Free travel tool
Sunrise and sunset calculator
Pick a city and a date to see sunrise, sunset, golden hour and day length in local time. Plan the best light for photos, hikes and sunset dinners, and see how daylight changes a month later.
Quick dates
Choose a city
Sunrise
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Sunset
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- Day length
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- Solar noon
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- First light and last light
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- Golden hour, morning
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- Golden hour, evening
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The day in local time
A month later
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Calculated in your browser with the NOAA solar position algorithm, for sea level and a flat horizon. Real sunrise and sunset can differ by a few minutes with hills, buildings and weather. Golden hour here means the sun is less than 6 degrees above the horizon.
Frequently asked questions
How are sunrise and sunset times calculated?
The calculator uses the NOAA solar position algorithm, which works out where the sun is for any date and place from astronomy alone. Sunrise and sunset are the moments the top edge of the sun appears to touch the horizon, allowing for atmospheric refraction. It runs in your browser with no data sent anywhere. Results usually land within a minute or two of published almanac tables for the cities listed, but check an official source if the exact minute matters.
What is golden hour and when does it happen?
Golden hour is the stretch of warm, low-angle light after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is less than about 6 degrees above the horizon. It is the favourite time for travel photos because shadows are long and soft. Here the morning window runs from sunrise until the sun reaches 6 degrees, and the evening window from 6 degrees until sunset. Hazy skies, hills and tall buildings can shorten it.
What is civil twilight?
Civil twilight is the period when the sun is up to 6 degrees below the horizon. First light marks when it begins before sunrise, and last light when it ends after sunset. There is usually enough light to walk around outside without a torch, which is useful for early hikes, airport transfers and sunset viewpoints.
Why does the sun not set in Tromso in June?
Above the Arctic Circle the sun stays above the horizon for weeks around the June solstice (midnight sun), and stays below it around the December solstice (polar night). In Tromso the midnight sun runs from roughly mid-May to late July and the polar night from late November to mid-January. When that happens the calculator says so instead of showing a time. In deep winter you may still get a few hours of blue twilight around midday.
Does the calculator allow for daylight saving time?
Yes. Each city is tied to its IANA time zone and your browser works out the clock offset for the exact date you choose, so a clock change is included. If your device has an outdated time zone database, a recently changed rule could be missed.
Why does my phone show a slightly different time?
Different apps round to the nearest minute or drop the seconds, and some use a slightly different sun angle. Real horizons also matter: mountains, buildings and the sea level you are looking at can move the visible sunrise or sunset by several minutes. Treat the times as a planning guide and arrive early for a good spot.