Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Zurich?
Flying from San Francisco to Zurich? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:07 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
3:03 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Taateraat Qaqqaat (the low sun on the horizon).
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftCatch the sunrise
- leftView of Taateraat Qaqqaat (mountain range)
- leftView of Grave Creek Range (mountain range)
Landing views
5:59 AMDescending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Albis, the Vosges and Cutting National Cemetery (mountain ridges and peaks), with prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps on the left.
- rightView of Albis (mountain range)
- rightView of Vosges (mountain range)
- rightView of Cutting National Cemetery (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps (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 Zurich?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Taateraat Qaqqaat (the low sun on the horizon).
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 Zurich?
Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Albis, the Vosges and Cutting National Cemetery (mountain ridges and peaks), with prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps on the left.