Which side of the plane to sit on: Oslo (Gardermoen) to Tromsø?
Flying from Oslo (Gardermoen) to Tromsø? 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 Oslo (Gardermoen) toward the north, the left window looks out over the Vegglifjell mountains, the Langfjellene and the Røyse (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Vegglifjell mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Langfjellene (mountain range)
- leftView of Røyse (peninsula coastline)
- leftView of Kjøsterud canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
9:51 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Vardofjällen, the Sulitelma and Laponian National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Vardofjällen (mountain range)
- rightView of Sulitelma (mountain range)
- rightView of Laponian National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Botelnäset (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
10:39 AMDescending into Tromsø from the south, the right window looks out over the Čeamičohkat and the Gahperusat (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Ráneš and the Senja on the left.
- rightView of Čeamičohkat (mountain range)
- rightView of Gahperusat (mountain range)
- leftView of Ráneš (island)
- leftView of Senja (island)
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.
About this flight
The Oslo (Gardermoen)–Tromsø flight covers roughly 1,115 km along the great-circle path, heading broadly north (16°) out of OSL, with a typical time in the air of about 1h 48m. Origin and destination share a time zone, so the clock and the sun stay in step for the whole flight. Along or near this corridor the engine tracks sights such as the Vegglifjell mountains, the Langfjellene, the Røyse, the Kjøsterud canyon, the Vardofjällen, the Sulitelma - each one is assigned to the left or right window based on its bearing relative to the aircraft's nose at the moment you pass it.
Does the season change the answer?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.
New to picking window seats? Read the complete window-seat guide or see how these verdicts are computed.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Oslo (Gardermoen) to Tromsø?
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 Vardofjällen, the Sulitelma and Laponian National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from Oslo (Gardermoen)?
Climbing out of Oslo (Gardermoen) toward the north, the left window looks out over the Vegglifjell mountains, the Langfjellene and the Røyse (mountain ridges and peaks).
What about on the descent into Tromsø?
Descending into Tromsø from the south, the right window looks out over the Čeamičohkat and the Gahperusat (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Ráneš and the Senja on the left.
Does the best side change with the season?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.