Seeing Vatnajokull from a plane9 ★
Iceland's largest ice cap and Europe's second-largest, about 3,000 square miles, sitting on top of active volcanoes like Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga. Look for white ice spilling down to the south coast in broad outlet tongues and black sand plains.
3 of our routes pass it. Iceland · rated 9 of 10
The easy pick
Los Angeles to Copenhagen: sit on the left, 465 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| London to San Francisco | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 119 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Copenhagen | Left | 465 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Istanbul | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 390 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 Vatnajokull 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 Vatnajokull from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on 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
Hofsjökull Eyjafjallajokull / Myrdalsjokull Langjökull Krýsuvík London (LHR) San Francisco (SFO) Los Angeles (LAX) Copenhagen (CPH) All routes