ICT Killzones — All 4 Sessions (Asian, London, NY, London Close) Times + Trading Guide & Free PDF

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ICT killzones refer to the hot trading hours in the forex markets with the most volatility and the best opportunities for profitable trading.

We all know the forex market operates 24 hours a day — but not all hours offer high volatility or the same favourable trading opportunities.

To address this and save traders time, Michael Huddleston came up with the idea of these 4 ICT killzones — the Asian killzone, London killzone, New York killzone and London close killzone.

In this guide I walk you through all 4 ICT killzones, their session times, the pairs that move best inside each one, the entry sequence I personally use and the common mistakes traders make when they first start trading the windows.

You can jump to the section you are most interested in from below or continue reading the whole article for a complete view.

What are ICT Killzones?

ICT killzones — also known as ICT session times or forex killzone times — are time frames with high trading volume and volatility in the market, resulting in good trading opportunities you can use to maximise profits.

These killzones are based on the four primary sessions of the international forex market: Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. The overlap of these sessions and the institutional flow inside them is what makes the killzone windows volatile.

Another major factor contributing to the surge in trading volume during these sessions is heavy trade activity by various institutional traders, which Michael Huddleston refers to as ICT killzones.

These zones are divided into four time frames named: ICT Asian killzone, ICT London killzone, ICT New York killzone and ICT London close killzone. The timing for all four is tabulated below.

These ICT killzone times are referenced in both GMT and EST.

All four ICT killzones have their own characteristics and unique reasons for being volatile during those periods. I cover each one individually below so you have a complete view of how to trade inside it.

ICT Asian Killzone Time

The ICT Asian killzone lies between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM (New York local time).

It is based on the ICT Asian range — the first strategic period in the forex market — with the ideal pairs being the Australian Dollar, New Zealand Dollar and Japanese Yen.

These are the most active pairs in ICT Asian time and the US Dollar mostly tends to consolidate during the Asian session.

Characteristics of the Asian Killzone

• Asian killzone time lies between 07:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
• Higher timeframe bias is helpful during this period, but a short-term retracement (bullish or bearish) can offer a similar optimal trade entry.
• The Asian session typically displays the lowest volatility and the tightest ranges, making it less attractive for traders who need movement.
• The Asian open often sets up an optimal trade entry pattern that can offer a 15 to 20 pip scalp trade.
• Most trade setups during the Asian session happen on cross pairs because of US Dollar consolidation in this timeframe.

A real market example is shown below.

In the picture above you can see the AUD/JPY 5-minute chart with a bullish daily bias. Price traded back to the optimal trade entry levels and a buy trade got executed at the OTE 0.786 level with profit target at the previous high — and it successfully delivered 25 pips.

ICT London Killzone Time

The ICT London killzone time lies between 02:00 AM and 05:00 AM (New York local time).

It falls inside the ICT London session and witnesses the highest trading volume compared with the Asian session.

The Euro (EUR) and Britain Pound (GBP) are the hot pairs during this period. The London session possesses the highest probability of a large directional move in 24 hours.

Characteristics of the London Killzone

• ICT London killzone lies between 02:00 AM and 05:00 AM EST.
• Higher timeframe bias is helpful during this period.
• The London open can set up an optimal trade entry pattern that can offer more than 30 pips of directional trade.
• On a bullish day during the London killzone, price mostly sets the high of the day.
• On a bearish day during the London killzone, price often sets the low of the day.

In the picture above you can see GBP/USD with a bearish daily bias taking the high of the Asian session and shifting market structure to the downside, then trading back to the optimal trade entry 0.5 level — giving a sell opportunity targeting the previous session low. It delivered 40 pips successfully.

ICT New York Killzone Time

The ICT New York killzone lies between 07:00 AM and 09:00 AM (New York local time).

It is highly volatile due to the overlap of the London and New York sessions. During this session, pairs coupled with the US Dollar are important to watch and trade.

