Gdansk to Colombo shipping route.

Ships leaving Gdansk for Colombo head east and cover a sea distance of 7,662 nautical miles (14,190 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 7,547 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 26.6 days at 12 knots, 22.8 days at 14 knots and 17.7 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 Gdansk and Colombo to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 11,567 nautical miles, 3,905 more, and adds about 11.6 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

3,185 nm of the route, 42% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA, Baltic Sea ECA and Mediterranean 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 Gdansk to Colombo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Colombo (LKCMB) carriers give about 5 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 Gdansk in this directory, Colombo is the 38th shortest. Closer destinations include Mombasa (7,237 nm), Manzanillo (7,233 nm) and Buenos Aires (7,216 nm).