A surface coated cutting tool comprising: a tool substrate and a coating layer on a surface of the tool substrate; wherein 1) the coating layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.5 μm to 8.0 μm, and the coating layer comprises a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer, in sequence from the tool substrate toward the surface of the tool; 2) the lower layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises an A layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Al 1-x Cr x)N, where x is 0.20 to 0.60; 3) the intermediate layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises a B layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Al 1-a-b Cr a Si b)N, where a is 0.20 to 0.60 and b is 0.01 to 0.20; 4) the B layer has a repeated variation in Si level with an average interval of 1 nm to 100 nm between adjacent local maxima and local minima in the direction perpendicular to the tool substrate surface, and satisfies the relation: 1.0 < Si max /b ≤ 2.0 where Si max is the average of the local maxima of the Si level and the relation: 0.0 ≤ Si min /b < 1.0 where Si min is the average of the local minima of the Si level; 5) the upper layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises a C layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Ti 1-α-β Si α W β)N where α is 0.01 to 0.20 and β is 0.01 to 0.10; and 6) the C layer has a repeated variation in W level with an average interval of 1 nm to 100 nm between adjacent local maxima and local minima in the direction perpendicular to the tool substrate surface, and satisfies the relation: 1.0 < W max /β ≤ 2.0 where W max is the average of the local maxima of the W level and the relation: 0.0 ≤ W min /β < 1.0 where W min is the average of the local minima of the W level the average interval for Si and W being determined as described in the Examples part of the description. 1) the coating layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.5 μm to 8.0 μm, and the coating layer comprises a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer, in sequence from the tool substrate toward the surface of the tool; 2) the lower layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises an A layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Al 1-x Cr x)N, where x is 0.20 to 0.60; 3) the intermediate layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises a B layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Al 1-a-b Cr a Si b)N, where a is 0.20 to 0.60 and b is 0.01 to 0.20; 4) the B layer has a repeated variation in Si level with an average interval of 1 nm to 100 nm between adjacent local maxima and local minima in the direction perpendicular to the tool substrate surface, and satisfies the relation: 1.0 < Si max /b ≤ 2.0 where Si max is the average of the local maxima of the Si level and the relation: 0.0 ≤ Si min /b < 1.0 where Si min is the average of the local minima of the Si level; 5) the upper layer has an average thickness in a range of 0.1 μm to 4.0 μm and comprises a C layer having an average composition represented by formula: (Ti 1-α-β Si α W β)N where α is 0.01 to 0.20 and β is 0.01 to 0.10; and 6) the C layer has a repeated variation in W level with an average interval of 1 nm to 100 nm between adjacent local maxima and local minima in the direction perpendicular to the tool substrate surface, and satisfies the relation: 1.0 < W max /β ≤ 2.0 where W max is the average of the local maxima of the W level and the relation: 0.0 ≤ W min /β < 1.0 where W min is the average of the local minima of the W level