Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Beijing to Frankfurt. Left side wins both departure and arrival, and during the cruise the left (south) side also captures the Mongolian steppe transition, the Kazakh steppe, the Ural crossing, and the European plain — generally more varied terrain than the right side's more uniform Siberian taiga views.

During takeoff from Capital (PEK), sit on the Left side for the best views. PEK's primary departure runway 36L/01 sends aircraft northward, and a left (west) seat gives you a clear view of the Western Hills (Xishan) rising abruptly from the North China Plain, plus the urban sprawl of central Beijing including the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square visible during the initial climb. The Summer Palace reservoir and Kunming Lake are also identifiable on the left side before the aircraft turns northwest. Notable sights include: Western Hills (Xishan range), Kunming Lake and Summer Palace grounds, central Beijing urban grid including Tiananmen area, Ming Tombs reservoir to the northwest.

When landing at Frankfurt Main (FRA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Frankfurt's primary arrival runway 25L/C brings aircraft in from the east on a westward heading, and the left (south) seat looks directly over the Frankfurt city center, the Main River bend, and the distinctive Sachsenhausen district. The Rhine-Main confluence is visible to the southwest, and on clear days the Taunus hills frame the northern horizon on the right while the Odenwald hills are visible to the south on the left. Notable sights include: Frankfurt city center skyline and Main River bend, Rhine-Main confluence near Mainz, Taunus ridge to the north, Odenwald hills to the south.

The flight from Capital (PEK) to Frankfurt Main (FRA) takes Approximately 10-11 hours.

After departing Beijing the route tracks northwest over the Mongolian Plateau and Gobi Desert fringe, crosses into Kazakhstan over the flat Kazakh steppe, passes near the southern Urals, then crosses Russia and enters European airspace over Ukraine or Belarus depending on current routing restrictions, before descending over Poland and Germany. Key visual features include the Gobi Desert's tan emptiness, the vast flat Kazakh steppe, the low Ural Mountains marking the Europe-Asia boundary, and the patchwork agricultural plains of Poland on descent.