Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

Claire did an amazing job planning our vacation to Ireland. Due to unforseen family circumstances, we did not give Claire much advance notice on the trip but she planned an amazing vacation for us in a short period of time. All of the reservations were done to the highest level of detail. I would highly recommend Claire to anyone looking to visit Ireland. Thx so much for everything Claire

Hotel Reviews

The Bedford Townhouse

Limerick

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Randles Hotel Killarney

Co. Kerry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Connacht Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glenlo Abbey

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient to downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Limerick!

Limerick

Quality of Experience

Cliffs of Moher Cruise from Doolin ( 50 min)

Doolin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon Tea at Glenlo Abbey

Galway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dingle Bay Eco tour

Dingle Town

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kylemore Abbey

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Killarney Combination Tour - Boat + Jaunting Car

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Doolin

Doolin

Quality of Experience

Aleksandra was amazing. We had such a great time and she was so helpful. As with any travel, adjustments need to be made. Aleksandra was incredibly responsive. Our trip was what we had hoped it would be. My wife and I would definitely use her again.

A fantastic trip, all around. Adrian personalized our journey perfectly. Our knowledgeable and courteous drivers and guides, made us feel like family. I highly recommend Kimkim for your next adventure.

Activity Reviews

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

A must see for any Tour. Beautiful and inspiring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Doolin

Doolin

The whole drive was beautiful. The guide chose to take us to the cliffs of Kilkee; they were so beautiful and amazing. What a great day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of The Ring of Kerry

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Very knowledgeable and fun guide. A great way to see Dublin

Quality of Experience

K

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide’s sense of humor and personal recommendations

Transport

Professional service

I was a late add on to this trip so I did not participate in any planning. Adrian was always quick to respond to questions…and this group certainly had questions and often couldn’t find things which were on the app. 😉 Again, Adrian was always patient and quickly responded,

Adrian was amazing. Easy to work with and ready to help resolve any last minute glitches and responsive to any questions that we had throughout the trip. For example, in Oban, Scotland we were scheduled to be picked up at 11:00 a.m. by a taxi (and driven to Edinburgh). A day or two before, we learned via the bus and ferry schedule that we would not arrive in Oban until noon. Peggy contacted Adrian and he quickly contacted the taxi company (we did not have the contact info for the company) and made the adjustment so that everything proceeded smoothly. We are pleased that we used kimkim services (and Adrian in particular) and would use kimkim again on a future trip.

Feedback on one excusion: The day trip from Edinburgh to St. Andrews and back. We were transported in a 16 passenger van. However the seats were so close together that there was not much leg room (especially for me at 6'3") and the seat back were so high that you could not really see the scenery as we were riding from point A to B. Personally, I would not want to do any future excursions in 16 passenger vans.

Activity Review

Fishing Villages of Fife & St Andrews from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

See my early comments in the general section re: the 16 passenger van

Transport

Aleksandra was amazing as usual. She planned a vacation for our whole family of 10 to Ireland last year and it was a dream come true. So we thought of no one else to help us plan for a wedding in Dublin followed by a trip to Copenhagen.
We wanted to start the trip with a visit to see Irish relatives who lived 3 hours away from Dublin airport and we didn't want to drive. Aleksandra arranged our bus trip to Dungarvan and our hotel. All of her recommendations exceeded our expectations and did not break the bank! The hotel she picked for us was beautiful, perfectly located and reasonably priced. After our visit we headed to Dublin for a gorgeous wedding at the Luttrellstown Castle. It was a like a fairy tail. After visiting sights Aleksandra throughout Dublin, we headed back to the airport to fly to Copenhagen. This was our first trip there and it did not disappoint. Copenhagen is a blend of historic fairy-tale charm and modern, minimalist Scandinavian design. Aleksandra booked us in a beautiful hotel right in the center of it all and because of her recommendations we didn't miss a thing. Before your next trip, call Aleksandra!!

Take it from us, call Kimkim and ask for Aleksandra before you book your next adventure!!

Dean did a good job of arranging accommodations for us, allowing us to have a stress free trip. He also booked a couple excursions for us, that were enjoyable. Overall, our trip was a success!

That being said, it seemed clear that Dean's focus was on hiking and biking. His company is literally called Ireland Hike Bike Walk. He would do better with younger people who want to hike or bike. He gave us routes to drive, but we couldn't or didn't follow them. They didn't always match where we were, or where we were going. He gave us instructions to return our rental in Dublin, even though we rented and returned the car in Shannon. On 2 occasions, the route started or ended in the wrong town 20-40 km from our target. Dean's associate, Katie, checked up on us multiple times during the trip, which was reassuring, and she helped us to cancel one of the excursions, and helped us find a confirmation number on another occasion.

