Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

From beginning to end, the planning of this memorable trip and our experiences of it were over the top! My husband planned the trip with Austin who was attentive to EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. As we became clearer on how we wanted to experience Ireland, Austin pivoted graciously to create just the perfect vacation experience for us. From car rental to places we stayed to helping us navigate Dublin (all during the Covid times) Austin regularly checked in on us and made sure we were happy. He even gave us a private little tour of some of the museums!!! His gracious hospitality should make Dublin proud!!
Some of the most memorable places we stayed were The Wyatt Hotel in Westport, such a beautiful town on the western coast of Ireland and in Kilkenny, at The Kilkenny Hiberian Hotel. These are locations we will return to on our next trip to Ireland, although there is so much to see and explore there. Rest assured we will contact kimkim and request Austin again. Thanks for a fabulous experience Austin!!

All was fine

Austin found wonderful places for us to stay during our trip to Ireland. He also did a great job creating google map routes with suggested stops to use all throughout our trip. We appreciated him meeting us at the airport early in the morning on arrival and getting us started off right!

Austin was great. The process of planning was super and we were responded to in every request. We (kimkim, Austin and my wife val and I)
Crafted a great holiday and then they made it all happen
Our trip required flexibility and adaptation along the way but all the planned details were able to flex with us.
We are home now and already clear that this vacation was one of our all-time best

Activity Review

Guided Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Transport

Sean was absolutely amazing. Very knowledgeable in the history of Ireland, up to date politically, very acquainted with Ireland and areas we were interested in, and very flexible in our day to day schedule. Which made touring the island very pleasurable. Because of his experience and knowledge as a native Irishman, he was able to show us sites and places we would not normally see or visit in a large tour group and was familiar w/ areas to avoid crowds (i.e., Cliffs of Mohr). Sean was also able to provide services such as shopping, local entertainment, dining, etc. that again I felt was above and beyond what he was contracted for. In summary, Sean became a good friend that we hope to see in the future if he visits the US or we visit Ireland, again.

I can't speak highly enough about the itinerary that the Ireland Walk Hike Bike team created for us. Dean created a custom 13-day self-drive tour for me and my husband. We loved all of the lodging, restaurants, hikes, bike rentals, and points of interest he recommended along our route. I never could have pulled off a trip like this without his guidance. Other staff at Ireland Walk Hike Bike were also very helpful (Francis, Maurice, and Jess) - assisting with reservations and other specific questions we had, including while we were on the road. Without question, I would recommend them for anyone visiting Ireland. Thank you to Kim Kim for introducing us to Ireland Walk Hike Bike!

Kim Kim Team was great. It was very comforting to know that the hotels we were registered at were ready and that if there was ever a problem the Kim Kim Team was readily available. We were so lucky to have NO Rain.....and lots of sun for the whole trip to Ireland. beautiful .....The car rental was a breeze and we are glad you hooked us up with a hybrid so gas wasn't our enemy. Driving on the wrong side of the car and the road....and those skinny roads was part of the charm. All of our hotels/BNB's were lovely. and the ClonTarf Castle was such a fun addition.
all in all it was a great vacation. thanks for all the work on your end.

Lynne and Holly Magner
We even found CastleMagner....both the town and the actual castle....

We started planning this trip 2 years ago. We always intended to do a 14-day self-drive tour of very specific locations. We requested support to identify locations within those cities that we might want to see, lodging that met our needs, and an SUV that would accommodate my service dog. We were originally supposed to have 3 local tour guides, a few tours, and a ferry passage included. Somewhere these were all deleted and the cost of the trip just included the lodging and the car rental without specifically stating that the plan was changed.
I was informed 5 weeks out that our rental wasn't secured and that we would need to pay for it ourselves. (A refund was finally provided after several phone calls between a Kimkim supervisor, and the local agent.) At 3 weeks out we were informed that our lodgings were not secured. My husband sat down messaging the agent with suggestions for accommodations at 2 weeks out. We were promised that everything would be confirmed at 1 week out as this is their policy. We never received the updated travel plan, and only received confirmation that lodging was secured 4 days prior to our trip. We worked with Austin for most of the trip planning. He was great in the beginning and we were just waiting for the lockdown to end. However, Noel helped finish the details. The locations that Noel booked were not notified of my gluten sensitivity or dairy allergy and thus were not prepared for my dietary needs. I actually had to purchase my own bread for breakfast 1 morning. Another B&B sent their daughter to the grocer to get bread for me, another had to thaw it the morning of. 1 of the B&B's was truly upset that she had no notification that my service dog was going to be present. She was prepping for a huge horse race and had to make spur of the moment adjustments and wasn't able to allow us to use the space as intended because of it.
This trip should have been finalized well before it was and too many details were placed back on our shoulders to plan. Too many of the people who owned the B&B's that we stayed at were saddened that the details were not relayed properly to them, making the statement, "This is why you use a travel agent." and that we had to clarify things with them when we arrived. We won't be using KimKim for future travel.

