South Africa
United KingdomCape Town to London Gateway shipping route.
6,247 nautical miles direct, about 18.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Cape Town and London Gateway
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Cape TownSeaLondon GatewayShipping time from Cape Town to London Gateway
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,247 nm | 21.7 d | 18.6 d | 14.5 d |
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About the Cape Town to London Gateway shipping route
Cape Town to London Gateway is a 6,247 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north from South Africa to the United Kingdom. That is 11,569 km of water against 9,663 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
At sea, the voyage lasts 21.7 days at 12 knots, 18.6 days at 14 knots and 14.5 days at 18 knots. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Cape Town and London Gateway to plan the full ocean transit time.
352 nm of the route, 6% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.
Container freight rates on Cape Town to London Gateway move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At London Gateway (GBLGP) carriers give about 6 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 65 port to port routes from Cape Town in this directory, London Gateway is the 28th shortest. Closer destinations include Felixstowe (6,245 nm), Marsaxlokk (6,223 nm) and Le Havre (6,119 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Cape Town to London Gateway?
The port to port distance from Cape Town to London Gateway is 6,247 nautical miles (11,569 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Cape Town to London Gateway?
About 18.6 days at 14 knots and 14.5 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
352 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route London Gateway to Cape Town has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Cape Town to Durban875 nm
- Cape Town to
Lagos (Apapa)2,619 nm - Cape Town to
Mombasa2,631 nm - Cape Town to
Santos3,508 nm - Cape Town to
Buenos Aires3,846 nm - Cape Town to
Salalah4,010 nm 
Bremerhaven to London Gateway358 nm- Hamburg to London Gateway404 nm
Gothenburg to London Gateway577 nm
Gdansk to London Gateway973 nm
Algeciras to London Gateway1,335 nm- Valencia to London Gateway1,719 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.