In retrospect, I could have made the arrangements on my own. We would have probably missed out on Inis Mor and Achill Island. Those were both fun and memorable excursions, so I'm glad that we got to do those, but I'll do the leg work on my own next time.

Hotel Reviews

Bunratty Manor

Bunratty

The staff in this hotel are exceptional. The food in the restaurant was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to Bunratty Castle, where we spent a day

Staff

Everybody did.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was hot in our room, but the weather was exceptionally warm when we were there.

Tower View

Dingle

A great B&B in Dingle Town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Weir Lodge

Killarney

Clean and friendly lodgings in Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near the center of Killarney

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had requested a king size bed or 2 beds. We had a queen sized bed. Ok, but we didn't really sleep well

The Kingsley Hotel

Cork

The hotel was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were well outside the core of Cork. Easy to get to and a nice setting, but I don't feel that we really saw Cork

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Granville Hotel

This was one of the best hotels of the trip. Very upscale. Great location. Great staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the waterfront a couple blocks from everything we wanted to see

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riverside Laragh BnB

Friendly people running this B&B, but the bed was too small

Authenticity & Character

Location

well located near the village and Glendalough

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had specifically requested a king sized bed, or 2 beds, but ended up with a double bed

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Upscale hotel in the heart of Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to drive to, but also easy to walk about the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa

Sligo

This was a vey nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside of Sligo town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Louisburgh Cottages

Charming cottages in a small Irish village. Not a hotel or B&B.

Authenticity & Character

Small clean cottage in Louisburgh, run by the community.

Location

Staff

They weren't on site, but readily available and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour Hotel

Galway

Located walking distance from the heart of Galway. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skellig Six 18 Distillery Tour

Ireland

Cathen was our guide. He was fun and informative. The start was a little disorganized. The biggest drawback is that we had to drive to get here and drive afterwards, so I didn't really get to taste much.

Book of Kells and Trinity Campus Tour

Dublin

This was a bucket list item for us. The tour was very enjoyable

We had a wonderful trip thanks to Dean listening carefully to us and planning a brilliant itinerary. He and Katie then kept close tabs on us and made sure all went well. Thank you; we'll be back!

Hotel Reviews

Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport

cloghran

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Churchfield Bed & Breakfast

Doolin, Co. Clare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tower View

Dingle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Antoine B&B

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Place Apartments

Co. Kerry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The White Lady Hotel

Cork

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ormonde Hotel Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riverside Laragh BnB

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skellig Six 18 Distillery Tour

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Cruise

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blasket Island Boat Tour from Dingle

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Book of Kells and Trinity Campus Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip to Ireland and Scotland was spectacular, and we owe so much of our fulfilling experience to the meticulous planning by Aleksandra at Kimkim. Traveling as a group of four, we loved the high-paced, fun-filled itinerary that allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in the local cultures.
Highlights
If we were to adjust our schedule, we would spend one day less in Dublin and add that extra day to Killarney, as we absolutely loved the charm of the countryside and small towns. The Ring of Kerry was excellent, and Blarney Castle made for a fantastic half-day excursion. In Scotland, the Isle of Skye was truly spectacular, and securing tickets for the Jacobite train in Fort William was a major highlight.
The Kimkim Difference
Aleksandra’s service was impeccable. She handled all train bookings, reserved seating, walking tours, and airport transfers, and even checked us in for our flights from Cork to Glasgow.
Expert Local Knowledge: Hiring John as our private driver for three days in Scotland was one of the best decisions we made. His historical insights and insider knowledge regarding stops and logistics were invaluable.
Proactive Care: Aleksandra stayed in constant contact, even alerting us to make a dinner reservation at the Greshornish Hotel where we were staying—it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip.
Accommodations: All the hotels she selected were excellent and included wonderful breakfasts. The one exception was specifically chosen for its strategic proximity to a site we visited early the next morning.
Aleksandra is incredibly thorough and made our first trip to these countries truly fulfilling. We feel like we really experienced the best of the countries and cultures!

