This castle, ride in the tour bus, the visitor center, I-Max are all great. Watch the I-Max movie first, then take the tour to the castle. Take your time looking at the gardens, before you go to the pool, because you can not go back. I had heard of the castle, but had no idea that it was actually a... More

I toured the castle solo as my husband wasn't interested in walking much. It was a great experience. The gift shop was fun to browse, the movie was good enough that I bought a copy to share with him at home. The bus ride to the castle/ranch was narrated by Alex Trebek. Tickets sell out quickly - I had to... More

Visiting the Hearst Castle is a first class experience--the visitor center, the bus with Alex Trebec's voice as tour host, the winding road with alternating views of San Simeon Bay, surrounding ranches, and the castle on the hill, the guided tour, the walk through the grounds on our own, watching home movies in the castle theater, and another historical movie... More

This experience may not be for everyone but we were captured by it for the whole time we were there - enough for two tours and a good look around. The opulence is hard to believe, especially when put in context of the time this was being built. The grandness of scale and attention to detail is mind-blowing. Its fusion... More

Views won't disappoint, with all the grandeur Julia Morgan could engineer of concrete. William Randoulf spared no dime on this larger than life castle. We took the Grand Room Tour. Recommended for first-time visitors Tour highlights include Assembly Room, Refectory, Billiard Room, Theater, Gardens, Neptune Pool and Roman Pool. Save time for the movie in the lobby of the ticket... More

Like entering a fantasy land. I cannot believe anyone actaully lived like that. Wow. The gardens were fantastic as well.

If you haven't been out of the country or toured other castles then it is cool and worth spending some time but if you have you will think this is just an o.k. stop. It was long I had two kids under six years old and I would have liked to just go up and see it take a picture... More

As we descended from the shuttle and looked up at the castle, the first thing my daughter said was, "I want to live here". Who wouldn't? Everything about this "ranch", as Hearst himself called it, is perfection. A lot of thought and time went into placing the European antiques, marble, and carvings. His architect, Julia Morgan, made it a labour... More

Though it was foggy during our tour, the night tour of this castle is very worthwhile. It is an extensive review of the castle and one guest home. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and personable. Thankfully, a bus takes you up the very winding road to reach the top of the mountain. A very good film was also presented... More