Which side of the plane to sit on: Rio De Janeiro to Buenos Aires (Ezeiza)?
Flying from Rio De Janeiro to Buenos Aires (Ezeiza)? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Serra do Engenho Novo (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Rio De Janeiro toward the southwest over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Serra do Engenho Novo, the coastline and Rio de Janeiro & Sugarloaf (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Serra do Couto on the right.
- leftView of Serra do Engenho Novo (mountain range)
- rightView of Serra do Couto (mountain range)
- leftView of the Atlantic coastline
- leftView of Rio de Janeiro & Sugarloaf (mountains, beaches and Christ the Redeemer)
Flight path features
10:23 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Cuchilla del Cordobés, the Serra do Tabuleiro and the Santa Catarina Island (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Cuchilla del Cordobés (mountain range)
- leftView of Serra do Tabuleiro (mountain range)
- leftView of Santa Catarina Island (island)
- leftView of Isla de la Barra (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
11:44 AMDescending into Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) from the northeast over the Río de la Plata, the left window looks out over the Cuchilla Riachuelo, the Sierras de Mahoma and Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento (mountain ridges and peaks), with ESMA on the right.
- leftView of Cuchilla Riachuelo (mountain range)
- leftView of Sierras de Mahoma (mountain range)
- leftView of Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of ESMA (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.
About this flight
The Rio De Janeiro–Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) flight covers roughly 1,996 km along the great-circle path, heading broadly south-west (225°) out of GIG, with a typical time in the air of about 2h 54m. You'll cross time zones on the way (America/Sao_Paulo → America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires), which shifts where sunrise and sunset catch the aircraft - that's factored into the verdict above. Along or near this corridor the engine tracks sights such as the Serra do Engenho Novo, the Serra do Couto, the coastline, Rio de Janeiro & Sugarloaf, the Cuchilla del Cordobés, the Serra do Tabuleiro - each one is assigned to the left or right window based on its bearing relative to the aircraft's nose at the moment you pass it.
Does the season change the answer?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.
New to picking window seats? Read the complete window-seat guide or see how these verdicts are computed.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Rio De Janeiro to Buenos Aires (Ezeiza)?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Serra do Engenho Novo (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Cuchilla del Cordobés, the Serra do Tabuleiro and the Santa Catarina Island (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from Rio De Janeiro?
Climbing out of Rio De Janeiro toward the southwest over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Serra do Engenho Novo, the coastline and Rio de Janeiro & Sugarloaf (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Serra do Couto on the right.
What about on the descent into Buenos Aires (Ezeiza)?
Descending into Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) from the northeast over the Río de la Plata, the left window looks out over the Cuchilla Riachuelo, the Sierras de Mahoma and Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento (mountain ridges and peaks), with ESMA on the right.
Does the best side change with the season?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.