Ireland West Tours
Ireland West Tours
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Ireland West Tours provides the perfect solution for those that do not want to have the restraints of a Coach Tour but don't want the strains of a self drive tour. We provide private personalised tours where the customer gets to choose the timetable, itinerary and pace of the tour. We bring you to see the real West of Ireland and we bring you to places where the tour buses don't go.
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5.0
121 reviews
Excellent
118
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
maureens335
Sonoma County, California19 contributions
Oct 2017 • Friends
This was the best part of our Ireland stay. Patrick is so knowledgeable. Not just about history, but also the culture. I learned so much from him and we sang Irish songs together all the way back to Galway.
Written 19 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pioneer30532751933
New York49 contributions
Sept 2017
My now~fiancé and I took a recent trip with Ireland west tours and had such a wonderful day. We coordinated with Jim to have Patrick pick us up from Shannon airport and drive us to our Galway hotel and for Patrick to take us on a tour of Connemara the next day. Patrick was kind, had a good sense of humor, and was very knowledgeable about the area. Our day in Connemara was amazing. Patrick covered a lot of ground, beat the tour buses, and took us to so many beautiful areas. We even got to stop in on his friend who gives sheep herding demonstrations with his sheep dog pups.
But Jim and Patrick also coordinated with my fiancé for his proposal in Connemara National Park. They were discrete and the whole day was planned perfectly! Thanks Jim and Patrick for the most perfect day! Would highly recommend this tour company and plan to use them in the future to see Dingle!
Caroline and James
But Jim and Patrick also coordinated with my fiancé for his proposal in Connemara National Park. They were discrete and the whole day was planned perfectly! Thanks Jim and Patrick for the most perfect day! Would highly recommend this tour company and plan to use them in the future to see Dingle!
Caroline and James
Written 11 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CapitolCouple88
Bethesda, MD23 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
When we planned to visit western Ireland, friends warned us against driving ourselves so we signed on with Ireland West Tours. Jim was a terrific tour guide, who tailored the itinerary to our interest, took on all the winding back roads to see the most spectacular scenery, recommended great places to eat, and shared a little Irish humor along the way. We wound up seeing places that no tour bus could ever reach, and having a memorable experience.
Written 26 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MegChristine22
Grand Rapids, MI7 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
My husband and I hired Jim to take us around west Ireland on our honeymoon. We didn't want to worry about navigating and driving around foreign roads and my mother had hired Jim a few years back when she took a trip. Based on her recommendation I hired Jim and we starting planning our trip! Both my husband and I will agree that it was well worth it. Jim drove us places that tour buses would never get to and had wonderful recommendations about pubs to stop at for lunch, food choices, and inns to stay at. He also took nice photos of our trip with his professional camera and shared them with us! Our trip was phenomenal and I cannot wait to plan another trip and work with Jim again. He was charming, accommodating, hilarious and professional! I recommend that anyone planning a trip to experience and see Ireland hire Ireland West Tours to take you around! Take the hassle out of traveling and enjoy your holiday. Thanks again Jim!!!
Written 11 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane M
1 contribution
Nov 2016 • Couples
We had booked Jim Parlsow of Ireland West Tours to take us on an all day adventure to both Lettermullen and Roundstone in Co Galway. Our purpose was to do some research and find out more about our Irish ancestors. We liked the idea of the "do it your way" tours.
Our day started with an early pick up at our hotel in Galway City. Jim was on time and his car was clean and he provided us with water. Jim enjoys photography, and he asked us right away if we would be agreeable to letting him take some pictures during our trip. Wow!! We were glad we said yes!!!
We had a delightful drive to Lettermullen. Jim showed us things along the way and even gave us a mini lesson on speaking Irish as we went. The highlight of our trip was finding our ancestral home. Jim was very patient while we tracked through the mud and made the distance to physically touch the walls. He made the trek with us and took some photos which are now framed in our home. One of the public places we were to visit was closed and Jim acted on our behalf to find out why and get it opened for us. Our trip to Roundstone was highlighted with a trek around a cemetery. Jim waited patiently while we searched for gravesites and enjoyed the beauty of the sunset.
In summary, Jim always had our best interest at heart. He truly cares that you have a great experience. His ability to speak Irish and his outgoing nature helped us to meet people we never would have if we were alone. We are convinced that we would not have had such a successful and delightful day if Jim was not by our side!! We will definitely use Ireland West tours again!!
Our day started with an early pick up at our hotel in Galway City. Jim was on time and his car was clean and he provided us with water. Jim enjoys photography, and he asked us right away if we would be agreeable to letting him take some pictures during our trip. Wow!! We were glad we said yes!!!
We had a delightful drive to Lettermullen. Jim showed us things along the way and even gave us a mini lesson on speaking Irish as we went. The highlight of our trip was finding our ancestral home. Jim was very patient while we tracked through the mud and made the distance to physically touch the walls. He made the trek with us and took some photos which are now framed in our home. One of the public places we were to visit was closed and Jim acted on our behalf to find out why and get it opened for us. Our trip to Roundstone was highlighted with a trek around a cemetery. Jim waited patiently while we searched for gravesites and enjoyed the beauty of the sunset.
