, cheap alternatives to taxis and they also allow you to take a load off your feet and see a bit of the city in comfort.

The driving on the “wrong” side of the road/car was no big deal after the second day. We had a car for the first two weeks. Driving on some of the "L" roads -- one-lane but two-way -- could become pretty interesting, we found.

We would recommend skipping Peter Curtin’s storytelling session in Lisdoonvarna, were we to set up a trip for other travelers. That was really the only experience we thought wasn’t worth the effort. His stories weren’t really stories or of much interest, honestly. Nice enough guy, but … meh.

We drove through much of Ireland, from Dublin airport through Cork, Galway, Kinsale, Kenmare, Dingle, Westport, Doolin and all along the south and west coasts and up as far as Donegal, before our days in Dublin. The Aran Islands tour to Inisheer was great, as were the Cliffs of Moher, Slea Head Drive, Achill Island, etc. There were no stops on our trip that I would suggest skipping. The Blasket Islands Centre was really interesting. The EPIC museum was different and interesting, but it took a bit to figure out what they were doing. Essentially, the museum recounts how people of Irish heritage -- we lucky few -- have basically taken over the planet! :-)

We’d love to go back for more of Ireland. We’d like to find more castles and more ring forts to explore if we ever go back, and a full week in Dublin wouldn’t be too much. But we wanted to pack as much of Ireland into our three weeks as we could, and so we had a busy three weeks — but very enjoyable.

My ancestry on my father's side is Irish, and we are relatively certain that the family sprang from County Donegal, in the far NW corner of Ireland. As we got our tickets to see Donegal castle, the man behind the desk asked if either my wife or I had Irish ancestry. When I told him I did, he said there were lots of people in the area who had the same last name as mine or the recognized spelling variations of the name. And just as he said that, a van went by bearing the name of a plumbing company with one of the spelling variations of our last name!

This was our second trip through Kimkim (you arranged Greece for us a couple of years ago) and we’ve been happy with both trips. We are pretty independent travelers who prefer a sort of loose itinerary and a set of car keys to getting on a bus with 50 other people each morning for a package tour. Justine took good care of us and checked in by phone when we were in Ireland.

Hotel Reviews

King Sitric Guesthouse

Howth

Breakfasts were terrific. We only stayed here one night, but we ate dinner in their restaurant that night. I had crab claws that were out of this world!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kinsale & Spa

Kinsale

Beautiful hotel, but too far out of town. Would have much preferred something in Kinsale proper.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Knockaguilla House Bed & Breakfast

Doolin

We ended up cancelling our reservation at this hotel and making one at a hotel closer to town. Simply too far outside town, and we didn’t want to be driving one-lane roads after dark.

Wyatt Hotel Westport

Westport

Small room but located right in downtown Westport. Great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Happy Pig

Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Loved this one. Irma, the owner, had tons of great suggestions for us, and she was a delight to talk to. Highly recommend! And the breakfasts were terrific!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gateway Lodge

Donegal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castle Hotel

Dublin

Smallish room with water stain on ceiling, but otherwise clean and comfortable. Nicely located near O’Connell Street and only about 1/2 block from stop for hop-on/hop-off and city buses. Fairly good restaurant and good breakfasts. Hotel is in several old Georgian buildings that have been connected into one hotel, making the corridors kind of interesting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Greenmount House Luxury B&B

Beautiful spot right on edge of Dingle. Great rooms and lots of lounge areas for relaxing. And Dingle town is terrific! Attended a trad music concert in St. James Church that was very, very good. Would highly recommend that experience to folks traveling to Dingle in summer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jameson Experience Tour Premium Whiskey Tasting

Cork

Really enjoyed the premium whiskey tasting presentation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cork City History Tour

Cork

We passed on this one.

Storytelling experience in Doolin/Lisdoonvarna

Ireland

Not a total waste of time, but not one of the trip’s highlights, either. Peter’s stories of the Burren were not terribly interesting or informative. Nice enough guy but not an experience we’d rate anywhere near the top of our Irish experiences. And we'd recommend not including it on other travelers' itineraries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Don & Barry's Kinsale Historic Stroll Walking tour

Kinsale

Good and interesting Irish history lesson.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kenmare Heritage Walking Tour

Kenmare

Passed on this one in favor of just strolling on our own, seeing stone circle, etc.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

The cliffs are beautiful and spectacular, whether seen from sea or land, and the visitor center is very well done. Our tickets were for somewhere around 11 or 11:30 am, but we got there shortly after they opened and got right in.

