The tours take the visitor back through time exploring the life of William Randolph Hearst and his family, the art collection, architecture, gardens and history of the Castle. Formal guide training is an integral aspect of Hearst Castle®. Castle tour guides are initially trained a total of 168 hours with additional in-service training and ongoing independent study between tours, resulting in a high quality interpretive experience for all who visit "The Enchanted Hill."

The mansion was donated to the State of California in December of 1957 by the Hearst Corporation.  Dedication ceremonies for the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument were held June 2, 1958 at the old visitor's center. Following the ceremonies, tours opened to the public at 1:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets were $2 for adults and $1 for children. There was only one tour, now called Tour 1: The Experience Tour, and its route was similar to today's; covering the first floor rooms of Casa Grande and one of the three guesthouses.
 
In the summer of 1964, the State introduced Tour 2 to provide viewing and explanation of the upper rooms of Casa Grande. In June 1968 Tour 3 was added, and in 1982 Tour 4.  The accessibly-designed tour began in 1974. This tour covers the ground floor of the main house, the gardens and pools, and the main level of one guesthouse, Casa del Mar.

Over the years the public indicated an interest in touring the estate at night. In response, a pilot program for an Evening Tour was developed and presented for the first time on April 21, 1989. The interpretive objective of this program is to recreate an evening at Hearst Castle in the 1930's, with a general emphasis on the social history of 1930-1935 and, more specifically, on Hearst employees and former guests. Volunteers in the Living History Program, dressed in period clothing, provide representation illustrating the social history discussed on the tour.