Learn · Forex basics · 5 min read
Forex market hours: the best time to trade
Forex trades 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. It opens Sunday at 5 PM New York time and closes Friday at 5 PM New York time. But it's not equally busy all day: activity moves around the world with the four main sessions.
The four sessions (local city time)
| Session | Hours (local) | Busiest pairs |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 7 AM – 4 PM Sydney | AUD, NZD pairs |
| Tokyo | 9 AM – 6 PM Tokyo | JPY, AUD pairs |
| London | 8 AM – 5 PM London | EUR, GBP, CHF pairs |
| New York | 8 AM – 5 PM New York | USD, CAD pairs |
Clock times in your own time zone shift with daylight saving. The sessions bar on the Today page shows which are open right now, in your time.
The busiest time: London and New York overlap
From about 8 AM to 12 PM New York time, both London and New York are open. That's usually when the most trading happens, spreads are tightest, and major US news comes out.
Quiet times
- Late New York afternoon into the Sydney open: low activity and often wider spreads.
- Sunday's open: prices can "gap" from Friday's close.
- Holidays in the US or UK.
So when should you trade?
Trade the session when your pairs are most active and when you can actually be at the screen. A EUR/USD trader often focuses on London and the overlap; a USD/JPY or AUD/USD trader might like the Tokyo session.
- Forex runs Sunday 5 PM to Friday 5 PM New York time.
- The London–New York overlap is usually the busiest.
- Trade when your pairs are active and you're available.
See which sessions are open now →
For learning only, not financial advice. Trading on margin is high risk.