Suez canal / Cape route around Africa - delay difference in days

Hello,

How much longer does it take for a cargo ship traveling from China or India to European Rotterdam harbour, when it is sailing around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope instead of going through Suez canal ? What is the time difference between these routes in days ?

Traveling through the Suez canal instead of going around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, reduces the distance by approx. 9 000 km / 5 500 miles. The travel time depends on the type of vessel. Large container cargo ships are often able to reach the speed of 15 - 25 knots. The ships have different fuel tank capacity and fuel consumption, so they need to make a various number of stops for refuelling. Also the weather conditions have impact on travel speed.

In general, going through the Suez canal instead of traveling around South Africa, reduces the total travel time in case of many ships by 10 - 15 days, but it can be even more.