Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Nanjing to Paris. While the right side wins at takeoff for Nanjing city views, the left side delivers more consistently across the full flight — it faces south over central China's river systems during cruise, and crucially provides the Paris approach view on landing. The Paris basin on final is one of the more rewarding urban approaches in Europe.

During takeoff from Lu Kou Airport (NKG), sit on the Right side for the best views. Nanjing Lukou Airport's primary departure runway (06/24) means westbound departures typically head northwest, putting the right side facing south toward the Yangtze River and Nanjing city center. You'll see the broad Yangtze bending through the landscape and the dense urban grid of Nanjing as the aircraft climbs and turns west. Notable sights include: Yangtze River (wide brown ribbon curving northwest), Nanjing city center urban grid, Xuanwu Lake (rectangular urban lake northeast of old city), Purple Mountain (Zijin Shan) forested ridge east of the city.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG's primary arrival runways for westerly approaches (runway 27L/27R or 26L/26R) bring aircraft in from the east, meaning the left side faces south toward Paris. On final approach you'll have a clear view of the Paris basin, and on a clear day the Eiffel Tower and the Seine's distinctive loops through the city are visible from the left windows. Notable sights include: Seine River loops through central Paris, Eiffel Tower (visible as a thin spire on clear days), La Défense business district tower cluster west of Paris, Marne River valley east of the city.

The flight from Lu Kou Airport (NKG) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 11.5 to 12.5 hours depending on winds and routing.

The route typically tracks northwest over central China crossing the Gobi Desert and Mongolian steppe, then over Siberia and the Ural Mountains (a broad low ridge visible as a change in terrain texture), across European Russia and the North European Plain through Belarus and Poland, then descending over Germany and into France. The Urals and the transition from Asian steppe to boreal taiga forest are the most visually distinctive midpoint features.