Travel in time at Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle is absolutely incredible and definitely something you have to see in person to fully appreciate. The architecture, history, beautiful grounds, pools, artwork, and breathtaking views are amazing. We went on a Sunday and were lucky enough to walk right in and get tickets, but from what we were told, you should really purchase your tickets ahead of time. We definitely got lucky, so I wouldn’t count on being able to walk in like we did! The only thing we didn’t like was our experience with one of the tour staff. We had two people accompanying our tour. The gentleman in the front was awesome — very informative, friendly, and took the time to explain everything we were seeing. Unfortunately, the younger gentleman in the back was the complete opposite. He was very unfriendly, wouldn’t engage or talk with us, and constantly pushed us to keep moving forward. We wanted to stop for a few moments to take pictures and actually enjoy what we had traveled all that way to see, but he kept rushing us and telling us to move along. We completely understand that tours need to stay on schedule, but when you visit a place as beautiful and historic as Hearst Castle, taking pictures and having a moment to appreciate everything is part of the experience. There is a difference between keeping a tour moving and making guests feel rushed. Thankfully, the gentleman leading the tour was fantastic, and the castle itself was absolutely worth seeing. Overall, Hearst Castle is an amazing place and we’re very glad we visited. 🏰❤️ I would absolutely recommend going — just purchase your tickets ahead of time and hopefully you get a tour guide as wonderful as the gentleman we had in the front!

Love the place! It's astonishing! I've been there 3 times already! Every single time I enjoyed the tour guides, the people working there are kind and helpful! Learned a lot from them! Went to watch the movie after the tour and there was a gentleman working there that while we were waiting he talked about the rugs and pictures which was awesome information. Buy ticket in advance, if this is your first time, go for the big rooms tour, then change to other ones. The building itself and the land is incredible! If you're lucky you'll see some cool animals while they drive you up to the castle by bus. Would recommend it for sure.

A Museum of opulence. 9 different types of tours. Atmosphere is hard to describe. Loved the outdoor sections, gardens, welcoming rooms, and my favorite is the outdoor pool patio with stunning Roman vibe. The Pantheon 🏛️ of gods is on full display here as Rupert probably didn’t want to offend any. Beautiful that has to be seen to appreciate.

$35 for this? Seriously? Hearst Castle itself is spectacular. The tour experience, however, is an absolute disappointment and, in my opinion, nowhere close to being worth $35. You come all the way to San Simeon expecting to experience this extraordinary estate, only to discover that you’re allowed to see a tiny fraction of it, in a tightly controlled group, while being shuffled from room to room. You don’t get to explore the castle on your own, you don’t get to wander around and appreciate the architecture at your own pace, and you certainly don’t get anything resembling a comprehensive experience of the estate. And then there’s the tour commentary. An astonishing amount of time is spent talking about William Randolph Hearst’s personal life, his relationships, wives, girlfriends, and how he lived. Maybe that’s interesting to some people, but honestly, who came to Hearst Castle because they desperately wanted to hear about Hearst’s romantic life? I came to see the CASTLE. The architecture. The interiors. The art. The pools. The grounds. The unbelievable scale and design of the estate. Those things should be the star of the tour. Instead, the person who built the place somehow becomes more important than the place itself. The most frustrating part is that the estate is enormous, yet visitors are given such a restricted experience of it. For $35, I shouldn’t feel like I’ve been given a carefully curated peek through a keyhole. If preservation and visitor safety are the concerns, fine—then design a better system. Have designated self-guided areas, timed access, audio guides, or one comprehensive tour that actually lets people experience the estate. But the current model feels antiquated: pay $35, follow the group, see a handful of rooms, listen to a biography, and then leave. Whoever designed this visitor experience needs to seriously rethink what people are actually paying to see. The irony is that Hearst Castle is impressive enough that it doesn’t need all the fluff. Just let people experience the damn castle. The property itself deserves 5 stars. The tour program gets 1. In its current format, I absolutely do NOT recommend paying $35 for this experience. It felt like an expensive, heavily restricted preview of something that should be an incredible visit.

I went for the gardens...Full send on the greenery! Be quick to take your photos while the guide is talking. You don't get time to wander around. Stay with the group. The drive up is excellent as you go higher than the gloomy ocean fog into cheerful blue skies...a gorgeous backdrop for all of the flowers and architecture.