More Hearst Castle basic visitor information

About the Hearst Castle Tours:

The tours offered by Hearst Castle cover some distance and can be quite strenuous involving from a hundred to over four hundred stairs. Hearst Castle also offers a special Accessibility Designed Tour and tours can be arranged for schools, groups, and foreign languages.

If you take all three main tours then you have seen most all of Hearst Castle that is available to the public. Most Hearst Castle tours take about 1 hour and 45 minutes including the bus rides up and down the hill but when planning your vacation if you want to take more than one tour figure 3 hours space for each. All tours load on a bus at the bottom of the hill at the Visitor Center; you can not drive up yourself and you are required to return down to the visitor center after each tour.

The Visitor Centeris an extensive facility where you can purchase tickets, get information, visit the Hearst Castle Museum Store , go to the National Geographic Theater or have lunch, shop for Hearst Castle and Central California Pacific Coast souvenirs and gifts or have an espresso. Located at the bottom of the Enchanted Hill the Hearst Castle Visitors Center is just a short drive from the Old Town of San Simeon where you can find Old Spanish architecture from the William Randolph Hearst days, the sandy beaches and San Simeon Pier at William Randolph Hearst State Beach, Sebastian's Historic Store which is selling gifts and serving up snacks and espressos.

First time Hearst Castle visitors should always start with tour 1 and two tours is really enough Hearst Castle for one day so if you want to take all of the three main tours then should split them up over two days. Tour 1 also includes the movie "Hearst Castle Building the Dream", shown at the National Geographic Theater. Leave time either before or after your Hearst Castle tour to see this movie.

The State of California has specific rules governing photography at Hearst Castle; you can take your camera but you will have to forget your tripod and keep your flash turned off. If you just want pictures of Hearst Castle, professional photographs for personal use are available at the Visitor Center Gift Shop, you can forget your camera and enjoy the Castle. You can't take your baby stroller or pets so you might want to make prior arrangements it is not a good idea to leave the baby or the pet in the car.

Classic Photo of Hearst Monument San Simeon, Casa Grande Bell Towers. (opens new window)

It is always best to reserve your tickets ahead of time. You can purchase your tickets over the telephone at 800-444-4445 or you can purchase your Hearst Castle reservation tickets online. I think I have covered most of the basics but if you have questions check the Hearst Castle Tour Information Brochure or Hearst Castle Frequently Asked Questions.

Hearst Castle has all the tour details and tickets for sale at their Hearst Castle State Historical Monument Website and the Friends of Hearst Castle have an excellent Website for Hearst Castle special events and more area visitor information; you need to visit these Websites if you haven't yet.