Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Beijing. The right side wins overall because the London departure views are genuinely spectacular and hard to beat — the Thames and city skyline on a clear day are iconic. The landing views into Beijing are more comparable between sides, and the right side also picks up views of the Mongolian steppe and the approach over the North China Plain during descent.

During takeoff from Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Gatwick typically departs northward on runway 08R/26L or uses runway 26L heading west, then turns northeast toward the route. On a northward climb-out, the right side gives views over central London — the Thames, Canary Wharf towers, and the City skyline are clearly visible as the aircraft banks northeast. The left side faces south toward the Sussex countryside with little of note. Notable sights include: The Thames river snaking through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster in east London, the City of London skyline, and the M25 orbital motorway cutting across the landscape.

When landing at Capital (PEK), sit on the Left side for the best views. Beijing Capital Airport approaches typically come in from the northeast on runway 36L/36R heading south, or from the south on runway 18. On a southwest approach, the left side faces east toward central Beijing — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the urban grid of the city center are visible in the distance. The right side faces west toward the mountains but the city detail is on the left. Notable sights include: The urban grid of central Beijing, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square complex, the Olympic Park area with the Bird's Nest stadium, and the Yanshan mountain foothills to the northwest.

The flight from Gatwick (LGW) to Capital (PEK) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The route tracks northeast over the North Sea, then across southern Scandinavia or the Baltic states, before crossing into Russia over the Ural Mountains — a broad, low range visible as a wrinkled ridge from altitude. The flight then crosses the vast West Siberian Plain, one of the flattest and most featureless landscapes on Earth, followed by the more varied terrain of eastern Siberia and Mongolia. The Gobi Desert appears as a vast pale tan expanse before the aircraft descends over the North China Plain into Beijing. Lake Baikal may be visible to the south depending on the exact routing.