Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Munich to Shanghai. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the long cruise over Central Asia the views are largely similar on both sides — vast steppe and desert — but the left side also offers slightly better angles on the Tian Shan range as the route passes to its north, and the Yangtze delta approach seals it with Shanghai's iconic skyline.

During takeoff from Munich (MUC), sit on the Left side for the best views. Munich's primary departure runway 08R/26L means westbound departures head east initially before turning. For the northeast-bound routing to Shanghai, aircraft typically depart on runway 26L heading west then turn north. Left side gives you the city of Munich itself and then the Bavarian Alps as the aircraft banks northeast. The Isar River valley and the city center are clearly visible before the Alps fill the southern horizon. Notable sights include: Munich city center and Marienplatz area, Isar River valley, Bavarian Alps (Zugspitze massif to the south), Chiemsee lake to the southeast.

When landing at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Pudong airport sits east of Shanghai and aircraft typically approach from the east over the East China Sea on runway 34L/34R, heading south. Left side on approach gives you the Huangpu River, the Pudong skyline including the Shanghai Tower cluster, and the dense urban fabric of central Shanghai spreading westward. The right side faces open water and flat reclaimed land. Notable sights include: Huangpu River and its distinctive S-bend through the city, Pudong skyline (Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower), Suzhou Creek confluence, vast flat Yangtze River delta plain.

The flight from Munich (MUC) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) takes Approximately 10.5 to 11.5 hours.

The route tracks northeast over Austria and the Czech Republic, then across Poland and into Belarus or Ukraine airspace, crossing into Russia before heading southeast over Kazakhstan's vast steppe. The Ural Mountains appear as a low, broad ridge. Over Central Asia the route passes north of the Tian Shan range, visible as a distant snow-capped wall to the south. The Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia's arid plateau precede the descent into the Yangtze River delta, where the landscape transitions abruptly from dry brown terrain to intensely cultivated green and grey lowlands.