Which side of the plane to sit on: Mexico City to San Francisco?
Flying from Mexico City to San Francisco? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Mexico City toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco and Teotihuacan on the right.
- leftView of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
- leftView of Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain range)
- rightView of Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Teotihuacan (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
11:03 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sierra El Chuchupate, the Cerros de Rancho Viejo and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Sierra El Chuchupate (mountain range)
- leftView of Cerros de Rancho Viejo (mountain range)
- leftView of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:03 PMDescending into San Francisco from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the right.
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of the the sea coastline
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
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 Mexico City to San Francisco?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Santa Catarina (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sierra El Chuchupate, the Cerros de Rancho Viejo and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from Mexico City?
Climbing out of Mexico City toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco and Teotihuacan on the right.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the right.