Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

We had an absolutely fabulous time. Claire listened to our wants and wishes and fulfilled them well. From the first day we arrived in Dublin, to the last day in Dublin we enjoyed every minute.
We rented a car (best idea) and went counterclockwise around Ireland. We were traveling for 2 weeks.
Pros - The hotels, with the exception of one(in cons):
Iveagh Gardens Hotel - Dublin - Beautifully decorated, great buffet breakfast with lots choices, rooms were a good size, nothing too fancy but very comfortable.
Ten Square Hotel - Belfast - Very comfortable, good location to visit Belfast
Lough Eske Castle - Donegal Town - Beautiful rooms, wonderful staff, great bartender! - definitely worth the stay
Victorian Hotel -Killarney - Lovely hotel. Very cozy, meals were order only(but delish) with a wait staff to be commended.
Sites:
Belfast - Black Taxi Tour - outstanding tour of Belfast and the N. Irelands troubled times. We felt like we were in a history class only with wit and lots of wisdom. I believe our driver's name was Justin and he was wonderful. He picked us up at our hotel and we were off. We thought 3 hours was going to be too long, but we could have continued for another 2 and been very happy.
Kylemore Abbey (Clifden)- an active real abbey - just beautiful, the dining room was majestic, with plates set the table of famous visitors from many years.
The Cliffs of Mohr - There are no words to really describe the Cliffs of Mohr from the ocean. It transports you to another world -imagining everything that has happened to Ireland and how it was naturally protected in many ways.
Rock of Cashel - stunning building, lots of history, very interesting. Great stop between Killarney and Dublin
Book of Kells/Long library - A must for every person who visits Dublin. the book itself is unbelievably beautiful. the long library is under renovations but still a wonder to see. Normally ~ 200K books but down to ~17k. Our guide was earning his masters in history at the college(Trinity) and extremely knowledgeable. It was a wonderful day
Teeling distillery - great tour and great whiskey - what else can I say
Our trip went smoothly, exactly as planned - no problems or issues with reservations, or tours. KimKim gave us a perfect itinerary, complete with directions, sites to see (other that what we had planned), and suggestions on where to eat. I highly recommend Kim Kim and especially Claire, our main contact.
Cons
the only real con we have is the Galmont Hotel ( Galway) - it was a great location for the shopping district and getting in and out of the city. However, it was not cozy, the bathtub was inconvenient for older people, and the room were difficult to get to. I would not recommend this hotel.

We did rent a car and it was great. It gave us the freedom to go where and when we wanted to go. Most of the roads were wide and easy driving but when we took the narrow roads we saw parts of Ireland we would not have seen. We only got lost once and lucked in to seeing cows filling the road, being driven to another field. We were also privy to seeing free range sheep, eating grass outside the fence and a sheep do, corralling sheep in an open field, not on a tour.

Again - we had a flawless trip with the exception of storm Amy, which prevented us from seeing The Giants Causeway, but that was of not fault of KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

The Victoria Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lough Eske Castle Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ten Square Hotel

Belfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iveagh Gardens Hotel

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit and taste at Teeling Distillery

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells Guided Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rock of Cashel

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Falconry Adventures

Killarney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aillwee Burren Experience ( Cave Tour, Birds of Prey, Cheese Tasting)

Ballyvaughan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aran Island and Cliffs of Moher cruise from Galway

Galway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kylemore Abbey

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Donegal!

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was beautifully planned reflecting our wishes and preferences and the process was friendly and easy to deal with once we understood the process. We had the advantage that we were not cost constrained, but nonetheless the choices for lodging and arrangements for meals and tours were great.

Hotel Reviews

Ashford Castle

cong

Beautiful building, grounds, and food, and self-aware of its fanciness.

Authenticity & Character

Always in character.

Location

Beautiful building and extensive grounds.

Staff

flawless

Cleanliness & Comfort

perfect.

Glenlo Abbey

Lovely place with lovely grounds and an amazing restaurant, The Pulman.

Authenticity & Character

Flawless execution.

Location

Beautiful.

Staff

Excellent people all around

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect.

Ballyfin Demesne

A beautiful place, with lots to do and see, with a peerless service ethic, always helpful and cheerful.

Authenticity & Character

One of the most beautiful locations and land of any place we've ever been.

Location

Overwhelmingly beautiful location

Staff

flawlessly helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect.

