Kenya
GermanyMombasa to Hamburg shipping route.
6,662 nautical miles via Suez Canal, about 19.8 days of steaming at 14 knots. Avoiding the Red Sea adds 2,379 nm.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Mombasa and Hamburg
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
MombasaStrait of Gibraltar · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez CanalHamburgShipping time from Mombasa to Hamburg
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Suez Canal (shortest) | 6,662 nm | 23.1 d | 19.8 d | 15.4 d |
| via Cape of Good Hope | 9,041 nm | 31.4 d | 26.9 d | 20.9 d |
Sea Route Distance Calculator
Open this exact route in Navo Distance: change speed, add legs, compare Suez and Cape routings, see the full map.
Reverse: Hamburg to MombasaMany carriers still avoid the Red Sea. Routed via Cape of Good Hope, Mombasa to Hamburg is 9,041 nm, about 7.1 more days at 14 knots.
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About the Mombasa to Hamburg shipping route
The shipping route from Mombasa, Kenya to Hamburg, Germany covers 6,662 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 6,978 km apart, so the ship sails 1.77 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 19.8 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 23.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 15.4. 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 Mombasa and Hamburg 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 9,041 nautical miles, 2,379 more, and adds about 7.1 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.
2,599 nm of the route, 39% of it, lies inside North 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 Mombasa to Hamburg move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Hamburg (DEHAM) carriers give about 3.83 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 Mombasa in this directory, Hamburg is the 44th shortest. Closer destinations include Busan (6,656 nm), Bremerhaven (6,616 nm) and Qingdao (6,598 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Mombasa to Hamburg?
The port to port distance from Mombasa to Hamburg is 6,662 nautical miles (12,338 km), via Suez Canal. The route passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal.
What is the shipping time from Mombasa to Hamburg?
About 19.8 days at 14 knots and 15.4 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
What if the ship avoids the Red Sea?
Routed via Cape of Good Hope, the voyage is 9,041 nm, 2,379 nm longer, about 26.9 days at 14 knots.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
2,599 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA, Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Hamburg to Mombasa has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
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Rotterdam to Hamburg310 nm
Antwerp to Hamburg362 nm
Felixstowe to Hamburg372 nm
Gothenburg to Hamburg389 nm- London Gateway to Hamburg404 nm
Le Havre to Hamburg500 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.