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Flying from Tokyo to London?

Add a departure date and see which side gets the sun.

About this route

TokyoLondon

A very long flight from Japan to United Kingdom. The clock rolls back 8 hours when you land.

Route type International
Distance 9,592 km / 5,960 mi
Distance class Ultra-long-haul
Direction Westbound
Est. duration About 12h 55m
Time change Destination -8h

This route crosses the Arctic Circle, the latitude where the sun never sets at midsummer.

Departing from

HND

Tokyo Haneda International Airport

Location Tokyo, Japan
Time zone GMT+9 · UTC+9
Current time

The world's largest metropolis

Tokyo anchors the most populous metropolitan area on Earth, a sprawling lowland of districts that each feel like a city in their own right. It runs on an unrivaled web of trains and subways, punctual and dense, that makes a car pointless for most visitors. The center has no single heart but many, with government, business, and shopping districts spread across the rail map. Its two airports lie at very different distances from the city, so the choice matters.

City access

Haneda is the close-in airport, on Tokyo Bay just south of the city, and usually the faster arrival. Rail and monorail links reach the center in well under an hour, and it handles a growing share of international flights. If you can choose, Haneda saves time over the farther airport.

Nearby airports

60 km / 37 mi

Surrounding hubs

984 km / 611 mi
1,210 km / 752 mi
282 km / 175 mi

Arriving at

LHR

London Heathrow Airport

Location London, United Kingdom
Time zone GMT+1 · UTC+1
Current time

A capital of villages

London is a vast, low-slung capital that grew by absorbing villages, so it reads as dozens of distinct neighborhoods rather than one grid. The Underground and a dense rail network make it a transit city at heart; in the center a car is a liability, discouraged by narrow streets and the congestion charge. The landmarks and business districts cluster in the middle, but much of London is the high streets and parks further out. It is large, so crossing town takes longer than the map suggests.

City access

Heathrow is the main airport, west of London and among the busiest in Europe. It has a fast dedicated rail link to the center and is also on the Underground, so reaching the city without a car is straightforward. Allow extra time at peak hours, both on the roads and through its large terminals.

Nearby airports

41 km / 25 mi

Surrounding hubs

370 km / 230 mi
449 km / 279 mi
243 km / 151 mi
How it works

Find out which side of the plane to sit on.

Pick your airports, set your departure time, and you're done.

We calculate the sun's position based on your flight path and departure time, then tell you which side of the plane gets direct sun and which stays shaded. No guessing, just math.

01

Enter your flight

Pick your departure and arrival airports and set your departure time at the departure airport. FlightSide estimates the duration and you can adjust it if you know the exact schedule.

02

We track the sun along your route

Your flight path is broken into hundreds of points. At each one we check where the sun is and which side of the plane it faces.

03

You get a recommendation

Which side of the plane to sit on, left or right, depending on whether you'd rather avoid the sun or enjoy it. The percentages and the map are there if you want to see why.

Want to go deeper? Accuracy, edge cases, polar routes — see the FAQ →

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