Merrion Hotel

Dublin

One of the very best hotels in which I've stayed. Very comfortable (great bed), great facilities, great location, and wonderfully service-oriented staff.

Authenticity & Character

Just a great place to be.

Location

In the middle of most things you would want to see in Dublin

Staff

Flawlessly cheerful and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden

Ireland

Lovely place. A little touristy in flavor.

Private Galway Food Tour

Ireland

Very enjoyable and probably the best way to visit a town that otherwise would be a shopping overload.

Cliffs of Moher Experience

Ireland

Very nice view but rather touristy.

The Burren Smokehouse - Meet the Makers

Ireland

This experience was rambling and way too long -- we bolted after three hours for what could have been a rewarding 30 minute visit. We would have better used this time in the beautiful surrounding area.

Private Tour of Ballyfin Gardens

Ballyfin

A wonderful and informative tour by a very knowledgeable and articulate guide.

Horse & Carriage Ride

Ballyfin

This was just a wonderful experience -- a highlight of our entire trip. A beautiful place with a wonderful guide.

EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum

Dublin

Informative, but a bit superficial. The story-telling is effective but more basic historical context would be nice.

Private Genealogist Consultation at EPIC Museum

Dublin

The arrangements resulted in a delay in starting as we waited (because the receptionist didn't notify the genealogist, so the genealogist said), and the genealogist mainly did Ancestry.com with us and although she was facile in its use she didn't add that much to our understanding of our family's origins.

Trinity Trails & Book of Kells

Dublin

Very much worth seeing.

Dublin Walking Tour

Dublin

She was very good and informative.

It was a great vacation with an interesting and fun itinerary! While relatively quick paced (which is fine, we asked for it) we felt we were able to see and get a feel for each of the areas we visited. Highlights include the Cliffs of Moher / Inisheer boat trip from Galway, the Titanic Museum in Belfast and the Jameson/Guiness experiences in Dublin. We elected to reserve a Black Cab tour in Belfast that delved into The Troubles and sights and locations of political murals from both sides. This might not be appropriate for everyone but we found it very informative and incredibly unbiased. I recommend it for anyone interested in the history of this modern conflict. We also discovered and had a tour of the Little Museum of Dublin in Dublin. It was great! Housed in an old Georgian home, the tour was theatrical, amusing and spotighted much of Dublin's history and cultural contributions. Also recommended and all ages appropriate.
Lastly, I think it's worth noting that the Trinity College long library is currently undergoing a multi year restoration and as such, has no books in it. Was nice to see it anyway but might be worth mentioning that to any future travelers.

Hotel Reviews

NYX Hotel Dublin Christchurch

Dublin

Great central location, hip vibe and we got a room upgrade!

Authenticity & Character

Not sure about authenticity but had a rock music aesthetic we thought was cool.

Location

a couple of blocks from everything - Grafton St, St Stephens Green, Temple Bar, Castle, Cathedral, Trinity...

Staff

Easy check in, got a room upgrade, restaurant was clean and service quick

Cleanliness & Comfort

Worth mentioning that room won't be serviced unless you turn on an indicator light which we weren't aware of. Might be worth pointing that out at check in

Regency House

Belfast

This was our favorite hotel on the trip. Recently renovated, and very tastefully appointed. Also the best food we had from any of the places we stayed. The pastries were amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Very new, very charming, the most tastefully decorated hotel of any of the ones we stayed in

Location

It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the Cathedral area but coincidentally we saw a show at the Empire Theater our 2nd night and it happened to be a block away!

Staff

I couldn't lift a bag, open a door, or wait for anything I needed. They parked my car! They sent us off with the best pastries for our early drive to Dublin. Loved this hotel!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Hotel Galway

Galway

Clean, comfortable, great location, good breakfast, allowed us to check in early which was a day saver as we had just flown in from NY

Authenticity & Character

A pretty straight forward hotel. Nothing over the top but checked all the important boxes for us

Location

Right at the bottom of the Latin Quarter

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey Experience Tour

Dublin

James from the Jameson experience should be in theater. He put on a show that elevated the Jameson story from merely interesting to highly entertaining. Also our guide for the whole tour - Jameson and Guiness was Fergus and he was excellent too. He was as informative as he was advisory making sure the group was aware of the history of the city - things not discussed at Jameson or Guiness - but he also made us aware of discounts and opportunities and warned about higher prices at gift shops vs Dublin retail and also street smart tips. The line of Guiness pints he assembled at the end of the tour was pretty epic too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

James at Jameson and Fergus our guide for the day improved the experience significantly

Transport

no transport. just walking

Galway to Cliffs Cruise, Aran Islands and Connemara Full Day Tour

Galway

Great to see the cliffs from the water. Enjoyed Inisheer visit too. Recommend renting a bike to tour the island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a great tour guide! Connor I think his name was. And Bertie was our driver.

