Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

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

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

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

Wolfgang did a great job planning our trip and adjusting with our wants. We had some rental car issues when we tried to pick up our car, and Wolfgang jumped right in to try and help us out quickly.

The most memorable part was definitely Wolfgang’s recommendation to do a day trip to Inishmore, while on the west coast to view the Cliffs of Moher. That experience was probably our favorite of the whole trip!

Overall the trip planning and the trip itself went very smoothly. The whole experience went smoothly and all the reservations for hotels, activities, etc all went per plan. With our requests and Clare's expertise we really have a balanced and memorable family vacation. It was a nice blend of indoor and outdoor activities and the timing/spacing worked well except for one day where it wound up being a bit tight (Killarney to Cliff Walk to Ashford Castle Dinner). We were able to make it all work.
The guides for each of the activities turned out to be really great: John for the Guinness and Jameson tour, Hester and William for the Killarney Kayak, Eleanor for the Doolin Cliff walk, Conner for the Falcon walk at Ashford Castle and Kate for the Scones and bread making. We also enjoyed the Waterford Factory tour but cannot recall our guide's name for that.
Couple things I noted
- In Dublin, I liked the Jameson tour but felt the Guinness tour was bit too big/commercialized
- The tea at Waterford castle was a little off. They seemed to be some general confusion/delays going on and the sandwiches served were different than the menu which was an issue to do some food allergies. We got it straightened out and had a nice time, And the grounds were very beautiful to explore
- Killarney national park was very beautiful and the Kayak trip was a great way to see a large part of it.
- We went the clock-wise direction for the Ring Of Kerry and found we spent most of our time on the first few spots but that wound up being our favorites.
- The Doolin cliff walk was amazing and it did take the 3.5hrs. We did not account for the delay in getting the taxi back to our car which made the drive onto Ashford Castle in time for our dinner reservation very tight.
- Ashford Castle was our splurge but we really enjoyed the stay, touring the grounds, and the dinning. The falconry tour was a family favorite.
- Driving worked out well for the most part but seemed like on the west side, we encountered on our journey a lot of extremely narrow side roads (some sections where only one car could pass).

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

We liked the location of this hotel and it served us well for the sites we wanted to see. Was a nice, clear, and a good breakfast. The staff was very helpful. It is right off the train line but we wound up walking most of the time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clayton Hotel Cork City

cork

The hotel is really nice and in a great location and our room overlooked the water. But we just ran into an issue that impacted our sleep. Could not get the AC to work, so we opened the windows. But then we had to deal with loud late night partiers along the water and the smell of cigarette/cigar drifting up and into the room. They tried to help resolve and move us but nothing was available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashford Castle

cong

This was our splurge and we really enjoyed everything about it. The rooms, the grounds, our fine dinning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Randles Hotel Killarney

Co. Kerry

This was very nice location for visiting Killarney national park and the rooms were really nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Athlone Hotel

Athlone

Hotel was fine, nothing remarkable but it was just a transit stay for us on the way to Dublin and so it served that purpose well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parking was a little challenging since you are in the city center. There is a garage but it was a little confusing.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at ashford Castle

Cong Co Mayo

The teas and sandwiches were really good. The staff also helped us a lot of the tea selection as well as the preferred order to eat the different sandwiches and desserts. Of course the setting in the Castle only adds to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Traditional Irish Homemade Baking Scones and Bread ( Kilcolgan )

Ireland

Kate is a really fun teacher. The experience is in the kitchen of her house so nice and intimate. We had a lot of fun and really like the different scones and breads. We each chose slightly different versions to make.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer/Taxi in Town

Ireland

Were on time and it went smoothly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

This is a really interesting experience. It was a little hard to do on our first day due to jet lag

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guinness & Jameson Irish Experience Tour

Dublin

Really like the Jameson part of the tour. It was a small group with very interesting guides and we learned a lot. The Guinness tour is very popular in a huge building with a lot to see and a lot to do, to the point it was a little overwhelming. Though the view of Dublin from the observation level was really great, particularly while working on your pint.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Johnny Fox's Hooley show + Dinner

