Uluru, Fuji and the Great Wall: The most amazing sights to look out for mid-flight

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Any take-off in a northerly direction from San Francisco’s airport offers a spectacular snapshot of all the city has to offer - Anadolu/Getty Images

They are the occasional instances which can enliven an otherwise monotonous flight – the moments when you gaze down from an aeroplane at altitude and notice a significant landmark on the ground beneath you. You could be as much as six miles above it – but if the entity in question is sufficiently famous, the flash of recognition can be electric.

Sometimes, if you are quick enough, you may have time to take a photo; a souvenir of your not-so-close encounter with a major “celebrity”. But your chances of snapping a digital memento are much-increased if you know what you are looking for – and when to look – in advance.

Of course, such alchemy is dependent on exact flight paths, weather, daylight, cloud cover, and whether you happen to be sitting on the correct sight of the plane – but the following 10 wonders can all realistically be espied from the air. Phones at the ready…

Uluru, Australia

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View of the Uluru monolith from a Qantas a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft - James D. Morgan/Getty Images

In July, an Australian passenger made headlines – or, at least, enjoyed a burst of social-media micro-fame – after capturing the Outback’s sacred orange-red monolith through a Jetstar plane window. A fair achievement, but one which can be replicated with relative ease. With a prominence of 1,142ft (348m), Uluru rises sharply from the dust around it. Click.

Feasible flight

The snap was taken on a service from Sydney to Indonesian island Bali.

Eagle-eyed tip

With a space as colossal as Australia’s Red Centre, you need a little luck to spot “Ayers Rock” – although, in this case, its proximity was announced by the pilot.

The Great Wall of China, China

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The Great Wall of China as seen from a plane near Beijing in 2011 - Alamy Stock Photo

Such is the length of China’s vaunted garden fence – there are 13,171 miles of it in total, built between the seventh century BC and the 17th AD – that it is almost impossible to fly into the north-east of the country, and not cross it. Contrary to popular belief, it cannot be seen from space – but you have every chance of sighting it as you depart from Beijing.

Feasible flights

Almost any flight going west towards Europe from the Chinese capital.

Eagle-eyed tip

Keep your nose pressed to the window once you have taken off. Some parts of the Wall – including the well-known Badaling section – are within 50 miles of Beijing.

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Mount Everest, Nepal

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View of Mount Everest and the Himalayas from a plane - KYRYLO KULAHIN/Alamy Stock Photo

If any mountain is going to be visible below a wing, it is surely the planet’s tallest. Of course, there are various reasons why you might not see Mount Everest – its peak is part of an epic massif which includes fellow giants Lhotse and Nuptse; the weather above the Himalayas is notoriously changeable. But at 29,032ft (8,849m), no summit climbs higher.

Feasible flights

Your best bet is the hop from the Bhutan capital Thimpu to its Nepalese counterpart Kathmandu, but a flight from Thimpu into India may also veer close enough.

Eagle-eyed tip

If you fly west from Thimpu, Everest will be on the right of the plane.

Pico, Portugal

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The 7,713ft summit of the volcano on Pico can be seen from the sky - Alamy Stock Photo

Nine rain-drenched islands lost in the mid-Atlantic, the lushly green Azores are easily distinguished from the oceanic blue around them. None more so than Pico, the second largest member of the club – which comes to an obvious volcanic head in its 7,713ft (2,351m) summit. If the flight path is near enough, you can peer right down into its crater.

Feasible flights

Transatlantic services from London to Cancun or Barbados.

Eagle-eyed tip

If you are travelling in a south-westerly direction, you should fly past two other Azorean islands – Terceira and Sao Jorge – immediately before you reach Pico.

Mount Fuji, Japan

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Minutes from taking off from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, you should be able to see the volcano if you’re travelling westbound - Japan Stock Photography /Alamy Stock Photo

A volcano is often imbued with extra visibility. Particularly if it is of the classic conical variety, curving upwards in a symmetrical form, and standing alone against the horizon. Mount Fuji is one of the greatest examples of this geological artform, towering to a snow-capped 12,388ft (3,776m), and crucially, doing so a stone’s throw (ish) from Tokyo.

