Beijing to London flight path: PEK to LHR

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Beijing to London. The left side wins on both ends of the flight—Beijing's western hills at departure and the Thames/London skyline on arrival—while the long Siberian cruise segment is scenically modest on either side, making the bookend views the deciding factor.

During takeoff from Capital (PEK), sit on the Left side for the best views. PEK typically departs northbound before turning left toward the northwest for the great-circle track to Europe, putting the Western Hills (Xishan) and the rolling foothills of the Taihang range on the left side of the aircraft. The right side mostly shows the flat North China Plain toward Tianjin and the Bohai coast, which is far less visually interesting. Notable sights include: Western Hills (Xishan), Fragrant Hills, Beijing's urban sprawl, distant ridgelines of the Taihang Mountains.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow's westerly arrivals commonly bring aircraft in from the east along the Thames corridor before turning onto final approach, and on this alignment the left side gets the classic view of the river, Canary Wharf, and central London landmarks. The right side during this same segment mostly shows residential north London with fewer distinctive features. Notable sights include: River Thames, Canary Wharf towers, London Eye, Houses of Parliament.

The flight from Capital (PEK) to Heathrow (LHR) takes about 11 hours 5 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 5,067 miles (8,154 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Gobi Desert and Mongolian steppe, southern Siberian taiga, the Ural Mountains crossing into Europe, and the Volga River basin before the route continues over the Baltic region toward the North Sea