First of all, it was a trip of a lifetime and we enjoyed it immensely!  Thank you for your assistance in the scheduling of the trip and coordinating with Hammond, the flight reservations, transportation to and from the airport, etc.  It was all very organized so that we as a group did not have to think, but only enjoy the whole experience.  Our biggest challenge as a group was deciding on where we were gonna eat on the nights it was not part of the schedule, lol.  

We had a reallyy great trip. The hotels were the best. But I have to say that the best part was having John Wheeling as our guide. He was a perfect fit for us and we were sad to leave him when we arrived in Dublin. So thanks for everything and thanks for John Wheeling

I just wanted you to know what a fantastic trip you organized for Corrine and me. The hotels were all wonderful and our drivers Tim and John could not have been more wonderful. Besides telling us all about Scotland and Ireland, our every need was taken care of - including both of them making dinner reservations for us and making sure we got to where we needed to be at all times. They were never late ( in fact, always early) and I cannot speak highly enough about each of them.

Easy to deal with. Quick personal responses to questions. Very helpful information provided.

Just returned home from another amazing trip to Ireland ! Hammond Tours was great to work with , listened to our needs and planned beautiful stays for us! Our driver James Pierce, brother of Tony Pierce , did a fabulous job driving, helping us plan our days, going above and beyond to meet all of our needs and was also a whole lot of fun! Thanks James and to all at Hammond tours for our second perfect trip to Ireland!

So far it has been wonderful, I had a lot of questions and everyone was so helpful, my trip is this weekend 10/4 thru 10/11, would highly recommend your agency!

We have yet to go on, and return from our upcoming tour of Ireland with Kevin McKrell through Hammond Tours. However, communication with Susan has always been answered in a timely fashion. She has been extremely helpful in many aspects of this trip as needed. Also, communication from Susan/Kevin has been as helpful.

I have gone on 2 tours coordinated by Hammond Tours, Scotland in 2023 and Ireland in 2025. Both experiences were excellent!!

Very professional company. Always keeping you informed of all aspects of your trip. Information provided that will make your trip easy to navigate. Would highly recommend Hammond to friends and family.

Thanks for all your help with our Ireland trip!  We had so many amazing adventures. (Even met Bill Murray). Thanks for getting us king beds after our first 2 hotels. Our drivers were all wonderful. Martin did our driving around Ireland and he was fantastic to say the least. Definitely keep him on your “to recommend “ list.

I just wanted to share a quick update on our recent family trip to Ireland. Hard to believe we’ve already been back a month! It was an amazing experience for our group of 15, especially our five grands (ages 6–11), who did great with the travel and time change. The weather was perfect, and we’re so glad we used your service. Sean McGovern – Outstanding in every way: safe driver, gentlemanly, knowledgeable, and incredibly accommodating. He anticipated our needs, gave great advice on food, pacing, and kid-friendly stops, and even researched ideas in advance. My family couldn’t have been happier with him. Hotels – Very good overall. Cork was a pleasant surprise, and Killarney was a great base for Dingle and Kerry. Ennis worked well for a family dinner, though the town was quiet on a Monday. Rooms in a few places were warm due to unusual weather, but no complaints. Highlights – Seeing The High Kings in Killarney, Newgrange (a big hit with the grands), Tarbert ferry, jaunting car + lake cruise, Clonakilty village, Kissane sheepdogs, falconry in Dingle, the Blasket and Burren Centers. Crowds/Reservations – August was much busier than we expected. Scheduling ahead for sites like the Cliffs, Glendalough, and Clonmacnois is essential. Sean managed it all smoothly when needed. Other Notes – We skipped the Ring of Kerry due to timing but enjoyed a relaxed morning in Kenmare, which turned out to be a great choice. Overall, the bus was comfortable, the hotels solid, and Sean invaluable. Most importantly, we had a perfect family trip that we’ll never forget.

I just wanted to let you know that my clients loved their trip, especially John, their private driver. Thank you for helping me look like a rockstar to them!

Tony was absolutely incredible. Thank you for lining him up!!  He made a HUGE difference on this journey. I was sad to say goodbye to him a few minutes ago.Most importantly, please make sure “this” gets to his actual employer.  I think Hammond Tours hired him (or his company), but I don’t think he is directly affiliated with Hammond.  Not sure.  I just want whomever pays Tony to know what an incredible asset and resource he is. Very impressed.

Our trip was, in a word, spectacular!!    I cannot speak highly enough of Alex Paterson.  He was personable, dependable, flexible, knowledgeable and dealt with 6 women with grace and ease!  He was absolutely delightful and incredibly helpful when it came to figuring out what we could actually accomplish each day.  He reviewed our plans for the next day each afternoon when he dropped us off, which allowed us to plan for each day.  He always seemed to be one step ahead of the crowds and the weather (Scottish luck??).  I forgot my purse on the bus one day and he returned immediately to get it back to me, with a smile on his face and a polite joke at my expense (which I fully deserved and made me feel forgiven). We did a great deal of planning for this trip, but without Alex’s knowledge, it would not have been possible to see and capture all that we did.

