Washington to Taipei flight path: IAD to TPE

Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Washington to Taipei. The right side wins both the takeoff (Washington DC and the Potomac) and the landing (Taiwan's Central Mountains and Taipei Basin), and during the long polar-route cruise it faces the more geographically varied southern arc of the great circle — Hudson Bay's shoreline, Siberian river deltas, and the Sea of Japan/Korean coast — versus the left side's largely featureless Arctic ice cap.

During takeoff from Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Right side for the best views. Departing IAD on a near-due-north runway before the great-circle track curves toward Canada, the right side faces east toward Washington DC. Passengers get a clear look at the Potomac River, the National Mall's monuments, and the Chesapeake Bay basin beyond, while the left side only shows rural Northern Virginia farmland. Notable sights include: Washington DC skyline (Capitol, Washington Monument), Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay in the distance, Northern Virginia suburbs.

When landing at Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE), sit on the Right side for the best views. TPE's approach from the northeast onto runway 23 puts the right side of the aircraft facing inland Taiwan. Passengers see the steep, green Central Mountain Range and the Taipei Basin rather than the open Taiwan Strait, which dominates the left-side view. Notable sights include: Central Mountain Range, Taipei Basin and city skyline, Yangmingshan volcanic peaks, Taiwan's northern coastline.

The flight from Washington Dulles International (IAD) to Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE) takes about 15 hours 50 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 7,851 miles (12,635 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Canadian Arctic islands and Hudson Bay, polar ice pack of the Arctic Ocean, Siberian tundra and Russian Far East coastline, Sea of Japan and the Korean Peninsula