Our accommodations were great and our Guide, Denis Beakey, was AMAZING!!! Extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. He was a five star guide for a five star experience.

Austin Rock did an excellent job in arranging our ten day visit to Ireland. He took into account our desires to stay in quaint BNBs in small towns, have available hiking options, and experience the culture and people of western Ireland. His suggestions were spot-on and made for a very memorable vacation. Austin was very easy to work with and timely with communications and itineraries.

Our most memorable activities were hiking in Killarney and Connemara National Parks and attending a sheepdog demonstration on a working sheep farm in Tralee. We also enjoyed our overnight stay on Inis Oirr and experiencing the Cliffs of Moher by boat. We absolutely loved the trad music and people that we met along the way.

I must say Austin is a star! From the beginning when we were planning the trip to the end of our trip Austin has been great with his information and organisation. All the places we visited were suggested very well and detailed information of what to see was provided including all the Google map/direction links. People were lovely everywhere we went and made us feel very welcome in Ireland. A tip…if walking along the cliffs, walk downhill from the visitor centre towards Doolin. We did it the other way round and found it a bit difficult.

Hotel Reviews

Kilcoran Lodge Hotel

Cahir Co. Tipperary Ireland

Rooms were ordinary for the price. But lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dromhall Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dingle Skellig Hotel

Farran, Dingle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falls House Hotel and Spa

Co Clare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park House Hotel

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dublin One Hotel

Dublin

No parking available. For a road trip not suitable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cahir & Cashel

Ireland

My husband and I had an AMAZING trip in Ireland for our ten year anniversary! The kimkim team and Ireland walk hike bike did such a fantastic job. The B&Bs we stayed at were all wonderful and they provided a very detailed day to day itinerary for our hiking adventure!

Our trip to Ireland was an unforgettable adventure. Dean had to make our dream journey happen after having to stall for two years due to COVID 19. He never forgot our original wishes. The travel arrangements he made for us were precisely what we had hoped for. Whether driving, biking, or walking, I highly recommend the Kimkim group. It met all of our expectations and so much more. We thank the team for an unforgettable experience.

We had never been to Ireland - and needed more than someone to book hotels. We needed advice on where to go, what to see, car rental, etc... and most importantly... someone who would take the time to understand who we are and what we want re hotel vs. B&B, guided trip vs. self-drive, time for hikes, kayaking, etc. Kimkim Travel and Dean were outstanding in all regards. High points of our trip included - time to drive and stop and hike thru Sheeps Head Penisula, the Ring of Kerry, Dingle and Doolin... All breath taking and great fun.

Linda was a fabulous tour guide who made our Ireland holiday a GRAND adventure! She was a font of Irish knowledge and we learned so much from her. She was so attentive to details and was very patient and kind with each of our requests.
My favorite day was the day that Linda took us to the town of Glin to visit the O'Shaughnessy pub and the little shanty where my great-great grandfather O'Shaughnessy lived. It was wonderful to learn more about my Irish heritage. I also enjoyed my tour of Kylemore Abbey which was a welcomed change from all of the hiking. All of our accommodations were very nice, and the various innkeepers were so welcoming.
I will treasure the memories of our family Ireland trip forever and will always be grateful to Linda for making our experience truly amazing.

Fantastic organisation and amazing walks all around the ring of Kerry, can't recommend enough!

Austin put together a trip that we couldn't have come up with on our own, with recommendations to do things that we probably would have overlooked. We saw so much of Ireland. We loved all the accommodations, especially staying at Kinnity Castle. We had so much fun and such great adventures and made memories to last a lifetime. Austin gave us an insider's tour of the history of Dublin Centre, which was so interesting. He was so helpful when we had a minor snafu (of our doing) on our journey.

Hotel Review

Kinnity Castle Hotel

Offaly

Great staff and great food. Wonderful grounds include a stone circle and a fairy walk. General manager took us on a tour and gave us the skinny on the ghosts. We enjoyed hunting for Hugh, but he didn't make an appearance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Austin gave us a insider view of the Dublin City Center, and the history of the area. Outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Austin was awesome managing the logistics of 4 couples and covering a lot of ground in Ireland. We had a great time! Highly recommend kimkim.

Austin was great to work with. He was patient with us, made recommendations and everything came together as planned. He made all hotel arrangements, rental car, etc. We hooked up with him in Dublin for a walking tour of almost two hours, which was very informative.

Loved the trip and will consider kimkim again.

Hotel Review

Tivoli Dublin Staycity

Dublin 8

This place was perfect. Brand new basically and had everything we needed including laundry facilities. Had a small suite which really made it nice. Definitely would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to most things.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Austin nailed our itinerary! We had the best time and he was extremely communicative and curated a trip that was perfect for us. I highly recommend using Austin and KimKim for all your coordination and itinerary needs. It was extremely easy to communicate and develop something to please all our party.

The fact that I did not have to spend hours online researching "all the things" was fabulous. I will use this service again and again for any trip in my future.