Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Toronto to Hong Kong. Left side wins both ends of the flight. The polar great circle route from Toronto to Hong Kong tracks northwest over Hudson Bay, across the Canadian Arctic, over the Bering Sea region, down through eastern Russia and northeastern China before descending into Hong Kong. Left-side passengers get the better views at both departure and arrival, and during the flight will have slightly better angles toward the Siberian and Mongolian landmass features, though at cruising altitude over the Arctic and Russia the views are largely of frozen tundra, sea ice, and cloud cover regardless of side.

During takeoff from Lester B Pearson International (YYZ), sit on the Left side for the best views. YYZ departures on runway 23 (the most common westbound departure) swing left over the city, giving left-side passengers a clear view of downtown Toronto's skyline including the CN Tower, Lake Ontario's northern shore, and the Toronto Islands. Right-side passengers face the suburban sprawl of Mississauga and Brampton with little of interest. Notable sights include: CN Tower and downtown Toronto skyline, Toronto Islands and Billy Bishop Airport, Lake Ontario shoreline, Scarborough Bluffs visible to the east.

When landing at Hong Kong International (HKG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hong Kong International sits on Lantau Island and aircraft typically approach from the east or northeast over the South China Sea. Left-side passengers get the dramatic view of Lantau's mountainous interior, the Tsing Ma Bridge, and the dense urban mass of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island with Victoria Harbour between them. Right-side passengers face open water of the Pearl River estuary. Notable sights include: Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island skyline, Kowloon Peninsula, Tsing Ma Bridge, Lantau Peak and mountainous Lantau interior.

The flight from Lester B Pearson International (YYZ) to Hong Kong International (HKG) takes Approximately 15 to 16 hours.

The route tracks over Hudson Bay (often frozen or partially iced), the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, across the Bering Sea or Chukchi Sea region near Alaska, then over the Russian Far East including the Kamchatka Peninsula with its volcanic peaks, across the Sea of Okhotsk, over northeastern China and Manchuria, before descending into Hong Kong. The Kamchatka volcanoes are among the most visually striking features if skies are clear, appearing as snow-capped conical peaks rising from the peninsula below.