We just finished our private tour through Ireland through Hammond Tours and we had a fantastic time. Our guide John Whelan was AWESOME. He went out of his way to customize our tour to what our family wanted to do and see. He made reservations for dinner for us , after discussing with us what type of food we would like to eat. He was always willing to help us with luggage, tours and he was always early waiting for us. He really made us feel welcome. Michele and Susan Hammond booked WONDERFUL hotels and a awesome custom itinerary of the cities and what we wanted to do on our vacation. They really customized for us. I highly recommend Hammond Tours and will be using them again in the future.

My family and I had an absolutely amazing experience exploring Ireland with Hammond Tours. A very special thank you goes to our incredible driver, John Whelan. He was truly phenomenal in every aspect of the trip—knowledgeable, kind, funny, and incredibly thoughtful. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, entertained, and getting the most out of our time in Ireland. This trip exceeded all our expectations, and much of that is thanks to John and the excellent team at Hammond Tours. Highly recommend!

I just wanted to let you know John Whelan has been truly an amazing driver/ tour guide. We still have 2 days left with him and he has been truly AWESOME  !

Trip of a lifetime!! Everything was perfect. Amazing itinerary. Amazing hotels. Amazing tour guide!! Scotland is gorgeous. People are so nice. Lovely countryside. Rich in history. Couldn’t ask for more!

Our trip to Ireland through Hammond Tours was fantastic! Our driver/guide Patrick Foley made our visit a memorable experience especially when he shared his personality, jokes, songs, stories, and historical knowledge of Ireland. Patrick went above and beyond to accommodate us on our private tour. I highly recommend Patrick Foley and Hammond Tours!

Just returned from a private tour of Ireland. Our driver/guide Patrick Foley was excellent. His knowledge, personality and PATIENCE with all of us was top notch! I would recommend him for any future Hammond tours!

Just returned from our trip to Ireland through Hammond Tours. It was an amazing experience, made even better by our tour guide/driver, Patrick Foley. He anticipated our needs, and he made suggestions and reservations when needed. Patrick was extremely knowledgeable and shared many facts, stories and songs with us. He knew each of our names and asked our opinions on all of our experiences. I’m sure he will use that information for future tours. I would highly recommend Hammond for the way the trip was laid out, allowing us to see so much of Ireland. I would especially urge anyone to request Patrick as their guide/driver.

Just returned from our Hammond tour of Ireland it was an amazing adventure with great friends and made more amazing with our tour guide Patrick Foley !!🇮🇪

We just returned from our wonderful trip to Ireland and I can't thank Hammond Tours enough. We were so blessed to have Patrick Foley as our personal guide. Patrick made our experience so enjoyable with his deep knowledge and history of the various places we visited. He was always sharing jokes, singing and even was a big help with our dinner reservations in the various cities we visited. He was, besides the beautiful countryside, the best part of my fabulous vacation. Big shout out to Patrick and I highly recommend anyone traveling in the near future to Ireland to ask for his availability. Thanks again to all who made our trip a beautiful memory

I participated in a private tour of Ireland with Hammond tours. Our guide was Patrick Foley and he was excellent! His knowledge of the territory was amazing. He was more than simply a tour guide ...he entertained us with his jokes and singing as well as helping us with dinner reservations! Highly recommend this tour and guide!

This was a bucket list trip for us and a wonderful trip. Our driver/guide Deirdre was delightful in every way and a perfect fit for us. Since it was a private tour, she adjusted some stops and sightseeing that were more to our interests. It was a demanding schedule (which we anticipated) and although we would have liked a more leisurely pace, we would not have seen as much of the country as we did. Hammond was easy to work with and most properties exceeded expectations with a couple of exceptions.

We had a wonderful trip. All arrangements were top quality. Our driver/ was awesome! By the end we felt like he was a family member. Thank you for facilitating a trip of a lifetime for my family. Words cannot describe how emotional and meaningful it was to visit the home of our ancestors Hammond tours. The best!

Hammond Tours helped our group before and during our trip from providing suggestions where to go and making suggestions during our trip. Drivers were professional, amenities were top notch! Would use them again, and suggest you should too!

The tour was well-planned and was flexible when it needed to be because of weather. The places visited were a good cross section of the country. We also met some wonderful fellow travelers. It was great to be a part of this tour!! There were two issues that subtracted from the tour experience for us. 1. Manuela talked all the time. While she was EXTREMELY knowledgeable, she needs to learn that her listeners need time to NOT listen to her. I would say 30% less, at least. 2. Not enough down time. We would arrive to our accommodations late in the day. Then up and out the next morning, arriving back at the accommodations late in the day. Have dinner and get up the next morning to go to the next hotel location late in the day. We didn't get to experience the locations where we were staying. This is a very big shortfall because we go to a country to experience the people and culture. The only people we got to experience were the ones who were waiting on us at meals, or those taking our admissions, or those working at the hotels. This was a HUGE deficiency in the tour. People need time to stroll the streets of town around the hotels.