Quality of Experience

Kylemore Abbey

Ireland

Beautiful drive to and beyond the abbey. Also, make sure to stop at grave of WB Yeats about five miles beyond abbey. All very interesting. Setting of the abbey is spectacular and the drive thru Connemara is incomparably beautiful — until you get to County Donegal, which is drop-dead beautiful in a whole different way. We saw lots of Ireland, and virtually all of it was gorgeous, but Connemara and Donegal are in a class by themselves.

Quality of Experience

Tickets for St Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

Dublin

Newgrange and Knowth Day Tour from Dublin

Dublin

Guides were great, and the archaeology was fascinating. One of the highlights of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Entry into the Emigration Museum EPIC

Dublin

This is a different kind of museum, a largely audio-video experience. Basically, it’s the story of how those of us of Irish ancestry — we lucky few — have taken over the planet!

Aran Island Tour - Day Trip to Inisheer from Doolin

Ireland

The island was fantastic. Our guide was great and we spent about a half hour chatting with Gail, the daughter of a shop owner on the island. She was very interesting. Only downside: the driver of our van on the island dropped us at the foot of a steep hill leading to the island’s castle, then told us we’d have to walk back to town because he had to go meet another ferry coming from the mainland. “It’s only 5 minutes,” he told us. Forty minutes later, we trudged into town. Not impressed. But Ollie’s guide service refunded the cost of that part of our trip. The driver also wouldn’t stop at the shipwreck on the island because he was worried about getting stuck behind the horse-drawn buggies. Ferry on way back to mainland took us past Cliffs of Moher, which are spectacular. Dolphins played in our ferry’s wake for much of the trip back to mainland. Great day, except for that bus driver’s actions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mixed. Our guide on the ferry ride and for part of the island visit (I think his name was Phil)?was terrific. Van driver, not so much.

Transport

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells Guided Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved all the hotels where we stayed and the small group guides were excellent
Overall it was a wonderful vacation
We were able to do a lot and see a great variety of what Ireland has to offer

Hi Kimkim, I received your text and my apologies for not being as punctual as I should have been but we were having too much of a good time. The itinerary your team put together was perfect for seeing County Mayo. We met some of my wife’s relation that live in Mayo. We also saw the family homestead which was just as my wife’s grandfather always said, you could sit on the front porch and gaze out at Clew Bay.

We had no idea that Mayo was so large, the counties in Ireland are much bigger than in Ohio. As Dean assured us, driving was no problem but getting used to the narrow roads was a bit of a challenge. The Hertz car we rented was the perfect size. We went to several beautiful beaches (Silver Strand in the Lost Valley, Keem and Keel beaches.). Croagh Patrick proved too much of a challenge but we did walk part of it. Gorgeous views!

Clew Bay Hotel was great but it was unseasonably hot, no air conditioning or fans in the room which may have helped. Westport was a fun city and Westport House was very interesting. We didn’t make Clare Island because of illness (a bad head cold.) Achill Island is beautiful, Stella Maris was good. We had dinner at Brevie which was exceptional. We went to the Deserted Village, interesting. Went to Ceide Fields, again beautiful views and very interesting. Down Patrick was closed for road repairs. Ballina was also a nice city, Ballina Manor Hotel was good. They gave us a fan for our room which helped with the unseasonable hotter weather.

Our kudos to Dean Garrison, he planned a wonderful trip for us.

Overall a very enjoyable experience.

Ken & Chris Tabellion

Claire was our travel agent. Can you imagine asking someone to coordinate a family trip with 19 people which included 9 children ranging in ages from 1-15. Claire not only met our expectations but far exceeded our expectations. She coordinated our 10-day trip to southwest Ireland and Dublin. There was something for all ages.

Our travel every day was a large motor bus that Claire coordinated along with our daily tours by Claire. She was available at all times if we needed her--we only called called her once. Our driver, Con, was delightful.

The tours were amazing. Claire listened to our requests and requirements. Her recommendation for restaurants were amazing. We give Claire 5+ Stars. We have used Kim Kim 3 x's in lthe ast two years. We have always had excellent trips kimKim is is great and look forward to our next trip with their amazing advisers.

Hotel Review

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Excellent for our large family. The breakfast was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Staff was very efficient and pleasant.

