Sri Lanka
AustraliaColombo to Melbourne shipping route.
4,870 nautical miles direct, about 14.5 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Colombo and Melbourne
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
ColomboSeaMelbourneShipping time from Colombo to Melbourne
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 4,870 nm | 16.9 d | 14.5 d | 11.3 d |
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About the Colombo to Melbourne shipping route
Colombo to Melbourne is a 4,870 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading south east from Sri Lanka to Australia. That is 9,018 km of water against 8,358 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 14.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 16.9 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 11.3. 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 Colombo and Melbourne to plan the full ocean transit time.
Container freight rates on Colombo to Melbourne move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Melbourne (AUMEL) carriers give about 8 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 Colombo in this directory, Melbourne is the 34th shortest. Closer destinations include Cape Town (4,582 nm), Tokyo (4,551 nm) and Yokohama (4,540 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Colombo to Melbourne?
The port to port distance from Colombo to Melbourne is 4,870 nautical miles (9,018 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Colombo to Melbourne?
About 14.5 days at 14 knots and 11.3 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Melbourne to Colombo has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Colombo to
Nhava Sheva931 nm - Colombo to Mundra1,265 nm
- Colombo to
Karachi1,419 nm - Colombo to
Port Klang1,420 nm - Colombo to
Singapore1,605 nm - Colombo to
Salalah1,838 nm - Sydney to Melbourne596 nm
Auckland to Melbourne1,683 nm
Tanjung Priok to Melbourne3,475 nm- Singapore to Melbourne3,936 nm
- Port Klang to Melbourne4,193 nm
Manila to Melbourne4,495 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.