Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Istanbul to Tashkent. The left side captures the spectacular Bosphorus and Istanbul geography on departure, then tracks the Black Sea coast of Turkey, the Caucasus foothills, and the Caspian Sea region across the flight. The right side has the better Tashkent landing view, but the departure scenery and mid-flight geography give the left side a cumulative advantage over the roughly 4.5-hour route.

During takeoff from Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. IST typically departs eastbound on runway 06, so the left (north) side gives you a clear view back over the Bosphorus strait, the Golden Horn, and the dense urban sprawl of European Istanbul. The right side faces south toward the Sea of Marmara but the city's most iconic geography is to the north. Notable sights include: Bosphorus strait, Golden Horn inlet, European Istanbul skyline, Sea of Marmara visible to the south as a contrast.

When landing at Yuzhny (TAS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Tashkent's Yuzhny airport typically lands from the west on runway 08R/08L heading east, placing the right (south) side with views over the Tian Shan foothills and the city's southern districts. The Tian Shan range's snow-capped ridgelines are visible to the south and southeast on clear days, which is the dominant visual feature of this approach. Notable sights include: Tian Shan mountain foothills to the south, Tashkent city grid, Chirchiq River valley, Charvak Reservoir in the distance on clear days.

The flight from Ataturk (IST) to Yuzhny (TAS) takes Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours.

The route crosses northern Turkey and the Anatolian plateau, passes south of the Caucasus mountains, crosses the Caspian Sea (visible as a vast flat expanse of water), then traverses the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — flat, arid terrain with occasional river deltas and dry lake beds before the Tian Shan foothills appear near Tashkent