We are so happy that we decided to book our 10 day visit to Ireland through KimKim. We worked with Cathy and the experience was fantastic from start to finish. We had never visited Ireland before but we had a few places in mind that we knew we wanted to visit. We provided that list to Cathy along with the dates that we wanted to travel and Cathy and her team filled in all the blanks. The hotels that were booked for us were incredibly nice and centrally located to the town center. Cathy even managed to find hotels for us with king beds for every single stay (my husband is very tall). Everything was taken care of before we arrived including booking our rental car and any events/attractions that were part of our itinerary. The private tours of the Ring of Kerry with Aodán at The Killarney Touring Co. and the Dingle Peninsula with Mossie at Mossie's Tours that Cathy selected for us were the absolute highlights of our trip! We also thoroughly enjoyed the sheep dog herding demonstration that they booked for us at Killary Sheep Farm - we would have never thought to do that on our own - but it was so amazing to see in person. We had mentioned to Cathy that we wanted to avoid the overly touristy spots like the Blarney Castle and The Cliffs of Moher and she instead booked for other stunning castle tours and planned time at the Kilkee Cliffs and the Kerry Cliffs for us instead. We practically had the cliffs to ourselves when we visited - mission accomplished! The 'Road Book' that was sent to us just prior to the trip outlined every detail and had recommendations for restaurants and places to see in every town that we stayed in or drove through. I highly recommend planning a trip with KimKim and especially working with Cathy - we had the vacation of a lifetime!

The Quilt That is Ireland

Claire and her team stitched together a patchwork of history, culture, spectacular scenery, food, and music, threaded together with engaging guides, drivers and staff. My heart was especially touched by the people. Welcoming, kind, anxious to share and so very proud of their heritage. And those who left other countries and adopted Ireland, offered great insights as well. New best friends all. (Pretty sure I was the last one to get back in the taxi, on the bus or in the trap at every stop!)
Grouping our tour into Architecture, Geography, Culture, these are my "highlights."

St. Patrick's Cathedral is just jaw droppingly gorgeous. Kylemore Abbey and Kilkenny Castle offered insight into an elegant lifestyle that was a dramatic comparison to the humble one-room thatched roof cottages shared with livestock that were showcased in the Bog Village museum. Our first hotel, Staunton's on the Green, deserves special mention. Loved the Georgian architecture, decor, garden, food and staff. I want to live there.

Our circular route through the country gave us a real understanding of how diverse Ireland's landscape can be. Lush farmland seamed with stone walls and dotted with herds of sheep and cattle, dense forests with a plethora of wildflowers, the incredible granite domes of the Burren made way to the Stones of Viking lore and then land's end, at the Cliffs of Moher. Additionally loved the view drives-Connemara Sky Road, Ring of Kerry and the Inishmor pony and trap tour with Tom. (Shout outs to Tom, Colleen and Derrick for informative and humorous narratives.)

As an artist and calligrapher, The Book of Kells, and Trinity Library were a high point for me. The evolution of the written word from Ogham script on stone to the Illuminated Manuscripts was fascinating. Not enough time here!
Howth Castle Cooking Class -Julie and Pierre were delightful and we definitely learned some new skills. I would go back! (and would like to tour the castle)
Sheepdog experience- the border collie's command of sheep wrangling is awe-inspiring. Fun and well done.
Falconry- Another high point. Excellent presentation and extremely knowledgeable. And yes, I got to hold a PEREGRINE FALCON!
Killarney Lake by kayak- My first time in a kayak. My first time in a kayak in front of a castle. Hester and William are charming - great experience. Loved the stop at Innisfallen Island.
Taylor's Irish Night-Flatley-esque, good food and lovely combination of music, dance and history with a bit of humor.
All of the city tours were informative and helped get us acclimated. Note: Cromwell= bad.
The Ross-Maeve and Sheila our breakfast waitresses made us feel like family. We sampled MANY pubs. Loved the Guinness, the opportunity to try Irish cuisine and enjoy a wide variety of music. I cannot get the song "Grace" out of my mind, still. Not one negative comment, Claire and Team, it was the trip of a lifetime!
I will miss being told "Lovely and Brilliant" when I place my breakfast order.

I love you, Ireland, and will bask in my memories of your incredibly green quilted country.
Renee'

Aer Lingus gets a huge thumbs up!

Hotel Review

Stauntons on the Green

Dublin

I felt like royalty in this gorgeous hotel. Staff from front desk to waiters was warm, welcoming and efficient. LOVED the art work, the garden and the food was delicious. Cozy room with a view of St Stephen's park with great people (and Irish Wolfhound) watching. Great proximity to St. Patrick's, the pub scene and park activities. Really loved our stay here.

Location

Staff

Ian. Big hugs!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the dining space, especially by the garden windows. Bird watching, peaceful. Breakfast and afternoon respite with a glass of wine. Lovely.

