One cannot miss the most famous attractions on Highway 1! Hearst Castle, after being closed for two years, has finally reopened!
Designed by California's first female architect, Julia Morgan, construction of Hearst Castle began in 1919 and took 28 years to complete. It was the private estate of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Later, due to the inability to bear the enormous inheritance tax, the family donated the castle to the state of California.
Every corner of this place truly showcases WRH's wealth. Hearst had a great passion for collecting various types of art, and the castle once housed one-fourth of the world's art collections, making it a huge museum.
🌟 Visiting:
After reopening, the castle no longer allows free visits and requires guests to join a guided tour. Specific information about tours can be found on the castle's official website.
Each tour requires taking a shuttle bus from the visitor center at the bottom of the mountain to reach the estate. Upon arrival, a guide will accompany visitors throughout the tour (larger tours may have an assistant to prevent anyone from getting lost while taking photos).
Currently, only four tours are available, each with a different theme and places to visit. If time permits, it is recommended to participate in multiple tours. However, there should be at least a two-hour interval between two tours because each tour requires taking a bus back to the foot of the mountain before starting the next one. Make sure to allocate enough time for going up and down the mountain.
🌟 Grandrooms (suitable for first-time visitors): Outdoor swimming pool, outdoor buildings, gardens, reception rooms, dining areas, game rooms, theaters, indoor swimming pool.
🌟 Upstairs suites (indoor only): Outdoor swimming pool, library, bedrooms of main family members, indoor swimming pool.
🌟 Cottages & kitchen: Wine cellar, kitchen, gardens, annexes, two swimming pools.
🌟 Designing the dream: Annexes, dressing rooms, mainly introducing art and architectural design.
Personal preference: Grand > Designing = Upstairs > Cottages
Recommended itinerary:
It takes about four hours to drive from San Francisco or Los Angeles. We left from the Bay Area and returned on the same day, taking Highway 101 to go and Highway 1 to return, including two tours (and charging the car). The whole trip took a total of 14 hours. It is not advisable to return via Highway 1 as it gets dark and foggy, resulting in low visibility.
📍 Hearst Castle: 700 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon, CA 93452