Seeing Athens from a plane9 ★
More than 3 million people fill a basin ringed by mountains, a near-solid sea of white concrete. Look for the Acropolis rising out of it, and Piraeus harbor on the Saronic Gulf.
9 of our routes pass it. Greece · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Philadelphia to Athens: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Athens to Zurich | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Boston to Chania | Left | 468 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Tel Aviv | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 611 min after takeoff |
| New York to Cairo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 498 min after takeoff |
| New York to Athens | Left | on the way down |
| Newark to Tel Aviv | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 478 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Thessaloniki | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 495 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Athens | Left | on the way down |
| Washington to Cairo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 488 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Athens from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (5 of 9). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Athens from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Can you see Athens at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Acropolis of Athens Zea harbor Mount Athos Mount Olympus Athens (ATH) Zurich (ZRH) Boston (BOS) Miami (MIA) All routes