Seeing Bosphorus from a plane7 ★
A 19-mile strait splitting Istanbul between Europe and Asia, under half a mile wide at its narrowest. Look for three suspension bridges and lines of tankers threading the S-bends.
12 of our routes pass it. Turkey · rated 8 of 10
The easy pick
Boston to Istanbul: sit on the right, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Boston to Istanbul | Right | on the way down |
| Chicago to Istanbul | Right | on the way down |
| Detroit to Istanbul | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Houston to Istanbul | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Dubai | Left | 710 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Istanbul | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Miami to Istanbul | Right | on the way down |
| New York to Istanbul | Right | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Dubai | Left | 690 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Istanbul | Right | on the way down |
| Seattle to Istanbul | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Washington to Istanbul | 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 Bosphorus from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (10 of 12). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Bosphorus 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.
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
Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleiman bridge Gebze Çanta Wind Farm Boston (BOS) Chicago (ORD) Detroit (DTW) Houston (IAH) All routes