Am planning a visit to Hearst Castle in mid September and am researching. Looks like reservations are recommended and you must pick a tour or two from their offerings. How does this work? Do you go on the tour and that's it? Are you allowed to wander around after your tour is finished? Can you only see the garden if you book the garden tour? Sounds like no, but not sure.

yes, you can wonder around after and they allow plenty of time during as well.

Really. Good to know--if true.

I've been there three times and was never given the impression that I was free to wander around and I never observed anybody on a tour wandering away from the tour group.

My recollection is that you cannot wander around inside the house, maybe the gardens. Inside the house during the tours the guides are quite strict, visitors were not allowed to step off the vinyl floor coverings and in fact a second guide follows behind to ensure everyone walks only on the floor coverings and do not straggle behind.

I don't recall either being able to wander around, especially not inside the castle. After the tour is finished, you are instructed to board the special buses and return down the mountain to the parking area.

Not only can you not really wander, you can't hang out up there in between tours, you have to go back down, and board the next bus and ride back up. 15 minutes each way.

On the tours I have been on, there is a small amount of "free" time outside where you can take pictures in the garden, but not really time to wander. The guides are right there and you have to board the shuttle back down the hill with your group. Down the hill at the vistor's center, you can hang around all you want, have picnics, and so forth.

I don't remember being able to wander.

Ditto - I dont remember being able to really wander but there is time to stop and take pictures.

I have to say - it exceeded my expectations. The way in which the tour guide related past stories and anecdotes was so vivid, you could easily visualize each scenario and it felt very atmospheric. It was well worth the tour.

There is no wandering. You have to remain with your group the entire time and return on the bus with them. All tours go through the garden but the garden tour spends more time in them and gives more information about them. The guides are all extremely well-informed and interesting.

I agree w/ everyone else - smartcookie must have San Simeon confuseed w/ some other site. Except for a few quick minutes to take general outdoors photos - there is absolutely no wandering and you have to return down the mountain w/ your same group.

sorry, i meant in the gardens, not inside the house. but then i like to stick to the back of the group if i can, and get away to take more pictures. you can push it if you want

What almost everyone said, you need to remain with the tour group and there is not any free roaming access.