Comparison

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide vs See Monterey

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide

Explore California's scenic Pacific Coast Highway with a narrated driving tour. Audio stories play automatically based on your location, guiding you through breathtaking sights and charming towns. Enjoy the freedom to travel at your own pace, with offline access to all content.

Highlights
  • GPS guided audio tours
  • Automatic story playback
  • Offline functionality
  • Flexible travel pace
  • Southbound and northbound routes
  • Detailed points of interest
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the narrated driving tour of California’s famous Pacific Coast Highway! This gorgeous highway winds along California’s coast and features some of the most jaw-dropping sights and picturesque towns you’ve ever seen. This flexible tour takes you south from San Francisco to Los Angeles or north from Los Angeles to San Francisco in four scenic segments: San Francisco to Monterey: Cruise down the most beautiful roadway in the world while getting a taste of the west coast way of life. Discover stunning ocean vistas, learn the fascinating history behind towns like Santa Cruz, and find your literary muse in the artsy haven of Monterey. The 17-Mile Drive: Roll your windows down and ride along the Monterey Peninsula, taking in unbroken views of the untouched coastline. See can’t-miss landmarks like the Lone Cypress and walk along the shores of the gorgeous Pebble Beach. Big Sur (Monterey to San Luis Obispo): Imagine hitting the open road. Rolling the windows down, listening to crashing waves as an ocean breeze tousles your hair, and just... driving. Stopping to visit a little coastal village, sampling the freshest seafood you've ever tasted, and watching the sun set over the deep blue Pacific. It’s not just the stuff of daydreams, it’s a real place called Big Sur! San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles: Experience the laid-back pace of “SloCal” life in San Luis Obispo, get acquainted with Santa Barbara’s rich history, and soak up some sun and surf at the world-famous Malibu beaches. This is the quintessential California experience in a single drive. Popular points of interest along Highway 1 or Pacific Coast Highway (PCH): ■ Pedro Point ■ Gray Whale Cove & Mavericks Beach ■ Half Moon Bay ■ Pigeon Point Lighthouse ■ Butano & Año Nuevo State Park ■ Santa Cruz Boardwalk & Mystery Spot ■ Monterey & 17 Mile Drive ■ Carmel-by-the-Sea ■ Bixby Creek Bridge ■ Pfeiffer Beach & Canyon Bridge ■ Seal Beach Scenic Overlook ■ Big Creek Bridge ■ Piedras Blancas Light Station ■ Elephant Seal Vista Point ■ Hearst Castle ■ Morro Bay ■ Bubblegum Alley ■ Pismo Beach ■ Guadalupe ■ El Camino Real ■ Goleta’s Butterfly Grove ■ Thousand Steps Beach & Stearns Wharf ■ Ventura ■ Malibu ■ LA: Santa Monica HOW IT WORKS: As you travel, audio stories play automatically based on your location. Simply go to the starting point of the tour and begin following the given route. Each story begins playing on its own, usually just before you reach a point of interest. TOUR FEATURES: ▶ Freedom of travel No scheduled tour times, no crowded buses, and no rush to keep moving past stops that interest you. You have total freedom to skip ahead, linger, and take as many photos as you’d like. ▶ Automatic play No muss, no fuss. Just follow the app’s built-in route to all the must-visit spots — the audio stories about everything you see will play automatically! ▶ Works offline Download the tour in advance and then use it seamlessly, even in areas with no service! ▶ Lifetime purchase No monthly subscription. No time limits. No usage limits. Enjoy this tour as many times as you like. ▶ Incredible stories Immerse yourself in the history, culture, and secrets of this famous site with the help of a top-tier narrator and fascinating stories written by experts. ▶ Award-winning app Featured on Thrillist and WBZ, this easy-to-use app won the Laurel Award for Technology from the Newport Mansions, who use the app for over a million tours per year. FREE DEMO vs FULL ACCESS: Check out the totally free demo to get an idea of what this tour is all about. If you like it, purchase the tour to get full access to all of the stories. IMPORTANT NOTES: Download the tour ahead of time over data or WiFi for full offline use. Be sure your phone battery is fully charged or take an external battery pack. Continued use of the GPS can drain your battery. Allow the tour to access location services and GPS tracking features to play stories automatically during the tour.

About

See Monterey

Discover outdoor adventures, historical sites, and stunning coastal views in Monterey County. This app helps you plan your perfect getaway, whether you seek nature, family fun, or unique California experiences.

Highlights
  • Outdoor adventure planning
  • Historical California experiences
  • Coastal exploration
  • Family-friendly activities
  • Nature reconnection
Features
Read full description

Bring the joy, we'll supply the fun. It's time to recharge and reconnect with nature, family and good friends. Epic outdoor adventure, historical California experiences and 99-miles of spectacular coastline await in Monterey County. Now is the moment.

Screenshots

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide4 screens
See Monterey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: See Monterey at none against Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide's 13. See Monterey also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 13 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. See Monterey asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

See Monterey holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 92 and 106 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide ships an update every 13 months, See Monterey every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide versus See Monterey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacific Coast Highway 1 GuideSee Monterey
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (92 ratings)4.8 (106 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews
Number of ratings92106 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer17 Mile Drive Day Trips, LLCMonterey County Destination Marketing Organization, Inc

Customer experience

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide

All ratings92 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative36.4%

See Monterey

All ratings106 ratings
Positive99.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.9%

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide

One-time13
  • 17 Mile Driving Guide$9.99
  • San Francisco City Tour$9.99
  • Sequoia & Kings Canyon Tour$9.99
Show 10 more
  • 17 Mile Drive Audio Tour$9.99
  • Big Sur Audio Tour Guide$14.99
  • Silicon Valley Driving Tour$14.99
  • Hollywood Full Tour$16.99
  • Big Sur & 17 Mile Drive$16.99
  • PCH & Big Sur Audio Tour Guide$16.99
  • Pacific Coast Highway Tour$19.99
  • PCH & 17 Mile Drive Combo Tour$24.99
  • California Combo Audio Tour$29.99
  • Action Plus Tour$99.99
None

See Monterey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide free?
Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is See Monterey free?
See Monterey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide or See Monterey?
See Monterey is rated higher. Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide averages 4.5 out of 5 from 92 ratings, while See Monterey averages 4.8 from 106 ratings.
Do Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide or See Monterey have ads?
Neither Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide nor See Monterey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide or See Monterey?
Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide ships an update every 13 months, and See Monterey every 3 months. Most recently, Pacific Coast Highway 1 Guide was updated on September 13, 2026 and See Monterey on September 9, 2026.

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