Last updated: 22 October 2026
A Suez Canal transit is one of the most striking days on a freighter voyage from Europe to Asia, the Middle East or Australia. For hours your ship sails through the desert, with sand on both sides, passing towns, ferries and the occasional camel. Here is how it works and what to expect.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | About 193 km |
| Connects | Port Said on the Mediterranean and Suez on the Red Sea |
| Locks | None: it is a sea-level canal |
| Transit time | Around 12–16 hours |
| Traffic | Ships travel in convoys, typically two southbound and one northbound each day |
| Passing point | The Great Bitter Lake, where convoys pass each other |
Ships arrive at anchorages off Port Said or Suez and wait to join a convoy. At the set time they enter the canal one after another, guided by Suez Canal pilots. Because the canal has no locks, the ship sails steadily through, slowing in narrow stretches and pausing in wider sections or the Great Bitter Lake to let the opposite convoy pass.
Container services between northern Europe and Asia, the Middle East, India and Australia often use the canal. In recent years some services were diverted around the Cape of Good Hope because of security issues in the Red Sea. In October 2026 CMA CGM and MSC confirmed their joint Europe–Australia service is routing through Suez again. Routings can change at short notice, so we confirm the route when you book.
A Suez routing is shorter and more varied for passengers. A Cape routing adds days at sea around Africa and can bring rougher weather, but also the dramatic sight of the southern tip of the continent. Either way, ask us for the latest routing on your chosen ship.
Around 12–16 hours, plus waiting time at anchor before the convoy enters.
About 193 kilometres, from Port Said to Suez.
No. It is a sea-level canal with no locks.
Ships transit in groups at set times, typically two southbound and one northbound each day, passing each other at the Great Bitter Lake.
Many do. In October 2026 the CMA CGM and MSC Europe–Australia service returned to routing through Suez.
Ask us for freighter voyages from Europe to Asia or Australia via Suez.
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