Feasible flights

Westbound services out of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

Eagle-eyed tip

As with the Great Wall, keep your eyes peeled in the minutes directly after take-off. Mount Fuji sits a mere 80 miles west of Haneda; a heartbeat for an aircraft.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

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As the highest peak in Africa, Kilimanjaro can be seen when travelling towards the Middle East - Chris Leadbeater

It is sometimes forgotten that Tanzania’s foremost chunk of rock is also a volcano – albeit a dormant example which has kept its temper in check for 150,000 years. All the same, Mount Kilimanjaro enjoys an elevation – 19,341ft (5,895m) – unmatched on the African continent, and its prominence above the plains makes for a likely visibility from the skies.

Feasible flight

The regular Qatar Airways flight from Zanzibar to Doha usually halts at Kilimanjiro Airport en route. The view of the peak on subsequent take-off is spectacular.

Eagle-eyed tip

If you book said Qatari flight, select a seat on the right side of the plane.

The Grand Canyon, USA

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At 277 miles in length, the Grand Canyon is so huge that any flight will suffice - DANIEL SLIM/AFP

Numerous Las Vegas-based tour companies sell airborne excursions which whizz tourists out of Sin City for a glimpse of Arizona’s geological superstar, and have them back at the poker table a few hours later. But you don’t need a day-trip to admire the Grand Canyon from the heavens – at 277 miles in length, it is so huge that a scheduled flight will suffice.

Feasible flight

The flight from Arizona capital Phoenix to its Utah sibling Salt Lake City – American Airlines and American Eagle both operate this route – passes over the Canyon.

Eagle-eyed tip

Look closely. Noise restrictions and controlled flight corridors mean the minimum height at which a commercial airliner can cross the Grand Canyon is 10,500ft.

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The Hoover Dam, USA

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The Hoover Dam is a man-made landmark, but nonetheless impressive when seen from the sky - Panther Media Global /Alamy Stock Photo

Another mighty landmark, this one man-made, lies under the flight paths into Las Vegas. At 1,244ft (379m) long, the Hoover Dam is definitely smaller than the Grand Canyon, but it is still large enough – and close enough to Sin City – to be discernible from above.

Feasible flights

Westbound flights from south-eastern cities such as Miami, on descent.

Eagle-eyed tip

The big giveaway is Lake Mead, the waterway formed by the Hoover Dam’s blocking of the Colorado River. Its specific three-pronged shape is unmistakable.

The Golden Gate Bridge, USA

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It is advised to sit on the right side of the plane to see the majestic Golden Gate Bridge - Chris Leadbeater

Such is the location of San Francisco’s international airport – about 15 miles south of Downtown – that any take-off in a northerly direction offers a spectacular snapshot of all the city has to offer: the long green strip of Golden Gate Park, the former fortifications of the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge at the mouth of the Bay, Alcatraz skulking beyond.

Feasible flights

Anything heading across the Atlantic.

Eagle-eyed tip

You generally need to be seated on the right-hand side of the plane for the best view during take-off (although landing at San Francisco can be just as dramatic).

The Pyramids, Egypt

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Travellers from Europe can expect to see Giza’s pyramids on a clear day - ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo

A cynic would point out that, if the weather is favourable and the airport is suitably close to the place it serves, the highlights of any major city will be laid out for passenger appreciation during take-off and landing. But special mention must go to Cairo – where planes on approach frequently fly low over Giza, offering splendid views of one of the world’s A-list attractions: the Pyramids.

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Feasible flights

Services from Europe. Cairo Airport is 30 miles north-east of the tombs.

Eagle-eyed tip

Take-off often provides slightly better opportunity for a snapshot – not least because, for now, there is a notable desert gap between the Cairo-Giza conurbation and the necropolis.

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