Forex Market Hours
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Forex Trading Session Hours
The forex market is open 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening, moving through four major trading sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. The live tool above shows which sessions are open right now, counts down to the next open or close, and converts every time to your own timezone with daylight saving handled automatically.
The table below lists each session's standard hours in local exchange time, in UTC, and in Nepal time (NPT). Because Sydney, London and New York change their clocks, the hours in Nepal time (NPT) can shift by an hour at certain times of year.
| Session | Local time | UTC | Nepal time (NPT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM AEDT | 8:00 PM – 5:00 AM (next day) | 1:45 AM – 10:45 AM |
| Tokyo | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM JST | 12:00 AM – 9:00 AM | 5:45 AM – 2:45 PM |
| London | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM GMT | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM | 1:45 PM – 10:15 PM |
| New York | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST | 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 6:45 PM – 3:45 AM (next day) |
Session hours follow the commonly used trading-day convention. Liquidity does not switch on and off at exactly these minutes, but activity clearly rises and falls around them.
Best Times to Trade Forex
Liquidity and volatility peak when two major sessions overlap. Times are shown in Nepal time (NPT).
- London + New York overlap: 6:45 PM – 10:15 PM. Main pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY. Highest liquidity and the tightest spreads of the day.
- Tokyo + Sydney overlap: 5:45 AM – 10:45 AM. Main pairs: AUD/JPY, USD/JPY, AUD/USD. The busiest stretch for Asia-Pacific pairs.
- London open: 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM. Main pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP. Strong momentum as European banks come online.
- New York open: 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM. Main pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CAD. Major US data releases often land in this window.
Upcoming Forex Market Holidays
Forex trades through most public holidays, but liquidity thins and spreads widen when major financial centres are closed. Only Christmas Day and New Year's Day close every session together.
| Date | Holiday and market impact | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Day (US) + Armistice Day (FR) + Remembrance Day (CA) - Reduced liquidity: USD, EUR, CAD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Labour Thanksgiving Day (JP) - Banks closed: JPY | Reduced liquidity | |
| US Thanksgiving - Banks closed: USD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Black Friday (US early close) - Reduced liquidity: USD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Christmas Eve (early closes) - Banks closed: CHF; Reduced liquidity: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Christmas Day - Market Closed | Full close | |
| Boxing Day (substitute) - Banks closed: GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Japan Year-End Bank Holiday + New Year's Eve (early closes) - Banks closed: JPY, CHF; Reduced liquidity: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD | Reduced liquidity | |
| New Year's Day - Market Closed | Full close | |
| Day after New Year's Day (NZ) - Banks closed: NZD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Coming of Age Day (JP) - Banks closed: JPY | Reduced liquidity | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (US) - Banks closed: USD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Australia Day - Banks closed: AUD | Reduced liquidity | |
| Waitangi Day (observed) - Banks closed: NZD | Reduced liquidity | |
| National Foundation Day (JP) - Banks closed: JPY | Reduced liquidity |
Forex Market Hours: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the forex market open 24 hours a day?
Yes, on weekdays. The forex market opens on Sunday at 22:00 London time (about 5 PM in New York) and closes on Friday at 22:00 London time. In Nepal time (NPT) that is Monday 3:45 AM to Saturday 3:45 AM. It is closed on Saturday and for most of Sunday.
What are the forex market hours in Nepal time (NPT)?
In Nepal time (NPT) the four main sessions run as follows: Sydney 1:45 AM – 10:45 AM; Tokyo 5:45 AM – 2:45 PM; London 1:45 PM – 10:15 PM; New York 6:45 PM – 3:45 AM (next day). These times already account for daylight saving changes in Sydney, London and New York.
What is the best time to trade forex?
The London + New York overlap (6:45 PM – 10:15 PM in Nepal time (NPT)) is usually the most liquid part of the day, with the tightest spreads and the biggest moves in pairs such as EUR/USD and GBP/USD. The Tokyo + Sydney overlap (5:45 AM – 10:45 AM) is the busiest stretch for AUD and JPY pairs.
Does daylight saving time change forex market hours?
Yes. Sessions follow local clock times in Sydney, London and New York, so their UTC equivalents move by an hour when those cities change their clocks. Tokyo does not observe daylight saving. The live tool recalculates automatically, so the times it shows are always current.
Is the forex market open on public holidays?
Usually yes, but with reduced liquidity. Only Christmas Day and New Year's Day close all four sessions at once. Bank holidays such as Good Friday, US Thanksgiving or the UK bank holidays take one or more financial centres offline, so spreads can widen. Upcoming dates are listed in the holiday table and flagged live in the tool.
Which currency pairs are most active in each session?
Sydney: AUD and NZD pairs such as AUD/USD and NZD/USD. Tokyo: yen pairs such as USD/JPY and AUD/JPY. London: EUR and GBP pairs such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD and EUR/GBP. New York: USD pairs such as EUR/USD, USD/CAD and USD/JPY.