Susan/Michelle/Joe- all were so helpful and offered wonderful recommendations. Their driver Tony was exceptional and couldn't say enough wonderful things about him. Thank you for everything and I look forward to booking with you again. McCabe private driver -18SEP-27SEP,2024

The Altan tour was simply amazing. Facilities were first class, the tour driver was fantastic and most importantly, Altan played amazing Irish music and were personable, approachable and made sure everyone had a great time. The bus was comfortable, the included meals were great, and the hotels first class. Gweedore was a true cultural experience. My wife and I had a great trip. First time doing this kind of tour and we were thrilled with our experience.

Jimmy Kelly was an amazing tour guide and driver. He was so knowledgeable of Ireland and every area we visited. He was extremely helpful with recommending places to visit and eat. He was flexible with itinerary changes. Highly recommend and will definitely use him when we explore the other half of Ireland.

The Altan Tour of Ireland was fantastic. All promises were kept, all expectations were met or exceeded. The driver/guide, the entertainment, the venues were all outstanding. Lifelong memories! My only suggestion is that people who don't like group tours should not go on one. A group tour means you turn over control to the tour group leader. Due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, there might be variations in the itinerary. If you don't like or agree with the group leader's choices, others on the tour don't want to spend any portion of their vacation listening to your complaints.

Well pleased with all Hammond Tours did to make our trip to Scotland possible.

I had a wonderful time. I found the whole experience to be professional and well run. Our tour coordinators, here - Sue, and in Ireland - Jimmy Kelly - made everything smooth and easy.

I wanted to take a movement to thank you and Hammond Tours team for incredible help you provided arranging and handling bespoke Ireland tour for our very important client.  He loved the tour and was very happy choice of hotels and overall itinerary. Most important as he stated were people, especially their driver, who was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and discrete. Client referred to tours they had as amazing and memorable! As a travel agent, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a DMC company with expertise, flexibility and a real sense of partnership, which I have always found in Hammond Tours.  We had a really short notice to plan this tour, and a few changes along the way, however - everything has been handled without any delays or errors.   Again, greatly appreciate all your help with this tour and look forward to planning new trips for our clients.

We had a wonderful trip!!! Our transportation and tour with Jimmy Kelly was exceptional. We planned our departure for 9:30 each morning which allowed us not to feel rushed. Jimmy would check on us at breakfast each day. He provided opportunities that catered to each person’s interest. We always felt safe (even someone who is usually a very poor passenger). We were able to pick and choose which activities that we wanted which is a great benefit over a larger tour. Planning was easy, appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with a Hammond tour contact. Got great guidance for attractions and activities. Benefit of having a pool of information from others who had experience traveling in Ireland.

My family and I just returned from our first trip to Ireland, during which we were fortunate enough to have Finbarr Daly as a driver and tour guide. He was professional and courteous, extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. He gave us great tips as to which attractions to see, how to arrange our schedule around weather and to avoid crowds, and gave us history lessons and local information throughout. It was wonderful not having to stress about driving and knowing we were in good hands. Thank you, Finbarr. You made our vacation exceptional.

We recently returned from a 12 day trip to Scotland with our daughters and their spouses, and wanted to thank you for arranging our tour with the Distinguished Gentlemen of Scotland. Our driver Alex Paterson was so accommodating, extremely knowledgeable, and fun. I had done some genealogy research prior to coming to Scotland and Alex was able to locate and visit a church outside of Inverness where my 5th great grandmother was baptized! One of the many highlights or our trip. Can’t say enough about this “Distinguished Scottish Gentleman”. Thank you Alex, Macphail Coaches, Michele Hammond and KCB Travel for making this a family trip of a lifetime. Nan and Jerry Dowless, Carrie and Jeff Winter and Amy and Mike Harrison

First time traveling outside of the US. Hammond took care of everything. It was a wonderful experience. I will travel with Hammond Tours again.

I organized a trip to Ireland with my husband and 12 friends. We originally planned to go just as COVID hit and the trip was rescheduled several times. Farrah and Susan with Hammond Tours helped us along the way. When we finally did go in October 2023, the trip had been tweaked and changed as well. Hammond was incredibly responsive which made it easy for me to coordinate with a large group. The hotels they recommended were all just what we wanted. We wanted walkable hotels in the center of each town. Our rooms were all lovely and the staff were welcoming and helpful. We lucked out and had really good weather much of the time which made the day trips much more enjoyable. I felt we were able to explore and enjoy each stop along the way. If I had to do it again, I would have kept the schedule a little less busy so we could take in each stop. I did speak with our driver along the way and asked him to edit some of our stops and slow down so we could enjoy more of each spot, Cork, Killarney, etc. My favorite spots were Cork (we got a little taste of Jazz Fest) and Killarney. We all loved Cliffs of Moher. We spent the last evening at Dromoland Castle. The weather was perfect and we all wished we had had a little more time there. Dromoland and their staff was the true highlight of our trip. Thank you Hammond for helping us build the trip of a lifetime. I have shared information with several friends planning a trip to Ireland. Thank you!!!

