Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Lisbon to Istanbul. While the right side wins at takeoff, the left side delivers more throughout the flight: after departure it picks up views of the Spanish interior and Mediterranean coast, and at arrival it captures the full Istanbul panorama including the Bosphorus and historic peninsula, which is one of the most spectacular urban approaches in the world.

During takeoff from Lisboa (LIS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Lisbon's main runway 03/21 means departures heading northeast give the right side a clear view over the Tagus estuary and the city center. You'll see the 25 de Abril Bridge and Belém Tower as the aircraft climbs and banks eastward. Notable sights include: Tagus River estuary, 25 de Abril Bridge, Belém Tower, Lisbon city center grid.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Istanbul Atatürk Airport's primary arrival runway 06 brings aircraft in from the northwest over the Sea of Marmara. The left side gets the Bosphorus strait, the historic peninsula with Hagia Sophia and Topkapi, and the Golden Horn as the plane descends over the city. Notable sights include: Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus strait, historic Sultanahmet peninsula (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque), Golden Horn.

The flight from Lisboa (LIS) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours.

The route crosses central Spain over the Meseta plateau and the Sierra Morena foothills, then the Mediterranean near Valencia or Alicante, followed by the Balearic Sea. It then tracks over Sardinia or southern Italy depending on routing, crosses the Ionian Sea, and enters Greek airspace over Thessaloniki before descending into Turkish airspace over Thrace toward Istanbul.