The present invention provides a cutting tool in which the hard coating layer demonstrates superior chipping resistance. The cutting tool has a tool base composed with tungsten carbide-based cemented carbide or titanium carbonitride-based Cermet, and a hard coating layer provided on the surface thereof; wherein the hard coating layer includes: (a) a Ti compound and/or Zr compound layer, which is a lower layer, comprising one or more layers of a TiC layer, TiN layer, TiCN layer, TiCO layer, TiCNO layer, ZrC layer, ZrN layer, ZrCN layer, ZrCO layer, ZrCNO layer and (b) an aluminum oxide layer having an .alpha. crystal structure which is an upper layer, including the highest peak in the inclination section within a range of 0-10.