Everything You Need to Know About the Tonga Time Zone
What is the time zone in Tonga? Well, if you have somehow missed the top widget in Google which tells you the current time in Tonga, then this guide will at least give you a little more depth into the time zone in Tonga!
All of the 170 islands in Tonga follow the same time zone, which is Tonga Time (TOT): an offset of UTC+13. There is no daylight savings time in Tonga. For more information about the Tonga time zone, check out our below guide!
When it is 9 am in Tonga, it is…
- 8 or 9 am in Auckland on the same day
- 6 or 7 am in Sydney on the same day
- 5 am in Tokyo on the same day
- 12 or 1 pm in Los Angeles the previous day
- 3 or 4 pm in New York the previous day
- 8 or 9 pm in London the previous day
- 9 or 10 pm in Frankfurt the previous day*
* Note that two possible times are displayed due to whether the destination is currently on daylight savings time or not.
And if you’re interested, check out the flight times between these destinations and Tonga in What are the Flight Times to Tonga?
© TongaPocketGuide.comTime Zone in Tonga
Tonga observes one time zone, which is the following…
Time zone name: Tonga Time
Time zone abbreviation: TOT
Offset: UTC +13
Example city: Nuku’alofa
Notes About the Time Zone in Tonga
All islands in Tonga follow the same time zone. There is no daylight saving time in Tonga; they follow Tonga Time all year round.
That’s not to say that locals or public transport in Tonga follow schedules or take much notice of the time. Find out more in What is “Tonga Time”? (& What You Need to Know About It).
© TongaPocketGuide.comDaylight Hours in Tonga
Tonga experiences long days all year round with only about a couple of hours of difference in daylight hours between summer and winter.
The average length of daylight in Tonga is 12 hours, with the shortest day usually being around June 21 at around 10.9 hours and the longest day is around December 22 at 13.4 hours.
Sunrise and Sunset in Tonga
The sunrise in Tonga is usually around 6:30 am. The earliest the sun rises is in November at around 5:50 am and the latest the sun rises is usually at 7:16 am during July.
The sunset in Tonga is around 6:30 pm. The earliest sunsets happen in June at around 6:08 pm and the latest sunsets occur in January at about 7:29 pm.
Learn more about the weather and climate in Tonga in Tonga Weather, Seasons & Climate + Weather by Month, as well as more about the sunrise and sunset in the 10 Most Beautiful Sunrise & Sunset Spots in Tonga.
© TongaPocketGuide.comCountries in the Same Time Zone as Tonga
Not many countries share the same time zone as Tonga. In fact, not many people seem to realise there are offset time zones beyond UTC+12! It means that Tonga is one of the first countries to see the new day each day, making it also one of the first to celebrate New Year’s Day.
Other Countries in UTC+13
- Samoa
- Tokelau
- Kiribati
- New Zealand (when in summer time)
© TongaPocketGuide.comFacts About the Tonga Time Zone
Out of all of the countries in the world, Tonga has some of the most interesting facts about its time zone.
Tonga: The First Country to See the New Day
Tonga is one of the first countries to experience the new day thanks to its position closest to the west side of the International Date Line. With that, Tonga is also one of the first countries to celebrate the New Year, which you can learn more about in How to Spend New Year’s Eve in Tonga.
Scrapping Daylight Savings in Tonga
Up to 2017, Tonga used to have two time zones, following daylight savings time. However, this was discontinued in 2018 and Tonga now follows one time zone all year round.
More About the Tonga Time Zone and Other Tonga Travel Tips
That’s it for our complete guide on the Tonga time zone. For more time-related advice, check out the following guides:
- The Best Time to Visit Tonga: A Month-by-Month Guide
- What is the Currency in Tonga?
- Getting Here: How to Get to Tonga
Finally, get even more tips for planning the perfect getaway in The Complete Travel Guide to Tonga and the 31 Tips for Travelling in Tonga.
