Which side of the plane to sit on: Vancouver to Calgary?
Flying from Vancouver to Calgary? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Five Fingers Group (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Vancouver toward the east, the left window looks out over the Five Fingers Group, the North Shore Mountains and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on the right.
- leftView of Five Fingers Group (mountain range)
- leftView of North Shore Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
- rightView of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (national park)
Flight path features
9:34 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over The Bugaboos, the Badshot Range and the Rocky Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the American Point on the right.
- leftView of The Bugaboos (mountain range)
- leftView of Badshot Range (mountain range)
- rightView of American Point (peninsula coastline)
- leftView of Rocky Point (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
11:07 AMDescending into Calgary from the west, the right window looks out over the Spray Range and the Kootenay Ranges (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kootenay National Park and the Banff National Park on the left.
- rightView of Spray Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Kootenay Ranges (mountain range)
- leftView of Kootenay National Park (national park)
- leftView of Banff National Park (national park)
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 Vancouver to Calgary?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Five Fingers Group (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over The Bugaboos, the Badshot Range and the Rocky Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the American Point on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Vancouver?
Climbing out of Vancouver toward the east, the left window looks out over the Five Fingers Group, the North Shore Mountains and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on the right.
What about on the descent into Calgary?
Descending into Calgary from the west, the right window looks out over the Spray Range and the Kootenay Ranges (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kootenay National Park and the Banff National Park on the left.