marykay_intexas

I have searched the site for info on Hearst Castle and its various tour options and wonder what any of you who have visited there can recommend. We will be driving from our hotel in Carmel on the morning of Friday,Sept 5th, seeing Hearst Castle, then returning to Carmel. Have to be at the San Jose airport Saturday morning about 9:15 so need to stay in Carmel rather than around the Hearst Castle area that night.

What is the average weekday drive time from Carmel to San Simeon?

Which of the tours are recommended? We probably won't have time or energy to do all four tours. We are great fans of such places at the Biltmore and the Newport, RI, homes. We like/tolerate stairs and lots of walking and would enjoy all aspects of the tours. Do they overlap in scope, or do they cover individual aspects of the home? It is hard to tell from the Hearst Castle's website.

Would appreciate any and all advice. I have read the postings here about the Castle and they are sketchy with details.

Thanks,

Mary Kay

Boxer

Hi. We just returned (June 21) from a California road trip. Went to Hearst Castle on the 17th I think.

We took the "introductory" tour. It cost US$18 per person.

The Castle opens for tours at 8:00 a.m.

We have driven by Hearst Castle 3 times in the past and never went up. This time we did and I thought it was worth it. The introductory tour takes you to the outdoor pool area and some rooms in the Castle on the main floor.

The others tours will take you to W.R. Hearst's personal rooms on an upper floor and other rooms I can't remember. There is also an evening sunset tour.

There is a National Geographic film at the end of the tour (40 min. long) which I thought was very good.

We had stayed in Cambria the night before and were on our way to Carmel when we stopped at approx. 9:00 a.m. for the tour.

We were on the road so much I kind of forget how long it took to get to places but I think from Hearst Castle to Carmel was approx. 2 hours??? Perhaps this was because the scenery is so fabulous (Big Sur) and we were stopping.

J_Correa

I would say you could make it to Carmel from Hearst Castle in 2 hours, but that would be driving straight through. You should allow yourself at least twice that because you will want to stop and enjoy the scenery. You may also want to stop at one of the state parks in Big Sur for a short hike.

Sabrina

I booked two tours in advance. I can't remember if I booked on line or called the toll free number listed. I took a special tour for the handicapped with my husband and this covered the ground floor. Then immediately following that tour early in the morning, I took a second walking tour. I enjoyed both of them. We spent the night at a nice motel in San Simeon that had a very good restaurant.

mscarls

We visited Hearst Castle in May, coming from the south, so I don't know how long your drive will take.
I do know you should make tour reservations in advance on a Friday and at that time of year. I would recommend seeing the film before you take the introductory tour.
If you have time between tours, Cambria is worth a short visit if you like quaint towns.
Between five and ten miles north of the Castle, marked with signs, there is a sea lion viewing area. It's worth a stop if you're an animal person.
Enjoy.
Mark

marykay_intexas

Thanks to Mark, Sabrina, Jensen, J Correa and Boxer for the advice. I failed to mention in my previous post that we've done the Bug Sur drive before (last summer) so most likely will not be stopping too much on the drives back and forth. The idea of staying in San Jose the night before flying home has merit. What sort of drive time could we expect leaving Hearst Castle for San Jose? I know we can find out the miles, but with real traffic, etc. that is not always a good indicator.

I take it that the various Hearst Castle tours do not overlap. This place must be really big. We will most likely do the film, a morning overview tour, and an afternoon tour.

Does anyone know/remember if visitors can stroll the gardens or grounds on their own, or is that just if you are on a tour?

What about dining facilities for a quick bite before or after the tours? Is it just a snack bar, or do they have a full restaurant? Their website does not elaborate on that.

Thanks for your input.

Mary Kay

Boxer

I don't think you can walk about by yourself.

They are actually quite insistent that you "stay on the tour mats" that are laid out when you are in the Castle. They don't want you even touching the marble pillars outside.

And NO FLASHES on your photos inside the Castle. Our guide stopped the tour a couple of times to "remind" people to turn off their flashes.

Down at the tourist arrival area they were BBQing chicken and it smelled quite good. I didn't eat but it looked as though you could get a fairly substantial meal. Didn't check the prices.

J_Correa

I don't believe you can wander around the gardens alone either. Parking is down at the visitor's center and each tour goes up to the castle on a bus. The bus takes the group up and brings it back, so you have to stay with your group.

karimelli

I ate at the BBQ place mentioned above - hot dog and baked beans! Aside from the birds surrounding you - waiting for crumbs to snatch - it was fine. I think there were other snackish things there too.

We did the intro tour as well - which was good for us. The place was really amazing!

Findley

We did a similar trip to yours and also flew into and out of San Jose. I don't recall any places to eat around Hearst Castle. My advice would be to pack a lite lunch for after the first tour.

I like the idea of staying in San Jose the night before your flight. We did the same thing. Downtown is very close to the ariport. I think we stayed at the Hotel De Anza. Excellent property.

www.sjdowntown.com

www.sanjose.org

Findley

Oh , about the garden tour there is a separate tour for that. We took it and really enjoyed it. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes for Hearst Castle.

Alexis

We did the Hearst castle to Carmel last month, and it will take 2 hours if you take Rt. 1, but a lot less if you take the Hwy. From Carmel to San Jose will be another 1 1/2 hours. You need to make a reservation in advance, but I strongly encourage to be on time. I know some people who were a few minutes late but couldn't get on the tour. I strongly suggest the introductory, plus one more tour that will show the master bedroom. There are eateries in the visitor center where you can grab a bite between tours.

marykay_intexas

Thanks to all of you who have offered such useful advice. I'll give a detailed report after our trip.

Happy travels to all!

Mary Kay