Claire Monfray

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

I found Kimkim after some internet research for our two week trip to Ireland. I didn't know where to start in planning our trip. Last year, we had an experience with a travel agent that didn't work very well, but we learned more about what we wanted for this trip.
We worked with Claire personally and she took the time to understand our unique needs. She curated a wonderful trip that gave us special experiences, wonderful locations and hotels, as well as time to be free. It was really convenient to have the itinerary, maps and local numbers all in one place. It also gave us peace of mind to know that we could reach out with any problems if we needed to. We did that a couple of times and always received a timely response. I recommend working with Claire and Kimkim for your next vacation.

Most of the drivers/guides we had were amazing. One of them was lackluster, and did not seem to know what we had planned for the day. He also told us that he was called out as a last resort, which we thought was weird. John, the guide we had in Donegal was personable, knowledgable, and clearly loved meeting new people and teaching about Ireland. We took 2 walking tours in Dublin, and they were really fun. We got a great overview of the city, and got to eat and drink some Irish specialties. Overall the trip was very fun

This was a great trip planned by Claire and her team. They planned a great itinerary, pairing interesting tours with plenty of time to roam the countryside. We appreciated the detailed information throughout, such as map links to make driving easy.

Highlights were the Middleton Distillery visit, the food tour in Kinsale, driving the Dingle Penninsula (definitely stop at the Fish Box and Murphy's Ice Cream), walking the full Cliffs of Moher (have good walking shoes!), and the Ballymaloe House! We also loved listening to live music at pubs throughout all the towns we visited.

Overall a wonderful and relaxing trip. 10 days simply wasn't enough!

Claire put together a great couple days for us in Ireland. After talking through the experience we were looking for, Claire's initial itinerary was right on. She set us up with a mix of different locations and feels - got us into the heart to Cork (which exceeded expectations) and beautiful coastal villages. Great mix of hotels which were destinations themselves. Biking a greenway, exploring a rocky coast, finding small village pubs - and of course she connected us with great traditional music.

When thinking of the best trip imaginable, I had nothing but ideas and no direction. Thats where the travel team came in ! They brought to action all my Irish dreams. This trip was full of adventure and beautiful sights, and it was coordinated beautifully by Claire. From the pick up at the airport to every nights stay, all accommodations were book, confirmed, and enjoyed without problem. The places we visited were beautiful and the drive around the country was filled with spectacular views. The first few days were spent in Dublin, and the local rail system was well utilized. It was advised that we go to a small fishing village Howth, and while there I wish we would have known to do the cliff walk.... this was a missed opportunity. We also visited Malahide (not on our itinerary) and we wish we could have spent an entire day here. There is a castle worth seeing with paid admission, adding this to the itinerary would have been a great addition. The hotel in Dublin was comfortable with great breakfast options. We did partake in the cocktail tour at Roe and Co distillery, and this by far was the most fun part of Dublin. Next stop was Galway, and this was wonderful. Highly recommend we-wheels electric bike tour, and the authentic Italian restaurant "Osteria". Next stop, Cliffs of Moher. I would reccomend seeing the cliffs from a more local point of view, and booking a Doolin cliff walk tour. This would have been about a 5 mile walk but really worth it. This night we were supposed to stay in Doolin but our hotel was actually in Ennistymon. We stayed at "Falls House Hotel and Spa" and I would not recommend this town or hotel for a stay. The bed was not comfortable and the dining was less than impressive. Next stop, Dingle. We loved dingle and exploring the town, next trip I would love to stay multiple days here. Slea Head drive is the most beautiful of the country and highly recommend taking your time driving it. The cliffs of Kilkee, which start and end at a coffee shop, were absolutely stunning. Defiantly recommend! Kenmare was a cute town, but would have rather stayed in Killarney or had a few nights stay in kenmore to drive to surrounding towns. We did hear of a night time kayak on a bioluminescent lake which would have been an amazing addition that we did not get. There are also nightly shows in Killarney of Irish dancing, which I would have liked to pay, book, and watch. Last stop, Waterford. Highly recommend a private tour of the factory. Overall, we really enjoyed the trip and the travel team !

Hotel Reviews

Butler Townhouse Kilkenny

Great hotel, Breakfast was tasty. Easily walk to the castle.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Happy Pig

Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Lovely bed and breakfast ! The owner was friendly and cooked an amazing breakfast. The rooms were clean and very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cute and quaint, can drive to town for dinner or shopping.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dingle Bay Hotel

Dingle

Loved this hotel. Staff very friendly, and easily walked to dinner and shopping. Also, parking is available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falls House Hotel and Spa

Co Clare

This Hotel is not in a great location. While the surrounding is pretty, the town does not have much to offer. The beds were very uncomfortable and the room temperature was too warm. The food was available, but was not tasty for the price.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Stay in Doolin and not here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but not comfortable.

The Hyde Hotel

Galway

Breakfast here is great, hotel was clean and comfortable, staff is wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There is no onsite or free parking.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fleet

Dublin

Great room with comfortable beds and large breakfast selection. This hotel is great location for walking the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easily walkable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny

This was a nice experience, I would not spend a whole day at the castle but I would spend a whole day in Kilkenny exploring other things. I wanted the castle to show more history or to tell a story, but many of the rooms were empty from character.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterford Crystal Factory Tour Private Tour

Waterford

I would highly recommend this activity. The factory was very interesting and intimate.

Quality of Experience

Being alone with the tour guide allowed us to ask questions and take time with each stage of the process.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dingle Food Tour

Ireland

I don't think this tour was worth it. The food was not impressive. I was expecting more of a local flare to the offered food, that was not what was provided. However, we did enjoy the guide and the stop at the local brewery to learn more about irelands beer market and his local business.

Quality of Experience

We did not enjoy the stops on the tour and food offered.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice tour guide

Transport

Walked the town, easily walked.

Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Electric bike tour is highly recommended. Our tour guide was great and the bike was easy to operate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roe and Co Distillery Cocktail Workshop Experience

Dublin

This was the most fun experience in Dublin. I am not particularly fond of whiskey, that being said this experience was exceeding expectations and served delicious cocktails. Our tour guide and bar master was not only charming, but knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

uber/taxi to location