Activity Reviews

Pearse Lyons Distillery: Dublin's Unique Church-Converted Spirit Haven

Dublin

We ran out of time and did not experience this tour. Only giving one star as I cannot complete this item without using a star...

Private Transfer/Taxi

Ireland

A Pony & Trap Tour in Inishmore

Ireland

What a fascinating place to visit! Really impressed with the horse pulling the trap with a LOT of tourist traffic all around him- steady! Tom was an excellent guide and shared much info about the island and his own history. Excellent!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Corrib Princess River Cruise

Galway

This was an okay ride- not a lot to see after the "Castle of despair" as I'm calling it. Sad story. had a nice chat with the boat captain and got a great pic of a Mute Swan family .

Cooking Class in Howth Castle

Ireland

Another high point of the trip!! As mentioned, we learned, ate and drank well and loved hearing the stories of how Julie and Pierre made their way to Ireland for keeps. We strolled up the grounds to the ocean overlook. Lots of birds and wildflowers which I loved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoyed the train experience and getting a different view of the country and mode of travel

Falconry Adventures

Killarney

LOVED this. One of my favorite visits. Unique, Well presented, wonderful to participate and could have talked to him for hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kilkenny Food Tour

Kilkenny

A fun approach to foods and the various locations were interesting and had great back stories. Especially liked the small grocery and the lovely lunch.

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Great to start in the park, liked the architecture, Guinness history, Handel performance building and Rock n Roll wall of fame.

Ring of Kerry Group Day Tour

Killarney

This is quite a bit of land to cover with a lot of diversity. Lucky to have clear enough sky to see the Skellig Islands. Derrick was great, though he commented that he could pick me up next Wednesday....I was lollygagging I guess.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent recall of Irish history

Killarney Combination Tour - Boat + Jaunting Car

Ireland

Enjoyed the tour with all of the landmarks explained. Same with the jaunting car through the forest with deer and wildflowers. the boat was fine, but probably wouldn't choose that again as we also did the kayak experience.

Quality of Experience

Private tour of Connemara (Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey and a Sheep dog Farm experience)

Ireland

Beautiful drive through "Quiet Man" country. The Abbey was magnificent. I needed more time to wander the gardens as I spent so much time on the inside tour. Sheep dog experience thumbs up. I have 5 border collies that we use for cattle. The dogs are "brilliant" and to me it would be impossible to work the sheep on that hilly country without them. Really good job explaining how they work and background on the sheep industry. Well done.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Colleen was the best. Very informative, funny and just a pleasure. Loved our lunch stop that she recommended.

Transport

Galway Cathedral

Galway

One of the more modern cathedrals, especially the stained glass. Interesting that JFK is included on a mosaic. A liturgy was just being concluded so that was meaningful. Also liked that they offer a prayer book where one may leave a request for prayers.

Our trip was great. The itinerary was perfect. And Rachel did a good job helping us customize it for our needs. The only items should be pointed out are two of the links in the app directed us to the wrong place for tours. One was the food tour in Kinsale and the other was the boat tour of the cliffs of Moher.

Hotel Reviews

Dunraven Arms Hotel

Dunraven Arms Hotel had a vibrant atmosphere and was well-situated. Overall, a pleasant place to stay.

Old Bank Townhouse Kinsale

Kinsale

Old Bank Townhouse in Kinsale was in a nice location, and although my in-laws had a nicer room, ours was a bit cramped with an extra single bed. It did impact the overall experience slightly.

Cliff House Hotel

Ardmore

Location

Activity Reviews

Cliffs of Moher Cruise from Doolin ( 50 min)

Doolin

The Cliffs of Moher Cruise from Doolin was an amazing experience. Unlike the typical view from the top, being on the water offered a unique perspective of the cliffs. We were fortunate to have sunny weather which made the sights even more beautiful.

Celtic Nights Music and Dance Show - with dinner optional

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Caherconnell Fort & Sheepdog Demonstrations - Private

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kinsale Private Walking Food Tour

Ireland

Awesome guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dean and Katie were great at communicating whenever we had a question and helped to resolve any needs. Favorite places were Westport, Killarney & Dingle. The tour they helped plan was better than my dreams! There such breath-taking countryside and beautiful views almost everywhere you turn. The Ring of Kerry, Slea Head Loop were fantastic drives! Ireland Hike and Bike through Kim Kim was fantastic and would absolutely use them again!

