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. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Oakland has to offer.

Activities & attractions in Oakland

North Oakland is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favorites 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.

Oakland in December

Estimated hotel price

$149

1 night at 3-star hotel

$149

1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Oakland in August, when the average temperature is 66.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 73.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 44.6 °F, with an average temperature of 51.8 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 4.8″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Oakland, with an average rainfall of 0″.

Temperatures

Data provided by

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 center. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 22 km from the center of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from United Airlines, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Oakland departs from Los Angeles and takes around 1h 24m.

Train

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

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 Turo and Movly, 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 center.

Plane

Train

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

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 Turo and Movly, 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 center.

Airports near Oakland

OAKOakland

SFOSan Francisco

SJCSan Jose

Airlines serving Oakland

Good (1,463 reviews)

Good (7,823 reviews)

Good (7,774 reviews)

Good (8,245 reviews)

Good (4,240 reviews)

Good (1,889 reviews)

Good (3,131 reviews)

Good (9,382 reviews)

Good (1,542 reviews)

Good (3,745 reviews)

Good (900 reviews)

Excellent (3,540 reviews)

Scandinavian Airlines

Good (1,703 reviews)

Air Canada

Good (10,775 reviews)

Good (1,182 reviews)

Good (1,371 reviews)

Good (1,424 reviews)

Good (1,187 reviews)

Good (388 reviews)

Excellent (11,982 reviews)

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around $187 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $267 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 $51 to $355 per night. North Oakland is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 93% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Oakland by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland

Most booked hotels in Oakland

See all

Hyatt Place Emeryville/San Francisco Bay Area

3 stars

Excellent (8.5, 1340 reviews)

$164+

View

Oakland Marriott City Center

4 stars

Excellent (8.5, 1088 reviews)

$130+

View

Executive Inn & Suites Oakland

3 stars

Excellent (8.4, 1579 reviews)

$139+

View

Claremont Resort & Club

5 stars

Excellent (8.3, 680 reviews)

$210+

View

Kissel Uptown Oakland, in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

4 stars

Excellent (8.2, 140 reviews)

$196+

View

The Westin San Francisco Airport

4 stars

Excellent (8.1, 2505 reviews)

$143+

View

Renting a car in Oakland costs $59 per day, on average, or $177 if you want to rent if for 3 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 city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 5% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay $3.29 per gallon in Oakland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $39.52 and $52.69. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Intermediate (Kia Sportage or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 58% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 5% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Best car rental deals in Oakland

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$25/day

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$26/day

Find car rentals in Oakland

Oakland Tourism | Oakland Guide

You're Going to Love Oakland

Activities & attractions in Oakland

Activities

Tours

Shopping

Other activities

Where to Eat in Oakland

When to visit Oakland

How to Get to Oakland

Plane

Train

Car

Bus

Plane

Train

Car

Bus

Airports near Oakland

Airlines serving Oakland

Where to stay in Oakland

Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland

Most booked hotels in Oakland

Renting a car in Oakland

Best car rental deals in Oakland