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.
Where to Eat in Oakland
North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Oakland. These include popular favourites such as Daughter Thai Kitchen (6118 Medau Pl), Belotti Ristorante e Bottega (5403 College Avenue) and The Wolf - Oakland (3853 Piedmont Ave). 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, Calavera Mexican Kitchen & Agave Bar (2337 Broadway Oakland Hive) and TODOS (2315 Valdez 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 11 km from the city centre. Further away is San Francisco Airport, 22 km from the centre of Oakland. The shortest flight to Oakland from India departs from Kochi and takes around 22h 40m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Oakland. The train journey from Oakland to Santa Clara takes 1h 02m and costs around ₹ 1,503 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about ₹ 1,586 for a 1h 14m trip. Located 1.2 km from the city centre, Oakland Jack London Square is the busiest station in Oakland. Another popular train station is Oakland Coliseum, located 9 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 Dollar and Hertz, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Oakland, including FlixBus, Greyhound and Busbud. From Los Angeles, the bus ride to Oakland takes 153 km and will cost you around ₹ 1,836. From Sacramento, the ticket costs about ₹ 2,504 for a journey of 225 km. 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.
Airlines serving Oakland
Where to stay in Oakland
If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakland-Airport. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Oakland, with prices from ₹ 1,085 to ₹ 73,961 per night. North Oakland is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Oakland are about 51% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Elmhurst - Radisson Hotel Oakland Airport, Motel 6 Oakland Airport and La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Oakland Airport Coliseum have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Elmhurst will cost you about ₹ 7,416 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Oakland
Most booked hotels in Oakland
Hiring a car in Oakland
Hiring a car in Oakland costs ₹ 7,159 per day, on average, or ₹ 14,318 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car 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 9 km from the city centre.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 22% more expensive than at San Francisco.
Expect to pay ₹ 87 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 ₹ 1,042 and ₹ 1,389. Compact (Nissan Versa Note or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Oakland, while also 69% cheaper than other types, on average.