Dublin

We really enjoyed the dinner, the singing, and the dancing. Very intimate setting and a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We tried to do a taxi for ease, should have stuck to the Bus

Afternoon Tea at Waterford Castle

Waterford

Something seemed a bit off that day. There was some general issue going on and the staff were a little distracted. The sandwiches served were different than the menu which cause an issue due to food allergies. We caught it and explained to them, while they did not seem to be aware of the issue, they made some accommodations . I think it was just an off day. The grounds were very beautiful to walk around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterford Crystal Factory Tour

Waterford

Really fascinating to learn how the crystal pieces were made and was interesting to see work being done up close. The gift shop is a bit tempting, and we wound up making a few purchases while there :-)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Killarney Lakes Discovery by Kayak

Killarney

This was a great experience. Our guides Hester and William did a really good job of taking through interesting places on the lake while also providing a lot of history and information. Doing the short live cave runs was also fun. It was a great way to see the national park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Doolin Cliff Walk experience

Doolin

The views of the Cliffs are really amazing to see in person. Eleanor did a really nice job of pacing the walk and taking breaks to share interesting facts and stories. She also did a good job of keeping us safe and proper guidance on where to go and not to go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Hawk Walk ( 1.5 Hours)

Ireland

Was not really sure what to expect from this, but we signed up to do the Falconry tour. Our tour guide Conner was incredible and amazing to see how he controls the falcons on the tour and help us send and receive the falcons. Plus it was really nice to see how the overall operation was run and the dedication to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Planning our trip to Ireland was a breeze. Our specialist, Dean, included all of the aspects we were looking for in this trip. He made sure we understood our itinerary and readily responded to any questioned we had. We scheduled an elopement ceremony after we booked our trip and Dean made it very easy to make changes to our itinerary so we could squeeze this special day in. I would definitely book with KimKim again.

Hotel Review

Ballyseede Castle

Tralee

Staying here was a night of luxury. We got dinner at the bar and it was one of the best meals we had in Ireland. I would love to stay here again if I am ever back in the country.

Authenticity & Character

There is a long walking trail connected to the property and there are friendly animals roaming the property.

Location

Secluded oasis with dogs!

Staff

Staff was very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large rooms and comfortable bed/pillows.

Activity Review

Ring of Kerry Guided Bus tour

Ireland

Informative and a great way to see a lot in a little amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The hotels, car rental and planned activities were great. On the other hand, we received a very long document before our trip that just listed *all* of the options of things to do at each place - there was no priority or added information about timing, booking in advance, or attempts to tailor recommendations to our preferences. This document was generally not useful and we ended up having to use a travel book to figure out what to do in each place.

We had KimKim ( and Julia and Sara) make ALL the arragnemtns for our Ireland trip. though I typically enjoy and do my own planning, I got busy with other things and had KimKim do it all. Amazing job.

Great tours arranged, and all the personal touches worked out perfectly. The ONLY issue we had was we could not do more. Our days were packed! We wish we had added more days to the southern and western coasts. but just could not.