Transport

I liked the smaller coach and smaller group

We had a wonderful trip to Ireland. We had two guides during our stay., For the first two days we had Vincent and then for the remainder of the trip we had Des. They both were very knowledgeable, friendly and caring. An unexpected highlight for us was the trip to the Barren smokehouse. We had a very interesting conversation with one of the owners. All of the accommodations were great, the food recommendations were spot on.

Hotel Reviews

Cliff at Lyons

Co. Kildare

A wonderful way to end our vacation was to stay at the Cliff at Lyons. while we were only at the property for a short time, it is conveniently located close to Dublin airport. The property is beautiful and the staff was very friendly. They have a lovely bakery/Café on site with delicious treats.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lodge at Ashford Castle

Cong

While not actually in the castle, the accommodation was terrific. I’m sure the handicap accessibility of the castle rooms didn’t fit my needs. Anyway, the accommodation was very nice the on site restaurants were great. well, the property is very large. They are more than willing to mow you around the property.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monks Ballyvaughan

County Clare

Well, definitely a less refined accommodation than the others we experienced, the room was clean, comfortable, and had all the modern accessories. The on site restaurant had a great seafood chowder.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheen Falls Lodge

Kenmare

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Definitely worth going to the Falls restaurant, it was a highlight of our dining experiences in Ireland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Davenport Hotel

Dublin

Wonderful hotel, friendly staff, close to the center of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Burren Smokehouse - Meet the Makers

Ireland

This was probably the most unexpected experience we had in Ireland. We had no preconceived notion about what this experience would be like. Peter just comes up to you and starts having a conversation, taking us to various parts of the facility and ending with a lite lunch at the pub. While we probably wouldn’t have booked this experience on our own. We are surely appreciative that Eleanor pick this experience for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Claire and the staff at Kimkim did a wonderful job planning our tour of Ireland. The accommodations were great and well located. The tours they booked for us were top notch, with well versed guides. For those that were self guided, the materials they provided gave us everything we needed. The restaurant they booked for an eight course meal was exquisite. I would highly recommend having them plan a holiday in Ireland!

Hotel Reviews

Boyne Valley hotel

Drogheda

Lovely hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clayton Hotel Sligo

Sligo

Beautiful historical building with lovely accommodations!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Connacht Hotel

Galway

Very nice hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brook Manor Lodge

Tralee

Beautiful B & B.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystal Springs B&B

Lovely B & B, very welcoming, with friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clayton Hotel Cork City

cork

We were very disappointed with this hotel. Hotel was beautiful, centrally located, with parking adjacent, and had a huge room with a view across the canal to City Hall. Our room was very warm and the air conditioning was not working. We called the front desk who sent up someone to look at it. Turns out they are in the process of replacing the air conditioning for this room and gave us a fan to use, which did not lower the temperature. We asked about moving to a different room, but they said they were fully booked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

One block from the main shopping, restaurant, and nightlife area.

Staff

No letting a room that has no air conditioning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning.

Waterford Marina Hotel

WATERFORD

Lovely hotel located just a few blocks from the Waterford Crystal factory.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a few blocks walk to the Waterford Factory, and close to restaurants and entertainment.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Motel One Dublin

Dublin

Beautiful hotel in the heart of Dublin, just across the Ha’penny Bridge from the Temple Bar district. Room was lovely, and the breakfast was very well done!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of Dublin.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Entire hotel was very clean. Bar had comfortable seating in abundance.

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of Boyne Valley with Newgrange Chamber and Brú na Bóinne Tour

Drogheda

An amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eala Bhán : Tasting Menu 8 course

Sligo

An amazing meal! The chef is a true artist!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Cliffs of Moher Cruise from Doolin ( 50 min)

Doolin

A great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archaeological Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland

This was an amazing experience! Michael did a fantastic tour, and educated us on the archeology of the area, which is incredible. Hearing him speaking Irish with the sheep farmer was a highlight, as it brought back memories of hearing my grandfather speaking the language when I was a young girl.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Killarney Combination Tour - Boat + Jaunting Car

Ireland

Wonderful day spent at Ross Castle! The jaunting car was fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Titanic trail in Cobh

Cobh

Wonderful walking tour covering the Titanic and some history of Cobh!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon tea at House of Waterford

Waterford

Delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterford Crystal Factory Tour Private Tour

Waterford

A tour not to be missed. Incredible that they are still cutting the crystal by hand. Such incredible craftsmen!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jameson Distillery Dublin - Bow St. Experience

Dublin

Wonderful tour, and great history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Entry into the Emigration Museum EPIC

Dublin

Great capture of history.