Hotel Reviews

The Imperial Hotel

Cork

Beautiful hotel enjoyed our one night stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of cork but parking is a little far to bring your luggage if you have a larger bag

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harbour Hotel

Galway

Very beautiful hotel! Had a nice restaurant with live music as well!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to everything in Galway

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Very classy hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was a bit of a walk to main part of Dublin but doable. Also not far from bus route.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tower View

Dingle

Loved their breakfast and staff were great at giving us recommendations for the area

Authenticity & Character

Has a great view of area

Location

Close drive to Dingle and Slea Head Loop

Staff

Very informative and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the heated towel rack

Great Southern Killarney

Killarney

Staff went over and beyond to make our stay wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful building and outside garden area

Location

Very close to many things in Killarney

Staff

Erin and other staff went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. They were fantastic!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyatt Hotel Westport

Westport

Super convenient location and in the heart of Westport

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close and walkable to everything

Staff

Staff was accommodating for parking

Cleanliness & Comfort

Would've stayed another night we liked it so much!

Mount Juliet Estate

Thomastown

Was such a beautiful hotel. The grounds were beautiful and would've been beautiful to explore more if we had more time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not too far a drive from main city of Kilkenny if you have a car.

Staff

Staff went above to help get us a take away breakfast

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable and loved the bathtub!

Activity Reviews

Book of Kells and Trinity Campus Tour

Dublin

Enjoyed the Trinity Campus Tour and very informative. Tour guide was great! Book of Kells is now changed to interactive experience since most of books have been taken to be preserved so probably would've skipped that part.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Irish Pub Crawl

Dublin

This tour was fantastic and the guides kept us lively!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Definitely great at performing and kept us laughing

Transport

Easy walk between pubs

Blasket Island Boat Tour from Dingle

Ireland

Unfortunately went on a bad weather day, but made the best of it. We had a blast seeing the seals and different kinds of birds! Staff were very informative about the islands and the wildlife! Would definitely do again but hope for a sunnier day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were super informative

Transport

Please read Charles, Ashley,and Renee's reviews as
I totally agree.

Hotel Review

Stauntons on the Green

Dublin

Stauntons on the Green in Dublin was a wonderful place to stay. The staff were incredibly friendly and called us by our first names by the time we left, making it a very personal experience. Overall, the stay was great and highly enjoyable.

Activity Reviews

Taylor's Irish Night ( with dinner)

Dublin

Taylor's Irish Night with dinner was a wonderful way to end our trip. The performances included dancers from River Dance and a singer from Celtic Women. The talent was astounding, and the performance of 'Bring Him Home' was particularly special. It was a fantastic evening.

Kilkenny Food Tour

Kilkenny

The Kilkenny Food Tour was a delight! The food was excellent, and although I'm not a beer drinker, the experience in the bar was fun. My son enjoyed the drinks while I appreciated the unique atmosphere. Overall, it was great, and I loved it!

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Visiting the Cliffs of Moher was impressive, and I took lots of incredible pictures. However, the site was quite crowded and a bit touristy. Despite this, the natural beauty of the cliffs made the visit worthwhile.

Private tour of Connemara (Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey and a Sheep dog Farm experience)

Ireland

The private tour of Connemara, including the Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey, and a Sheep dog farm experience, was fantastic! I was especially impressed with how the shepherd controlled the sheepdogs using only his voice. It was a very fun and memorable experience.

Corrib Princess River Cruise

Galway

The Corrib Princess River Cruise was my least favorite activity on the trip. Although none of the activities were bad, I did experience a bit of seasickness, which dampened the cruise experience for me. Everything went smoothly otherwise, but this particular activity didn't stand out as much as the others.

We had a fantastic trip, accommodations, activities and recommendations made by our local specialist Adrian were great! We did encounter a couple snags along the way and found the emergency contact line helpful in resolving the issues! We appreciated the check ins and follow up from the team throughout our vacation.
Overall, we were very happy with the trip itinerary and service. We would recommend using kimkim and Adrian!

