Trading Sessions: Best Time to Trade Forex
So when I first got into Forex, one thing that kept popping up was something called “trading sessions.”
At first, I just assumed the market was open all the time and worked the same way 24/7. But nope — turns out, the market actually behaves very differently depending on the time of day. That’s where trading sessions come in.
📘 What Are Forex Trading Sessions?
That’s honestly the first thing I was wondering: what even is a forex session?
I found out the Forex market runs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week — but that doesn’t mean it’s always buzzing. It’s broken up into four main trading sessions, each based on different parts of the world:
- Sydney Session – This one kicks things off. Not super active, kinda like a warm-up phase.
- Tokyo (Asian) Session – Picks up a bit more, especially for pairs involving the Japanese Yen.
- London Session – Now we’re talking. Things start getting serious here. Big moves, especially with EUR, GBP, and USD.
- New York Session – Overlaps with London. This is when the market really gets moving.
⏰ When Are These Sessions Exactly?
Here’s roughly when they happen (all in GMT time):
GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time. It's the time at the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) which passes through Greenwich, London. It's often used as a global reference point for time zones.- Sydney: 10 PM – 7 AM
- Tokyo: 12 AM – 9 AM
- London: 8 AM – 5 PM
- New York: 1 PM – 10 PM
The most important part, though, is when sessions overlap. For example, when London and New York are both open (around 1 PM to 5 PM GMT), that’s when things really heat up — more trades, more volume, and a lot more action.
📊 So, When’s the Best Time to Trade?
Just based on my experience so far:
- London Session is probably the easiest place to start. It’s super liquid, things move smooth, and you can actually see the market react.
- New York Session is solid too — especially during the overlap with London. Loads of movement = more chances to trade.
- Asian Sessions (like Tokyo) are slower. Still useful, but maybe better for practice or low-volatility strategies.
🎯 My Takeaway
In the beginning, I was trading at all kinds of random times — no idea what session I was in, just going off gut feeling. But once I started actually paying attention to the time and the sessions, I noticed a big difference.
The best time honestly depends on your strategy... but if you’re just starting out like I was, I’d say:
start with the London or New York sessions. They're more active, and it’s easier to learn when stuff is actually happening on the charts.
I’m still figuring things out, but even just knowing about sessions helped me alot. Don't stress about being perfect — just pick a session, watch how the market moves, and build from there.