Location

Location was about a mile from Temple Bar but was perfect for large families.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunch at Petronella

Kilkenny

Gap of Dunloe Adventure & Lakes of Killarney Day Tour

Killarney

Falconry Adventures

Killarney

This was a true highlight for the children.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mark, the owner was terrific

Transport

Caherconnell Fort & Sheepdog Demonstrations

Ireland

Amazing. Kids really enjoyed as much as adults.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Visit Blarney castle and kiss the stone

Ireland

Private tour to the Ring of Kerry

Killarney

This is a must see for anyone visiting Ireland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny

Private transfer

Dublin

Private Transfer/Taxi in Town

Ireland

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

Book of Kells were lent out.

Self-Guided Guinness Storehouse Experience

Dublin

The Leprechaun museum

Dublin

It is not what you expect. It is more. It is very well out together about Irish Folklore. It was amazing.

We so enjoyed our 13 day trip to Ireland. It was important for us that our trip be flexible, that we could drive ourselves around, include a visit to a family castle and several other tourist stops. So we had a plan that detailed each of these with the addition of various other possibilities on route. We could choose to do these or not. One of our favorite things were the hotels we stayed in- very luxurious that included a daily amazing breakfast. They supplied addresses, tickets to events we wanted to see/ some we found were sold out if not pre-purchased. They provided a zippered notebook that we took everywhere with us with our printed tickets, itenary and directions. They even helped us with what clothes to bring for the weather. They checked in with us during the trip.

It was very customized, very professional and all in all, a hit! We would 100% recommend this amazing team to help you plan your Ireland trip.

Hotel Review

Sheen Falls Lodge

Kenmare

On our recent 13 day trip to Ireland, we stayed in 8 different hotels and I say without a doubt that this place was the best. The lounge, the restaurant, the room- amazing. The staff cleaned mud off my shoes for me overnight. The golf course discount was much appreciated and it was a remarkable course. The grounds were lovely and Kenmare is so quaint. I even had a great conversation with one of the grounds keepers about their lovely plants. The best thing also happened … shows their commitment to customer service. We took a free shuttle from the hotel to the golf course and had a great chat with the driver. So impressed. While at the golf course we mentioned that “our driver” told us to do this outing, and the golf course manager smiled and said, “your driver” was the General Manager of the whole place. He drives the shuttle often just to stay in touch with the guests and keep his hands on the pulse. Being in the service industry myself, it doesn’t get any better than that. So if you’re planning on staying here for a couple of days, make your visit longer!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the local Paintings on the wall. Piano player in reataurant. Library books about Ireland available.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

100%

Activity Reviews

Trinity College Old Library and Book of Kells

Dublin

100% worthwhile.

Celtic Nights Traditional Irish Show

Dublin

It was OK. Did not compare to the Irish dance we saw later during our trip. Venue was questionable- in a low ceiling basement.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jameson Distillery Midleton

Cork

100% worth a trip

We are still pinching ourselves over what a fantastic trip we had to Ireland. We had a long list of places we hoped to see and things we hoped to do for the itinerary, and a complex configuration of folks, room needs, and accessibility for our group, but nothing seemed to faze our extraordinary trip planner, Wolfgang. He timed each day so perfectly — a balance of activities and free time to explore. He checked in along the way on the trip, and saw to it that every last detail was taken care of. We started the trip planning with a really random assortment of wish list items — one for each of the nine of us on the trip (A train ride! Animals! A castle! Falconry! Fancy afternoon tea! A babysitter for parents’ night out!) — and he managed to incorporate them all in such a meaningful way. We are so grateful for Wolfgang’s patience in planning, expertise in decision making, and creative vision for making the trip one for the memory books. Can’t wait for our next KimKim adventure (planning it now!).

Enjoyed the private tour with Linda via Walk/Hike/Bike - very knowledgable including historically. Great day with her and taking in the various sights. Some things about the trip were a bit confusing via the site we downloaded to the phone versus what came over via email including tickets for various excursions via boat. Linda helped us with one of them which helped it make better sense. We used Kim Kim in the past for our honeymoon to Italy and it was an awesome experience where they truly tailored the trip, had rooms with champagne upon arrival and spoke with her as we set up the travels. In this instance the same attention to detail was not there and we did not even know our resource was going to be away during our travels if we had questions so it was a bit of a scramble to send notes via kim kim site to commuincate. With that said, the trip was beautiful but would spend at least 2 days in Dublin in retrospect. We lost the day due to a delayed flight so did not get to a few places we intended to see in Dublin. Did like the way we traveled via car and driving from Kenmare to Killarney was absolutely beautiful (but this drive was via word of mouth and not recommended from the agency). We happened to talk to locals who made recommendations on the suggested routes for the drive. I still enjoy using Kim Kim and would likely do it again but be sure to be more active with questions about what to do or see when traveling to Ireland. Finally - would say to anyone driving do not be shy. I was nervous at first driving opposite side of the road but you get used to it quickly. There are some very narrow streets but go at your own pace - it is not too bad. This trip was for our 1st anniversary so thought there would have been something more on the day but maybe this was missed by the agent?

