Get live Forex market hours tailored to your location. Learn when each major session opens and closes to plan your trades with precision and avoid low-liquidity periods.
Forex Market Hours by Country
Forex Market Hours
Market
Open Time
Close Time
Status
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Forex trading sessions, including their high and low volatility times, and the best hours to trade based on liquidity and price movement:
🌍 Forex Trading Sessions & Volatility Overview
The Forex market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and is divided into four main sessions:
Session
Region
Typical Hours (UTC)
Volatility
Notes
Sydney
Asia-Pacific
10:00 PM – 7:00 AM
🔸 Low
Market opens here. Often slow except for AUD/NZD news.
Tokyo
Asia
12:00 AM – 9:00 AM
🔸 Moderate
Good movement in JPY pairs; lower overall volume.
London
Europe
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🔺 High
Major volume and volatility, especially GBP, EUR pairs.
New York
North America
1:00 PM – 10:00 PM
🔺 High
Volatile, especially USD pairs. US news impacts strongly.
🔄 Session Overlaps = High Volatility
The most active and volatile periods happen during session overlaps, when two markets are open simultaneously:
✅ London + New York Overlap
Time (UTC): 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Volatility: 🔥 Very High
Best Pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF
Reason: Two largest markets trading simultaneously; high news impact.
✅ Tokyo + London Overlap
Time (UTC): 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Volatility: 🔺 Moderate
Pairs Affected: EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY
Reason: Brief overlap, usually early volatility spike.
🕒 Best Times to Trade (High Volatility)
Time (UTC)
Activity Level
Recommended Pairs
6:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Rising Volatility
GBP/JPY, EUR/USD
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Peak Volatility
EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY
2:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Moderate
AUD/USD, USD/JPY
💤 Low Volatility Periods to Avoid
Time (UTC)
Activity Level
Reason
10:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Very Low
After NY closes; Sydney alone is thin.
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Low
Transition between Tokyo and London; less volume.
💡 Tips:
Avoid trading during illiquid hours (e.g., late NY to early Sydney).
Focus on session overlaps for maximum momentum.
Align trading with economic news releases in the session’s local currency.
The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading in financial markets involves risk, and you should only invest money that you can afford to lose.
