Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Oakland travel guide

Oakland Tourism | Oakland Guide

You're Going to Love Oakland

With a population of 390,724, Oakland is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Oakland deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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Where to Eat in Oakland

North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Commis Dining Room (3859 Piedmont Avenue), Wood Tavern (6317 College Ave.) and SAFFRON KITCHEN (5940 College Ave). If you’re looking for affordable options, Yoshi's Oakland (510 Embarcadero West) and ACRE Kitchen and Bar (5655 College Ave.) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Burdell (4640 Telegraph Ave) and Mago (3762 Piedmont Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.

When to visit Oakland

Oakland in December
Estimated hotel price
C$ 194
1 night at 3-star hotel
Oakland in December
Estimated hotel price
C$ 194
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Oakland in August, when the average temperature is 19 °C, and the highest can go up to 23 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 7 °C, with an average temperature of 11 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 122 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Oakland, with an average rainfall of 0 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Oakland

Plane

Oakland is served by 2 airports: Oakland Airport (OAK) and San Francisco Airport (SFO). The closest to downtown Oakland is Oakland Airport, which is located 11 km from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 22 km from the centre of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air Canada, United Airlines, Air New Zealand and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 22m.

Train

Located 9 km from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 1.2 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 13 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Fox, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.8 km from downtown Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 km from the city centre.

Plane

Oakland is served by 2 airports: Oakland Airport (OAK) and San Francisco Airport (SFO). The closest to downtown Oakland is Oakland Airport, which is located 11 km from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 22 km from the centre of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air Canada, United Airlines, Air New Zealand and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 22m.

Train

Located 9 km from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 1.2 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 13 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Fox, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.8 km from downtown Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 km from the city centre.

Airports near Oakland

OAKOakland
SFOSan Francisco
SJCSan Jose

Airlines serving Oakland

KLM
Good (1,434 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,690 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,655 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,021 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,152 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,838 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,074 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,138 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,701 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,461 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,519 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,600 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (889 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,360 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,634 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,122 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,166 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,345 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,427 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,657 reviews)
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Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around C$ 261 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 344 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport By IHG and Ramada by Wyndham Oakland Downtown City Center. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Oakland, with prices from C$ 18 to C$ 1,221 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 61% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland

Most booked hotels in Oakland

See all
Bay Landing Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
C$ 147+
View
Oakland Marriott City Center
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
C$ 192+
View
Executive Inn & Suites Oakland
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 138+
View
Hyatt Place Emeryville/San Francisco Bay Area
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 192+
View
Claremont Resort & Club
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
C$ 262+
View
Courtyard by Marriott Oakland Airport
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
C$ 141+
View

Renting a car in Oakland

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 80 per day, on average, or C$ 160 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Oakland is the Budget branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 9 km from the downtown.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 13% more expensive than at San Francisco.

Expect to pay C$ 1.16 per litre in Oakland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 13.89 and C$ 18.52. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Compact (Jeep Compass or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Tesla Model 3 or similar) are, on average, 43% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 80 per day, on average, or C$ 160 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Oakland is the Budget branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 9 km from the downtown.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 13% more expensive than at San Francisco.

Expect to pay C$ 1.16 per litre in Oakland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 13.89 and C$ 18.52. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Compact (Jeep Compass or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Tesla Model 3 or similar) are, on average, 43% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Car rental agencies in Oakland

Budget

Budget
Find car rentals in Oakland