Great help with planning. Well run and organized trip with a wonderful private driver.

Absolutely amazing, Jewels of England it was. Very knowledgeable guide, great drivers, fun singalongs with Greg. Great company of fellow sojourners, good food. A lot of walking, but it would be difficult to see soo much without walking. We even located some Tamblins for Greg. Really great experience. Thank you for putting it together.

Amazing Trip every aspect was planned with the comfort and enjoyment of the guest in mind. We have now done this trip twice and would not do with anyone else!

Everything ran smoothly, and our guide was great!

The tour of Ireland setup by Hammond was outstanding! The collaboration when creating the itinerary was excellent and we received great input and options from Farah and the Hammond team to maximize the experience. Once in country we had a fantastic adventure and the knowledge of the areas and the flexibility of Brenden our driver guide optimized each day around what we wanted to see and experience. Would definitely recommend Hammond Tours for your vacation!

Farah has been outstanding to work with! She is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. I have also had rave reviews from clients on her recommendations.

We loved our trip to Irelend and Scotland that you planned for us. It was truly an unforgettable trip. Everything was perfect. We loved that we had an itinerary, but we were able to modify and deviate if we wanted to add something else in. Our drivers were so knowledgeable, professional yet easy going. All our accommodations were conveniently located, clean and comfortable. Everything was truly spectacular! Thank you for making it so easy and enjoyable for us.

This is the second time we've used Farah at Hammond, and she did a spectacular job of booking the kind of accommodations we enjoy. But the best part of the trip to Scotland was our driver/guide, Alex Paterson! He was always prompt in picking us up, in fact always early! His guidance in planning where to take us, what attractions to show us, and his advice was welcome and spot-on. He had a great sense of humor, and a deep knowledge of his country. His story telling was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Thank you so much for the opportunity to travel Scotland with Alex!

Our recent trip arranged by Farah, was absolutely flawless. We loved our driver Philip O'Neil, who was so knowledgeable and cheerful, made for the best possible tour. We loved the hotels, especially enjoyed the lively Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, and both of the Fitzwilliam Hotels. Thank you for a lovely vacation.

Overall our trip was wonderful! We loved Ireland, the Irish people and the places and sites we visited. We liked both our driver(s) as well (Tony and John). And we greatly appreciated how Hammond Tours worked with us over the pandemic - our tour previously purchased for May of 2020 had to be postponed until October of 2022. Hammond carried over our full purchase price as a credit toward a subsequent booking. However, the execution of tour did not seem well planned by Hammond: There seemed to be a disconnect between Hammond Tours and our driver (who we learned did not work directly for Hammond but a separate coach company). We booked a private tour for a party of 8. The first item on the itinerary created for us by Hammond was to drive from Dublin to Aughrim for a 6k hike. As we were loading the luggage into the van after meeting our driver in Dublin, our driver asked us where in Aughrim we had planned to hike. We explained to him that Hammond Tours planned the entire tour for us and that we did not know where we were to hike. We told him as our tour guide we assumed he’d know. Because he didn’t know where we were supposed to hike in Aughrim, he took us to Glendalough instead, which we all enjoyed. Our understanding was that we would have a private tour and our driver would act as a guide along the way. On the first day our driver pretty much just drove. On day two we encourage him to tell us information about Ireland, or places we drove by instead of just driving the van. It did not appear he was expected to do this, but towards the end of the second day he started to pass on the information he knew. Unfortunately, the van was not designed for him to provide information while he drove. The van was equipped with a hand-held microphone (left hand), but the van had a manual transmission (left hand) and with the winding roads in Ireland our driver was required to shift gears frequently. In addition, the microphone cord would get tangled around the stick shift. While he could talk to the guests in the front rows without the mic, those in the middle or back of the van could not hear him. So he was only able to tell all of us things about Ireland when we stopped at a site. By day three he was volunteering information as frequently as he could. We greatly appreciated it! The itinerary had us zigzagging all over Southern Ireland. Even our driver thought our itinerary seemed very inefficient, resulting in a lot of time spent in the van, going across parts of the country three different times. Lastly, our first driver had another commitment on the last day of our tour and was not able to be our driver the last day. While this was known since the start of the trip, a new driver was not secured until 10 pm the evening before the last day of the trip. Until then we were unsure of a ride from Galway to Dublin. Perhaps Hammond had trouble hiring personnel (same as in the US) so they had to contract drivers and no one was available to set expectations. Perhaps hotels were not available in the cities on the nights needed to make a more efficient route. In the end we still loved the trip but felt Hammond Tours could have done better with the execution of the trip.

