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, A Cote (5478 College Ave) and Scott's Seafood - Oakland (2 Broadway) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Lovely Day (4629 Martin Luther King Jr Way) and Ikaros Greek Restaurant (3268 Grand Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.

When to visit Oakland

Oakland in November
Estimated hotel price
C$ 204
1 night at 3-star hotel
Oakland in November
Estimated hotel price
C$ 204
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 7 miles from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 14 miles from the centre of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 25m.

Train

Located 5 miles from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 0.7 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 8 miles from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Avis, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.5 miles from downtown Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles 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 7 miles from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 14 miles from the centre of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 25m.

Train

Located 5 miles from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 0.7 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 8 miles from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Avis, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.5 miles from downtown Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Oakland

SFOSan Francisco
SJCSan Jose
SMFSacramento Intl

Airlines serving Oakland

KLM
Good (1,405 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,518 reviews)
Delta
Good (7,982 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,468 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,772 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,023 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,997 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,994 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,477 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,383 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,657 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (863 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,349 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,537 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,282 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,134 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,161 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,333 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,038 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,387 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around C$ 245 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 372 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Ramada by Wyndham Oakland Downtown City Center and Continental Lodge. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Oakland, with prices from C$ 18 to C$ 1,240 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 46% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Elmhurst - In Oakland’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport By IHG, Oakland Airport Arena Hotel and Harris Motel.

Elmhurst - In Oakland’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport By IHG, Oakland Airport Arena Hotel and Harris Motel.

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$ 163+
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Executive Inn & Suites Oakland
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
C$ 160+
View
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 251+
View
Oakland Marriott City Center
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 178+
View
The Westin San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
C$ 225+
View
The Marina Inn on San Francisco Bay
2 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
C$ 126+
View

Renting a car in Oakland

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 56 per day, on average, or C$ 111 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Europcar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Oakland is the Fox branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 6 miles from the downtown.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 64% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay C$ 1.29 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$ 15.46 and C$ 20.61.

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 56 per day, on average, or C$ 111 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Europcar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Oakland is the Fox branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 6 miles from the downtown.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 64% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay C$ 1.29 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$ 15.46 and C$ 20.61.

Best car rental deals in Oakland

Economy

2 adults, 2 Bags

C$ 42/day

Economy

Intermediate

5 adults, 3 Bags

C$ 45/day

Intermediate
Find car rentals in Oakland

Oakland Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Oakland city guide for the best Oakland travel tips. To help you organize your Oakland trip ideas, this Oakland visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.