Fantastic trip, couldn't have done it without KimKim, and Justine and Fanny were terrific!
First two days in Dublin were great, loved Number 59, the food and drink tour was so fun and informative, and our guide, Collum was great. Guinness Factory is a must!
Don't let the car rental people talk you into a bigger car! As you know, when we arrived at the Maldron in Cork, my husband stood in a hotel parking spot while I went to get the car; the hotel only has like 10 spaces out front. As he stood there, a gentleman (local to Ireland) pulled in the spot, hitting my husband in the knees, demanding him to move, saying, 'we don't do that here". My husband moved but was very angry as was I when I returned seconds later with our rental. Anyway, the hotel was very busy and didn't give great directions to the parking garage 3 minutes away, I was flustered and drove down a very narrow street, hitting a concrete ballast on the left bumper as I was making a left turn. I finally made it back to the hotel and found a spot to park, but the damage was done. We ended up getting very drunk at the bar hotel and didn't do anything in Cork.
The next morning Europcar said they were bringing us a replacement car when I finally reached them to make the report, and I got a reference number. A tow truck came and picked up the wrecked rental. After several hours of waiting, I called Europcar and got passed around a phone chain, no one could find the reference number or report of my accident, and told me it would be 24 hours before I was given a replacement. Upset at this news, as we had already extended our check out time at the Maldron, we took a taxi to the airport. We were able to secure another rental after putting down a $2000 deposit with the threat that if ANYTHING happened to this car we would lose our money. This put quite the damper on the day and overall experience as the Europcar people were a nightmare to deal with.
Anyway, on to Killarney which we absolutely fell in love with. The Dromhall was really nice. It was such a pleasure to meet Richard and take the hike around the National Forest after our experience in Cork, and the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately because of the accident we were late arriving to Killarney and did not get to take our boat tour. In speaking with Richard, he recommended not driving the Ring of Kerry after hearing about our driving ordeal, as well as we really didn't have time. He recommended we just go to Kenmare, which I really wanted to do, but we again were a little shy of driving due to the threat of losing our money. We had a beautiful evening in Killarney at the Killarney Brewing Company and did some shopping.
On to Dingle, which was delightful. An Capall Dubh was a great place to stay, we went on a boat tour of the cliffs, had fish and chips at Harrington's, dinner at Paidi O Se's. The next morning was our anniversary and we lit a candle at St. Mary's and walked the labrynth. It was awesome to be on the coast. We stopped in Adare Village on our way to Doolin and had lunch at The Arches, which was delicious.
Doolin was gorgeous! Our accommodations were beautiful and Ceol na dTonnta was great.
We really enjoyed our talk with Peter Curtin. Such a fascinating man! However, his pubs are not open on Mondays and Tuesdays, and we almost missed him because his assistant changed the time but didn't tell him! We had him all to ourselves. After the talk we had a good dinner and some Irish music at McGann's pub.
The Cliffs of Moher are breathtaking and that was amazing. We did not hire a celebrant to renew our vows, that was really expensive! It was special nonetheless. We went back to Peter's Roadside Tavern that night for dinner and also heard some live music.
Galway was wonderful as well as the Hardiman Hotel, probably our favorite accommodation, They had valet parking too! Very helpful. I really enjoyed the shopping and we had a great meal in a pub around the corner.
When flying out of Dublin, you should probably start the morning there. The drive from Galway (and my planning) got us to the airport too late to make it through customs to catch our flight home on Friday; Delta said we needed to be there 3 hours in advance. We were lucky enough to get a room at the Camden Court Hotel and had another fun night in Dublin. We had lunch at the Bleeding Horse and dinner at the hotel restaurant Ivey, which was really nice for our last night!
No problems flying out the next day, Delta worked hard to get us home. Aer Lingus was striking so the airlines were busier than usual, which added to the long customs lines.
We had a wonderful adventure and will totally book our next trip through Kim Kim. Justine was awesome and Fanny was really kind and helpful with me during the car rental accident!

We had a great trip to Ireland -- and a great collaboration with our specialist Justine. We did not want to go on a tour and we wanted to tailor the travel to our preferences. Justine helped us explore scenarios, and then bring the plan to life with excellent suggestions for both places to stay and memorable activities. Having support with accommodations and travel took the stress out of planning and also let us spend our planning and research time on the fun activities we wanted to do. Justine suggested two of our favorite actives on the trip -- a tour of Slea Head with Mossie and a walk through the Gap of Dunloe. It was also nice to know we had KimKim's help if our plans were thrown off by any disruptions - especially since the airline we were flying was on strike. It was our first time working with KimKim, but I would definitely do it again -- the perfect level of support for how we like to travel. Thank you Justine for all your wonderful help and responsiveness!

