Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

San Rafael travel guide

San Rafael Tourism | San Rafael Guide

You're Going to Love San Rafael

With a population of 57,713, San Rafael is a must-see destination in California, United States. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything San Rafael has to offer.

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Activities & attractions in San Rafael

Create custom jewelry in guided workshop
Activities•Arts & Crafts

Where to Eat in San Rafael

If you’re looking for affordable options, The Panama Hotel Restaurant (4 Bayview Street) and Vin Antico (881 Fourth St) are great picks.

When to visit San Rafael

San Rafael in April
Estimated hotel price
$135
1 night at 3-star hotel
San Rafael in April
Estimated hotel price
$135
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to San Rafael in July, when the average temperature is 68 °F, and the highest can go up to 80.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 41 °F, with an average temperature of 48.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 8.2″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in San Rafael, with an average rainfall of 0″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to San Rafael

Plane

Although San Rafael doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Oakland Airport (OAK), which is located 25 miles from San Rafael. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Finnair and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to San Rafael departs from New York and takes around 5h 56m.

Train

The train station in San Rafael is called San Rafael, and is located 0.5 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to San Rafael is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 14 miles from San Rafael. You’ll find branches of Turo and Movly, among others, in San Francisco.

Plane

Although San Rafael doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Oakland Airport (OAK), which is located 25 miles from San Rafael. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Finnair and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to San Rafael departs from New York and takes around 5h 56m.

Train

The train station in San Rafael is called San Rafael, and is located 0.5 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to San Rafael is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 14 miles from San Rafael. You’ll find branches of Turo and Movly, among others, in San Francisco.

Airports near San Rafael

OAKOakland
SFOSan Francisco
SJCSan Jose

Airlines serving San Rafael

Lufthansa
Good (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,837 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,588 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,934 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,790 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,698 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,446 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,215 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,244 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,349 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (346 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,069 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,275 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,968 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,851 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of San Rafael

Most booked hotels in San Rafael

See all
Marin Lodge
3 stars
Excellent (9.2, 1045 reviews)
$111+
View
Acqua Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (9, 550 reviews)
$295+
View
Best Western Corte Madera Inn
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 861 reviews)
$162+
View
Marin Suites Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1652 reviews)
$134+
View
Embassy Suites by Hilton San Rafael Marin County
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 743 reviews)
$170+
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Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, 1060 reviews)
$173+
View

Renting a car in San Rafael

Renting a car in San Rafael costs $56 per day, on average, or $167 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in San Rafael.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in San Rafael (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. Full-size (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in San Rafael, while also 68% cheaper than other types, on average.

Renting a car in San Rafael costs $56 per day, on average, or $167 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in San Rafael.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in San Rafael (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. Full-size (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in San Rafael, while also 68% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car rental deals in San Rafael

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$35/day

Compact

Intermediate

5 Adults, 3 Bags

$38/day

Intermediate
Find car rentals in San Rafael

San Rafael Travel Guide - View the KAYAK San Rafael city guide for the best San Rafael travel tips. To help you organize your San Rafael trip ideas, this San Rafael visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.