Quality of Experience

Visit of Kilmainham Gaol

Dublin

Incredible history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Diane was an incredible guide, very knowledgeable, and very willing to share that knowledge with us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diane was amazing!

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

Incredible experience, even with the library undergoing renovations.

Quality of Experience

1. Andrew who picked us up at airport was great.
2. Driver who took us to Giants Causeway & Belfast was excellent.
3. Dublin walking tour guide was great.
4. All accommodations EXCEPT Amlaugh House in Dingle were very good. Doolin Inn was especially nice.
5. Amlaugh House issues: a) beds were old lumpy mattresses and uncomfortable. b) TV got no reception. c) the door to the outside terrace in our ground floor room didn’t lock which is a serious security issue.
6.Claire really enjoyed the Celtic Nights show.

Hotel Reviews

Leonardo Hotel Galway

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bridge Street Townhouse

Lucy was very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Emlagh House

Dingle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NYX Hotel Dublin Christchurch

Dublin

Rooms small but OK. Breakfast was excellent. Restaurant was good.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doolin Inn

Doolin, Co. Clare

Room was excellent Breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Connemara National Park & Kylemore Abbey Day Tour

Galway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giants Causeway

Ireland

Driver was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Claire suggested an itinerary for 9 days in Connemara and Galway as an add-on to a group trip I was taking to County Clare. My initial expectation was that she would recommend something more “traditional” (at least to me) like Dingle, Kerry, Cork, etc. instead she steered me to Connemara, and I am so glad I took her advice!

I just loved the natural beauty of Inishbofin, the Killary Fjord and Connemara National Park. The excursions and activities she put together for us - Kylemore Abbey, sheep and oyster farms, kayaking and a food tour in Galway - were both educational and enjoyable. And our accommodations were authentic and charming.

Claire really went above and beyond in accommodating a last minute additional person to the itinerary and even more last minute logistics issues with our rental car. I can’t thank her enough for her patience and diligence in working through those issues under difficult circumstances. She has even assisted us after our trip ended.

Hotel Reviews

The Victoria Hotel

Galway

Great location and facilities. Very unimpressed with front desk staff worker who was present during short stay. Extremely unhelpful, unmotivated and unknowledgeable about basic matters.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

See previous comments.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cashel House Hotel

Cashel

Stayed here for several nights. A wonderful oasis. Always happy to come back at the end of the day. Very helpful staff. Beautiful common areas with working fireplaces. Gorgeous grounds. Excellent food.

Authenticity & Character

Grounds, hotel common areas, room.

Location

Staff

Just really helpful and warm.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the multiple fireplaces!

Ballinalacken Castle Hotel

Awesome grounds. Very engaged manage/owners. Wonderful food.

Authenticity & Character

Castle on site!

Location

Staff

Engaged owners.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Traditional working sheep farm and Sheepdog demonstration

Ireland

Great bucolic location. Engaging host/guide. Fun, unique. Just much shorter in duration than expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were contacted by Stephen Malloy in April 1, 2025 and began planning our Ireland Vacation. From the beginning, Stephen made us feel like he cared about making this trip an adventure for us. We exchanged emails, had two videos chats, questioners, and even received feed back and help from his partner in crime: Elisa Gjepali, Two for One! We must have been important or a big pain.
We received our first itinerary on April 6 and it was almost perfect. We could tell Stephen had listened to us and was trying to make our dream vacation a reality. A few changes were made and we had booked our trip by April 26 and excited to be on our way.
From May through September, Stephen or Elisa answered many. many question we had and not just about our bookings and outing. We had never traveled internationally and had no idea about anything. From travel insurance to customs procedures, they helped us feel comfortable and never acted like it was a bother.
We received our travel book a week before we left on our trip. Some scheduling changes had been made and they wanted to make us aware of the changes. Stephen even did another video chat with us because there was on very confusing day and he wanted to make sure we were all on the same page about the changes for that day.
Our first day in Ireland, we received an email from Stephen welcoming us to Ireland. A friendly face in a new town. He made sure we had numbers to call in case of problems, and let us know we could still contact him or Elisa if needed.
And we did need them a couple of times. Problems were handled and we had a wonderful time.
Thank you Kimkim for a wonderful time and to Stephen and Elisa,
You will be remembered in our hearts and prayer from this day forward.
Blessings,
Pat and Patti McHugh

Jane and her team were fantastic - we had a wonderful trip. Felt like we really had an opportunity to experience a lot of Ireland in a week!

