Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Taipei to San Francisco. Left side wins both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get the Tamsui estuary and Yangmingshan volcanic hills; at landing you get the full San Francisco Bay panorama and Peninsula approach. The right side offers the open Pacific for most of the cruise, which is featureless ocean.

During takeoff from Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE), sit on the Left side for the best views. TPE typically departs on runway 05L/05R heading northeast, which puts the left side facing northwest toward Taipei city and the Datun volcanic group. You get a clear look at the Tamsui River estuary and the urban grid of Taipei before the aircraft banks right over the Taiwan Strait. Notable sights include: Tamsui River estuary, Datun volcanic peaks (Yangmingshan), Taipei Basin urban grid, Taiwan Strait coastline.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO primarily lands on runways 28L/28R heading west, meaning the left side faces south over the San Francisco Peninsula and the Santa Cruz Mountains. You get a prolonged view of the Bay, the Peninsula cities, and the approach over San Mateo Bay before touchdown. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge, San Francisco Peninsula urban corridor, Santa Cruz Mountains ridge.

The flight from Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The great circle route arcs northeast over the western Pacific, passing south of Japan's Ryukyu Islands chain early in the flight, then tracking across the open North Pacific at roughly 40-45 degrees north latitude. The Aleutian Islands may be visible as distant volcanic peaks on the northern horizon in the mid-flight portion if routing goes that far north. The final hours bring the California coast into view, with the rugged ridgelines of the Coast Ranges and the Sacramento Valley visible before the Bay Area descent.