In summary, Jim always had our best interest at heart. He truly cares that you have a great experience. His ability to speak Irish and his outgoing nature helped us to meet people we never would have if we were alone. We are convinced that we would not have had such a successful and delightful day if Jim was not by our side!! We will definitely use Ireland West tours again!!
Written 23 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Diane,
Many thanks for your review. It's always a great feeling for us when we track down an actual ancestral home. I'm really chuffed that you actually framed some of my photos to hang in your home ! Thank you, Jim
Written 24 February 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Patty M
1 contribution
Jan 2017 • Couples
We had a wonderful experience trying to find relatives out past Clifden where my grandfather grew up and left in 1923. We had a private tour guide, Patrick Curran who took us to the end of the farthest peninsula. He helped us knock on doors , found distant cousins and in the end found my dad's second cousin and the church where my grandfather was baptized. He was professional and courteous and helped us out all along the way. We would recommend him to anyone. Thanks Pat.
Written 31 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Manderson1981
17 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
We hired Jim Parslow and Ireland West Tours for a day tour of the Connemara region from Galway.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: We really enjoyed our tour and would highly recommend anyone consider visiting the Connemara or other areas of Ireland to use Ireland West Tours.
A little background my fiancé and I are in our 30s. We wanted to maximize our time and see as much of the Connemara as possible covering the highlights and "get off the beaten path". Jim exceeded our expectations. We covered a wide range of scenery ranging from mountains, castles, meadows, bogs, rivers, oceans, cliffs, lakes, beaches, and a fjord. At times we felt like Jim was the "Mayor of Ireland" because of his connections with the local people and familiarity of the area.
Even though we had a rental car for our entire Ireland trip , it was nice to have Jim tour us around the area and not have to worry about driving while receiving background knowledge about the area, Irish culture, and different sites.
Jim was very accommodating and made sure we were meeting our goals of the tour. We really could not have efficiently or effectively covered as much territory or visited the places we saw without Jim's tour. As a couple examples he phoned a head and arranged a private castle tour for us, we drove down back roads to feed Connemara ponies, see true "Irish traffic jams" of cattle/sheep covering the road without any one else or surroundings nearby, made suggestions on photo stops, and served as our professional photographer. Jim really gave us a day of Irish culture immersion giving lots of background of the area, history, etc. We received more information than we had on any tour while in the country.
It's evident that Jim is passionate about Ireland, ensuring visitors maximize their experience while visiting the country, and caring about people. I think these characteristics along with our experience for the day really prove that visitors looking for a tour guide in Ireland should heavily consider booking with Ireland West Tours and Jim Parslow.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: We really enjoyed our tour and would highly recommend anyone consider visiting the Connemara or other areas of Ireland to use Ireland West Tours.
A little background my fiancé and I are in our 30s. We wanted to maximize our time and see as much of the Connemara as possible covering the highlights and "get off the beaten path". Jim exceeded our expectations. We covered a wide range of scenery ranging from mountains, castles, meadows, bogs, rivers, oceans, cliffs, lakes, beaches, and a fjord. At times we felt like Jim was the "Mayor of Ireland" because of his connections with the local people and familiarity of the area.
Even though we had a rental car for our entire Ireland trip , it was nice to have Jim tour us around the area and not have to worry about driving while receiving background knowledge about the area, Irish culture, and different sites.
Jim was very accommodating and made sure we were meeting our goals of the tour. We really could not have efficiently or effectively covered as much territory or visited the places we saw without Jim's tour. As a couple examples he phoned a head and arranged a private castle tour for us, we drove down back roads to feed Connemara ponies, see true "Irish traffic jams" of cattle/sheep covering the road without any one else or surroundings nearby, made suggestions on photo stops, and served as our professional photographer. Jim really gave us a day of Irish culture immersion giving lots of background of the area, history, etc. We received more information than we had on any tour while in the country.
It's evident that Jim is passionate about Ireland, ensuring visitors maximize their experience while visiting the country, and caring about people. I think these characteristics along with our experience for the day really prove that visitors looking for a tour guide in Ireland should heavily consider booking with Ireland West Tours and Jim Parslow.
