Exact golden hour, sunrise, sunset and blue hour times for any city in the world — updated every day.
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun sits low on the horizon. The light travels through a much thicker layer of atmosphere than at midday, which filters out blue wavelengths and leaves the warm golden tones that photographers and filmmakers chase around the world.
Unlike harsh midday light, golden hour light is soft, directional, and incredibly flattering. It creates long dramatic shadows, wraps around subjects beautifully, and produces photographs that look almost impossibly cinematic. The exact golden hour times change every single day as the seasons change — which is why a daily calculator like this one is essential.
Starts at sunrise. Clean air, cooler pastel colors, empty streets. You need to wake up early but you get locations all to yourself with the freshest light of the day.
Starts about an hour before sunset. Warmer, more dramatic colors due to dust accumulated during the day. Cities come alive. The most popular golden hour for photographers.
The 20–40 minutes just before sunrise and after sunset. Deep blue sky, city lights on. Perfect for cityscapes. Don't pack your camera when the sun sets — stay for blue hour.
Despite the name, golden hour rarely lasts exactly 60 minutes. Near the equator — Singapore, Bangkok, Lagos — it can be as short as 20–30 minutes because the sun rises and sets nearly vertically. At higher latitudes like London, Berlin, or Toronto, golden hour can stretch to 90 minutes or more, especially in summer. The calculator above shows the exact duration for your city today.