Forex Market Hours — Live Session Clock
See which forex trading session is open right now — Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York — and spot the high-liquidity overlap windows. Updates live in your local time.
The four forex trading sessions
The spot forex market is open 24 hours a day on weekdays because trading passes between the world’s major financial centres. As one closes, the next opens, so there is always a market somewhere. The four sessions, in order, are Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York.
- Sydney (≈22:00–07:00 UTC): opens the trading week; lower liquidity, good for AUD and NZD pairs.
- Tokyo (≈00:00–09:00 UTC): the Asian session; JPY pairs and Asian indices are most active.
- London (≈08:00–17:00 UTC): the largest FX session by volume; EUR and GBP pairs move sharply, spreads are tight.
- New York (≈13:00–22:00 UTC): high USD activity; US economic data releases drive big moves.
The best time to trade: the London–New York overlap
The single most liquid window is the London–New York overlap (≈13:00–16:00 UTC), when the two biggest financial centres are open at the same time. Spreads are tightest and major pairs move most, which is why many day traders focus their activity here. The Tokyo–London overlap (≈08:00–09:00 UTC) is a smaller secondary window.
Frequently asked questions
What are the forex trading sessions?
The forex market runs 24 hours on weekdays across four major sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. Each opens as the previous winds down, so trading is continuous from Monday morning in Sydney to Friday evening in New York. London and New York are the most liquid.
When is the best time to trade forex?
The highest liquidity and tightest spreads occur during the London–New York overlap (roughly 13:00–16:00 UTC), when both financial centres are open. Major EUR, GBP and USD pairs move most during this window.
Is the forex market open on weekends?
No. The market closes Friday around 22:00 UTC (New York close) and reopens Sunday around 21:00–22:00 UTC with the Sydney session. Crypto trades 24/7, but spot forex does not.
Do session times change with daylight saving?
Yes. Because London and New York observe daylight saving time at different dates than Sydney, the exact UTC open/close shifts by about an hour at DST changeovers. The clock on this page is indicative — always confirm your broker’s stated trading hours.
More trading tools
Session times are indicative and shift by ~1 hour at daylight-saving changeovers. Always confirm exact trading hours with your broker. Not investment advice.
