See Before You Fly

Istanbul to Seoul: which side to sit for the view

A window-seat guide for the Istanbul – Seoul 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).

Distance7,923 km (4,924 mi)
Flight timeabout 10 h 10 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 · +1:09Sunset on the right · +6:14Sun on the rightSunset behind · +8:14
12:00Sun on the rightSunset behind · +3:19Sun on both sidesSunset on the left · +5:29
17:00Sun ahead, behind or highSunset behind · +0:33Sunrise ahead · +9:25Sun on the leftSunset on the left · +2:30Sunrise on the left · +7:29
22:00Sun on the rightSunrise ahead · +6:34Sun on the leftSunrise on the left · +4:24

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.

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