Piraeus to Dalian shipping route.

Piraeus to Dalian is a 8,284 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north east from Greece to China. That is 15,342 km of water against 8,061 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Malacca, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 24.7 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 28.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 19.2. Liner schedules on the lane quote 41 to 79 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 12 sailings by 3 carriers (COSCO, ONE and OOCL).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Panama Canal instead. That route is 14,547 nautical miles, 6,263 more, and adds about 18.6 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.

597 nm of the route, 7% of it, lies inside 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.

Recent freight rates for GRPIR to CNDLC start at $2,943 for a 20GP and $4,536 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Dalian (CNDLC) 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 Piraeus in this directory, Dalian is the 56th shortest. Closer destinations include Incheon (8,269 nm), Busan (8,200 nm) and Qingdao (8,141 nm).