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 San Diego and takes around 1h 35m.

Train

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

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 12 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Turo and Sixt, 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 1.2 km from the city center, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 9 km from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 12 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Turo and Sixt, 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

STSSanta Rosa Sonoma County

SFOSan Francisco

SJCSan Jose

Airlines serving Oakland

Good (8,002 reviews)

Good (1,517 reviews)

Good (7,980 reviews)

Good (8,453 reviews)

Good (4,367 reviews)

Good (1,946 reviews)

Good (3,216 reviews)

Good (1,589 reviews)

Good (914 reviews)

Good (9,720 reviews)

Excellent (3,572 reviews)

Qatar Airways

Good (3,727 reviews)

Scandinavian Airlines

Good (1,777 reviews)

Air Canada

Good (11,042 reviews)

Good (1,190 reviews)

Good (1,393 reviews)

Good (408 reviews)

Good (2,253 reviews)

Good (1,331 reviews)

Good (1,439 reviews)

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around $181 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $270 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 Moxy Oakland Uptown. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Oakland, with prices from $55 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 73% 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

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Oakland Marriott City Center

4 stars

Excellent (8.5, 1096 reviews)

$140+

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Kissel Uptown Oakland, in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

4 stars

Excellent (8.5, 145 reviews)

$227+

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Executive Inn & Suites Oakland

3 stars

Excellent (8.4, 1605 reviews)

$143+

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Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center

3 stars

Excellent (8.4, 416 reviews)

$130+

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Hotel Shattuck Plaza

4 stars

Excellent (8.3, 1238 reviews)

$166+

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The Westin San Francisco Airport

4 stars

Excellent (8.1, 2509 reviews)

$177+

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Renting a car in Oakland costs $55 per day, on average, or $164 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Oakland is the Dollar branch at 7600 Earhart St, which is 10 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 36% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay $4.77 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 $57.24 and $76.31. Intermediate (Kia Sportage or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Oakland, while also 60% cheaper than other types, on average.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 36% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Best car rental deals in Oakland

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$30/day

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$31/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