Tour Descriptions
Tour One ~ Hearst Castle Experience Tour
Tour One is recommended for first-time visitors
as it provides a broad overview of the many facets of Hearst Castle and it is the least strenuous of the tours. Tour duration is 1 hour and 45 minutes which includes the bus ride to and from the castle.
Tour One now includes the National Geographic companion movie Hearst Castle Building the Dream.
Esplanade and Gardens
This portion of Tour One takes visitors to one of the most beautiful sections of the grounds, featuring marble sculptures and flowers in season.
Casa Del Sol
Casa Del Sol is an 18-room guesthouse facing the majestic Pacific Coastline. On Tour One four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a sitting room are shown.
Neptune Pool and Roman Pool
All of the Hearst Castle tours are highlighted by stops at each of Hearst's two swimming pools. The Neptune Pool is a magnificent Greco-Roman style pool that features unparalleled coastline views from the hilltop. The Roman Pool is an indoor pool decorated from ceiling to floor with 1" square mosaic tiles.
Casa Grande
The main stop on Tour One is the main house, or Casa Grande. Five rooms on the ground floor are shown on this tour including: the Assembly Room which is the largest of the four sitting rooms and once a gathering place for Hearst's guests, the Refectory which is the single dining room at Hearst Castle, the Morning Room which is a magnificent sitting room filled with Spanish antiques and Flemish tapestries, the Billiard Room which is a game room featuring two 1920's billiard tables and a Gothic "millle fleurs" tapestry, and the Theater which is the largest room in Casa Grande.
Tour Two ~ Casa Grande Upper Floors
Tour Two focuses on the architectural elements
and vast art collection in the main house, or Casa Grande. Featured rooms on this tour include; the Doge's Suite, "The Cloisters" which are four guest rooms flanked by open walkways, the Library, the Gothic Suite which occupies the entire third floor and includes Hearst's impressive private suite, library and office, and the Kitchen. Tour duration is 1 hour and 45 minutes which includes the bus ride to and from the castle.
The Doge's Suite is an Italian-style suite with a balcony inspired by the Doge's Place in Venice.
Kitchen and Pantry which is a large-scale food preparation area for Hearst and his guests.
The Library contains over 4,000 books and a collection of rare Greek and Roman antiquities.
Neptune Pool and Roman Pool All of the Hearst Castle tours are highlighted by stops at each of Hearst's two swimming pools — the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool.
Tour Three ~ North Wing of Casa Grande
Tour Three provides an overview of the construction and development
of the Hilltop by contrasting the earliest guest house with the most recent addition, the North Wing. Tour duration is 1 hour and 45 minutes which includes the bus ride to and from the castle.
Casa Del Monte
Casa del Monte is one of Hearst's magnificent guesthouses that overlooks the Santa Lucia Mountains and includes ten rooms lavishly decorated with tapestries, antique furniture and pieces from the Castle's art collection. All rooms in Casa del Monte are shown on Tour Three.
Neptune Pool and Roman Pool
All of the Hearst Castle tours are highlighted by stops at each of Hearst's two swimming pools — the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool.
Bathrooms in the North Wing
The 1940s Bathrooms blend efficiency and glamour, as in this black-and-white marble example on the second floor.
North Terrace
The little seen North Terrace includes an unfinished area of the Castle that was to become the estate's Grand Entrance.
Video
Tour Three wraps up with a short film that illustrates the enormous amount of change and complexity involved in the construction of Hearst Castle, using photography and film from the 1920's and 1930's.
Tour Four ~ The Garden Tour
Tour Four not only concentrates on the beauty of the botanical gardens,
but also provides a glimpse into some of the less familiar aspects of Hearst Castle. Tour duration is 1 hour and 45 minutes which includes the bus ride to and from the castle. Tour Four is available April through October.
Neptune Pool Dressing Room
Part of the outdoor Neptune Pool, this stop on Tour Four features seventeen colorfully painted dressing rooms.
Neptune Pool and Roman Pool
All of the Hearst Castle tours are highlighted by stops at each of Hearst's two swimming pools — the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool.
Casa del Mar
Casa del Mar is the Castle's largest and most elaborate guest house and includes a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean. It was in Casa del Mar that Hearst himself spent his final years of residence on the hilltop.
Overview of Gardens & Grounds
Following the beautiful Esplanade, visitors are treated to virtually all of the estate's gardens, terraces and walkways.
Hidden Terrace
This interesting spot in the Castle is a remnant of early construction and includes a staircase, pond and terrace completely concealed by later construction and rediscovered during modern restoration.
Wine Cellar of Casa Grande
An up close look at the Wine Cellar of Hearst Castle, this part of Tour Four features rare European vintages and California wines.
The Evening Tour
The Evening Tour is a special tour that allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as one of Hearst's own visitors might have.
Available in Spring and Fall only, the Evening Tour features highlights from Tour One, Tour Two and Tour Four. Docents in period dress from the Living History Program and a newsreel shown in the Theater add life to the magnificent surroundings and take visitors back to the Castle's 1930's heyday.
The Evening Tour takes approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes including the bus ride to and from the hilltop. Visitors should be aware that the Evening Tour contains a large number of stairs.
