Has anyone been on the tours in Hearst Castle? Any comments?

We took 2 of the tours several years ago. Enjoyed the "history", the setting, etc. Guides were well trained. Would not make a special trip to go there, but if I was in the area I'd go in a heartbeat!

We did the Experience Tour a couple years ago and it was excellent. I would (and I did) make a special trip to see the Hearst Castle.

I'm with JerryW, but this will all depend on your interest in "above and beyond" lifestyles. Google the castle and see if you are interested. If you are in the area it would be fun, if you are coming from Monterey or north, it is a LONG (but pretty) drive.

We went in August and thought it was worth the 2.5 hour drive from Santa Barbara. The drive was part of the attraction for us. We took the Experience tour and that was plenty for us. We saw the grounds, the pools, dining room and reception room and a guest house. Its all very grand and over the top and left me wondering about the responsibilities of those with incredible wealth. Our tour guide was full of personality - I enjoyed her, my husband did not. My teenage daughters enjoyed it too.

If you visit during the right time of year (generally the "shoulder months" between winter and summer) you should look into their evening tour. You get highlights from several of the regular tours plus many of the rooms are "inhabited" by locals dressed up in period clothing, pretending to be guests of Mr Hearst. Call the Hearst Castle reservations line to get more details and the actual dates.

We did the night-time tour about 6 years ago. This was in November on a Friday evening. It was very fun seeing the "guests of Mr. Hearst" hanging around.

Summer: The intro tour is good if you have never been to HC. You will get to see the indoor and outdoor pools and the main living areas of the house. I think it is well worth the visit, especially if you are going that way.

Have fun.

MY

Hi,
Over the years I've pretty much been on all of the tours, I am an engineer and am quite interested in architecture so I may be a bit biased.

I ended up going on all of the tours when playing tourguide to family and friends, each tour focuses on different aspects of the grounds so I'd check out the website to see what appeals most to you.

My favorite is the night tour, because the docents dress up and fully engage themselves as if they were guests at the castle and you get to spend a bit more time in each room. http://www.hearstcastle.com/tours/evening.cfm

There's not a whole lot to see outside of the castle in San Simeon, but if you are driving south, I recommend stopping in Cambria for a meal and walking around, it's such a cute town and great food too.

Just north of San Simeon is an elephant seal beach. Very easy to see them and very cool.

MY