Piraeus to Incheon shipping route.

Ships leaving Piraeus for Incheon head north east and cover a sea distance of 8,269 nautical miles (15,314 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 8,505 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. 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.

At sea, the voyage lasts 28.7 days at 12 knots, 24.6 days at 14 knots and 19.1 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 Piraeus and Incheon 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 Panama Canal instead. That route is 14,438 nautical miles, 6,169 more, and adds about 18.4 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.

Container freight rates on Piraeus to Incheon move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Incheon (KRINC) carriers give about 10 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, Incheon is the 55th shortest. Closer destinations include Busan (8,200 nm), Qingdao (8,141 nm) and Shanghai (7,877 nm).