Hotel Reviews

Brooks Hotel

Dublin city

Great location and accommodations with helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ibis Belfast City Centre Hotel

Belfast

Good location and nice accommodations. Staff was helpful when having an issue with check in. Breakfast was also very good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gray's at Bushmills

Bushmills

Beautiful location and accommodations. Staff was very helpful and restaurant on site was great

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit out of town but worth it for the views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ship Quay Hotel

Londonderry

Great accommodations, pub and restaurant on site

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Menlo Hotel

Galway

Nice accommodations and restaurant on site was very good! Location was a bit far to be able to walk to Galway pubs etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Drury Court Hotel

Dublin

Nice accommodations and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Killarney Cottages

Killarney

Our booking was actually for Killarney Lakeland Cottages which were very nice and the caretaker was extremely helpful in helping us find the correct location when our itinerary sent us to the wrong location

The Victoria Hotel

Galway

Nice and spacious rooms in a convenient location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

George Hotel Limerick City

Limerick

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dingle Harbour Lodge B&B

Dingle Town, Co. Kerry

Very nice rooms and breakfast was good. A little bit of a walk to get to restaurants and pubs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Commodore Hotel

Cobh

Great accommodations, convenient location and fun pub on site

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hendrick Smithfield

Dublin 7

Small room but very nice accommodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rock of Cashel

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jameson Distillery Dublin - Bow St. Experience

Dublin

Very fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kinsale Mead Co. (Guided Tour & Tasting)

Kinsale

Super fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet

Ireland

So fun - highlight of our trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit Brú na Bóinne and the Newgrange Tombs

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Titanic experience

Belfast

Quality of Experience

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

Our 3 hour tour actually lasted nearly 4 hours and was an amazing learning experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ferry to Inis Mór (Ferry Only - Return Trip)

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the drivers that were part of our plan were wonderful people very friendly, very engaging and very enjoyable to travel with. In particular, our driver Martin, the day that we went on our genealogy search to the region around Rosscommon was especially generous with his time and his interest in our agenda.
When it comes to the choice of hotels that you booked us into, we were a bit disappointed. When we first saw the hotels that you proposed for us, we were remarked to each other that these were top-of-the-line hotels, expecting four star quality. In actuality, two of the hotels did not really meet our expectations. one was old and in run down condition, and the other was located far from anything in the center of the city and therefore requiring a long, and expensive cab rides.

Hotel Reviews

No.1 Pery Square Hotel & Spa

Limerick

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from city center and tourist activities

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful, especially at desk check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shamrock Lodge Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Of

Location

Nothing around the The hotel for tourist. Authenticity and character is the bathroom.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom had a leaky faucet much needed repair. Room needed updating. Lobby area was much nicer.

The Gibson Hotel

Dublin

Location too far from the central city and tourist activities. Unattractive lobby to check in.

Authenticity & Character

Cold and unwelcome if

Location

Information on how to get into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Cobh!

Cobh

Weather was terrible. We came back early and did not take the tour scheduled. We had three hours of nothing to do in Cobb.

Welcome to Limerick!

Limerick

Nothing we could’ve read this in a tour book

Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Location for pick up was confused with the new location of the bike rental. Took us an extra 15 minutes to find where the bikes were.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very helpful, especially dealing with the traffic. He was very sensitive to our concern about riding in the traffic.

Transport

Private transfer

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycle Hire - Self guided - Limerick Greenway

Ireland

Transportation to and from the cycle rental should’ve been included in our cost. We had to hire a taxi to take us to from the area, which should’ve been done by kimkim.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Driver Tour of Roscommon

Athlone

Ancestry report was very thorough, however, we did not receive it until the day of our trip and would’ve liked to read it ahead of time. Martin are driver and tour guide was fabulous. He really knew the area and was very knowledgeable about all the stocks we took..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer/Taxi

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tetiana was very attentive in the planning stage and throughout our travels. She was always quick to respond and ready to provide solutions to our questions.

We were excited for Kimkim to help us out with our planning for our Ireland trip. We were expecting a local expert and high level of concierge support. Cathy was part of Highpoint Holidays - which is a travel agent based in France. Cathy was NOT local to Ireland, although they claimed that they had local experts. The service we received was about average for a non-local travel agent. The places that were booked were ok, the hotels were decent and met our expectations - but we could have probably booked them ourselves. Two of the planned activities could not be scheduled - our dinner in Dublin and the food tour in Kinsale. We were reimbursed for those items - but were disappointed. We ended up booking our own food tour. We ended up NOT being able to attend the hurling match in Galway, because there was no adequate car service to get there. The drivers for the Giants Causeway and Dingle peninsula were just that - just drivers, not really private tour guides. A gruly local Irish travel agent, would likely have been able to advise our activities and make recommendations much better than what we got. While all the acommodations were ok, it was not the high end local concierge service that we thought we paid for -- we could have actually done most of the research ourselves and booked the trip on-line, likely for cheaper than we paid for. We still enjoyed the trip very much, because we were able to adapt and plan a lot of it ourselves - not sure we'll use this service again in the future for the price paid.

