Central Calif. Coast: Hearst Castle holiday tours

On Nov. 12, the staff at Hearst Castle on California’s Central Coast start putting up Christmas decorations inside the hilltop mansion. The holiday season is a fun time to take the Experience Tour at Hearst Castle, with lighted Christmas trees inside the Assembly Room and Great Hall, and costumed docents performing living-history vignettes in the evening.

Deal: Reserve holiday tours at Hearst Castle as soon as possible. It’s already difficult to get tickets for evening tours on weekends, but there is still availability on weekday evenings and for daytime tours. Daytime tours are less expensive ($20 per adult), but the evening tours include the 1920s- and ’30s-themed living-history events. The best value may be the 3:40 p.m. daytime tour, which shows off the castle’s Christmas decorations around sunset.

Any tips for visiting Hearst Castle? Share your insights in the Comments section below.

When: Holiday tours are available mid-November 2007 to early January 2008.

Caveat: Because the castle’s holiday decorations won’t be complete until the day after Thanksgiving, it’s better to wait until then to take a tour. For more details about Christmas at the castle, read the FAQ.

Why go: The Hearst Castle visitor center, which features the 5-story-tall National Geographic Theater, has recently completed $4 million in renovations.

Why not: Tour 1, the Experience Tour, only scratches the surface of the castle. It’s an introductory tour for first-time visitors and may leave you wanting more (especially given the price you paid for the tour). It includes a free screening of the movie “Hearst Castle: Building the Dream,” however.

Connect/disconnect: There is cellphone reception at the castle, but coverage elsewhere along the coast (e.g., Cambria) is spotty or nonexistent.

Contact: Hearst Castle, recorded information (805) 927-2020, tour reservations (800) 444-4445

Related links:
Grand makeover for Hearst Castle visitor center
Hearst Castle on California’s Central Coast
Sunset on the enchanted hill
Central California Coast: beating TravelZoo’s hotel deal

—Sara Benson

[Photo courtesy of Hearst Castle / Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 9:38 pm by Sara Benson and is filed under Fall, Islands & Beaches, San Luis Obispo, Ski & Winter, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.