Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

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

Ireland

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

We had the best time exploring Ireland, thanks to Emily and the KimKim team. The entire process made trip planning so much easier and saved us countless hours of research. One of the highlights was spending our last night in a restored castle—a truly unique experience! We felt there was a perfect balance between planned activities and free time, which made the trip enjoyable and flexible.

KimKim added estimated driving times for all our activities, which was incredibly helpful in planning our days. When our flight into Dublin was delayed, the support team was quick to rearrange our first activity, making what could have been a stressful situation feel seamless. For future trips, we would suggest keeping the first day more fluid with flexible plans rather than scheduled tours, especially for long-distance travelers in the circumstance of all too often delays.

One area for improvement would be an initial call during the planning phase. Although the quiz was a good starting point, it took a bit of back-and-forth to finalize our itinerary. A conversation could have streamlined this process. The initial recommendations did not quite match up with the quiz, either.

We also hope to see more price transparency and competitiveness. Initially, we planned to add our rental car to KimKim's services, but after removing it, we realized it would have been significantly more expensive ($600). While we’re happy to pay for the excellent services provided, it’s hard to justify this particular cost when we used expedia for a measly $167 for the entire grip. Additionally, having a better sense of costs for individual activities would help us weigh the value of each option for ourselves. Potentially overpaying so much for rental car services reduces our trust in KimKim’s price competitiveness.

Despite these suggestions, the local insight provided by KimKim was invaluable. We especially loved discovering the Fiddle + Bow Hotel in Doolin—a gem we might have missed on our own!

Overall, we were very pleased with our trip. The itinerary was excellent. All of the accomodations, with the exception of Gabriel House in Cork, were wonderful as were the restaurant and pub recommendations. The main issue we had with Gabriel House was the location, being quite a distance from Cork city centre. Plus, we were assigned a room on the top floor (not KImKim's fault, just something for you to be aware of) which made it impossible for us to haul our full suitcases up 4 flights of stairs. We transferred a few essentials into a duffle bag and carried that. up. The room was spartan; felt like a dormitory room and the bathroom was barely big enough for one person to maneuver in. Concerning Cork, I know we asked to include that location in the itinerary, but we chose to instead drive down to Kinsale after finding Cork rather dirty and uninviting.

We were pleased to find all the reservations confirmed, including the taxi to/from the Dingle Way hike. We were especially pleased with the hike. We didn't particularly care for the 2.5 km part on the road leading to the Blasket Centre, but we understand why the Blasket Centre was chosen for a pick up location.

Lastly, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a daily check-in text message at the beginning of our trip. I know we had ways to reach out to KimKim had we had any problems, but we liked the check-ins as it felt like KimKim was keeping track of where/what we were doing. Then, the day before we were to go on the Dingle Way hike, I reached out with a question. My phone indicated that KimKim received and read the message, but we heard nothing back for 4 days. We were surprised and taken aback at the sudden lack of communication. I know I could have called, but we assumed all would work out with taxi pick up which it did.

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Great location, very nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

it is just a nice hotel; much like we would stay in anywhere

Location

within walking distance of most of the sights in the city, or a short walk to public transportation

Staff

very friendly reception and restaurant staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

A modern, functional hotel in a great location

Location

within walking distance to city centre

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fiddle & Bow

Doolin

We actually stayed at the Doolin Inn which was delightful. We loved the small, unique character of this inn and it was in a great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killeen House Hotel

killarney

A quaint inn a nice distance out of Killarney. We really appreciated being away from the more touristy and busy city of Killarney.

Authenticity & Character

Location

it was on the edge of Killarney National Park with great access to the Ring of Kerry and without being in the heavily populated city of Killarney. We ate both our dinners in the bar there and found the food to be excellent.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tower View

Dingle

Another nice, small inn located close to city centre

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fernroyd House B and B

Cork

We stayed at the Gabriel House. See my comments in the general section.

Authenticity & Character

Location

way too far from city centre.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cliffs of Moher Cruise

Ireland

We took a combo cruise to Inishmore then to the Cliffs of Moher. We enjoyed seeing the Cliffs from the water more than from the top.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything that was planned went amazing! Hotels were great and the recommendations and attractions were perfect! Only feedback is regarding the hotel in Kinsale. It was a wonderful hotel but a bit far out of town. Would have preferred something in town where we could walk around the city. Svetlana’s recommendations were perfect!

