Seeing Beijing from a plane9 ★
Laid out on a strict north-south axis around the Forbidden City, with ring roads in concentric squares out to the Sixth Ring. Look for the long yellow-roofed palace rectangle and Tiananmen Square at its south end.
3 of our routes pass it. Beijing · rated 7 of 10
The easy pick
Boston to Beijing: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Boston to Beijing | Left | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Shenzhen | Right | 708 min after takeoff |
| New York to Beijing | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
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 Beijing from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (2 of 3). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Beijing 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 Beijing 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
Langfang Tianjin Shijiazhuang Boston (BOS) Los Angeles (LAX) New York (JFK) All routes