6+ Hours at Oakland International Airport - Header image

6+ Hours at Oakland International Airport

Maeve Power
Spend your 6+ hour layover exploring the city or the surrounding area instead of sitting in the terminal. Check out these options for a longer layover at Oakland International Airport.
Spend your 6+ hour layover exploring the city or the surrounding area instead of sitting in the terminal. Check out these options for a longer layover at Oakland International Airport.

Head downtown

If you have a longer layover at OAK, take advantage of your downtime to head into Oakland and explore the city. Oakland is a city on the east side of San Francisco Bay, in California. Spend your time exploring the city and enjoying the restored Victorian architecture, or at the Oakland Zoo or at the University of California Botanical Gardens. There are lots to do during a layover in Oakland. For more details on what to do during your layover, visit the Lonely Planet Guide to Oakland.

Avoid downtown

If you don’t feel like spending your layover downtown, head east from the airport instead to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. This 3,000+ acre park offers lots of hiking and bike trails and beautiful scenery for you to enjoy. The park is open daily from 08:00 – 22:00. Located 7.3 miles from the airport. When leaving the airport during your layover, always make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security before your next flight.

Transport Options

Train: BART trains connect Oakland International Airport with downtown San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and many other Bay Area destinations. The BART station is just across the street from the OAK terminals.

Overnight Layover?

If you have an overnight layover at OAK and want to get a good night's sleep there are many options available to you near the airport. The Hilton Oakland Airport is close to the airport, located just 2 minutes away. There is a free shuttle available to and from the airport between 07:00 and 00:00. The hotel features a fitness center, outdoor pool, and an on-site restaurant for guests.

Luggage Storage

As with most airports in the US, there are no luggage storage facilities available at Oakland International Airport. If you have a layover at OAK and want to store your luggage try these options:
  • Ask at the airport information desk for recommendations on nearby luggage storage facilities. 
  • If you are heading downtown, check for luggage storage lockers at bus and train terminals
  • Use Google to find a luggage storage service. There are lots of apps and websites that offer luggage storage options in large cities across the US.
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