B747-400
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
I was the First Officer and pilot monitoring on this ZZZ to ZZZ1 flight; XXX on [aircraft]; arriving into ZZZ1 from the south east; at night; in VFR conditions. Due to the winds out of the north at ZZZ1 (310 at 12 gusting 21); RWY XX was the only landing runway on the ATIS.   Upon loading RWY XX; the ZZZZZ [arrival] would not show as an available arrival in the FMC.  ATC did not assign the ZZZZZ arrival but instead gave us direct ZZZZZ1 (a waypoint on the ZZZZZ); and then direct to the airport. These ATC instructions were given near ZZZZZ2 [fix] on our flight plan. With the Captains concurrence I executed direct ZZZZZ3. Additionally; the Captain had me select ZZZZZ3/12;000 as a hard altitude in the FMC to help with descent planning (12;000 was a crossing altitude restriction on the ZZZZZ1). I then placed ZZZZZ5 as the waypoint that would follow.   As we got closer to ZZZZZ3; Approach directed us to maintain present heading with a further descent to 10;000. This heading did not keep us in a direction tracking the ZZZZZ arrival over the water along [geographic fix 1] ; but instead brought us on a more westerly heading over terrain on the southwest side of [geographic fix 1].Approach then directed a descent to 8;000. Then directed a right turn to 250. Then directed a further right turn to 260. And finally; a descent to 7;000.   Approach then asked: 'Do you have the field in sight? 2oclock 21 miles'   The Captain and the Observer both spoke up to speaking that they could see the airport. I as well saw the lights of the airport and felt comfortable concurring.   The Captain said he could accept the visual and so I then relayed this to  Approach. Approach than cleared us the visual approach RWY XX.   At this point the Captain looking at his descent planning showed us slightly high on the VNAV descent path and started a descent below 7;000.   Shortly after this and around 6;200 ft; a GPWS alert 'CAUTION TERRAIN' enunciated. Looking at my Terrain display; the AMBER terrain mapping showed terrain off to our right. The Captain immediately arrested his descent and the Observer and the Captain and I visually confirmed the terrain off to the right of our flight path.   Shortly after this ATC further directed us to begin our right turn towards the field.   The Captain and I continued to maintain visual separation with the terrain and delayed further descent until comfortable the terrain clearance was no longer a concern. We then conducted an LVSA on the MCP and an uneventful landing in ZZZ1. [Reporter added concerns] accepting a visual approach at night. Although we could see the lighted airport environment ahead; what was not so apparent was the dark terrain just below the city lights that was still ahead and to the right of our flight path. At night; the city lights in the distance can cause night vision to be affected and spotting unlit terrain between your flight path can be potentially more difficult to see. Accepting a visual approach is not something that should be done lightly. The better course of action was to recommend to the Captain we delay accepting a visual until we were closer to the field and the terrain well behind us.  ATC did not help matters by asking us to an accept a visual approach as early as they did. A mistaken assumption could be made that the terrain protections of 7;000 was past us and a descent to establish an already slightly high VNAV path to RWY XX could be initiated. Clearly the terrain ahead was much closer to our altitude; we had several miles to go before a descent below 7000 should have been initiated. The GPWS 'CAUTION TERRAIN' was a very clear on this point.   The importance of GPWS Terrain monitoring [is that] GPWS is an essential situational awareness tool and one the pilot monitoring only had displayed initially. Had the Captain also had TERR selected this may have mitigated the early descent; but as pilot monitoring I should have done a better job monitoring the TerrainMapping display. Clearly after the 'CAUTION TERRAIN' annunciation appeared; the Yellow Terrain mapping became very clear on both our displays.   Additionally; when descending in mountainous terrain it's also important to remember that the GPWS system will only display terrain data that is 2;000 feet below or closer to the aircraft. Depending on your range ring and your location and rate of descent; you can quickly go from no terrain colors to quite colorful ones in short order. Vigilance in monitoring Terrain Mapping along your flight path is key.   Lastly; had this situation happened in [different type aircraft]; the terrain profile view function would have provided significant situational awareness to the crew on the terrain that was still ahead.   [Regarding] RNAV approach to XX; the [company] aircraft behind us had received approval to fly to a point on an RNAV approach to XX; an approach that is currently not available on our aircraft. Had this been available; this would have been a valuable tool providing altitude protections and a significant aid to situational awareness.   Even if not an RNAV approach; a visual approach page like the ZZZZZ3 VISUAL Rwy XY that is available in JEPPS would have also aided in better descent planning for the RWY XX visual approach.
B-747 First Officer reported a CFIT event that was resolved and completed an uneventful landing.