Sea distance from Hamburg to Busan
The sea route from Hamburg (Germany) to Busan (South Korea) is about 11,259 nautical miles, which is 20,852 km or 12,957 statute miles. The route transits Kiel Canal and Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Malacca. That is about 144% longer than the direct great-circle line, because the practical route follows coastlines and shipping lanes.
Voyage time by boat speed
Time underway is distance divided by speed. These are continuous-passage figures with no stops or weather margin.
| Boat and speed | Time underway |
|---|---|
| Sailboat, conservative (5 kn) | 93d 20h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 78d 5h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 58d 15h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 46d 22h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 31d 7h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 23d 11h |
Planning estimate, not navigation
This distance is computed over the open Eurostat shipping-lane network. It is a realistic passage length for planning, but your sailed distance will differ with weather routing, currents, draft, and the exact berths you leave from and arrive at. Always verify against official charts.
Building with these numbers? The sea route & distance API returns this figure, voyage time, and route geometry for any port pair in one GET request.
Plan this passage properly
Open Hamburg to Busan in the Marine OS route planner: it suggests the sea route, then you drag waypoints, set your speed and fuel burn, and check weather and tides along the way.
Open this route in the plannerFrequently asked questions
How far is Busan from Hamburg by sea?
About 11,259 nautical miles (20,852 km / 12,957 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Kiel Canal and Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Malacca. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Hamburg to Busan?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 78d 5h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 46d 22h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 23d 11h. Add margin for weather, currents, and stops.
How is this distance calculated?
It is computed over the open Eurostat global shipping-lane network, the same kind of network freight routing tools use. It is a realistic planning estimate, not a navigation product: your sailed distance will vary with weather routing, draft, and the exact harbors you use.
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