First of all, it was a trip of a lifetime and we enjoyed it immensely!  Thank you for your assistance in the scheduling of the trip and coordinating with Hammond, the flight reservations, transportation to and from the airport, etc.  It was all very organized so that we as a group did not have to think, but only enjoy the whole experience.  Our biggest challenge as a group was deciding on where we were gonna eat on the nights it was not part of the schedule, lol.  

We had a reallyy great trip. The hotels were the best. But I have to say that the best part was having John Wheeling as our guide. He was a perfect fit for us and we were sad to leave him when we arrived in Dublin. So thanks for everything and thanks for John Wheeling

I just wanted you to know what a fantastic trip you organized for Corrine and me. The hotels were all wonderful and our drivers Tim and John could not have been more wonderful. Besides telling us all about Scotland and Ireland, our every need was taken care of - including both of them making dinner reservations for us and making sure we got to where we needed to be at all times. They were never late ( in fact, always early) and I cannot speak highly enough about each of them.

Easy to deal with. Quick personal responses to questions. Very helpful information provided.

Just returned home from another amazing trip to Ireland ! Hammond Tours was great to work with , listened to our needs and planned beautiful stays for us! Our driver James Pierce, brother of Tony Pierce , did a fabulous job driving, helping us plan our days, going above and beyond to meet all of our needs and was also a whole lot of fun! Thanks James and to all at Hammond tours for our second perfect trip to Ireland!

So far it has been wonderful, I had a lot of questions and everyone was so helpful, my trip is this weekend 10/4 thru 10/11, would highly recommend your agency!

We have yet to go on, and return from our upcoming tour of Ireland with Kevin McKrell through Hammond Tours. However, communication with Susan has always been answered in a timely fashion. She has been extremely helpful in many aspects of this trip as needed. Also, communication from Susan/Kevin has been as helpful.

I have gone on 2 tours coordinated by Hammond Tours, Scotland in 2023 and Ireland in 2025. Both experiences were excellent!!

Very professional company. Always keeping you informed of all aspects of your trip. Information provided that will make your trip easy to navigate. Would highly recommend Hammond to friends and family.

Thanks for all your help with our Ireland trip!  We had so many amazing adventures. (Even met Bill Murray). Thanks for getting us king beds after our first 2 hotels. Our drivers were all wonderful. Martin did our driving around Ireland and he was fantastic to say the least. Definitely keep him on your “to recommend “ list.

I just wanted to share a quick update on our recent family trip to Ireland. Hard to believe we’ve already been back a month! It was an amazing experience for our group of 15, especially our five grands (ages 6–11), who did great with the travel and time change. The weather was perfect, and we’re so glad we used your service. Sean McGovern – Outstanding in every way: safe driver, gentlemanly, knowledgeable, and incredibly accommodating. He anticipated our needs, gave great advice on food, pacing, and kid-friendly stops, and even researched ideas in advance. My family couldn’t have been happier with him. Hotels – Very good overall. Cork was a pleasant surprise, and Killarney was a great base for Dingle and Kerry. Ennis worked well for a family dinner, though the town was quiet on a Monday. Rooms in a few places were warm due to unusual weather, but no complaints. Highlights – Seeing The High Kings in Killarney, Newgrange (a big hit with the grands), Tarbert ferry, jaunting car + lake cruise, Clonakilty village, Kissane sheepdogs, falconry in Dingle, the Blasket and Burren Centers. Crowds/Reservations – August was much busier than we expected. Scheduling ahead for sites like the Cliffs, Glendalough, and Clonmacnois is essential. Sean managed it all smoothly when needed. Other Notes – We skipped the Ring of Kerry due to timing but enjoyed a relaxed morning in Kenmare, which turned out to be a great choice. Overall, the bus was comfortable, the hotels solid, and Sean invaluable. Most importantly, we had a perfect family trip that we’ll never forget.

I just wanted to let you know that my clients loved their trip, especially John, their private driver. Thank you for helping me look like a rockstar to them!

Tony was absolutely incredible. Thank you for lining him up!!  He made a HUGE difference on this journey. I was sad to say goodbye to him a few minutes ago.Most importantly, please make sure “this” gets to his actual employer.  I think Hammond Tours hired him (or his company), but I don’t think he is directly affiliated with Hammond.  Not sure.  I just want whomever pays Tony to know what an incredible asset and resource he is. Very impressed.

Our trip was, in a word, spectacular!!    I cannot speak highly enough of Alex Paterson.  He was personable, dependable, flexible, knowledgeable and dealt with 6 women with grace and ease!  He was absolutely delightful and incredibly helpful when it came to figuring out what we could actually accomplish each day.  He reviewed our plans for the next day each afternoon when he dropped us off, which allowed us to plan for each day.  He always seemed to be one step ahead of the crowds and the weather (Scottish luck??).  I forgot my purse on the bus one day and he returned immediately to get it back to me, with a smile on his face and a polite joke at my expense (which I fully deserved and made me feel forgiven). We did a great deal of planning for this trip, but without Alex’s knowledge, it would not have been possible to see and capture all that we did.

