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 neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Pucquio (5337 College Ave), Commis Dining Room (3859 Piedmont Avenue) and Wood Tavern (6317 College Ave.). 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, Lovely Day (4629 Martin Luther King Jr Way) and Low Bar Oakland (2300 Webster St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Oakland.
When to visit Oakland
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.
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 the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 16h 52m.
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 £14 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about £15 for a 1h 16m trip. Located 0.7 miles from the city centre, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 5 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 Budget and Avis, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Oakland using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Fresno, the bus ride to Oakland takes 405 miles and will cost you around £42. From Los Angeles, the ticket costs about £72 for a journey of 425 miles. 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.
Airlines serving Oakland
Where to stay in Oakland
If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Ramada by Wyndham Oakland Downtown City Center and Civic Center Lodge. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Oakland, with prices from £10 to £696 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Oakland are about 50% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland
Most booked hotels in Oakland
Hiring a car in Oakland
Hiring a car in Oakland costs £44 per day, on average, or £133 if you want to hire it for 3 days. 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.
It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 13% cheaper than airport locations in Oakland.
Expect to pay £0.81 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 £9.71 and £12.95. Full-size (Nissan Altima or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Oakland, while also 66% cheaper than other types, on average.
Best car hire deals in Oakland
Supplier choice
5 adults, 5 Bags
£26/day
Intermediate
5 adults, 3 Bags
£27/day