Southern California is a great spot for a road trip. We did the Highway 1 Classic Road Trip through California, and found some amazing stops along the way. One of our most amazing stops was Hearst Castle, which is located along some of the most beautiful Pacific coastline stretches of California Highway 1.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.

Where Is Hearst Castle?

Hearst Castle is roughly in the middle between Los Angeles and San Francisco, near the beachside township of San Simeon. Hearst Castle can be approached from North, South or East, as it is in a very accessible location.

Hearst Castle Tour visitor centre
Visitor Centre at Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle was our most unexpected stop on our road trip, for we did not even know it existed until literally the day before our visit. What we found totally blew us away! It’s hard to miss Hearst Castle from Highway 1, as it is very well signed. You can also see the massive Castle towers from the highway, perched high up on the coastal hill-top. As you turn off the main highway you are led into a massive car park and a visitor centre specifically built for Hearst Castle. When we arrived the car park was full , it was a beautiful sunny Sunday on a long weekend after all. Our anticipation began to mount when we saw a huge amount of cars, we figured we were onto a great tourist attraction. At that stage we still did not really know what lay before us. We really had no idea, but that is the novelty of being an explorer right?

Hearst Castle Tour driving in the bus
Half way up the winding road to Hearst Castle

Entering the Castle

We discovered that the Castle sits atop the mountain, and the only way up is to take the shuttle bus for a guided tour. No private cars allowed. Hearst Castle was completed in 1947 by the publishing magnate William Hearst. At the time it was his private residence and family ranch. Mr.Hearst used to host many rich and famous acquaintances at Hearst Castle, including Carry Grant!

Hearst Castle Tour bus
The shuttle bus to Hearst Castle

Here are the options for guided tours:

  • Grand Rooms Tour – the most popular tour which takes visitors through Casa Grande, the largest part of the Castle.
  • Upstairs Suites Tour – explores the upstairs rooms of Casa Grande.
  • Cottages and Kitchens Tour – Explores the opulent and lavishly decorated cottages which were used to house guests, as well as the industrial sized kitchen.
  • Neptune Pool Tour – Explores the amazing outdoor pool and entertainment area.
  • There are also night tours and private tours available.
Hearst Castle Tour free time
Ramon stands above Neptune Pool

The main tours include the shuttle bus trip and a 1.5 hour narrated tour, and are reasonably priced at $25 per adult. Kids are $12 entry. Afterwards we would be free to roam the grounds for as long as we wanted, before taking our shuttle bus back down to the visitor centre.

Hearst Castle Tour scenic view
Clarice enjoying the 360 degrees enjoyed at Hearst Castle

Which Tour?

The most popular tour is the Grand Rooms tour. Unfortunately there was a 4 hour wait for this tour on our visit. Apparently it’s wise to book ahead if you wish to take this tour. We elected to instead go on the less popular Cottages and Kitchens tour, which only had a half hour wait. But instead of being disappointed, we were utterly blown away!

Hearst Castle Tour cottage
Inside one of the “cottages”.

The Hearst Castle Tour

It was a very interesting drive up a windy paved road to the mountain top where Hearst Castle is located. Back in the day Mr.Hearst had a private zoo set up with all manner of african wildlife roaming the slopes of the mountain. These days it is a working cattle ranch, so cattle is all you will see in the way of animals. On the 15 minute bus trip, guests are treated to recorded information about the ranch and the history of the castle. Whilst ascending we were also treated to fabulous uninterrupted views of the coastline.

Hearst Castle Tour Entrance Road
Starting the drive up the winding road to Hearst Castle

The tour was eye-popping. The host explained in detail the building construction as well as all the lavish decorations and furniture. Also who stayed in them and for what periods. First we toured through the 2 main cottages / guest houses. Then we toured the amazing kitchen, which had 8 full-time staff and catered for many big parties back in the day. Finally we toured the wine cellar below the main Casa Grande buildings, which once housed one of the finest wine collections on the planet.

Hearst Castle Tour Cellar
Clarc preparing to enter the massive cellar.

The Grounds

After the tour we were left to wander around the grounds. One of the key attractions to see was Neptune Pool, a stunning 32m long outdoor pool with an oil burning heating system. It looks like something straight out of ancient Rome, complete with towering roman statues.  It was being refurbished during our visit due to some structural issues, but it promised to be finished and back to it’s original glory by late 2017. 

Hearst Castle Tour Kitchen
Checking out the industrial kitchen

If Neptune Pool is not enough, all guests walk through the indoor Roman Pool. After about 30 minutes of exploring we stepped back onto the shuttle bus and headed down the mountain.

Hearst Castle Tour Roman baths
Roman baths are stunning

Dining Options

Back in the visitor centre and we found the many different dining options. Take-away foods are the main menu items, where we all chose different dishes including pizza, barbecue pork and salad. Prices are quite inflated as you would expect for a major tourist attraction.

Hearst Castle Tour grounds
Roaming around the Hearst Castle grounds

Overall

Hearst Castle is a stunning attraction which should not be missed when you’re in the area. It’s worth going just to see the uninterrupted 360 degree views of the coastline and surrounding area. But it’s the lavish castle itself which steals the show, it is so beautiful and so worth visiting. It truly is a must-see to end all must-sees!

Hearst Castle Tour scenery
My favourite part is this golden fountain statue with billion dollar views

Would you like a free copy of our Ultimate Bucket List?

Not sure where to travel to next? We have created the Ultimate Bucket List to help you plan your next trip. 1170 awesome travel destinations in 167 countries. And we want you to have it for FREE.

Send Me the Ultimate Bucket List!

   

2 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.