Which side of the plane to sit on: Denver to Vancouver?
Flying from Denver to Vancouver? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Denver toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Indian Peaks, the Rampart Range and the Left Hand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Poudre Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Indian Peaks (mountain range)
- leftView of Rampart Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Left Hand Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Poudre Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:15 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Medicine Bow Mountains, the Northgate Canyon and the Silas Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Karakul Hills on the left.
- rightView of Medicine Bow Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Karakul Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Northgate Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Silas Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
10:30 AMDescending into Vancouver from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Chuckanut Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the North Shore Mountains and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve on the right.
- rightView of North Shore Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Chuckanut Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Denver to Vancouver?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Medicine Bow Mountains, the Northgate Canyon and the Silas Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Karakul Hills on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Denver?
Climbing out of Denver toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Indian Peaks, the Rampart Range and the Left Hand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Poudre Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Vancouver?
Descending into Vancouver from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Chuckanut Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the North Shore Mountains and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve on the right.