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Nice hotel, great breakfast located in walking distance to Nancy Hands pub and the Guinness tour.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The River Lee Hotel

Cork

Location of this hotel was perfect. Breakfast was fantastic each morning. Walking distance to few of the local pubs. Enjoyed the hotel bar as well, very nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Brehon Hotel

Killarney

This hotel was a bit out of the way so need a car to get to Killarney. We had a large room which was nice and the breakfast was very nice, can order from menu. Ross Castle and Muckross House are nearby via short drive. Town of Killarney was very nice. Walk would be a bit long.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I think it just requires a car ride to downtown Killarney - bit of a longer walk but nice hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Doolin Inn

doolin

Enjoyed the small town charm of the hotel. I thought they had the best restaurant and menu with some very different things to try. The room however was extremely HOT and the bathroom was extra hot. There is no A/C, they had an occilating fan in the room. We were a bit uncomfortable. Also in the evening ensure you have everything you need because there will be nothing open and the front desk closes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Really need A/C in the room. It was HOT and the bathroom - extra hot

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

Very nice hotel and spa, can use all facilities. The breakfast was buffet style so not as good as some other places but the location was perfect. It was a 5-6 minute walk to downtown Galway and the shops/pubs. This hotel was very convenient and the room was very nice as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to downtown pubs/shops

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dingle and Slea Head Guided Drive

Ireland

We had a private tour for this part of the trip and certainly recommend it. We had Linda who was the former owner of the Walk/Hike/Bike and she was very versed in Ireland history so the conversation and lessons were fantastic. There are many spots we would not have known about without some big time research, and it was nice to not have to drive for a day and sit back and take in the scenery.

Quality of Experience

The places to see - Sleighead was nice and the wife loved the town of Dingle

Food

The food was great in Sleighead at the little bar at the end talking with Sean (bartender) and Rocky (his buddy).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walk/Hike/Bike and Linda our guide was fantastic and very versed in Irish history

Transport

Mini-van guided tour was great to sit back and relax vs. drive for a day.

Cliffs of Moher Cruise

Ireland

Cliffs were amazing, but I would say the trip to the island of Inis Mor was even better. Best pictures and views were from Inis Mor where you literally can look over the edge (dangerous but incredible). Added Dublin, Doolin, Galway pics here as well.

Quality of Experience

I really appreciated have tour guides that where locals. It really added to the experience.

Hotel Review

Glenlo Abbey

Great staff. Very nice accommodations

Authenticity & Character

The entire place is historic

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

Very worthwhile. It's an opportunity to experience history first hand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved the fact that we had walking tours in each city the day we arrived and the trip got better and better each day. I couldn’t have planned this trip on my own. All the different places we stayed kept us excited for what was next. The best dinner we had was at Rufflets in St Andrew’s. If we were too tired to go out to eat, the locations we stayed served very good food.

Hotel Reviews

Trinity Townhouse

Dublin

location was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perryville House

County Cork

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cahernane House Manor Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glenlo Abbey

Beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We had a slow leak in the tire of our car. The bellmen pumped up the tire for us and made sure it was still at the right PSI for our drive to the airport that morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Market Street Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rufflets St Andrews

St. Andrews

Authenticity & Character

Loved staying in the Shepard Hut. We used the amazing copper bathtub after a day of golf.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bunchrew House Hotel

IV3 8TA

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit out of town but it was peaceful and quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Manor House

Oban

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Machrie

Islay Island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

restaurant staff was excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

very comfortable beds and linens

One Devonshire Gardens - Hotel du Vin

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was huge with the tallest ceilings I have ever seen.

Activity Reviews

A Round of Golf at Jameson Golf Links, Portmarnock

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kinsale Walking Group Food Tour

Kinsale

Walking through town and learning history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

We walked through the forest on trails. Fun to see something we would have never discovered on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Richard Clancy was great!

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Lots of people there but was worth to see.

Quality of Experience

Galway Evening Food Tour

Galway

food was very good. There was so much we couldn’t finish it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private transfer in town

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Great learning the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience - Whisky Explorers

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff