See Before You Fly

Paris to Tokyo: which side to sit for the view

A window-seat guide for the Paris – Tokyo flight: where the sun is, which side sees the sunset, and what you can spot along the way.

Quick answer

In daylight the sun is mostly on the right side, so the left side has less glare and a clearer view of the ground.

Left = window seat A. Right = the last letter in the row (F on most single-aisle jets, K or L on wide-bodies).

Distance9,710 km (6,035 mi)
Flight timeabout 12 h 20 min
DirectionNorth-east

Sun by departure time

Calculated for a departure at the local time shown, in mid-January and mid-July, along the shortest (great-circle) route. +2:10 means 2 h 10 min after takeoff.

DepartureJanuaryJuly
07:00Sun on the rightSunrise on the right · +1:46Sunset on the right · +4:09Sun on the rightSunset behind · +8:16
12:00Sun on both sidesSunset behind · +2:30Sunrise on the left · +11:26Sun on the leftSunset on the left · +6:30Sunrise on the left · +9:37
17:00Sun on the rightSunset behind · +0:10Sunrise ahead · +8:43Sun on the left
22:00Sun on the rightSunrise on the right · +6:47Sunset on the right · +10:46Sun on the rightSunrise on the left · +3:30

What you can see on the way

Landmarks close to the shortest route and the side they appear on. Real flight paths change with winds and air traffic control, so treat this as a guide.

No major landmarks lie close to the shortest route; expect sea, clouds or open country.

More routes