We just finished our private tour through Ireland through Hammond Tours and we had a fantastic time. Our guide John Whelan was AWESOME. He went out of his way to customize our tour to what our family wanted to do and see. He made reservations for dinner for us , after discussing with us what type of food we would like to eat. He was always willing to help us with luggage, tours and he was always early waiting for us. He really made us feel welcome. Michele and Susan Hammond booked WONDERFUL hotels and a awesome custom itinerary of the cities and what we wanted to do on our vacation. They really customized for us. I highly recommend Hammond Tours and will be using them again in the future.

My family and I had an absolutely amazing experience exploring Ireland with Hammond Tours. A very special thank you goes to our incredible driver, John Whelan. He was truly phenomenal in every aspect of the trip—knowledgeable, kind, funny, and incredibly thoughtful. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, entertained, and getting the most out of our time in Ireland. This trip exceeded all our expectations, and much of that is thanks to John and the excellent team at Hammond Tours. Highly recommend!

I just wanted to let you know John Whelan has been truly an amazing driver/ tour guide. We still have 2 days left with him and he has been truly AWESOME  !

Trip of a lifetime!! Everything was perfect. Amazing itinerary. Amazing hotels. Amazing tour guide!! Scotland is gorgeous. People are so nice. Lovely countryside. Rich in history. Couldn’t ask for more!

Our trip to Ireland through Hammond Tours was fantastic! Our driver/guide Patrick Foley made our visit a memorable experience especially when he shared his personality, jokes, songs, stories, and historical knowledge of Ireland. Patrick went above and beyond to accommodate us on our private tour. I highly recommend Patrick Foley and Hammond Tours!

Just returned from a private tour of Ireland. Our driver/guide Patrick Foley was excellent. His knowledge, personality and PATIENCE with all of us was top notch! I would recommend him for any future Hammond tours!

Just returned from our trip to Ireland through Hammond Tours. It was an amazing experience, made even better by our tour guide/driver, Patrick Foley. He anticipated our needs, and he made suggestions and reservations when needed. Patrick was extremely knowledgeable and shared many facts, stories and songs with us. He knew each of our names and asked our opinions on all of our experiences. I’m sure he will use that information for future tours. I would highly recommend Hammond for the way the trip was laid out, allowing us to see so much of Ireland. I would especially urge anyone to request Patrick as their guide/driver.

Just returned from our Hammond tour of Ireland it was an amazing adventure with great friends and made more amazing with our tour guide Patrick Foley !!🇮🇪

We just returned from our wonderful trip to Ireland and I can't thank Hammond Tours enough. We were so blessed to have Patrick Foley as our personal guide. Patrick made our experience so enjoyable with his deep knowledge and history of the various places we visited. He was always sharing jokes, singing and even was a big help with our dinner reservations in the various cities we visited. He was, besides the beautiful countryside, the best part of my fabulous vacation. Big shout out to Patrick and I highly recommend anyone traveling in the near future to Ireland to ask for his availability. Thanks again to all who made our trip a beautiful memory

I participated in a private tour of Ireland with Hammond tours. Our guide was Patrick Foley and he was excellent! His knowledge of the territory was amazing. He was more than simply a tour guide ...he entertained us with his jokes and singing as well as helping us with dinner reservations! Highly recommend this tour and guide!

This was a bucket list trip for us and a wonderful trip. Our driver/guide Deirdre was delightful in every way and a perfect fit for us. Since it was a private tour, she adjusted some stops and sightseeing that were more to our interests. It was a demanding schedule (which we anticipated) and although we would have liked a more leisurely pace, we would not have seen as much of the country as we did. Hammond was easy to work with and most properties exceeded expectations with a couple of exceptions.

We had a wonderful trip. All arrangements were top quality. Our driver/ was awesome! By the end we felt like he was a family member. Thank you for facilitating a trip of a lifetime for my family. Words cannot describe how emotional and meaningful it was to visit the home of our ancestors Hammond tours. The best!

Hammond Tours helped our group before and during our trip from providing suggestions where to go and making suggestions during our trip. Drivers were professional, amenities were top notch! Would use them again, and suggest you should too!

The tour was well-planned and was flexible when it needed to be because of weather. The places visited were a good cross section of the country. We also met some wonderful fellow travelers. It was great to be a part of this tour!! There were two issues that subtracted from the tour experience for us. 1. Manuela talked all the time. While she was EXTREMELY knowledgeable, she needs to learn that her listeners need time to NOT listen to her. I would say 30% less, at least. 2. Not enough down time. We would arrive to our accommodations late in the day. Then up and out the next morning, arriving back at the accommodations late in the day. Have dinner and get up the next morning to go to the next hotel location late in the day. We didn't get to experience the locations where we were staying. This is a very big shortfall because we go to a country to experience the people and culture. The only people we got to experience were the ones who were waiting on us at meals, or those taking our admissions, or those working at the hotels. This was a HUGE deficiency in the tour. People need time to stroll the streets of town around the hotels.