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Very American hotel. Large rooms, large tourist crowd. O

Authenticity & Character

Location

Need to Uber to get to most sights.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White House Guesthouse

Loved this hotel. It was right in downtown Kinsale - EVERYTHING was in walking distance! The downside is there is no parking and no place to even temporarilly park to unload your luggage without blocking the main street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very nice. The hotel is on the main street and there was a true Irish wake on one of the nights we stayed there - so the street noise was VERY loud until about 3AM. Tough to sleep.

Countryside Retreat Dingle

Dingle

This was a place off the beaten track and quirky is a really good description of this place. It is NOT within walking distance of Dingle and to take a taxi was about 30 pounds one way. It is an old farmhouse that has been renovated. The bedrooms are upstairs. It worked for our purposes.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely old - there was an old farmyard next to it and cow pastures out back.

Location

Farther out from Dingle than we were expecting

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were dead bugs all over the windowsills. For an Air B&B - the kitchen supplies were on the lower side of adequate. There was a washer (but we didn't use it) - as there seemed to be a water pressure issue.

The Stone Cottage

The owner if this Air B&B was so very nice and accommodating. The directions provided by Highpoint Holidays put us in a cow pasture! There was a washer and dryer available (which was perfect since we had just come off of 7 days of hiking). It was a very quiet neighborhood near Castlebar. Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ship Quay Hotel

Londonderry

This is a cute hotel in Derry close to everything. The room was great and breakfast was delicious - had porridge with a shot of Jameson whiskey (never had that before).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Malone Hotel

Belfast

The room that we had was really nice, large and plenty of space. The issue we had was the hotel was pre-paid. They took our credit card at the desk for "incidentals" similar to hotels in the United States - so we didn't think anything of it. They ended up charging us $600+. Then they said they made a mistake, so the refunded us. Then they said they made a mistaket with the refund - and - ended up charging us again. Since we paid with a third party (through Kimkim) - we had to go through them. Both Kimkim and us were unsuccessful in getting the charge reversed. We ended up going through our credit card company. It was a very stressful situation and the hotel manger that we dealt with was very rude and didn't listen to our explanations. While the accomodations were nice, the bar was nice, and the restaurant was decent - be wary of how they charge you.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kilronan House

Dublin 2

Average 3-star hotel. Typical European small room. Close enough to sites around the City. Very quiet area (which was really great).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet neighborhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Musical Pub Crawl in Dublin

Dublin

NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING AND VERY FUN! Highly, highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Dingle and Slea Head

Ireland

This would have been amazing, if the weather had cooperated. The driver was nice, but very old. He knew the tour areas to stop and take us to. But it was a bit scary to be driving with him. He also ended up hitting his car on a wall. What we were able to see was quite nice. Ended up cutting our tour a bit short, because we were a bit uncomfortable with his driving. The car was immaculate and clean.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour Giant's Causeway and Antrim Coast

Belfast

Scenery was amazing. Driver was just that, just a driver - not a tour guide. Didn't really have the history and didn't really even know the legends about the Giant's Causeway. Great driver though, nice guy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Belfast

LOVED IT - one of the best things to do. Highly recommend if you're interested in Irish History at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I got married last October. We are 57&60 yo. This was a 2nd marriage for both of us and our dream trip was Ireland (especially as Joe and his family are Irish). I was trying to personally plan our honeymoon Ireland trip while feeling very time crunched and stressed with work and family obligations. . I googled self- driving itineraries as a jump off point not knowing where to start and Kim-Kim popped up. I had planned to do all the planning myself but after looking at the website and reading the reviews I decided to go ahead with filling out the questionnaire just to see. BEST decision ever!
The questionnaire is detailed but for a very good reason. They truly use it to make sure your vacation meets your needs on all fronts. Our specialist Claire got in touch asking some clarifying questions and then put together a tentative trip for us. At that point we made some revisions and added some days (because we decided to include Belfast to our trip). Claire was helpful, patient and did an excellent job. She incorporated things we specifically asked for (like accommodating a concert date we wanted) and made suggestions we would never have thought of…. it all culminated in a perfect honeymoon we will always remember…. We made so many wonderful memories and we can’t wait to go back!
My parents and siblings and kids have all decided to go to Ireland next year and Claire is helping us again. My family heard us gush about the experience made so easy by Claire and Kim-Kim and asked me to do the planning with her. We can’t wait!