Hotel Reviews

Clontarf Castle Hotel

Dublin 3

This was a lovely last night in Dublin. I was actually coming down with something and the comfort and luxury of the castle was a relief and relaxing. We normally try to eat away from our hotels, but enjoyed the Knight's Bar. Very cool vibe.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful - incredible job of creating a modern hotel inside an old castle

Location

Was close to the airport which we appreciated on our last night

Staff

Had a weird encounter on check out with staff member who told us he hadn't heard of Europe-wide hack on airports check-in software and he didn't believe anything in the media.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Foley's Townhouse Killarney

Killarney

Liked the location in the center of Killarney - breakfasts were fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

Liked the location near city center, but having to take two elevators and walk to our room was a little inconvenient. It was a little on the corporate side for my taste.

Authenticity & Character

Too corporate feeling

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Mont Hotel

Dublin 2

Great location in Dublin city center. Comfortable and top notch!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Killarney National Park Jaunt - From Park to Castle

Ireland

Our driver was highly entertaining - we thought this might be a little too hokey touristy, but we learned a lot from the driver and enjoyed the entire experience. Beautiful day!

Quality of Experience

The driver was funny and informative

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Cruise sailing from Galway

Ireland

It rained like crazy but we enjoyed biking on the island despite the weather. Beautiful experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our point of contact with Kimkim changed several times both before end during the trip. Most of the time, we didn't even know who our point of contact was. We were told that David would be our driver the entire time we were in Killarney, yet we never saw him for five days. He didn't respond to the one text we sent him. The one day we had a time constraint was our boat ride from Ross Castle in Killarney. We were told that Dave would arrive in his taxi at 9:45 AM. At 9:40 AM, I sent a text to Ireland Hike Bike and Dr. asking them where Dave was. Just after that, a taxi driver drove up and when we ask if he worked for Dave. He did not confirm or deny but said he was here to take two people to Ross's castle. We got in the cab and made it to Ross's castle in plenty of time. He gave us a card with his phone number on it so that we could contact his agency to get the return trip to our hotel. Since our itinerary said that we were to call Dave to get a ride back to the hotel, and since Dave had not shown up at our hotel to take us there, we called the number given us by the taxi cab driver when we got Ready to come back. A taxi arrived within five minutes and took us back to our hotel. At that point, I happen to check my texts, then I saw that Dave had been late and supposedly arrived at our hotel at perhaps 9:55 AM. Another text said that Dave had been waiting for us to take us back to the hotel. Since we thought we had to call Dave, we found that to be quite surprising. Also, we find it hard to believe that he would drive 30 minutes to pick us up when he hadn't dropped us off. On the plus side, we did get a refund from Kimkim for the €60 we spent for the two cabs, as the cab fair was supposed to be included in our itinerary.
Prior to that, we are expecting someone named Philip to pick us up in Galway at our hotel to drive us to the cliffs of Moher and then drop our luggage off at our hotel in Doolin. I looked on the map and saw that Doolin was on our way to the cliffs, so I decided to propose to Philip that he stop at our hotel so that we could drop off our luggage there, and then drop us off at the cliffs. Instead of Philip, a lady named Anne showed up to pick us up. I told Anne about my proposal to drop a luggage off first, and she seemed reluctant to do it for some reason. I mentioned to her several times that our hotel was in DOOLIN, but she corrected me so that I thought perhaps our hotel was in a small town near DOOLIN. Thank God, I asked her to drop the luggage off first, because she drove past the cliffs to a small town on the other side of the cliffs and pulled into the parking lot. We checked our itinerary, and that was not our hotel. So if we had not changed her plan, we would've ended up taking the bus to DOOLIN, and our luggage would've been in some hotel we wouldn't even know the name of in some town we never heard of a good 20 minutes away at least.

