Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Amsterdam?
Flying from San Francisco to Amsterdam? 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 San Francisco toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Vaca Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- rightView of Niles Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
2:41 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and Aasivissuit, Nipisat (the low sun on the horizon), with the Pinguarssuk and the Niaqornarssuit on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Pinguarssuk (mountain range)
- rightView of Niaqornarssuit (mountain range)
- leftView of Aasivissuit, Nipisat (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
5:16 AMDescending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, the left window looks out over the Haltern Hills and Grachtengordel (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Flemish Ardennes and Van Nellefabriek on the right.
- leftView of Haltern Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Flemish Ardennes (mountain range)
- leftView of Grachtengordel (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Van Nellefabriek (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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 San Francisco to Amsterdam?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and Aasivissuit, Nipisat (the low sun on the horizon), with the Pinguarssuk and the Niaqornarssuit on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Amsterdam?
Descending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, the left window looks out over the Haltern Hills and Grachtengordel (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Flemish Ardennes and Van Nellefabriek on the right.