IC Markets
Written byAbir KhanWriter
Market analysis byTanbir Habib RiyadCo-Founder & Trader
Fact-checked & QC byJowel RanaFact-Checker & QC
Edited byRanjan NiskrityChief EditorThis tool is for education and planning only and is not financial advice. Forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Check your broker's own contract specifications, fees and margin rules before you trade.
The four forex trading sessions
Forex has no central exchange, so trading follows the business day around the world. These are the conventional hours of the four main centres in their own local time; the clock above converts them to yours.
| Session | Local hours | Most active pairs | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 7 am to 4 pm (Sydney) | AUD/USD, NZD/USD, AUD/JPY | Opens the week; thin liquidity and wider spreads early on Monday |
| Tokyo | 9 am to 6 pm (Tokyo) | USD/JPY, EUR/JPY, AUD/JPY, USD/CNH | Steady yen flows; Asian data and Bank of Japan news |
| London | 8 am to 5 pm (London) | EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP, USD/CHF | The largest share of global turnover and the day's biggest moves often start here |
| New York | 8 am to 5 pm (New York) | EUR/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CAD, GBP/USD | US data at 8:30 am; volume fades after London closes |
London is the world's largest forex centre, followed by New York, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to the Bank for International Settlements' Triennial Survey.
New to sessions? Our guide Forex market sessions: how time works explains why each centre behaves the way it does.
Session overlaps: when the market is busiest
Liquidity peaks when two major centres are open at once. Spreads are usually tightest and moves largest during these windows.
London and New York
8 am to noon New York time (12:00 to 16:00 UTC in northern summer, 13:00 to 17:00 UTC in winter). The busiest four hours of the day, with US data and London's afternoon flows together.
Tokyo and London
A short overlap of one to two hours around 07:00 to 09:00 UTC. Yen crosses such as EUR/JPY and GBP/JPY often pick up.
Sydney and Tokyo
Roughly 00:00 to 06:00 UTC. Good for AUD, NZD and JPY pairs, quieter for the rest.
The quiet gap
After New York closes and before Tokyo opens (about 21:00 to 23:00 UTC), spreads widen and prices can jump on thin volume.
Best time to trade forex in your country
The London–New York overlap in local time. Most of these countries do not use daylight saving, so the window moves by an hour when the UK and US change their clocks.
| Country or city | UTC offset | Overlap, northern summer | Overlap, northern winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria (Lagos) | UTC+1 | 1 pm to 5 pm | 2 pm to 6 pm |
| South Africa (Johannesburg) | UTC+2 | 2 pm to 6 pm | 3 pm to 7 pm |
| Kenya (Nairobi) | UTC+3 | 3 pm to 7 pm | 4 pm to 8 pm |
| UAE (Dubai) | UTC+4 | 4 pm to 8 pm | 5 pm to 9 pm |
| Pakistan (Karachi) | UTC+5 | 5 pm to 9 pm | 6 pm to 10 pm |
| India (Mumbai, Delhi) | UTC+5:30 | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm |
| Nepal (Kathmandu) | UTC+5:45 | 5:45 pm to 9:45 pm | 6:45 pm to 10:45 pm |
| Bangladesh (Dhaka) | UTC+6 | 6 pm to 10 pm | 7 pm to 11 pm |
| Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (Jakarta) | UTC+7 | 7 pm to 11 pm | 8 pm to midnight |
| Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore | UTC+8 | 8 pm to midnight | 9 pm to 1 am |
Trading from South Asia? Our Asia trading guides cover the sessions, pairs and brokers that suit the region.
How daylight saving shifts forex hours
The US, UK, Europe and Australia change their clocks on different dates, so the sessions move against each other for a few weeks each year. America moves forward on the second Sunday of March, the UK and EU on the last Sunday of March; they move back on the last Sunday of October (UK and EU) and the first Sunday of November (US).
For two to three weeks in March and again in October and November, the London–New York overlap is an hour longer or shorter than usual. Australia moves the opposite way: Sydney's clocks go forward in early October and back in early April.
Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Gulf states and most of Southeast Asia keep the same time all year, so for traders there the European and US sessions start an hour later in the northern winter. The clock above uses your device's time-zone rules, so it adjusts automatically.
Weekends, holidays and the Monday gap
Friday close
Trading stops at most brokers at 5 pm New York time on Friday. Spreads widen in the last hour as banks close their books.
Sunday open
Trading resumes around 5 pm New York time on Sunday. The first hour is thin, and many brokers show wide spreads until Tokyo opens.
Weekend gaps
News that breaks at the weekend can make Monday's first price jump away from Friday's close, skipping stop-losses.
Bank holidays
When London, New York or Tokyo is closed, volume in its currencies drops. See the forex holiday calendar for dates.
How to plan your trading around the sessions
- Match the pair to the session
Trade yen pairs in Tokyo, euro and pound pairs in London, and dollar pairs in New York. Liquidity follows the home market.
- Mark the overlap in your time
Use the table above or the clock to find the London–New York overlap in your own hours.
- Check the calendar
The economic calendar shows the release times that move each session.
- Avoid the thin hours
Late New York, the Sunday open and holiday sessions carry wider spreads and sudden gaps.
- Fit it to your life
A part-time trader in Dhaka or Manila can focus on the London open and the overlap in the evening rather than trading all day.
Common market-hours mistakes
A strategy built around 7 pm in Dhaka breaks for half the year if it ignores the US and UK changes.
The first hour after the weekend has the widest spreads and the most gaps.
Weekend news can gap your position past its stop-loss on Monday.
A US or UK bank holiday can leave majors quiet, then produce a sharp move on thin volume.
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Forex Market Hours FAQs
What time does the forex market open?
It opens at 5 pm New York time on Sunday, which is Monday morning in Sydney and Tokyo. The clock on this page shows the time in your own zone.
What time does the forex market close?
At 5 pm New York time on Friday, when most brokers stop quoting prices until Sunday evening.
Is the forex market open 24 hours?
Yes, from Sunday evening to Friday evening New York time. Trading passes from Sydney to Tokyo to London to New York, so one centre is always open on weekdays.
What is the best time to trade forex?
For most pairs, the London–New York overlap, 8 am to noon New York time. Volume and volatility are highest then, and spreads are usually tightest.
What is the best time to trade forex in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan?
The London–New York overlap falls from about 6 pm to 10 pm in Dhaka, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in India and 5 pm to 9 pm in Pakistan during the northern summer, an hour later in winter. London's open, early afternoon in South Asia, is also active.
Which forex session is the most volatile?
London, especially its overlap with New York. The Tokyo session is usually calmer except for yen pairs and around Bank of Japan news.
Can I trade forex on weekends?
Not the spot market through a normal broker. Some brokers offer weekend prices on synthetic or crypto products, which carry wider spreads.
Why did the session times on my platform change?
Daylight saving. The US, UK and Australia change their clocks on different dates, and many brokers set their server time to New York close, so platform times shift twice a year.
Sources: BIS Triennial Survey 2025, NIST: daylight saving time rules.