Thank you so much Svetlana for this amazing trip. We enjoyed every bit of it, with the best time in Killarney. From Monika's thorough tour of Dublin, to the personal tastings at each distillery. Especially at the Pig's Lane, Louise Walsh was amazing in going thru some of their liquors in the most gorgeous speak easy style private bar. The quaint hotel Earls Court, was also so amazing, I didn't catch the hostess name when we arrived that evening but she was very helpful with any questions and recommendations. Every morning at breakfast, Agnes and Anna greeted us with smiles and laughter, setting the tone for a fantastic day. We didn't get to explore much of Galway, it was just SO busy and the hotel was right in the center of it, being a newbie to driving it was intimidating. Speaking of that, driving in Ireland was the BEST way to get to see it. From the busy streets to the back roads we got to experience the very best travels. Small dinners such as The Purple Door Cafe in Leenane to Hazel Mountain Chocolate in Oughtmama Co Clare. And SO much in between. Just an amazing time! Thank you so much for the fun and the memories!!

Hotel Reviews

Lawlors Hotel

Naas

We stopped here for an overnight stay on our way to Dublin airport. ( only 45 minutes to the airport ) It was a great experience!! Hate we didn't get there in time to enjoy it. The rooms were spacious and the staff was very friendly. The lobby is a beautifully designed area.

Authenticity & Character

Spectacular

Location

Great location especially if you are heading to airport

Staff

Great staff, they even mailed some things for me.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, very comfy and we even got an upgraded room! Thank you all!

Earls Court House Hotel

Killarney

This hotel is by far the best I've ever stayed at. The rooms are spotless, and the location is perfect—close enough to everything, yet not too close. The staff was incredible; I didn’t catch the hostess's name, but she was so helpful and accommodating. Every morning at breakfast, Agnes and Anna greeted us with smiles and laughter, setting the tone for a fantastic day.

Authenticity & Character

Love the ambience

Location

Perfect location

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could've lived here :) it was all great.

Maldron Hotel Sandy Road Galway

Galway

Great room, location is ok, would've loved a less traffic area. Food was great and service was good.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel is good, but we were spoiled at the Davenport. :)

Location

I would prefer a less busy location, but that is me.

Staff

Awesome staff, they were very nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little on the dirty side but would stay again if need be.

Davenport Hotel

Dublin

The staff here are amazing in every way. Would love to go back, great food here also!

Authenticity & Character

The ambience to the staff, it is brilliantly done!

Location

Staff

They take care of any needs and go beyond .....

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great rooms and very comfy bed!

Activity Reviews

Killarney Brews & Views

Killarney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sheep Dog & Shearing

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kilbeggan Distillery

Kilbeggan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Dance, Music & Dinner

Dublin

This show is great! I could watch them all night, great energy and skills. The food and drinks were great also.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Book of Kells & Old Library

Dublin

This place is amazing, the books that the college actually still gets to have access to is amazing. Loved this

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Monika was amazing and very informative on the area. She is so friendly and we enjoyed our exploration with her. She even walked us up to our next booking at the Book Of Kells.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot be more satisfied. They designed exactly the tour I wanted, made all arrangements for lodging, transportation, and excursions. The quality of lodging was excellent. The app they provided was easy to use, very helpful, and allowed easy access of information.

Adrian was a delight to work with, and he nailed our goals for this friends trip. Neither of us had been to Ireland before and were overwhelmed with the many options to choose from. Do we take trains or rent a car? Hotels or B&Bs? Cliffs of Moher or one of the other many cliffs? This castle or the ruins of that monastery? Etcetera. He navigated our needs for authentic experiences without the overly touristy spots filled with buses and selfie sticks. While we love the history of a country/city/place, we didn't need constant tour guides or tour groups, and he nailed that goal to create a unique experience without feeling overly lonely or overly crowded throughout the trip. We spent 9 days, traveling the entire country, including a day and a half in Belfast and to the Giant's Causeway. The experiences he set up for us were an absolute delight, and his recommendations and timeline throughout the journey were great. Of course, we wish we had 3-5 more days to explore a little further, but we have no regrets in terms of what we were able to fit in. One of our excursions was a boat trip to Skellig Michael, which was canceled due to weather. We reached out as soon as we learned about it, and requested some other options. What are the good, better or best options that we could replace it with. He gave us some great suggestions that we never would have come up with on our own looking online, and we had a great time doing the alternative (e-bikes through the Gap of Dunloe - stunning views!!).

