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.

Where to Eat in Oakland

North Oakland is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favorites such as Pucquio (5337 College Ave), Wood Tavern (6317 College Ave.) and Lovely Day (4629 Martin Luther King Jr Way). 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, Palmetto (1900 Telegraph Ave) and Shakewell (3407 Lakeshore Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.

Most popular restaurants in Oakland

Californian
Very good (1094 reviews)
Japanese
Wonderful (533 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (173 reviews)
American
Wonderful (118 reviews)
$$$$
Spanish
Very good (97 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (96 reviews)
Californian
Very good (1094 reviews)
Japanese
Wonderful (533 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (173 reviews)
American
Wonderful (118 reviews)
$$$$
Spanish
Very good (97 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (96 reviews)

When to visit Oakland

Oakland in January
Estimated hotel price
$135
1 night at 3-star hotel
Oakland in January
Estimated hotel price
$135
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″.

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 center. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 14 miles from the center of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air France, ITA Airways, China Southern and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Oakland departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 33m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Oakland. The train journey from Oakland to Santa Clara takes 1h 01m and costs around $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about $19 for a 1h 20m trip. Located 0.7 miles from the city center, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 5 miles from the center.

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 Sixt, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Oakland, including FlixBus, Greyhound and ACN Autobuses. From Fresno, the bus ride to Oakland takes 265 miles and will cost you around $52. From Reno, the ticket costs about $21 for a journey of 310 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 center.

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 center. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 14 miles from the center of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air France, ITA Airways, China Southern and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Oakland departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 33m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Oakland. The train journey from Oakland to Santa Clara takes 1h 01m and costs around $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about $19 for a 1h 20m trip. Located 0.7 miles from the city center, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 5 miles from the center.

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 Sixt, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Oakland, including FlixBus, Greyhound and ACN Autobuses. From Fresno, the bus ride to Oakland takes 265 miles and will cost you around $52. From Reno, the ticket costs about $21 for a journey of 310 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 center.

Airports near Oakland

Airlines serving Oakland

Lufthansa
Good (3,990 reviews)
KLM
Good (759 reviews)
British Airways
Good (3,775 reviews)
SWISS
Good (863 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,132 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,446 reviews)
Air France
Good (884 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,376 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (1,984 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,464 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,636 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (446 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (4,620 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Good (777 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (214 reviews)
Finnair
Good (942 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (729 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (777 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,053 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (313 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Oakland

There are also lots of vacation rental options in Oakland, with prices from $13 to $591 per night. North Oakland is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Oakland are about 69% 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

Bay Landing Hotel
Excellent (8.6, 1267 reviews)
$105+
Oakland Marriott City Center
Excellent (8.3, 628 reviews)
$143+
Claremont Club and Spa A Fairmont Hotel
Excellent (8.3, 320 reviews)
$283+
Holiday Inn Oakland Airport, An IHG Hotel
Excellent (8.2, 505 reviews)
$133+
The Westin San Francisco Airport
Excellent (8, 1341 reviews)
$135+
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Excellent (8, 1010 reviews)
$122+

Renting a car in Oakland

Renting a car in Oakland costs $49 per day, on average, or $146 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car 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 city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay $3.60 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 $43.15 and $57.54. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Dodge Neon or similar) are, on average, 73% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Oakland costs $49 per day, on average, or $146 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car 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 city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.

Expect to pay $3.60 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 $43.15 and $57.54. The most frequently booked car type in Oakland is Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Dodge Neon or similar) are, on average, 73% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.