Susan/Michelle/Joe- all were so helpful and offered wonderful recommendations. Their driver Tony was exceptional and couldn't say enough wonderful things about him. Thank you for everything and I look forward to booking with you again. McCabe private driver -18SEP-27SEP,2024

The Altan tour was simply amazing. Facilities were first class, the tour driver was fantastic and most importantly, Altan played amazing Irish music and were personable, approachable and made sure everyone had a great time. The bus was comfortable, the included meals were great, and the hotels first class. Gweedore was a true cultural experience. My wife and I had a great trip. First time doing this kind of tour and we were thrilled with our experience.

Jimmy Kelly was an amazing tour guide and driver. He was so knowledgeable of Ireland and every area we visited. He was extremely helpful with recommending places to visit and eat. He was flexible with itinerary changes. Highly recommend and will definitely use him when we explore the other half of Ireland.

The Altan Tour of Ireland was fantastic. All promises were kept, all expectations were met or exceeded. The driver/guide, the entertainment, the venues were all outstanding. Lifelong memories! My only suggestion is that people who don't like group tours should not go on one. A group tour means you turn over control to the tour group leader. Due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, there might be variations in the itinerary. If you don't like or agree with the group leader's choices, others on the tour don't want to spend any portion of their vacation listening to your complaints.

Well pleased with all Hammond Tours did to make our trip to Scotland possible.

I had a wonderful time. I found the whole experience to be professional and well run. Our tour coordinators, here - Sue, and in Ireland - Jimmy Kelly - made everything smooth and easy.

I wanted to take a movement to thank you and Hammond Tours team for incredible help you provided arranging and handling bespoke Ireland tour for our very important client.  He loved the tour and was very happy choice of hotels and overall itinerary. Most important as he stated were people, especially their driver, who was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and discrete. Client referred to tours they had as amazing and memorable! As a travel agent, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a DMC company with expertise, flexibility and a real sense of partnership, which I have always found in Hammond Tours.  We had a really short notice to plan this tour, and a few changes along the way, however - everything has been handled without any delays or errors.   Again, greatly appreciate all your help with this tour and look forward to planning new trips for our clients.

We had a wonderful trip!!! Our transportation and tour with Jimmy Kelly was exceptional. We planned our departure for 9:30 each morning which allowed us not to feel rushed. Jimmy would check on us at breakfast each day. He provided opportunities that catered to each person’s interest. We always felt safe (even someone who is usually a very poor passenger). We were able to pick and choose which activities that we wanted which is a great benefit over a larger tour. Planning was easy, appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with a Hammond tour contact. Got great guidance for attractions and activities. Benefit of having a pool of information from others who had experience traveling in Ireland.

My family and I just returned from our first trip to Ireland, during which we were fortunate enough to have Finbarr Daly as a driver and tour guide. He was professional and courteous, extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. He gave us great tips as to which attractions to see, how to arrange our schedule around weather and to avoid crowds, and gave us history lessons and local information throughout. It was wonderful not having to stress about driving and knowing we were in good hands. Thank you, Finbarr. You made our vacation exceptional.

We recently returned from a 12 day trip to Scotland with our daughters and their spouses, and wanted to thank you for arranging our tour with the Distinguished Gentlemen of Scotland. Our driver Alex Paterson was so accommodating, extremely knowledgeable, and fun. I had done some genealogy research prior to coming to Scotland and Alex was able to locate and visit a church outside of Inverness where my 5th great grandmother was baptized! One of the many highlights or our trip. Can’t say enough about this “Distinguished Scottish Gentleman”. Thank you Alex, Macphail Coaches, Michele Hammond and KCB Travel for making this a family trip of a lifetime. Nan and Jerry Dowless, Carrie and Jeff Winter and Amy and Mike Harrison

First time traveling outside of the US. Hammond took care of everything. It was a wonderful experience. I will travel with Hammond Tours again.

I organized a trip to Ireland with my husband and 12 friends. We originally planned to go just as COVID hit and the trip was rescheduled several times. Farrah and Susan with Hammond Tours helped us along the way. When we finally did go in October 2023, the trip had been tweaked and changed as well. Hammond was incredibly responsive which made it easy for me to coordinate with a large group. The hotels they recommended were all just what we wanted. We wanted walkable hotels in the center of each town. Our rooms were all lovely and the staff were welcoming and helpful. We lucked out and had really good weather much of the time which made the day trips much more enjoyable. I felt we were able to explore and enjoy each stop along the way. If I had to do it again, I would have kept the schedule a little less busy so we could take in each stop. I did speak with our driver along the way and asked him to edit some of our stops and slow down so we could enjoy more of each spot, Cork, Killarney, etc. My favorite spots were Cork (we got a little taste of Jazz Fest) and Killarney. We all loved Cliffs of Moher. We spent the last evening at Dromoland Castle. The weather was perfect and we all wished we had had a little more time there. Dromoland and their staff was the true highlight of our trip. Thank you Hammond for helping us build the trip of a lifetime. I have shared information with several friends planning a trip to Ireland. Thank you!!!

