Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hanoi to Tokyo. While the right side has the better takeoff view over the Red River Delta, the left side wins overall. It captures the East China Sea and Yellow Sea crossing, the Korean Peninsula coastline if routing via Korea, and delivers the spectacular Tokyo Bay and potential Mount Fuji view on approach — the single most memorable visual of the entire flight.

During takeoff from Noibai International (HAN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Noi Bai's primary departure runway 11L/29R means northeastward departures swing the aircraft to track northeast toward the Gulf of Tonkin. The right side captures the Red River Delta spreading out below, with Hanoi's urban core and Hoan Kiem Lake district visible to the southeast. Left side faces northwest toward flat agricultural land with less visual interest. Notable sights include: Red River (Song Hong) snaking southeast through the delta, Hanoi urban core and West Lake (Ho Tay) to the south, flooded rice paddies of the Red River Delta patchwork, Ha Long Bay limestone karst silhouettes on the distant eastern horizon during climb.

When landing at New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. Narita primarily uses runways 16R/34L and 16L/34R. Southward landings on runway 16 bring aircraft in from the north over Chiba Prefecture. The left side faces west toward Tokyo Bay, the Tokyo metropolitan skyline, and Mount Fuji on clear days to the southwest — the most dramatic views on approach. The right side looks east over flat Chiba farmland and the Pacific Ocean. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay and the urban Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan sprawl to the west, Mount Fuji as a distant conical peak on the southwestern horizon on clear days, Tokyo Disneyland and Urayasu coastal reclaimed land along the bay shore, Chiba city and its port facilities in the middle distance.

The flight from Noibai International (HAN) to New Tokyo International (NRT) takes Approximately 4 hours 45 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes.

The flight tracks northeast from Hanoi across the Gulf of Tonkin, then over the South China Sea before crossing the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula or routing over the East China Sea between China and Japan. The Ryukyu Island chain (Okinawa and surrounding islands) may be visible as scattered green dots in deep blue water from the left side at cruise altitude. The Yellow Sea appears as a shallow, often turbid expanse. On descent into Japan, the Kii Peninsula or Ise Bay coastline of Honshu may be visible depending on routing, before tracking northeast along the Pacific coast toward Chiba.