Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hamburg to Zurich. The right side misses the Hamburg city views at takeoff but delivers the superior experience overall: as the flight tracks south over Germany, the right side looks west toward the Rhine valley and Black Forest, and on descent into Zurich the right side has the unobstructed view of Lake Zurich and the Alps — the most dramatic scenery of the entire route.

During takeoff from Hamburg (HAM), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hamburg Airport typically departs southbound on runway 23, putting the left side over the city center and the Alster lakes. You get a clear view of the Binnenalster and Aussenalster, the harbor, and the Elbe river bending westward. Notable sights include: Binnenalster and Aussenalster lakes, Hamburg harbor and container terminals, Elbe river, Speicherstadt warehouse district.

When landing at Zurich (ZRH), sit on the Right side for the best views. Zurich typically lands on runway 14 or 28 depending on wind. On the common westerly approach to runway 28, the right side faces south and gives a direct view of Lake Zurich stretching toward the Alps, with the Glarus Alps and Säntis visible on the horizon. On runway 14 approaches from the north, the right side still tracks Lake Zurich and the city. Notable sights include: Lake Zurich (Zürichsee), Glarus Alps on the southern horizon, Zürich city center and old town, Uetliberg ridge to the west.

The flight from Hamburg (HAM) to Zurich (ZRH) takes Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

The flight tracks roughly south-southeast over the North German Plain, crossing the Harz mountains (visible as a low forested plateau), then over central Germany passing near Kassel and Frankfurt. The Rhine-Main region appears around the midpoint. Further south the Black Forest ridge becomes visible to the right, and the Swabian Alb plateau crosses beneath before the Swiss border and the Alps come into view on the southern horizon during descent.