We gave Ireland Walk Hike Bike our itinerary and they planned everything for us - accommodations were excellent, the hire car was great, the private drive on the Ring of Kerry was fabulous, the routings were well-planned. All-in-all a really great trip!

We arrived home safely.

Our review is as follows:

The communication and trip planning was excellent, our trip plan covered everything we wanted to do.

The Roadbook and having the app on our iPhone home screen was incredible. EVERYTHING we needed for our trip was accessible through the app, tickets, locations, ferry connections etc.

We were never left waiting, somebody was always there to meet us or to assist.

Hotel accommodations and locations met and exceeded our expectations. In particular the Leonardo Royal Hotel was an excellent welcome to our trip…it was a great start to our trip. The umbrella rental was a nice touch. The staff was excellent and friendly. I encourage you to use the Leonardo when possible. The other accommodations were also wonderful.

Our smaller coach day trip to St Andrews was beyond expectations, the time we had at the Old Course was magical. Declan our guide/driver was excellent.

Though the bus was larger than expected, which we don’t hold Kim Kim responsible, our Harry Potter Train day was rainy BUT fun as the driver and guide were very attentive and “knew their audience “ as they say and provided for adequate stops.

Memorable connections were made during our stay at Inverness, a delightful city and The Pizzaria restaurant run by real Italians was phenomenal, please encourage others to support this business.

Our private driver/guide day was magical as Graham our last minute substitute driver guide was extremely attentive and genuinely wanted us to have a day to remember…he did not fail. The scenery was stunning.

We encourage others to take the ferry to Belfast and also encourage others to upgrade to the lounge area.

The Political Tour in Belfast was sobering and very educational…we truly believe one needs this tour to truly understand Belfast.

The private driver to the Giants Causeway was also a delight as we made a couple of stops along the way…beautiful costal scenery.

For future customers interested in golf, our dinner at Holywood Golf Course was a dream come true. We were given a tour of Rory McIlroy’s trophy room and allowed to take photos with the trophies in hand…phenomenal. PLEASE TELL FUTURE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THIS RESTAURANT AND EXPERIENCE. The meal was wonderful.

The only glitch was with the Paddywagon folks putting us on a large 50 person bus for a long 10-11 hour day across Ireland to the Cliffs of Moher, stops seemed limited, and it just seemed to be a difficult ride in a large bus with all the switchbacks , somewhat of a nauseous ride. This is the only day I would do over AND Kim Kim adequately compensated us for this faux pas or whatever the problem was…thank you.

Connections to our departure flight were seamless.

Ann and I wish to thank you, Jane and Gabriella, for your communication, attention to detail, and follow through, to make this an unforgettable experience.

We highly recommend yourselves and Kim Kim in general to others for their future travel needs.

Hotel Reviews

Ten Square Hotel

Belfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh

Edinburgh,

The Leonardo was an amazing way to start our trip, friendly and attentive staff, great location and excellent breakfast!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Friendly and attentive staff

Location

Close to the Royal Mile

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dining Reservation at Holywood Golf Club

Belfast

WOW IF YOU ARE A GOLFER OR INTERESTED IN GOLF HAVING A MEAL AT HOLYWOOD IS A MUST! Amazing staff! They treated us like we owned the place. It’s the home course for Rory McIlroy and the Gland Slam Trophy room is an experience beyond words. It’s a wee bit of Golf Heaven!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

This is a sobering and educational tour. To truly understand Belfast you need to take this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harry Potter Train & The Scenic Highlands

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fishing Villages of Fife & St Andrews from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

This trip was magical as we are golfers! You must take this tour especially if you feel the call from the Old Course.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The two weeks that we just competed in Ireland was fantastic, thanks to Jane and her colleagues at Kimkim. This is our second European vacation using Kimkim and Jane, and I really enjoyed working with them. They listened to us regarding our travel style and desired destinations and activities and between emails and video conferencing, the plan came together. And it remained flexible until it was time for Kimkim to made the paid reservations, which let me make a few tweaks to the plan

This was a vacation using public transportation, staying in 5 cities/towns over the two weeks. Jane and team arranged the hotels, tour tickets, train tickets, transfers between cities with no train and airport transfers. The city overview and suggestions that was part of our final electronic packet was well done and fill of good information

Their after hours access was great; I used it the last evening to make 100% sure my 6am taxi was confirmed for departure day.

