Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

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. Oakland deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Article

Where to Eat in Oakland

North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Mago (3762 Piedmont Ave), Millennium Oakland (5912 College Ave) and Belotti Ristorante e Bottega (5403 College Avenue). If you’re looking for affordable options, Flora - Oakland (1900 Telegraph Ave.) and Dona Tomas (5004 Telegraph Avenue) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Burdell (4640 Telegraph Ave) and Low Bar Oakland (2300 Webster St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.

When to visit Oakland

Oakland in March
Estimated hotel price
$222
1 night at 3-star hotel
Oakland in March
Estimated hotel price
$222
1 night at 3-star hotel

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.

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 the city centre of 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. The shortest flight to Oakland from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 14h 15m.

Train

Located 5 miles from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 0.7 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 8 miles from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Alamo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.5 miles from the city centre of Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city centre.

Plane

Oakland is served by 2 airports: Oakland Airport (OAK) and San Francisco Airport (SFO). The closest to the city centre of 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. The shortest flight to Oakland from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 14h 15m.

Train

Located 5 miles from the city centre, Oakland Coliseum is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Jack London Square, located 0.7 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 8 miles from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Alamo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.5 miles from the city centre of Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Oakland

SFOSan Francisco
SJCSan Jose
SMFSacramento Intl

Airlines serving Oakland

KLM
Good (1,404 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,544 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,001 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,494 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,038 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,775 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,005 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,997 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,400 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,659 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,482 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (862 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,392 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,284 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,553 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,234 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,045 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,133 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,335 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,391 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around $262 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $403 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 Continental Lodge. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Oakland, with prices from $20 to $1,353 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Oakland are about 54% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Elmhurst - In Oakland’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport By IHG, Oakland Airport Arena Hotel and Harris Motel.

Elmhurst - In Oakland’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport By IHG, Oakland Airport Arena Hotel and Harris Motel.
Most popular hotel in Oakland by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland

Most booked hotels in Oakland

See all
Bay Landing Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
$174+
View
Oakland Marriott City Center
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
$194+
View
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$271+
View
Executive Inn & Suites Oakland
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$176+
View
The Westin San Francisco Airport
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$244+
View
Courtyard by Marriott Oakland Airport
3 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
$165+
View

Hiring a car in Oakland

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Europcar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Oakland is the Fox branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 6 miles from the city centre.

Expect to pay $1.38 per litre in Oakland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $16.50 and $22.00. Intermediate (Ford Escape or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Oakland, while also 68% cheaper than other types, on average.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Europcar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Oakland is the Fox branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 6 miles from the city centre.

Expect to pay $1.38 per litre in Oakland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $16.50 and $22.00. Intermediate (Ford Escape or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Oakland, while also 68% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car hire deals in Oakland

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$39/day

Compact

Supplier choice

5 Adults, 5 Bags

$40/day

Supplier choice
Find car hire in Oakland

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