Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Toronto to Istanbul. While the left side wins at departure for Toronto views, the right side delivers more consistently across the full flight. Over the Atlantic and Europe the differences are minor, but the right side's arrival view over the Bosphorus, Istanbul's historic peninsula, and the Sea of Marmara is one of the most dramatic urban approach views in the world and tips the balance decisively.

During takeoff from Lester B Pearson International (YYZ), sit on the Left side for the best views. YYZ typically departs eastbound on runways 05/06L/06R, meaning a left-side seat faces north toward Lake Simcoe and the city of Toronto. As the aircraft climbs and turns northeast, the left side gets a clear view back over downtown Toronto's skyline and Lake Ontario's western end. The CN Tower and the dense grid of the downtown core are unmistakable from this angle. Notable sights include: Downtown Toronto skyline with CN Tower, Lake Ontario western shoreline, Toronto Islands, Lake Simcoe to the north.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Istanbul Ataturk Airport (now largely replaced by IST New Airport, but historically) approached from the northwest over the Black Sea coast or from the northeast, with right-side seats getting views over the Bosphorus Strait, the historic peninsula of Sultanahmet, and the Sea of Marmara. The right side on approach from the northwest gives a sweeping look at the Bosphorus bridges and the dense urban fabric of European Istanbul before touchdown. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait with its bridges, Sea of Marmara, historic Sultanahmet peninsula, Golden Horn inlet.

The flight from Lester B Pearson International (YYZ) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The route tracks northeast over Quebec and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, then crosses the North Atlantic near southern Greenland or Iceland depending on the jet stream routing. Over Europe the flight passes over Scotland or northern England, then Germany or Austria, the Balkans, and Romania before descending into Turkey. Notable features include the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Labrador coast, Greenland's ice sheet edge, the Scottish Highlands, the Alps visible to the south as a distant white ridge, and the Danube River winding through the Hungarian and Romanian plains.