Forex Market Hours & Trading Session Clock
Which forex sessions are open right now? See Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York on a live 24-hour timeline in your own time zone, with overlaps highlighted and daylight saving handled for you.
Session Clock
Session hours follow each city's own clock, so daylight-saving changes are handled for you.
Loading the live session clock…
What does this mean?
The forex market runs around the clock on weekdays, passing from one financial centre to the next. Each “session” is when a major centre’s banks and traders are at their desks. Activity and liquidity tend to rise when sessions overlap, especially London with New York, and to be quieter when only one is open.
Session hours are conventions rather than official exchange hours, so treat the clock as a guide to when the market is typically busy. The market closes for the weekend on Friday at 17:00 New York time and reopens on Sunday at 17:00.
The formula
Each session opens and closes at local business hours in its city
Local hours are converted to your time zone using the IANA time-zone database
Daylight-saving changes in each country are applied automatically
Worked example
In winter, London (08:00–17:00 GMT) and New York (08:00–17:00 EST, which is 13:00–22:00 GMT) overlap from 13:00 to 17:00 GMT. In the weeks when the US has moved its clocks but the UK has not (mid-March and late October to early November), that overlap is an hour longer, because New York opens at 12:00 GMT.
Session hours in UTC
The same hours expressed in UTC, in winter and in summer. They shift because each country changes its clocks on different dates.
| Session | Local hours | UTC (northern winter) | UTC (northern summer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 08:00–17:00 | 21:00–06:00 | 22:00–07:00 |
| Tokyo | 09:00–18:00 | 00:00–09:00 | 00:00–09:00 |
| London | 08:00–17:00 | 08:00–17:00 | 07:00–16:00 |
| New York | 08:00–17:00 | 13:00–22:00 | 12:00–21:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What are the forex trading sessions?
The four main sessions are Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. Together they keep the market open 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening New York time.
What is the best time to trade forex?
There is no single best time. Many traders favour the London and New York overlap for its higher liquidity and tighter spreads, while others prefer the quieter Asian session for ranging conditions. It depends on your pair and your strategy.
Does the clock handle daylight saving?
Yes. Each session is defined by its city’s local hours and converted using the time-zone database, so it changes automatically when the US, UK or Australia move their clocks.
Why are all sessions closed at the weekend?
The retail forex market closes on Friday at 17:00 New York time and reopens on Sunday at 17:00. Sunday’s reopening is when Sydney’s session effectively begins the week.
Learn more
This tool is for education and general information only and is not financial advice. Results are estimates that exclude spreads, commissions, swaps and slippage. Trading carries a risk of loss. Preferences you choose, such as your account currency, are remembered only in your own browser.