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.

North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Namastey Patio (5500 College Ave), Daughter Thai Kitchen (6118 Medau Pl) and A16 Rockridge (5356 College Avenue). If you’re looking for affordable options, Bardo Lounge & Supper Club (3343 Lakeshore Ave) and Jaji (422 24th St) are great picks.

Oakland in December

Estimated hotel price

£109

1 night at 3-star hotel

£109

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.

Temperatures

Data provided by

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 11 km from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 22 km from the centre of Oakland. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air New Zealand, Air Canada, SWISS and other airlines departing from the United Kingdom. The shortest flight to Oakland from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 10h 55m.

Train

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

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 13 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Fox and Turo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.8 km from the city centre of Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 km from the city centre.

Plane

Train

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

Car

Another option to get to Oakland is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 13 km from Oakland. You’ll find branches of Fox and Turo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Oakland, located 0.8 km from the city centre of Oakland. Oakland Jack London is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 km from the city centre.

Airports near Oakland

OAKOakland

SFOSan Francisco

SJCSan Jose

Airlines serving Oakland

Good (1,434 reviews)

Good (7,649 reviews)

Good (8,014 reviews)

Good (7,605 reviews)

Good (4,112 reviews)

Good (1,817 reviews)

Good (3,056 reviews)

Good (9,106 reviews)

Good (3,686 reviews)

Excellent (3,442 reviews)

Air France

Good (1,513 reviews)

Air Canada

Good (10,551 reviews)

Etihad Airways

Good (1,336 reviews)

Austrian Airlines

Good (880 reviews)

Cathay Pacific

Good (1,103 reviews)

Scandinavian Airlines

Good (1,620 reviews)

Finnair

Good (1,339 reviews)

Singapore Airlines

Excellent (1,415 reviews)

Alaska Airlines

Excellent (11,513 reviews)

LOT

Good (1,153 reviews)

Where to stay in Oakland

Average rates range from around £136 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £199 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 holiday rental options in Oakland, with prices from £10 to £660 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Oakland are about 76% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

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)

£80+

View

Executive Inn & Suites Oakland

3 stars

Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)

£77+

View

Oakland Marriott City Center

4 stars

Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)

£95+

View

Hyatt Place Emeryville/San Francisco Bay Area

3 stars

Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)

£101+

View

Claremont Resort & Club

5 stars

Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)

£171+

View

Courtyard by Marriott Oakland Airport

3 stars

Good (7.9, Good reviews)

£76+

View

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Oakland is the Thrifty branch at 7600 Earhart Road, which is 10 km from the city centre.

Expect to pay £0.65 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 £7.69 and £10.25. Compact (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Oakland, while also 35% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car hire deals in Oakland

Compact

4 adults, 2 Bags

£19/day

Economy

2 adults, 2 Bags

£20/day

Find car hire in Oakland

Oakland Tourism | Oakland Guide

You're Going to Love Oakland

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

Hiring a car in Oakland

Best car hire deals in Oakland