Downtown Oakland Travel Guide
Tourist Guide
Visit Downtown Oakland
Popular places to visit
Fox Theater
You can enjoy a show at Fox Theater during your stay in Oakland. Experience the acclaimed art galleries or attend a sporting event in this vibrant area.
Paramount Theatre
Spend an evening being swept up in a ballet performance, laughing at stand-up comedians or dancing in your seat to a band at this historic art deco theatre.
Oakland City Center
You can find the perfect gifts to bring home at Oakland City Center during your visit to Oakland. Experience the acclaimed theatre scene or attend a sporting event in this vibrant area.
Oakland Museum of California
Delve into Californian history at this interdisciplinary museum, which features enthralling exhibits of landscape paintings, cultural artifacts and natural science under one roof.
Jack London's Cabin
You can find out about the history of Oakland with a trip to Jack London's Cabin. Experience the entertainment choices and acclaimed art galleries in this vibrant area.
Old Oakland
During your trip to Oakland, you can enjoy retail therapy at Old Oakland. While in this walkable area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.
Activities
Golden Gate Bay Cruise - Sail Around Alcatraz! (1-hour)
San Francisco Bridge to Bridge Cruise (90-minutes)
Alcatraz Visit with Night Option and SF Bay Cruise
San Francisco City Lights Cruise (2-hours)
San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Tours PLUS Night Tour
San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour
Our pick of the best Downtown Oakland Hotel Deals
Holiday Inn Golden Gateway by IHG
This is our second time staying at this hotel, and we'll continue to stay here when we are back in SF. All of the staff we interacted with were extremely friendly. The hotel offers great city views, and the rooms are clean with modern amenities. The Hotel is in great locaton, with grocery stores, ...
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
Hotel Riu Plaza Fisherman's Wharf
Everyone was kind and very helpful. The room was spotless when we checked in. Only stayed 2 nights so we didn’t have our room cleaned.
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
Handlery Union Square Hotel
The staff was excellent, no doubt about that. But the condition of the rooms was a different story… the first room we got had a sewage smell. Was transferred to a different room but there also was a musky/moldy smell it gave me bad allergies. The rooms/carpets are just really old. I dont think the ...
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
Hyatt Place San Francisco Downtown
The fire pit in the patio was a very nice touch.
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
Hilton San Francisco Financial District
Great staff and amazing environment
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
YOTEL San Francisco
Clean rooms. Great atmosphere. Rooms were a tad small but overall very comfortable.
Reviewed on 1 Mar 2026
Other neighbourhoods around Downtown Oakland
West Oakland
While you're in West Oakland, take in top sights like Old Oakland and jump on the metro at West Oakland Station to see more of the city.
Grand Lake
If you're spending some time in Grand Lake, Grand Lake Theater and Morcom Rose Garden are top sights worth seeing.
San Antonio
If you're spending some time in San Antonio, Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park and Garden Center are top sights worth seeing.
Piedmont Avenue
Though Piedmont Avenue may not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Oakland Floats and Children's Fairyland.
Temescal
If you're spending some time in Temescal, Temescal Alley and Oakland Floats are top sights worth seeing.
West Alameda
If you're spending some time in West Alameda, Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach and Pacific Pinball Museum are top sights worth seeing.