California, Central Coast, Destinations, USA

The Complete Hearst Castle Guide: What You Need to Know Before Your Visit

Hearst Castle is one of those destinations that should be on everyone’s California travel bucket list. 

Built between 1919 and 1947, the San Simeon hilltop property boasts intricately designed buildings that are filled with William Randolph Hearst’s expansive collection of art and historic artifacts that span cultures and time periods (this includes ancient Egyptian statues that are over 3000 years old!). The complex also features beautiful landscaping and gardens, and two famous (and over-the-top) pools. 

​​ This Hearst Castle guide is designed to go over everything you need to know to plan a successful visit. I’ll talk through how to choose the best tour for your interests, as well as how to schedule your day. 

An oversized pool surrounded by Greek-inspired columns and architecture at Hearst Castle
Dense fog covering the exterior of Hearst Castle and a variety of palm trees
The indoor pool at Hearst Castle, which is detailed with intricate gold and blue tiling
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Is Hearst Castle Worth Visiting?

Hearst Castle is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you’re planning a quick Cambria getaway or a Pacific Coast Highway road trip through California’s Central Coast. The property is absurdly opulent and chock-full of fascinating history. Beyond that, the tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable and interesting – I promise you’ll be fully engaged throughout the entire tour! 

Read my guide on what to do in Cambria and San Simeon to help you plan the rest of your trip!

Quick Hearst Castle Tips

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you are planning your Hearst Castle visit:

  • Food is not allowed on the tour, but you can bring water. You can enjoy your food at the visitor center (there is also a cafeteria on site if you need to purchase food).
  • Tour tickets should be booked in advance online. Reservations do book up (especially during peak seasons!), so book your tickets ASAP.
  • Most tours require you to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to your tour start time to check in and load the shuttle. Plan accordingly!
  • The Hearst Castle Visitor Center includes a small museum that dives into more details on the history of the property. This is where you can also watch the 40-minute Building the Dream movie (which is screened every 45 minutes starting at 9am). 

Hearst Castle Tours: Which Is Best?

The Grand Rooms tour is considered to be one of the best tours at Hearst Castle for first-time visitors. On this tour, you’ll see the iconic Neptune Pool and Roman Pool, and other extravagant spaces on the property (including the billiards room – a personal favorite). 

If you only have time to do one tour, the Grand Rooms tour is the one to do! Note that this tour takes a much larger group than the other daily tours of the property.

If you end up doing more than one tour (which I recommend if you can!), I suggest starting with the Grand Rooms tour – it gives a great overview of William Randolph Hearst and the history of the property. 

The dining hall at Hearst Castle. There is a long table, and multi-colored flags on either side.
A billiards table in front of a tapestry and intricate tile detailing at Hearst Castle
A living space in Hearst Castle filled with artifacts, including a marble sculpture and oversized tapestries on the walls

The Grand Rooms Tour

After the Grand Rooms tour, two of the most popular tours are the Upstairs Suites tour and the Cottages & Kitchens tour. I’ve personally done the Upstairs Suites tour (along with the Grand Rooms tour), and enjoyed getting a closer look at the ornate private living spaces within the castle. 

Another tour is the Designing the Dream Tour, which goes into more detail on the planning and construction of the property over nearly three decades. 

Note that all four of the above tours take visitors to the two famous pools on the property. They are also the four tours that are available on a daily basis, and the tickets come with admission to the Building the Dream movie at the visitor center. 

Beyond these four daily tours, there are a variety of other more specialized (and longer) tours that are hosted less frequently. This includes the Julia Morgan tour (dedicated to the work of the castle’s architect) and the evening Art Under the Moonlight tour, as well as seasonal holiday tours. 

A bedroom in Hearst Castle featuring a four post bed and an intricate wooden ceiling
A library in Hearst Castle featuring arched ceilings
A sitting room in Hearst Castle with blue drapery on the walls

The Upstairs Suites Tour

How Long are Hearst Castle Tours?

The four daily Hearst Castle tours last 70 to 75 minutes, and the specialized tours are longer. 

Note that the listed tour time does not include the shuttle ride time. The shuttle boards five minutes before the official start of the tour time, and then leaves promptly at the tour start time. The shuttle ride from the visitor center to Hearst Castle is just under 15-minutes long. 

Once you actually arrive at the castle, the tour begins. If you’ve booked a 70-minute tour at 9am, the shuttle will depart at 9am. You’ll get to the castle right around 9:15am, and then the 70-minute tour will start. 

With this in mind, the full experience for one of the daily tours will last about an hour and 40 minutes, including the shuttle ride up to the castle and back down.

Can You Stay on the Property Between Tours? 

Unfortunately, guests cannot stay at the Hearst Castle property after a tour, even if they’ll be doing more than one tour. You will be led back to the shuttle right after your tour, and will need to re-board another shuttle five minutes before your next tour starts. 

It’s not super convenient, but the silver lining is that the ride up is incredibly beautiful! 

How Much Time Do You Need Between Tours at Hearst Castle?

You don’t need to give yourself too much time between tours, but you do need to keep the extra shuttle ride time in mind! 

If your first tour is at 9am (and is 70-minutes long), you’ll be arriving back at the visitor center right around 10:40am. I recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes between the end of a tour and the next start time to take a snack break and go to the bathroom (and to give yourself a small buffer in case the first tour runs overtime!). 

Keeping that in mind, with a first tour ending at 10:40am, I’d suggest not doing the next tour any sooner than 11:10am. If you end up having down time between tours, you can check out the exhibits at the visitor center. 

Can You Go to Hearst Castle Without a Tour?

Unfortunately, guests are not allowed to visit Hearst Castle without a tour, and are unable to roam the property without a guide. Your only way to visit is to book a tour!

Here are some guides on Cambria and the greater Central Coast area to help you plan your trip: 

Posted In: California, Central Coast, Destinations, USA

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Kyra is the founder of Sea to Sequoia, a site she launched in 2020. As a type A traveler who loves to extensively research destinations to create the perfect vacation itinerary, she’s here to help readers so that their travel planning process is as easy as possible. In addition to running this site, she is a professional content writer in the wellness and skincare spaces, and also works as an actress.

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