Characteristics of the New York Killzone

• ICT New York killzone lies between 07:00 AM and 09:00 AM EST.
• Higher timeframe bias is helpful during this period, but a short-term retracement either bullish or bearish can offer a similar optimal trade entry.
• The New York session mostly retraces back to the London trading range and sets up an optimal trade entry pattern that can offer 30 to 40 pips of trade.
• The New York session is volatile with high trading volume because of the overlap between the London and New York sessions.
• The 09:50 NY-AM ICT macro time sits inside this killzone and is one of the highest-probability windows of the entire trading day.

In the picture above you can see USD/CAD with a bearish daily bias trading back to the London range during the New York killzone and giving a selling opportunity at the optimal trade entry 0.786 level — delivering 40 pips.

ICT London Close Killzone Time

The ICT London close killzone lies between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM (New York local time).

It carries significant importance due to its timing — most traders secure their positions before the close of the European day, which often results in a retracement of price back to the daily range.

Price mostly retraces back to its daily range offering a good optimal trade entry setup, and major pairs coupled with the US Dollar are preferable to trade during this time.

Characteristics of the London Close Killzone

• ICT London close killzone lies between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM EST.
• London close killzone can offer a 5-minute OTE setup with a 15 to 20 pip scalp trade.
• On a bullish day, after making the high of the day, price retraces back to the daily range during the London close killzone.
• On a bearish day, after making the low of the day, price retraces back to the daily range during the London close killzone.

In the picture above you can see GBP/USD, after making the high of the day, retrace back to the daily range and shift market structure to the downside during the London close killzone — offering a sell trade at the optimal trade entry 0.618 level and delivering 20 pips.

Step-by-Step Killzone Trade Flow

This is the exact sequence I run before any killzone window opens — from pre-market preparation to entry and management.

1. Set the daily bias. Read the higher-timeframe daily bias the night before — bullish, bearish or neutral.
2. Mark the draw on liquidity. Highlight relative equal highs/lows, prior day high/low, prior session high/low and any unfilled fair value gaps.
3. Wait for the killzone to open. Do not enter before the window. The institutional flow that creates the volatility starts only when the killzone opens.
4. Watch for the sweep. The first move of the killzone is usually a liquidity sweep — Asian high/low for the London killzone, London high/low for the New York killzone, and so on.
5. Wait for an MSS. A clean lower-timeframe market structure shift confirms intent.
6. Enter on the retracement. Into the fair value gap, order block or OTE 0.62 to 0.79 zone left behind by displacement.
7. Set the stop. Above the swept high (for shorts) or below the swept low (for longs), with a small buffer.
8. Take profit at the next external pool. The opposite side of the prior session, relative equal highs/lows or the next day’s projected high/low.
9. Manage at first liquidity. Move stop to break-even once the first internal pool is reached, then trail.

Best Pairs for Each ICT Killzone

The pair you trade should match the killzone you are inside. These are the pair preferences I personally apply, broken down by window.

• Asian killzone — AUD/JPY, NZD/JPY, AUD/USD and cross pairs. The US Dollar consolidates so most setups print on crosses.
• London killzone — GBP/USD, EUR/USD and EUR/GBP. London session is the largest directional mover of the day on these pairs.
• New York killzone — USD majors (GBP/USD, EUR/USD, USD/CAD, USD/JPY) plus US indices (NQ, ES) and XAU/USD.
• London close killzone — USD majors and indices that retrace into the daily range as European positions close.

For traders in the United States who follow the CFTC FIFO and no-hedge rules, the New York killzone (07:00 to 10:00 AM ET) is the most natural fit — it overlaps with the open of the New York Stock Exchange at 09:30 ET and contains the 09:50 NY-AM macro window. NQ and ES futures (CME Group) along with major USD pairs deliver the cleanest setups inside this killzone.

How does Daylight Saving Time Affect ICT Killzone Times?

Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the US is a practice where clocks are moved forward one hour in the spring, giving more daylight hours in the evening during the summer months, and then moved back one hour in the fall to return to standard time.

Essentially “springing forward” in March and “falling back” in November, with the time change occurring on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November respectively, at 2:00 AM local time.

