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.

Traveling with my husband, adult son and his college friend, we had 2 days in Galway, and only one to go sightseeing outside of town. I booked a day trip with Jim Parslow, and am so glad I did! Jim was punctual, kind, knowledgeable, and very perceptive in his ability to know just what would appeal to us as a group. While Jim did the driving, we were able to see the fantastic scenery, and he kept us entertained with his stories, history, and knowledge. Oh, did I mention he loves to take photographs, so no need for selfies, Jim takes all of the pictures, all you have to do is smile! We went places we never would have found, heard unique stories from people we never would have met, and had a fabulous day! Thank-you Jim, and stay well.

My husband and I just returned from a month long vacation of Ireland and the UK and took many private tours. Jim's full day tour was by far the best of the best! Jim's passion for the area and sense of humor was evident as he shared his knowledge of history and folklore. He knew backroads and magical places that you'd never see a tour bus. He allowed us to set the pace and was so accommodating as I often asked to stop and photograph the amazing scenery. If we had known how wonderful a day with Jim would be, we would have booked another day as well. Book well in advance so you don't miss out on this experience!