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 Mago (3762 Piedmont Ave), Millennium Oakland (5912 College Ave) and Belotti Ristorante e Bottega (5403 College Avenue). If you’re looking for affordable options, Flora - Oakland (1900 Telegraph Ave.) and Dona Tomas (5004 Telegraph Avenue) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Burdell (4640 Telegraph Ave) and Low Bar Oakland (2300 Webster St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.

When to visit Oakland

Oakland in November
Estimated hotel price
C$ 198
1 night at 3-star hotel
Oakland in November
Estimated hotel price
C$ 198
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, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 25m.

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 Turo, 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, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Vancouver and takes around 2h 25m.

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 Turo, 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

SFOSan Francisco
SJCSan Jose
SMFSacramento Intl

Airlines serving Oakland

Lufthansa
Good (7,409 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,386 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,367 reviews)
Delta
Good (7,961 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,737 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,966 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,925 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,925 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,339 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,622 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (850 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,156 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,486 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,117 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,251 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,896 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,324 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (998 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (359 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around C$ 251 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 342 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$ 1,219 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 58% 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$ 170+
View
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 245+
View
Executive Inn & Suites Oakland
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 173+
View
Oakland Marriott City Center
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 175+
View
The Westin San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
C$ 224+
View
Courtyard by Marriott Oakland Airport
3 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
C$ 150+
View

Renting a car in Oakland

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 30 per day, on average, or C$ 61 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 9 km from the downtown.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 157% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay C$ 1.30 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$ 15.52 and C$ 20.69. Compact (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Oakland, while also 16% cheaper than other types, on average.

Renting a car in Oakland costs C$ 30 per day, on average, or C$ 61 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 9 km from the downtown.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 157% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay C$ 1.30 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$ 15.52 and C$ 20.69. Compact (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Oakland, while also 16% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car rental deals in Oakland

Full-size SUV

5 adults, 2 Bags

C$ 69/day

Full-size SUV

Minivan

5 adults, 5 Bags

C$ 89/day

Minivan
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.