Overall, I am very satisfied. I like having access to Kimkim’s in country experts and think this alone is of great value to me. Thanks, Jane and everyone who helped us have this experience

Hotel Reviews

Leonardo Hotel Dublin Christchurch

Dublin 8

Location right across from Christchurch Cathedral and easy walk to Temple Bar and Trinity College made it very convenient

Authenticity & Character

Modern, seems Recently renovated

Location

Staff

Very friendly at check in, made us a breakfast box to bring to the airport

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Jurys Inn

Cork

This property needs a refresh but was very comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Seemed More like a businessman hotel but there were definitely tourists there as well

Location

Right in the river for pretty walk, area felt safe despite the bus station next block

Staff

Friendly, helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, nice Breakfast but all From the buffet

Earls Court House Hotel

Killarney

Authentic Irish hotel, period furniture, extremely late room!

Authenticity & Character

The interior was wood floors and antiques and so pretty

Location

About a 20 minute walk to main downtown

Staff

So nice especially the breakfast staff who remembered what we wanted tj drink and our room number after the first Night!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Quayside B&B

Dingle

Very charming B&B. Rooms were small but adequate, as was bathroom. The two staff we worked with very nice and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the docks so I could see the fishing boats every day

Staff

Super helpful, Maurice has great stories and so much local experience

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hyde Hotel

Galway

Facilities at this hotel as well as staff were excellent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to main sights of the city

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cassidys Hotel

Dublin

Well appointed with friendly staff and excellent breakfast

Location

Walking distance to many sights with a bus and tram station within a few yards of the hotel front door

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer/Taxi

Ireland

We did the train Dublin to Galway. Kimkim got the reserved seat tickets in advance which really helped

Afternoon Tea - Atrium

Dublin

One of Best Tea we have ever done in a beautiful room

Quality of Experience

Killarney Jaunt & Afternoon Tea

Killarney

Fun way to see sights in the national park and hear stories from a local. Our guide had 40 years experience!

A Private Half-Day Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland

Verify knowledgeable guide, very comfortable car

Private Tour from Galway to Dingle

Galway

This was a great way to see the sights with a local guide as we moved from Galway to Dingle

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Irish Dancing Show

Galway

Wow!! What great music and dance! This was a fabulous recommendation from Jane and Kimkim

Transport

Having a prearranged taxi was a great plan. It was raining after the show and we walked straight out to our waiting driver.

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

Historical!! A must for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an unforgettable trip organized by Claire with the help of Rachel and Chloe. They arranged for us to stay in wonderful hotels and tour around Ireland for two weeks. Every day was just perfect but we particularly enjoyed the Guinness Storehouse Stoutie Experience, Kilmainham Gaol, the Cliffs of Moher, the ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park, live music at Sin e in Cork, the Jameson Distillery tour in Middleton with a premium tasting, the Ardmore Cliff Walk and lovely Cliff House Hotel, Galway City Museum and live music in The King’s Head pub, the Killary Sheep Dog Demonstration, Tullamore DEW distillery, and Dublinia museum. The trip ended with a great night of live music and Irish dancing in the Irish House Party. Could not have asked for a better trip, didn’t want it to end!

The trip included a nice mix of rural and metropolitan Ireland and visits to four locations. The food, hotels and excursions were were well planned and allowed us to see alot of Ireland in a short period of time.

We are all appreciative of the agency and our family members who planned this lovely holiday. Cheers!

Laurie and Scott

The hotels that were set up for our trip (group of 25) were great. Staff very friendly and helpful and accommodations were terrific. Our trip was mostly self-guided, but Jane was extremely helpful in setting up the vans we rented as well as the Irish dancing show in Galway, the Black Taxi tour, the tour of Bushmills, and the visit to the Giants' Causeway. It was also nice in knowing that had there been any issues that Jane and her team were just a phone call away. It was a great trip, and everyone one on it had a wonderful time. Already talking about doing it again.

Jane was very helpful and professional. Ours was a trip for 25 people so there was a lot to work through. Jane was up to the task. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Activity Reviews

Dublin: Afternoon Tea Vintage Bus Trip

Dublin

Fun double decker bus tour around Dublin.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experiencing the famous double decker bus was fun.

Bushmills distillery tour

Bushmills

Guide was great. Very knowledgeable and really enjoy what he was doing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Irish Dancing Show

Galway

Fun night.

Quality of Experience

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

This was a fantastic tour. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

The protest artwork. You’d need days to read it all.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They spoke from personal experience. Very genuine,

Transport