Hotel Reviews

Cassidy's Hotel City Centre

Dublin

Great location, nice restaurant and bar on site

Authenticity & Character

Quaint hotel with friendly staff

Location

Walkable to all the major attractions

Staff

Super friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ten Square Hotel

Belfast

Nice bog rooms and lovely rooftop bar

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to most attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Ebrington

DERRY/LONDONDERRY

Lovely hotel with nice bar and spa

Authenticity & Character

A little more modern amenities

Location

A little outside of town but still walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castlecourt Hotel, Spa & Leisure

Westport

Beautiful hotel and city. Lots of character and nice restaurant excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

So quaint

Location

Perfect for walking the city

Staff

Very friend,y

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour Hotel

Galway

Hotel was average bit in a good location for walking

Authenticity & Character

Not much character and a little dated but clean

Location

Easy to walk to city center and attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meadowlands Hotel

Tralee, Kerry

Lots of character, beautiful setting

Authenticity & Character

Great rooms and restaurant and breakfast

Location

Convenient for traveling but not much around the hotel for attractions

Staff

Helped make accommodations for one of our travelers who was sick

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kinsale & Spa

Kinsale

Fabulous hotel and spa, beautiful accommodations and views

Authenticity & Character

Modern amenities with less authentic character

Location

About a 10 min drive outside of town, shuttle only transports to town but must can back to hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport

Clonshaugh

Good hotel for transport to airport - would only recommend for overnight stay before flying out. Very crowded and busy hotel

Authenticity & Character

Standard hotel

Location

Great for flying out the next morning but nothing else around hotel

Staff

Restaurant and lounge were crowded and took a while to get service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Black Cab Tour

Belfast

Excellent history of Belfast-Jimmy was so knowledgeable and friendly. High,y recommend this tour if you want to learn about the city

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jimmy is the best!

Transport

Not really in a black cab, tour is in a van but was still good

Farewell

Ireland

Nothing to rate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Megan was lovely and warm. Most of the places she suggested were amazing (the Wilder, the Monks and the sheepdog demonstration were wonderful as was the guide in Dublin).

The only disappointing hotel was the Galmont in Galway. A very very loud party with loud music made it impossible to sleep until the party ended around 1 am. It was a hotel that needs updating (bathroom flooded when you took a shower, paint peeling etc—not a place we would return ).

Highlights were definitely the amazing Wilder and Monks. Both of these spots were absolutely awesome.

Other than the Galmont we appreciated the recommendations from Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Wilder Townhouse

Dublin

Amazing. From the scrumptious food to the amazing rooms this place was a 10/10.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

First the good parts— 1. The breakfast was good and appreciated. 2. The location is outstanding right near the city center!!! Now the concerns 1. A party very loud kept us awake until 12:30. We complained and they said “we will make a note of your concern” and then never did anything. It was loud booming music. The sound proofing was nonexistent. 2. The rooms are very run down and in need of new carpet and paint and not a great smell in the rooms. 3. The bathroom flooded every time you took a shower. Overall (sadly) despite the great location, it was fine but certainly not somewhere we would return.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms need updating painting and new carpets. Bathroom flooded every time you took a shower.

Location

Center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

New paint. New carpet. New bathroom fixtures that worked

Monks Ballyvaughan

County Clare

Lovely wonderful spot to relax and enjoy the west of Ireland. Fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trinity College Old Library and Book of Kells

Dublin

It felt more like a tour of Trinity than of the book of Kells. We did not know it was essentially a college tour. Then you are sent to see the Book of Kella on your own. Felt a bit misleading to be honest. Our trinity college tour guide was lovely but it was not what we expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dublin Walking Tour

Dublin

Our guide was wonderful. She was knowledgeable and flexible. So fun!!!

Quality of Experience

Our guide. She was wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guinness Storehouse Tour

Dublin

Overall just ok. Very crowded. Very commercial.

Quality of Experience

Caherconnel Sheepdogs & Fort

Ballyvaughan

Best thing we did in Ireland. So fun. So informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sean was amazing. So informative

The planning of the trip was easy and I very much enjoyed working with Megan and the rest of the team.

We enjoyed the planned events and having the flexibility to just take a rest day when needed. The Wilder Hotel was a great way to start the trip and the walking tour of Dublin with Mary McCarty was a wonderful way to spend our first day in Ireland. The train ride to Galway was relaxing and smooth. Bit of a hiccup with the local taxi driver and the directions for finding the taxi pickup but we weathered through and enjoyed Galway.

Picked up the rental car from Europecar in Galway and headed to Connemarra and Kylemore Abbey, the car completely went dead and as our good karma would have it we were able to limp the car off the rural road into the town of Oughterard. Nic was on call for Routescapes and let me tell you, he saved our minds! Took about three hours for the mechanic to come, but we got it sorted and picked up a another rental the following morning.

The Cliffs of Moher was stunning and the ride to Monks Ballyvaughan was stunning and what a gem that spot is! The driving was beautiful and lovey stops along the way. The Ring of Kerry was a bit rainy but by the time we got to the Ladies View, sun came out and we were treated to double rainbows! Kenmare was great spot and we took a total rest day there and shopped and relaxed.

Molly Gallivan's experience was a real treat, the husband and wife who operate that are top shelf! We would recommend that little stop to anyone who is close to Kenmare. Cork was a bit busy for our liking, but now we know, the hotel was brilliant. And the final night at the Kilkea Castle was spot on! We took time to walk the grounds and relax in the therapy pools.

We had a wonderful time with a great itinerary. The trip was just what we asked for; saw a lot of areas of the country, had wonderful hotels.