Great help with planning. Well run and organized trip with a wonderful private driver.

Absolutely amazing, Jewels of England it was. Very knowledgeable guide, great drivers, fun singalongs with Greg. Great company of fellow sojourners, good food. A lot of walking, but it would be difficult to see soo much without walking. We even located some Tamblins for Greg. Really great experience. Thank you for putting it together.

Amazing Trip every aspect was planned with the comfort and enjoyment of the guest in mind. We have now done this trip twice and would not do with anyone else!

Everything ran smoothly, and our guide was great!

The tour of Ireland setup by Hammond was outstanding! The collaboration when creating the itinerary was excellent and we received great input and options from Farah and the Hammond team to maximize the experience. Once in country we had a fantastic adventure and the knowledge of the areas and the flexibility of Brenden our driver guide optimized each day around what we wanted to see and experience. Would definitely recommend Hammond Tours for your vacation!

Farah has been outstanding to work with! She is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. I have also had rave reviews from clients on her recommendations.

We loved our trip to Irelend and Scotland that you planned for us. It was truly an unforgettable trip. Everything was perfect. We loved that we had an itinerary, but we were able to modify and deviate if we wanted to add something else in. Our drivers were so knowledgeable, professional yet easy going. All our accommodations were conveniently located, clean and comfortable. Everything was truly spectacular! Thank you for making it so easy and enjoyable for us.

This is the second time we've used Farah at Hammond, and she did a spectacular job of booking the kind of accommodations we enjoy. But the best part of the trip to Scotland was our driver/guide, Alex Paterson! He was always prompt in picking us up, in fact always early! His guidance in planning where to take us, what attractions to show us, and his advice was welcome and spot-on. He had a great sense of humor, and a deep knowledge of his country. His story telling was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Thank you so much for the opportunity to travel Scotland with Alex!

Our recent trip arranged by Farah, was absolutely flawless. We loved our driver Philip O'Neil, who was so knowledgeable and cheerful, made for the best possible tour. We loved the hotels, especially enjoyed the lively Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, and both of the Fitzwilliam Hotels. Thank you for a lovely vacation.

Overall our trip was wonderful! We loved Ireland, the Irish people and the places and sites we visited. We liked both our driver(s) as well (Tony and John). And we greatly appreciated how Hammond Tours worked with us over the pandemic - our tour previously purchased for May of 2020 had to be postponed until October of 2022. Hammond carried over our full purchase price as a credit toward a subsequent booking. However, the execution of tour did not seem well planned by Hammond: There seemed to be a disconnect between Hammond Tours and our driver (who we learned did not work directly for Hammond but a separate coach company). We booked a private tour for a party of 8. The first item on the itinerary created for us by Hammond was to drive from Dublin to Aughrim for a 6k hike. As we were loading the luggage into the van after meeting our driver in Dublin, our driver asked us where in Aughrim we had planned to hike. We explained to him that Hammond Tours planned the entire tour for us and that we did not know where we were to hike. We told him as our tour guide we assumed he’d know. Because he didn’t know where we were supposed to hike in Aughrim, he took us to Glendalough instead, which we all enjoyed. Our understanding was that we would have a private tour and our driver would act as a guide along the way. On the first day our driver pretty much just drove. On day two we encourage him to tell us information about Ireland, or places we drove by instead of just driving the van. It did not appear he was expected to do this, but towards the end of the second day he started to pass on the information he knew. Unfortunately, the van was not designed for him to provide information while he drove. The van was equipped with a hand-held microphone (left hand), but the van had a manual transmission (left hand) and with the winding roads in Ireland our driver was required to shift gears frequently. In addition, the microphone cord would get tangled around the stick shift. While he could talk to the guests in the front rows without the mic, those in the middle or back of the van could not hear him. So he was only able to tell all of us things about Ireland when we stopped at a site. By day three he was volunteering information as frequently as he could. We greatly appreciated it! The itinerary had us zigzagging all over Southern Ireland. Even our driver thought our itinerary seemed very inefficient, resulting in a lot of time spent in the van, going across parts of the country three different times. Lastly, our first driver had another commitment on the last day of our tour and was not able to be our driver the last day. While this was known since the start of the trip, a new driver was not secured until 10 pm the evening before the last day of the trip. Until then we were unsure of a ride from Galway to Dublin. Perhaps Hammond had trouble hiring personnel (same as in the US) so they had to contract drivers and no one was available to set expectations. Perhaps hotels were not available in the cities on the nights needed to make a more efficient route. In the end we still loved the trip but felt Hammond Tours could have done better with the execution of the trip.