Search Cheap Flights from Rotorua (ROT) to Auckland (AKL)

What are some major events and festivals in Auckland?

Auckland Pride Festival

Auckland Pride Festival is a great reason to book flights from Rotorua to Auckland in late summer. The annual festival takes place in February and is a fun-filled two-week celebration of social activities and programs put together for New Zealand’s Rainbow community. There are events ranging from theatre and musicals, to visual arts exhibitions and youth events, but the main show is the Pride parade. Most of the events take place in the CBD, including the Pride parade, but there’s also shows in Western Park and Ponsonby, so you don’t need to be in the city centre to enjoy all that the festival has to offer. The event draws a large international crowd, so the city welcomes lots of visitors at this time of year. Book your trip well in advance to get cheap flights to Auckland from Rotorua.

Auckland Arts Festival

Arts and culture lovers might be tempted into booking flights to Auckland from Rotorua for travel in March, when the city’s largest Arts Festival takes place. With more than 40 events running throughout the month, you’ll have no problem finding a show at one of Auckland’s many famous theatres, galleries and venues, including events at the Stardome Observatory & Planetarium and ASB Waterfront Theatre.

Don’t miss the opening event of the festival at Aotea Square when you arrive from Rotorua. The free Waiata event is a celebration of the city’s artists and cultural diversity, and is designed to get everyone in the festival spirit. It features live music performances and visual art exhibitions that the whole family can enjoy. With the whole city in festival spirit, March makes for a great time to book flights Rotorua to Auckland.

New Zealand International Film Festival

The weather might be a little colder and the days shorter, but movie fans will have good reason to book flights from Rotorua to Auckland in July. From around mid-July into August, the New Zealand International Film Festival comes to the city of Auckland. This eagerly awaited winter event includes screenings of more than 150 films, documentaries and short film programmes, treating audiences to the latest in national and international cinema. It’s one of New Zealand’s longest running film festivals, originally starting in 1984, and always draws a big crowd. If you want to get cheap flights from Rotorua to Auckland, it may be worth booking in advance. 

What are the best things to do on the weekends in Auckland?

Rangitoto Island

If you're booking flights to Auckland from Rotorua and are looking for outdoor activities and fantastic scenery while you’re away, Rangitoto Island is a great place to visit on the weekend. Located just off the coast of central Auckland, Rangitoto Island is a volcanic isle known for hiking trails, panoramic views and the world's largest Pohutukawa forest.

Rangitoto Island is about 8 kilometres northeast of Auckland. You can catch a cruise from the downtown ferry terminal which will take about 25 minutes. When you book flights to Auckland from Rotorua, you might want to think about booking Fullers' Volcanic Explorer Tour. This includes a tour of the island and a round-trip ferry transfer to and from downtown Auckland. If hiking isn’t your idea of fun, the tour can be a more comfortable way to see the incredible island.

Mount Eden

Travellers with tickets to Auckland from Rotorua can’t miss seeing Mount Eden. The dormant volcano is one of the top attractions in the city of Auckland. It’s the highest natural point in the city, offering those that make the trip to the top some of the most beautiful views over downtown Auckland. The entire volcano is completely covered with grass, which makes it a great spot to relax and enjoy a picnic - a great excursion destination if you’re booking flights from Rotorua to Auckland with friends or family. Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes if you’re planning on walking to reach the summit of the volcano. If you book tickets to Auckland from Rotorua in summer, it’s worth doing the climb at sunrise or sunset for some spectacular views.

Auckland Zoo

Families with Rotorua to Auckland flights will love Auckland Zoo. It is within easy reach of the CBD and Auckland Airport (AKL), and is accessible by both public transport and car.

The zoo is home to more exotic and native animals than anywhere else in New Zealand, from tigers and penguins, to brown kiwis. Expect to spend most of the day here when you plan your Rotorua to Auckland trip.

How much time should I spend in Auckland?

Auckland is New Zealand’s most populous urban area, with a population of more than 1.4 million people, which means there’s virtually something for everyone when you travel from Rotorua Airport (ROT) to Auckland Airport (AKL). If you want to see as much as possible, a week is probably a good length of time to spend in the city, but if you’re eager for a few days in a city with a good mixture of outdoor activities like Mount Eden, and events such as the New Zealand International Film Festival, then book Rotorua to Auckland return flights on a long weekend.