Which side of the plane to sit on: Cape Town to Johannesburg?
Flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Hawekwa Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Cape Town toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Hawekwa Mountains and the Hex River Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Robben Island and the Table Bay on the left.
- rightView of Hawekwa Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Hex River Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Robben Island (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Table Bay (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
9:57 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Heksrivierberge, the Klein-Roggeveldberge and the Steenkampsberg (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kookfonteinberg on the left.
- leftView of Kookfonteinberg (mountain range)
- rightView of Heksrivierberge (mountain range)
- rightView of Klein-Roggeveldberge (mountain range)
- rightView of Steenkampsberg (mountain range)
Landing views
10:51 AMDescending into Johannesburg from the southwest, the left window looks out over the Glastonbury Ridge and Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Suikerbosrant and Vredefort dome on the right.
- rightView of Suikerbosrant (mountain range)
- leftView of Glastonbury Ridge (mountain range)
- leftView of Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Vredefort dome (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Cape Town to Johannesburg?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Hawekwa Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Heksrivierberge, the Klein-Roggeveldberge and the Steenkampsberg (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kookfonteinberg on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Cape Town?
Climbing out of Cape Town toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Hawekwa Mountains and the Hex River Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Robben Island and the Table Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into Johannesburg?
Descending into Johannesburg from the southwest, the left window looks out over the Glastonbury Ridge and Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Suikerbosrant and Vredefort dome on the right.