Cairo to Milano flight path: CAI to MXP

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Cairo to Milano. The left side bookends the flight with two standout moments — the Pyramids during the turn out of Cairo and the Alps/Lake Maggiore on the approach into Malpensa — while the right side's cruise-phase views over the Aegean and Ionian seas, though pleasant, don't quite match that drama.

During takeoff from Cairo International (CAI), sit on the Left side for the best views. Cairo typically departs toward the northeast before turning left onto the northwest track to Italy, and that turn brings the Giza Plateau and the Nile Valley into view on the left side. It's one of the few departures anywhere with pyramids visible from the window. Notable sights include: Pyramids of Giza, Nile River and its green floodplain, Cairo's dense urban sprawl, Nile Delta agricultural patchwork.

When landing at Malpensa (MXP), sit on the Left side for the best views. Malpensa's approach from the south for runway 35 puts the Alps and Lake Maggiore on the left side of the aircraft, with the lake's long blue finger and snow-dusted peaks beyond offering a dramatic final few minutes. The right side mostly shows the flatter Po plain. Notable sights include: Lake Maggiore, Alpine foothills and distant snow-capped peaks, Ticino River, Malpensa forest park.

The flight from Cairo International (CAI) to Malpensa (MXP) takes about 4 hours 15 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 1,626 miles (2,617 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

The route tracks northwest over the eastern Mediterranean near Crete, continues over the Ionian Sea toward the toe of Italy, then crosses the Apennines before descending into the Po Valley toward Milan.