Istanbul to Beijing: which side to sit for the view
A window-seat guide for the Istanbul – Beijing 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).
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.
| Departure | January | July |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | Sun on the rightSunrise on the right · +1:09Sunset on the right · +6:20 | Sun on the rightSunset behind · +8:14 |
| 12:00 | Sun on the rightSunset behind · +3:22 | Sun ahead, behind or highSunset on the left · +5:27 |
| 17:00 | Sun ahead, behind or highSunset behind · +0:33 | Sun on the leftSunset on the left · +2:27Sunrise on the left · +7:38 |
| 22:00 | Sun on the rightSunrise ahead · +6:34 | Sun on the leftSunrise on the left · +4:27 |
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.