FYI…I took the time (and paper) to print out our 17 day itinerary (trip book) for our Honeymoon including tips, excursion vouchers, directions etc.thinking it was good to have a physical copy… but honestly there was no need… I barely looked at that heavy folder the whole trip. The Kim-Kim app was so straight forward and easy to use with directions links to everywhere we were going (excursions, hotels etc) and links to our excursion vouchers with contact info for all the events, excursions and hotels. It was a breeze from the moment a driver picked us up from the airport to when we picked up our rental car through every stop along the way and finally returning the rental car on our last day. Everything well thought out and easy. 👌🤩 They know their stuff!
I am already using Kim-Kim again for next year and will definitely use in the future for other bucket list trips. Michelle & Joe Greaves

Hotel Reviews

Cliff House Hotel

Ardmore

Beautiful unique hotel. Restaurant was amazing, loved the cliff walk and wished we had more time to explore and utilize more of the amenities. We plan to go back!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful. Quite breathtaking!

Staff

So professional and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fiddle & Bow

Doolin

Love love love the ambience and furnishings of those boutiques hotel. Beautiful and warm ambience. The restaurant was amazing and the staff great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everywhere in Doolin.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystal Springs B&B

Great property, location and accommodations. Owners are on-site and so helpful! The breakfast was amazing each morning ❤️

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to town (Killarney) and on a pretty river.

Staff

Owners present and super helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Great way to see overview of Galway … bikes were easy. Honestly didn’t need to be “e-bikes”. Barely used the power. Guide was informative and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Giant’s Causeway Clifftop Experience

Ireland

Our guide had been doing this for many years and had so much knowledge to impart about its history and also about the geology of the cliffs. It was a 5 mile hike going steadily up mostly and doable for us Florida “flat landers” 👌 Beautiful views… it was a beautiful day and so glad we did it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Titanic experience

Belfast

Did not disappoint. So interesting (and tragic)… personal stories of the people who built the ship. So glad we did it!

Quality of Experience

McConnell's Irish Whisky Distillery Tour

Belfast

Really enjoyed this distillery tour and tastings in a renovated jail. Staff was super friendly and enthusiastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jameson Experience Tour Premium Whiskey Tasting

Ireland

Loved the behind the scenes tour and history. Nice lunch in their cafe. Bought (too much lol) whiskey to bring home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We absolutely loved Trad on the Prom, the Blarney Castle, the Guinness tour, the boat and jaunting car ride at Ross Castle, the famine boat tour, and the CaherConnell sheep herding experience. The lodgings were excellent though the information about which had parking and which didn’t wasn’t correct. Many other things were awesome as well. However, it is impossible to do the Ross Castle, Blarney Castle, and Rock of Cashel in one day unless you can fly between them.

Hotel Reviews

The Rooms @ Firecastle

Very nice and the shop beneath is awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Foley's Townhouse Killarney

Killarney

Had parking which was amazing and the owner and the bartender were incredibly full of info and kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in downtown.

Staff

So helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eyre Square Hotel

Galway

Very centrally located but easier to just go to parking garage and walk to hotel with luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cassidys Hotel

Dublin

Beautiful and super helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the square

Staff

Very helpful with directions, parking, places to go to eat

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rock of Cashel

Ireland

It was impossible to make it to this in time . Which was a bummer. But the schedule as planned by the agent for the day, since we started on the boat in Killarney at 10:30AM couldn’t have worked.

Guided E-bike Tour Of Galway City

Galway

Great tour guide! Learned a lot!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The smart helmets were great and even though it was windy and periodically raining, we could hear him.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center tickets

Wales

This was a gorgeous view, but the wind and cold made it a challenging experience on this day.

Quality of Experience

Killarney Combination Tour - Boat + Jaunting Car

Wales

We had a gorgeous day, which everyone said was totally unusual. :-). It made for a perfect day to be out on the boat and then take a spin through the park!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The jaunting car driver was fine…..boat the guide on the boat was fantastic!

Caherconnell Fort & Sheepdog Demonstrations

Ireland

This was amazing - never seen anything like it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Irish Dancing Show

Galway

LOVED IT!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Cruise sailing from Galway

Ireland

The water was super rough and far worse than we expected. The time on the island was excellent and luckily the trip back was better than the trip over, however, due to fog/weather, we didn’t see the Cliffs of Moher from the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

That staff did their best to distract from the rough water but spent a lot of time handing out and collecting sick bags. They were so patient.

Transport

Visit of Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin

We enjoyed this more than St. Patricks.

Quality of Experience

Tickets for St Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

Dublin

Very interesting to the history of the city/country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience

Dublin

A lot of info but super interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff