Overview
Orinda is a wealthy suburban refuge of most of the lawyers and bankers in Contra Costa County in the state of California.
1 sights · 2 things to do · 3 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Orinda
Hike to Berkeley
It takes three or four hours to hike the 10 km over the Berkeley hills from Orinda, and the route takes you through lovely natural scenery on reasonably quiet trails. Start from the De La Vega trailhead just south of Cam…
California Shakespeare Theater
This beautiful open-air theater, nestled under the eucalyptus trees in the Siesta Valley just east of Berkeley, features traditional and experimental performances of Shakespeare's plays as well as contemporary works. Pic…
Orinda Theater
The historic Orinda Theater offers movies shown in a fabulous full size Art Deco main theater. One of the better movie house experiences in the Bay Area.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 76°F; winter lows dip to about 43°F. Wettest: Dec and Feb. (climate data from nearby Berkeley)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CCR Buchanan Field, Concord — 10 mi away. Directions
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 11 mi away (major hub). Directions
Orinda has a BART station, which is in the middle of town; the BART network goes to Oakland, Fremont, and San Francisco. BART and Highway 24 bisect the town, leaving the Orinda Village to the north and Theater Square to the south.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning California Shakespeare Theater, Hike to Berkeley
- Lunch La Piazza
- Afternoon Orinda Theater
- Dinner Europa
- Evening Casa Orinda
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Orinda is a wealthy suburb in the Bay Area (California), with 6-figure salaries and million-dollar homes being the norm. Its position on the east side of the Oakland Hills gives it a pleasant eucalyptus-scented atmosphere without the icy fog of the western side in Berkeley and Oakland.
Orinda doesn't cultivate much of a tourist industry. Visitors may not feel unwelcome, but definitely won't be catered to.
Get in
Orinda has a BART station, which is in the middle of town; the BART network goes to Oakland, Fremont, and San Francisco. BART and Highway 24 bisect the town, leaving the Orinda Village to the north and Theater Square to the south.
Get around
Orinda is served by two County Connection buses that go to Orinda and Lafayette Bart, Orinda Library, Orinda Library, Orinda Village, Mt. Diablo State Park, Moraga & St. Mary's college as well as all around Orinda. Bus #106 goes to Orinda Bart, St. Mary's college and Mt. Diablo while bus #206 goes to Laffayete Bart, Orinda Bart, Orinda Library, Orinda Village & St. Mary's College. The Cal Shakes free shuttle stops at Orinda Bart & goes to the Shakespeare Festival ninety to thirty minutes before shows start. Highway 24 is the car highway that goes to Orinda.
See
See California Shakespeare Theater
This beautiful open-air theater, nestled under the eucalyptus trees in the Siesta Valley just east of Berkeley, features traditional and experimental performances of Shakespeare's plays as well as contemporary works. Picnic dinners available for purchase, or you can bring a picnic of your own. The grounds are open two hours before showtime, which is a great time to have a dinner and some discussion. Possibly one of the best evening activities in the Bay Area.
Do
Do Hike to Berkeley
It takes three or four hours to hike the 10 km over the Berkeley hills from Orinda, and the route takes you through lovely natural scenery on reasonably quiet trails. Start from the De La Vega trailhead just south of Camino Pablo, near the BART station. The De La Vega Trail ends at Grizzly Peak Boulevard; cross it to continue on the Side Hill Trail, then the East West Trail, and then the Stonewall Panoramic Trail, which will deposit you at the edge of UC Berkeley's campus. Use a good mapping app (for instance, one based on OpenStreetMap) to navigate, and make sure you buy and print an EBMUD permit as it's required for the De La Vega Trail. You can get back to Orinda by BART.
Buy
Eat
Eat La Piazza
A fire-stove Italian restaurant. Serves wonderful pizza and pastas.
Eat Nation's Giant Hamburgers
Decent hamburgers, spectacular breakfast. Also a local hangout for many of the young inhabitants of Orinda.
Drink
There are very few places to drink in Orinda. Pretty much the only bar in Orinda is The Casa Orinda.
Drink Casa Orinda
An upscale Orinda historical landmark. Possibly the best bar in town, and a stellar restaurant.
Go next
- Lafayette - A mostly residential town that offers interesting dining opportunities and is home to the Lafayette Reservoir, a great spot for hiking or jogging.
- Berkeley - Located on the other side of the hills, Berkeley has a well-deserved reputation as a kooky bastion of liberal activists. More importantly to the traveler, it offers an excellent selection of bars and restaurants.
Nearby
Lafayette
City / town · 5 listings · 3 mi away
Moraga
City / town · 3 listings · 4 mi away
Berkeley
City / town · 94 listings · 6 mi away
Albany
City / town · 13 listings · 6 mi away
Emeryville
City / town · 21 listings · 7 mi away
Pleasant Hill
City / town · 16 listings · 7 mi away
El Cerrito
City / town · 11 listings · 7 mi away
Oakland
City / town · 193 listings · 8 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.