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.
Where to Eat in Oakland
North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Lovely Day (4629 Martin Luther King Jr Way), Daughter Thai Kitchen (6118 Medau Pl) and A Cote (5478 College Ave). If you’re looking for affordable options, Quinn's Lighthouse Restaurant & Pub (1951 Embarcadero East) and Soi4 Bangkok Eatery (5421 College Ave) are great picks. Families with children usually love to dine at Gyu-Kaku - Oakland (459 8th St), while couples can enjoy the romantic atmosphere of Galeto Brazilian Steakhouse - Oakland (1019 Clay Street), in North Oakland. For delicious green meals, Shakewell (3407 Lakeshore Ave) and Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt (576 Grand Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.
When to visit Oakland
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.
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 Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Oakland from Canada departs from Edmonton and takes around 2h 58m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Oakland. The train journey from Oakland to Stockton takes 1h 38m and costs around C$ 20 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Sacramento, expect to pay about C$ 23 for a 1h 41m trip. Located 0.7 miles from the city centre, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 5 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 Fox and Thrifty, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Oakland using FlixBus or Greyhound. From Santa Rosa, the bus ride to Oakland takes 90 miles and will cost you around C$ 58. From Sacramento, the ticket costs about C$ 16 for a journey of 105 miles. 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.
Airlines serving Oakland
Where to stay in Oakland
If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center and Piedmont Place. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Oakland, with prices from C$ 18 to C$ 696 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 99% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Elmhurst - Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport, Radisson Hotel Oakland Airport and Motel 6 Oakland Airport have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Elmhurst will cost you about C$ 155 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland
Most booked hotels in Oakland
Renting a car in Oakland
Enterprise, 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 Fox branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 2577 miles from the downtown.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 10% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.
Expect to pay C$ 1.35 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$ 16.14 and C$ 21.52. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Compact (Toyota RAV4 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Commercial Truck or similar) are, on average, 56% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Oakland
Economy
2 adults, 2 Bags
C$ 33/day
Intermediate SUV
5 adults, 3 Bags
C$ 37/day