The Hearst Castle and Elephant Seal Vist Point are located in San Simeon on California’s Central Coast! There are 13 different tours you can choose from at Hearst Castle. So, you can explore your options and see which excites you the most! We chose the first timer’s tour, also known as The Great Room Tour. It was great! Haha! This castle was built on and off between 1919 and 1947 for William Randolph Hearst, a historically well-known figure of journalism, and it is still left incomplete.
Hearst Castle’s Great Room Tour
This tour included both the indoor and outdoor pools, multiple gardens, the main structures of the castle, dining room, living room, billiards room, smoking room, and theatre. The tour did not include bedrooms and guest houses, which consists of special guest rooms, such as Shirley Temple’s room, which I’d love to see! I’ll definitely be back soon to explore one of the many other tours they offer!
The tour provides a scenic bus ride overlooking the Pacific Ocean, to and from the Castle, with a narrator telling you the history of William Randolph Hearst and his castle. It’s extremely interesting! On top of that, the bus ride is beautiful! You’re actually riding up through what used to be his very own private zoo! Some of the zebras are still there too! You may see them along the way.
Imported Statues, Furniture and Relics
This castle is so intricate it’s insane! All the statues, pylons, pieces of furniture, wood, brass, gold, etc. were imported from different monuments and relics from other countries. The attention to detail is stunning and incredibly impressive.
The theatre in the castle was used to premier the most prestigious and famous films of the time. Hearst would get access to these movies before theatres or anywhere else, and he would invite all of Hollywood’s elite out to the Castle for the premier in his private theatre, followed by a giant party.
The ceiling of the small smoking room was being cleaned with a q-tip while we were there. They said it would take ten years just to clean the ceiling of this tiny piece of the castle! Ten years! Imagine how long it takes to clean the entire castle ceiling! They have to be extremely detailed and delicate in cleaning any part of the castle because of how old, precious, and valuable each piece of this place is.
Elephant Seal Vista Point San Simeon
Following Hearst Castle, drive up the coast about ten minutes to the Elephant Seal Vista Point in San Simeon! These Elephant seals are huge! It’s so crazy to see them piled on top of one another on the beach. Thousands of them line the shores. They make the funniest noises too! It honestly sounds like they’re burping and farting at the same time. Make sure not to miss them! They don’t smell great, but they are a must-see!
Coffee and Snack Stop
If you need a little snack and coffee stop to break up the drive on the way home, I’d suggest checking out Solvang. It’s a cute little Danish-inspired town about midway back to LA. The architecture is right out of a storybook, and the little cafes and bakeries are super cute!
To Sum it Up!
Hearst Castle is a perfect weekend getaway from LA. It’s about a 3.5-4 hour drive, and there are so many amazing stops nearby and along the way. You can visit Hearst Castle while staying in any of my favorite central coast destinations: Avila Beach, Los Alamos, SLO, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, San Simeon, and more. It doesn’t matter where you choose, just make sure not to miss this incredible castle!
Do you have any further questions regarding Hearst Castle, Elephant Seal Vista Point, or any other Central Coast destinations? Feel free to write them in the comments below and if I left anything out, let me know! Have fun when you go!