Favorite hike: Connemara and Diamond Hill
Favorite Hotel: 12 hotel in Galway

The whole trip was well planned and we will use kimkim again and Svetlana is highly recommended for any Ireland adventure.

Visiting Ireland under the expert planning of Kimkim/ Routescape was an exceptional experience. The historic sites, beautiful landscape, lovely boutique hotels, great food were really just the icing on the cake. The cake was- the people of Ireland and the chauffeurs/ guides who were our windows to the Ireland experience. Peter Rafferty (Raff) (West Connemara champion driver) was extremely entertaining - thanks for filling our bellies with laughter and of course our other driver, Jim Dempsey - fun and knowledgeable!

Hotel Reviews

Monks Ballyvaughan

County Clare

Staff are exceptional

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheen Falls Lodge

Kenmare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilder Townhouse

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dublin Walking Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guinness Storehouse Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour of Trinity College & Book of Kells

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Kilbeggan Distillery

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Aran Islands

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Killarney National Park

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Taxi to/from Doolin Ferry

Ballyvaughan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Belvedere Irish Nights, Dinner and a Show

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Aran Bike Hire

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drive the Ring of Kerry

Kenmare

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blarney Castle

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cork City

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Cruise

Ballyvaughan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip and very much appreciated the work of Claire and kimkim. Our trip needed to be postponed because of a pilot strike at the last minute. We did need to pay some fees, but we did not need to do any of the work. Things that were chosen fit us well. We loved to see so many sites and have a chance to visit with relatives on this trip.

I particularly enjoyed going to the pubs in Galway and hearing some Irish music, seeing the Cliffs at Kilkee (the Cliffs of Moher could be skipped in my opinion once we walked at Kilkee - many fewer tourists there and a nice restaurant to have breakfast, lunch or a snack at the base), and touring Guinness. We had nice accommodations that fit our budget. We got good recommendations for things to see in Dublin.

If you can find a way to get off the beaten path to meet locals, please do so. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with cousins I knew and meet some cousins I did not know. They showed us where my ancestors came from and the beauty of the Knockmealdown Mountains where Johnny Cash was inspired to write is song - Forty Shades of Green. Ancestry research had been done by relatives and I will never forget walking in their footsteps.

Hotel Reviews

The Gibson Hotel

Dublin

Loved the accommodations, the breakfast and the closeness to Dublin activities!

Authenticity & Character

Clean, beautiful and modern

Location

Across from 3 Arena and a short tram or taxi from anything you want to see.

Staff

Helpful with any question we had.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The best hotel on our trip through Ireland.

Aherlow House Hotel & Lodges

Aherlow

Cool, hunting-lodge style hotel. Old Europe feel. Loved the bar. Came on hottest day of the year and was still comfortable without air-conditioning.

Hotel Killarney

Killarney

Decent hotel for the money.

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

Enjoyed this clean and modern hotel. Nice to have a pool, hot tub and sauna.

Activity Reviews

Dublin Food and Drink tour

Dublin

Loved this so much!

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

Nice walk, but our guide was a little quieter than I would have liked. More walking than sharing.

Entry into the Emigration Museum EPIC

Dublin

Much better experience than I expected. Very interactive and detailed! If you like history and appreciate Irish History, it is a must do!

Killarney boat tour

Ireland

The boat was not what I expected. I liked seeing the monestary, and you need a boat to get there, but not much said by the guides.

Free time in Dublin

Dublin

Did Guinness and a bus tour. Loved Guinness tour, Trinity College and the Walking Tour on the last leg. Not sure if we needed the hop on and hop off tour, but it did give us an overview of the city.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Center's short experience was not an IMAX experience and my least favorite part of the trip. Walking the Cliffs at Kilkee was so much more beautiful and so many fewer people to see. This might be the one thing in Ireland that I would not do again.

Private transfer

Dublin

Hilarious and friendly!

Small-Group Morning Walking Tour of Galway

Galway

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

They have improved this experience. I might give it a 4.5 because I did not appreciate it as much as all my other experiences, but for some people it would be a 5.

Private Transfer/Taxi in Town

Ireland

Safe and fast.

Svetlana planned a perfect family trip for us! Thank you!

Claire and Cathy were very helpful, especially when we had to change travel dates and itineraries. Highlights: Killarney National Park tour, Cliff walk at Kilkee (better than Cliffs of Mohir), Trinity College/Book of Kells, and EPIC. Enjoyed Dinner and Irish dancing at The Church Cafe and Bar which is in a 300 year old church with beautiful stained glass and organ played by Handel. A great trip-Thanks!

Our trip to Ireland was memorable. We enjoyed the places that we picked and ones that were recommended. The most interesting and genuine guide was Arthur in Galway! Truly pleasant to walk around the town he grew up in and still resides. Agnes our driver( twice ) was exceptional! She even added a sight to Rock of Cashel which we were grateful to fit in before returning to Dublin.
The one area of concern was communication issues. The phone number we were given didn’t work. What App was also confusing to connect for us. We would have liked to have our transportation easier be confirmed .
Overall, the trip was a good one giving our family a week of wonderful memories!
The Angelastro Family