Forex Market Hours & Overlaps
Track global trading sessions in real-time. Know exactly when Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York markets open, close, and overlap.
Live session board
Forex Market Time Zone Converter
Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York mapped to your selected timezone.
Sydney
6:50 PM
Mon, Jun 15 AEST / AEDT
Tokyo
5:50 PM
Mon, Jun 15 JST
London
9:50 AM
Mon, Jun 15 GMT / BST
New York
4:50 AM
Mon, Jun 15 EST / EDT
Trading volume is usually high at this time of day.
Trade at the Right Time
Get session-based analytics and optimize your trading schedule.
Understanding Forex Market Hours & Trading Sessions
The forex market operates 24 hours a day across four major trading sessions. Each session has unique characteristics in liquidity, volatility, and currency pair activity. Understanding these sessions is crucial for timing your entries and exits.
Our free market hours tracker shows real-time session progress, local times for each financial center, and alerts when sessions overlap — particularly the high-volume London-New York overlap.
4 Major Sessions
Track Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York with live progress
Overlap Alerts
Get notified during high-volatility session overlap periods
Local Time Display
See the current local time at each financial center
Activity Heatmap
24-hour bar showing market volume throughout the day
Forex Trading Session Guide
🇦🇺 Sydney Session (9 PM – 6 AM UTC)
First to open each week. Lower volatility, good for AUD/NZD pairs.
🇯🇵 Tokyo Session (12 AM – 9 AM UTC)
Major session for JPY pairs. Moderate volatility with Asian data releases.
🇬🇧 London Session (8 AM – 5 PM UTC)
Highest volume session — ~35% of daily forex turnover. Best for EUR, GBP, CHF.
🇺🇸 New York Session (1 PM – 10 PM UTC)
Second-highest volume. London-NY overlap is the most volatile period.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the forex market open?
The forex market is open 24/5 — Sunday 5 PM to Friday 5 PM EST. Trading flows across Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York sessions continuously.
What is the best time to trade forex?
The London-New York overlap (8 AM–12 PM EST) offers the highest liquidity and volatility — ideal for most strategies.
What is a forex session overlap?
An overlap occurs when two sessions are open simultaneously, increasing volume, tightening spreads, and creating more trading opportunities.
Do forex market hours change with daylight saving time?
Yes, session times shift by about one hour when London or New York switch between standard and daylight saving time. Our tracker adjusts automatically.