Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Delhi to Istanbul. While the right side wins at takeoff for Delhi city views, the left side delivers the more dramatic payoff at landing with the Bosphorus and Istanbul's historic skyline. Across the cruise portion heading northwest, the left side also faces generally south toward the Iranian plateau and the Zagros Mountains in the distance, giving slightly better geographic interest than the right side's view over the Anatolian interior. The Istanbul arrival clinches it for the left seat.

During takeoff from Indira Gandhi International (DEL), sit on the Right side for the best views. IGI Airport's primary departure runways (28/29 direction, heading roughly northwest) mean the right side faces northeast toward Old Delhi and the Yamuna River. You get a clear view of the dense urban grid of central Delhi, the Yamuna's broad floodplain, and on clear days the city's major arterials radiating outward. The left side faces southwest over relatively featureless agricultural flatlands of Haryana. Notable sights include: Yamuna River floodplain, Old Delhi urban core, Connaught Place radial road pattern, Noida satellite city across the river.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Istanbul Ataturk's primary arrival runways typically bring aircraft in from the east or northeast over the Sea of Marmara or the Bosphorus. On a left-side seat, you get a direct view of the Bosphorus Strait, the Golden Horn, and the historic peninsula of Old Istanbul with its unmistakable skyline of minarets and domes. The right side faces inland over the relatively unremarkable suburban sprawl of European Istanbul. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait, Golden Horn inlet, Old Istanbul historic peninsula (Sultanahmet), Sea of Marmara.

The flight from Indira Gandhi International (DEL) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 6 to 7 hours.

The route tracks northwest from Delhi across the Pakistani Punjab and Sindh flatlands, then over eastern Afghanistan or southern Pakistan depending on routing. It crosses into Iranian airspace over the Zagros Mountain ranges, whose parallel ridgelines are clearly visible from altitude as dramatic folded terrain. The route then crosses central or northern Iran, passes over or near the Caspian Sea's southern shore, crosses the Caucasus region or northern Turkey, and descends toward Istanbul over the Anatolian plateau. The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt and the Caspian coastline are the most visually distinctive features at cruise altitude.