Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Keflavik. Takeoff views of the San Francisco Bay Area and Golden Gate Bridge are more visually distinctive than the approach to Iceland's volcanic terrain. The bridge and bay offer iconic landmarks, while the Reykjanes Peninsula is geologically interesting but visually monotonous.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically departs westbound over the Pacific. Left seats face north toward the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge area during initial climb. Right seats see only open ocean immediately. Notable sights include: Golden Gate Bridge (visible as a thin orange line across the strait), Marin Headlands (dark ridgeline north of the bridge), San Francisco Bay (expansive water body below), Mount Tamalpais (distant peak beyond Marin).

When landing at Keflavik Nas (KEF), sit on the Right side for the best views. Approaching KEF from the southwest, aircraft typically descend on a northeast heading toward Runway 02 or 20 depending on wind. Right seats face toward Iceland's interior highlands and the Reykjanes Peninsula's volcanic terrain during final approach. Notable sights include: Reykjanes Peninsula (dark volcanic landscape with visible lava fields), Atlantic Ocean (surrounding water), Keflavik town (small settlement near airport), Grindavík area (visible to the east on the peninsula).

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Keflavik Nas (KEF) takes Approximately 10 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the North Atlantic, passing north of the Azores (visible only on clear days around 6-7 hours into flight), then approaching Iceland from the southwest. The mid-Atlantic ridge lies beneath the flight path but is not visible from altitude. Greenland's southern tip may be visible on the northern horizon during the final 2-3 hours of flight, appearing as a distant white landmass. Most of the journey is over open ocean with no visible landmarks.