Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Nairobi. The London departure on the right side delivers the most dramatic and iconic views of the flight — central London and the Thames are genuinely spectacular from the air. The Nairobi arrival on the left is excellent for Mount Kenya on clear days, but visibility is not guaranteed. Right side also tracks better over the Nile Valley and East African Rift features during the cruise portion of the route.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures heading east on runway 27L/27R (westerly wind, most common) initially track over west London before turning southeast. A right-side seat gives you the Thames snaking through central London, the City skyline, and Canary Wharf as the aircraft climbs and banks. Left side faces away toward Slough and the M4 corridor. Notable sights include: Thames River bends through Richmond and Twickenham, central London skyline including The Shard and City towers, Canary Wharf cluster in Docklands, Windsor Castle and Great Park to the southwest briefly visible on climb-out.

When landing at Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO), sit on the Left side for the best views. JKIA's primary runway 06/24 means arrivals typically come in from the northwest heading southeast (runway 06). On this approach, the left side faces northeast toward Mount Kenya, which at over 17,000 feet is visible from a long distance on a clear day. The right side faces toward the Ngong Hills and open savannah but misses the dramatic volcanic peaks. Notable sights include: Mount Kenya massif to the northeast (visible from 100+ miles on clear days), Nairobi National Park open savannah directly south of the city, the Nairobi CBD skyline, Athi Plains stretching southeast.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) takes Approximately 8 hours 30 minutes to 9 hours.

The route tracks southeast over France and the Alps (visible from both sides at cruise altitude), then across the Mediterranean near Sicily, over Egypt with the Nile Delta and Nile Valley clearly visible as a green ribbon through the Sahara, Sudan's desert terrain, then into South Sudan and Uganda where the White Nile and Lake Victoria's northern shore become visible, before descending into Kenya over the East African Rift Valley