If your country does not follow daylight saving time then it can affect the ICT killzone times relative to your local time with a shift of an hour.

But if your country follows daylight saving time then you do not need to worry about it.

To avoid any confusion ICT himself recommends following the New York local time as the base time. It does not matter where you live — just follow the NY local clock.

The session and killzone windows remain the same irrespective of daylight saving; only the label changes from EST (Eastern Standard Time) to EDT (Eastern Daylight Saving Time).

Common Mistakes When Trading ICT Killzones

These are the recurring mistakes I see when traders first start trading the killzone windows.

1. Pre-positioning before the window opens. The killzone is the catalyst. An entry placed before the window opens removes the entire reason for using the strategy.
2. Trading every killzone. Not every window has a clean draw on liquidity or a clean bias. If the higher-timeframe context is murky, sit out and wait for the next one.
3. Wrong pair for the wrong killzone. Trying to trade GBP majors during the Asian killzone or AUD pairs during the New York killzone produces choppy, unreliable price action.
4. Ignoring the sweep. The first leg of the killzone is usually a sweep, not the trade direction. Entering on the sweep itself almost always leads to a stop-out before the real move.
5. No MSS confirmation. A market structure shift on the lower timeframe is the trigger. Without it the entry is guesswork.
6. Forgetting daylight saving. Twice a year the EST/EDT label changes. If you trade from a fixed local clock, your entries will be off by an hour for two weeks until your charting platform syncs.
7. News overlap. A red-folder release inside the killzone distorts price action. I avoid the window when high-impact news is scheduled inside it.

ICT Killzones Times PDF Download

You can download below ICT kill zones times in PDF for free. This PDF is sponsored by ICTPDF.COM.

To learn the complete ICT Trading strategy step by step, you can buy the ICT Trading PDF eBook on ICTPDF.COM.

FAQs About ICT Killzones

Brief answers to the questions readers ask most often about ICT Killzone Times.

What is an ICT killzone in forex trading?

An ICT killzone refers to the hot trading hours in the forex markets with the most volatility and opportunities for profitable trading. The volatility is due to major institutional players trading during these hours.

What time is the London killzone?

The ICT London killzone lies between 02:00 AM and 05:00 AM (New York local time).

What time is the New York killzone?

The ICT New York killzone lies between 07:00 AM and 10:00 AM (New York local time).

What time is the Asian killzone?

The ICT Asian killzone lies between 07:00 PM and 10:00 PM (New York local time).

What time is the London close killzone?

The ICT London close killzone lies between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM (New York local time).

How many ICT killzones are there?

There are four ICT killzones — Asian, London, New York and London close.

Which ICT killzone is the most volatile?

The London killzone has the highest probability of a large directional move in 24 hours. The New York killzone is also highly volatile due to the London/NY session overlap.

Which pair is best in each killzone?

AUD and JPY pairs in the Asian killzone, EUR/USD and GBP/USD in the London killzone, USD majors and indices in the New York killzone, and USD majors in the London close killzone.

Do ICT killzones work on indices and gold?

Yes — the New York killzone is particularly effective for NQ, ES and XAU/USD because of the NYSE open and the institutional flow during the session overlap.

When is the ICT killzone time in India?

ICT killzone times in India for all the sessions are given below.

ICT Asian Killzone

IST: 05:00 AM – 07:00 AM

ICT London Killzone

IST: 11:00 AM – 02:00 PM

ICT New York Killzone

IST: 04:30 PM – 06:30 PM

ICT London Close Killzone

IST: 07:30 PM – 09:30 PM

Does daylight saving change the killzone times?

The session and killzone windows themselves do not change. Only the label flips from EST to EDT. ICT recommends following New York local time as the base reference.

Can I combine killzones with other ICT strategies?

Yes — killzones combine well with the ICT Silver Bullet, the ICT Judas Swing, the ICT Power of 3 and the ICT Macro Times. These strategies are designed to be triggered inside the killzone windows.

I hope this tutorial helped you master the ICT killzone times. You may also want to see my guide on ICT Optimal Trade Entry – OTE Pattern.