Written 14 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karin1952
North Carolina40 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
My husband and I had the incredible good fortune to have hired Jim Parslow as our guide for five and a half days in October 2015. When people ask what we enjoyed most about our trip, we unhesitatingly respond, “Jim, our amazing guide!” From the first phone call to Jim to clarify our interests and options for the week, he was unfailingly good spirited, hilarious (Jim truly had a joke or story to fit any topic, along with puns that could not be topped!), informative, and a delightful conversationalist—with us and with everyone he met along the way. Jim took us to many places buses would never have been able to travel yet we efficiently saw many historical/archeological sights and natural beauty from outside Dublin, down to Killarney (via Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel) for three nights to see Dingle Pennisula, etc. etc. and up to Galway (via a great Cliffs of Moher boat trip—the way to go and the Burren) for another two to see the town and Connemara. He suggested great hotels and restaurants along the way, and his command of Irish history, archeology, culture and literature, as well as the Gaelic language was phenomenal. Jim’s love of photography was an extra blessing for this traveler with her newly purchased camera as he knew of particularly good spots to photograph, willingly pulled over whenever a new opportunity presented itself, and after we returned home, sent all the photos he had taken to us through Drop Box! We all became such good buddies that I cried when we said goodbye to this warm, kind, and genuinely good man who went above and beyond in all regards. We are quite well travelled and I think this was the best, most relaxing (despite full seven or eight hour days!) and enjoyable trip we have ever had! Agree with other reviewers and that 5 stars is not enough!
Written 28 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many Many Thanks for your review. I too was very sad leaving both of you as we had built up a great rapport in a short time and it was a joy to have you. I enjoyed working (not sure if that's the right word) with you and hope to meet again. Thanks for everything. Jim
Written 2 November 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KareninKansas
Overland Park, KS25 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
Having visited Ireland twice before, this time we were interested in a less “touristy” and more authentic experience for our first excursion into the west counties. Based on some excellent Tripadvisor reviews of Ireland West Tours we engaged the company for a week. Working with our list of desired places to visit, Jim enhanced it further with hidden gems we would never have discovered on our own. By the end we had experienced wonderful food, views, and music, not to mention made a new friend in Jim Parslow, the owner/driver/tour guide extraordinaire. His lifelong residence in the west gave him unique insight that he readily shared, leaving us with the best trip one could imagine. And a special bonus--excellent photos that he took and generously shared. If there were a rating above five stars he and his company would be deserving of it.
Written 17 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for your review, I really appreciate it. Thanks to both of you for being such wonderful customers and being a joy to work with. I too feel that I started with customers and finished with friends. Looking forward to meeting you again sometime, Jim
Written 20 September 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TakeTheJourney
4 contributions
We recently spent four days touring the Connemara region, the Burren, the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. Availing ourselves of the services of Jim Parslow's Ireland West Tours to explore this most beautiful part of the country was the best decision we could have made. Doing so freed us from the hassle and stress of managing the challenging roadways, thus enabling us to relax and enjoy the marvelous scenery. Our guide, Patrick Curran was professional, knowledgeable and courteous--not to mention loads of fun. He anticipated and saw to our every need. Also, the vehicle was in prime condition and immaculate. We will definitely recommend this company to our family friends.
Written 25 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for taking the time to do the review. It is very much appreciated and I'm glad you enjoyed your time with Patrick.
Written 30 May 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jim,
How do I go about getting copies of the pictures you took during our tour? Thanks!
Written 21 July 2018
Jim do you have any availability for Sunday June 17th? We are arriving this afternoon plans changed
Would like to surprise my husband a private tour to the cliffs of Moher and anything else ?
Thanks
Angie
Written 16 June 2018
Sorry.I only became aware of your query now and it's probably too late. You can call me at +35391751910 if it's not too late. Jim
Written 17 June 2018
I tried contacting you through your website contact form two weeks ago and haven't heard back. I would like to book something for myself and my family for the end of May 2018.
Written 15 April 2018
I do apologise but for some strange reason. I don't seem to have received an enquiry from you. If you don't mind, can you send me a copy and I'll reply immediately? Jim Parslow
Written 16 April 2018
Hi Mr. Parslow - We are interested in a private tour around the coast of county Mayo - Lough, Letterfrack, Clifden, Kylemore Abbey, Castlebar Leeanun /Doo Lough Pass to Louisburgh then West to Killeen near the Srahmee Megalith Tomb then Westport. I don't know if this is in the right order but we would like to see ancient ruins, churches and small towns. there will be three of us. What is the cost? I can send you my email if you can send me yours in private. Thanks, Jessica Josephson
Written 19 August 2016
I have tried to contact you through email and have not received a reply. Is there another way to get in touch with you? I haven't had any luck with your phone number either. Thank you!
Written 16 April 2016
Hi, we have had some intermittent problems with our email but it is working again or my landline is 0035391753103 and cell phone is 00353872257339. Apologies for the inconvenience. Jim Parslow
Written 17 April 2016
There would be 5 of us during the period from April 24, 2016 to April 29, 2016. your suggestions? Can you accomodate us together? One of our party would like to go to Galway and include the Aran Islands. Thanks you.
Written 15 January 2016
Hi, just trying to get an idea of cost for a week. There will be 4 adults.
Written 12 July 2015
HI, all our tours are tailor made and there are many permutations. If you could send your email address to me via our website I will be only too pleased to forward you detailed information, Regards, Jim Parslow
Written 13 July 2015
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