Guide · 3 min read

Gold trading hours: when XAUUSD is open, session by session

Short answer: Gold trades from Sunday 6:00 pm to Friday 5:00 pm New York time, nearly 24 hours a day, with a one-hour break each day from 5:00 pm New York time. The busiest hours are usually when London and New York are both open, from about 8:00 am to noon New York time.

Published: 24 October 2026.

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Gold has no single home exchange. It trades in Asia, then London, then New York, and the price passes from one centre to the next. That is why it is open almost all the time, and why some hours are much busier than others.

The week

Opens: Sunday 6:00 pm New York time (Monday morning in Asia).
Closes: Friday 5:00 pm New York time.
Daily break: one hour from 5:00 pm New York time, Monday to Thursday.
Holidays: on US and UK public holidays, hours are often shorter. Your broker announces them in advance.

These are the hours of the gold futures market. Most brokers price XAUUSD from that market or follow the same week, so their hours match it closely.

The three sessions

Asia: from the Sunday open until London starts. Buyers in China, India and the rest of Asia are active. Moves are often smaller, except when news from the region hits.
London: from about 8:00 am London time. London is the centre of the physical gold market. The daily London gold price is set in auctions at 10:30 and 15:00 London time.
New York: from about 8:00 am New York time. The US futures market is busiest now, and the big US numbers come out at 8:30 am New York time.

For most of the year New York is five hours behind London, so London's morning and New York's morning overlap for about four hours. That overlap is usually gold's busiest stretch.

Your broker's clock

MetaTrader shows times on the broker's server clock, not your own. Many servers run two or three hours ahead of London, so the week often appears to start on Monday around 01:00 and end on Friday just before 24:00.

To see the exact hours, right-click XAUUSD in Market Watch, choose Specification and read the Sessions list. It shows the quoting and trading hours for each day on the server clock.

Why the hours matter

A stop can be filled far from its price when gold opens on Sunday at a different level, or when the spread widens around the daily break. Know when those moments are, and check the economic calendar and the central bank calendar before you hold a trade through them. Our gold numbers page shows how far gold usually moves in each hour of the day.

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FAQ

What are gold's trading hours?

Gold trades almost around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday evening, New York time. Gold futures run from 6:00 pm Sunday to 5:00 pm Friday New York time, with a one-hour break every day from 5:00 pm. Most brokers' XAUUSD follows the same week.

Is gold open on weekends?

No. Gold stops on Friday at 5:00 pm New York time and opens again on Sunday at 6:00 pm New York time. The price can open at a different level on Sunday than where it closed on Friday.

Why does gold stop trading for an hour every day?

The futures market closes for one hour from 5:00 pm New York time to settle the day. Brokers that price XAUUSD from that market pause at the same time, and spreads are often wide just before and after.

What time does gold open in MT5?

It depends on your broker's server clock. Many servers run two or three hours ahead of London, so the week often shows as starting on Monday around 01:00 server time. Your symbol's Specification window lists the exact sessions.

Which session has the most gold trading?

Usually the hours when London and New York are both open, from about 8:00 am to noon New York time. US economic news at 8:30 am New York time falls inside that window.

Do gold trading hours change with daylight saving time?

The New York times stay the same, but the hours in your own time zone can move. The US and the UK change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap between London and New York is four hours instead of five.

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An educational tool. It is not investment advice. Trading leveraged products such as gold CFDs carries a high risk of losing money, and you can lose all of it.

BaroqTech makes software. It is not investment advice and it does not manage money. Trading leveraged products such as gold CFDs carries a high risk of losing money, and you can lose all of it. Results from a test or from a demo account do not predict results on a real account.

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Gold trading hours: when XAUUSD is open, session by session

The week

The three sessions

Your broker's clock

Why the hours matter

FAQ

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