Hotel Reviews

Pax Guest House

Dingle

It would be hard to improve on anything at Pax House - the location is beautiful, the service is excellent and the breakfast was a highlight of our trip. We loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The beautiful view of the harbor is so lovely and peaceful!

Staff

We particularly enjoyed meeting Michelle -- she was so kind and helpful and made our experience very special.

Cleanliness & Comfort

George Hotel Limerick City

Limerick

Wilder Townhouse

Dublin

Excellent location and service! We loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice quiet location -- and the prettiest neighbor we encountered in Dublin

Staff

Great service from people who were kind and fun to interact with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fairview Boutique Hotel

Killarney

The Fairview has a great location and the rooms were nice. The service was not at the super high level we experienced elsewhere -- but we enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dingle Distillery Tour

Ireland

We enjoyed the tour - but our guide talked so much it went from 60 minutes to 90 minutes which felt a bit dragged out.

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

Richard is a knowledgeable and relaxed host - like having a friend in Killarney. We enjoyed two hours of exploring the park, learning about some of the history and the natural environment and Richard also gave us great recommendations on pubs and other places to check out in Killarney.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gap of Dunloe & Lakes of Killlarney Boat Tour

Ireland

This was one of our highlights of the trip. We got very lucky with a cool, sunny morning - perfect for enjoying the incredibly beautiful surroundings. While we did see other people and, of course, the jaunting carts, we were mostly on our own and to enjoy the peace and beauty around us. The board ride back to Killarney was another highlight -- a perfect way to appreciate the National Park from the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our boat driver did a nice job of highlighting some of the nature, history and beautiful views on the way back through the lakes.

Transport

A Private Half-Day Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland

We had a wonderful morning with Mossie. He is a very experienced guide -- funny, knowledgeable, great conversationalist and kept a relaxed pace with lots of time for us to enjoy each stop. He showed us lots of beautiful places that we enjoyed all the more for not having to worry about driving the narrow roads. We loved touring with Mossie and very highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Claire and her team were wonderful! We had a delightful time in Ireland and they were there every step of the way. Highly recommend.

The guides and drivers provided were excellent. There were some scheduling problems with getting the car and attending the tea. Many in the group were unable to attend tea as they were picking up cars. The tea was just okay, a little stuffy and didn’t seem very Scottish (what ever that is). Also the car return schedule was unrealistic as there was not enough time allowed. This wasn’t a big problem and we worked it out. The Highland tour guides were very nice, but this was not very interesting. I don’t think going to the cliffs of Moher by boat was a good idea. The seas were very rough and many people were very sick. Arran island was very fun. The best was the Irish house party. I wish we had more time in a small village with traditional Irish music. We may have to return. All in all, or trip was well organized and you did a good job trying to meet our varied wishes. Thanks Carol

Hotel Reviews

Skeffington Arms Hotel

Galway

Interesting hotel. They do have a problem with unpleasant odors in the hallway. Breakfast was just okay, location was good for the boat trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonab Castle

Pitlochry

Authenticity & Character

I expected an older castle.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Lovely, very modern and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Argyll Guest House

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Belvedere Hotel

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Very interesting, I would have enjoyed a guided tour.

Quality of Experience

Loch Lomond Cruise

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Irish Dancing - The Irish House Party

Dublin

The meal was ho=hum and took way too long to be served. Fortunately, the Irish music after was awesome!

Quality of Experience

It was great to be exposed to the local history. We have nothing to compare in America.

Food

We ate fish and chips until we could take no more. We tried, but, haggis and blood pudding are definitely an acquired taste.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their open friendliness.

Transport

The drivers were friendly and knowledgeable.

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Glasgow

Glasgow

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at The Signet Library

Edinburgh

With our short time I would have preferred to do something with more Scottish influence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour with a Specialist

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Blair Athol Distillery's Whisky Connoisseur Experience

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Free time in Inishmore ( Aran Island)

Ireland

Renting bicycles and touring the island was a definite treat. The scenery is so unusual and beautiful that we were spellbound the entire time.